One Terrible Day

film no. 4

availability:

Our Gang Volume #3 (VHS) from Grapevine Video and also from The Picture Palace

This is a TV print from the Mischief Makers series entitled "The Outing," with some footage from an additional source added in. The series opening titles are missing, but the episode title card is retained. The ending title card is from Castle Films. It seems apparent that most of the missing footage from this print comes from the beginning of the film. The inter-titles have mostly been removed, with the few that are intact coming from the added footage. Maltin & Bann no doubt watched a better print than this. The print totals 15:11, with 15:05 of original footage. Roughly two-thirds of the original film is included. This version has appeared on numerous bootlegs.

Our Gang - Volume #1 (1922-1923) (DVD-R) from Grapevine Video

Released early March 2006. This is the TV print, but with a remade opening title.

Our Gang Silent Comedies Vol. 8 (VHS) from Video Classics

The order form for this tape lists "One Terrible Day" as one of the titles, but my copy included "Fast Company" in its place. I don't know whether the order form was in error, or the (private) seller had mistakenly put the wrong film on the tape.

Our Gang Silent Comedies Vol. 3 (VHS) from HenryButch

This is the Mischief Makers print.

special note

I was able to view a 9.5mm copy made in the UK, which includes much of the first half of this film, but not the portion missing from the TV print. Certain shots, however, are included that don't appear in the TV print, as well as non-original text-titles.

technical details:

the crew:

Produced by Hal Roach

Probably credited in the film as a presenter.

Supervised by Charles Parrott

Better known as Charley Chase. This credit is probably included in the film. Parrott was director-general of all of the studio's output during this period.

Directed by Robert F. McGowan and Tom McNamara

This credit probably appears in the film, but without McGowan's middle initial.

Titles by H. M. Walker and Tom McNamara

This credit probably appears in the film, but it might not include McNamara's name.

Story by Hal E. Roach and Tom McNamara

This credit probably doesn't appear in the film.

Released by Pathé Exchange, Inc.

Passed by the National Board of Review

Probably indicated in the film.

studio personnel

• general manager - Warren Doane
• assistant general manager - L. A. French
• secretary-treasurer - C. H. Roach
• construction supervisor - C. E. Christensen
• purchasing superintendent - John L. Murphy
• still photographer - Gene Kornman

possible uncredited involvement

• photography - The earliest credits given were for Len Powers, who was working for Roach during this period.
• editing - Credit usually went to Thomas J. Crizer during this period.
• titles - Tom McNamara probably illustrated the title cards.
• writing - Robert F. McGowan, Tom McNamara, Thomas J. Crizer and Leo McCarey may have contributed gags.
• property department - Charles Oelze and Dick Gilbert were probably involved in this capacity by this time.

the kids:

Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison

Featured role. Maltin & Bann indicate that the "Booker T." moniker was used. A reviewer in Moving Picture World, however, was still referring to him as "Sunshine Sammy" when reviewing this film. He gets plenty to do in the film, and was still pretty much the star of the series, though the other kids were catching up.

Mickey Daniels as "Mickey Daniels"

Featured role. Mickey is given significant screen time in this short, and had already established himself as one of the prime players. His name is revealed on an invitation seen in the 9.5mm print.

Jackie Condon

Supporting role. Jackie gets plenty of business in this film, and was still one of the featured kids. The 9.5mm copy calls him "Jackie," but it isn't an original inter-title.

Allen "Farina" Hoskins as "Farina"

Supporting role. He gets more to do in this film than in his earlier appearances. The 9.5mm copy refers to him as 'her,' but it isn't an original inter-title.

Peggy Cartwright

Supporting role. She apparently lives on the farm, but only makes a couple of brief appearances in this print. Ernie addresses her as "Sis." The 9.5mm print calls her "Molly May," but the inter-titles are not original.

Jack Davis

Supporting role. Jack mainly does ensemble acting in this film, but he's there the whole time.

Winston and Weston Doty

Supporting roles. These identical twins do everything in unison. Otherwise, they mostly do ensemble work.

other kids

Supporting role. The only remaining kid is the tall boy in the Harold Lloyd glasses. I think the implication is that Jackie is his younger brother. He gets plenty of screentime, but doesn't seem to have returned to this series. He resembles one of the boys in "Penrod And Sam." I think he might be Joe Butterworth, who played Sam.

the animals:

monkey 004

Featured role. This is the society matron's monkey, which is seen pretty much throughout the film.

dog 003

Supporting role. This is Jackie's dog and he stands in for dog 001 as the main dog in this film.

pony 001

Supporting role. This is the pony that pushes Jackie into the fountain, and later retrieves the boys' clothes for them. She's given the name "Lady Diamond" in the 9.5mm footage.

Dinah the Mule

Small part. Not listed by Maltin & Bann, she's the mule ridden by Peggy in this film.

other animals

Small parts and bit parts.
(1.) A cow seen during the bullfighting scene, and probably the same one from "Young Sherlocks" (no. 3).
(2.) A cow dragging the tall boy around by its tail. Previously seen in "Fire Fighters" (no. 2).
(3.) A slightly smaller cow seen with the second cow listed.
(4.) Three goats, one of which is larger than the other two. Another is a smaller brown goat. The third is a 'kid,' which may be the same one from "Young Sherlocks" (no. 3).
(5.) Two horses appear briefly taking notice of the kids arriving at the house. They also watch Jackie and Farina at the fountain.

(6.) A turkey chases the twins around.
(7.) Several chickens and geese.

the adults:

William Gillespie as "James," the chauffeur

Supporting role. He gets plenty of screentime during the journey to the house.

Charles Stevenson as the butler

Supporting role. He appears mostly during the journey. I'm not sure if he's really supposed to be a butler in this short, since there's another one at the house.

Fanny Kelly as "Mrs. Pennington Van Rensselaer"

Supporting role. She appears quite a bit throughout the film. Maltin & Bann spell her last name "Van Renssalaer," but a calling card shown in the 9.5mm print reveals the spelling favored here.

Clara Guiol as "Alvira"

Supporting role. I'm assuming that Guiol plays the secretary, since Maltin & Bann describe the secretary as one of the people on the car journey. In any event, she appears sporadically throughout the film.

Helen Gilmore as "Carlene Culpepper"

Small part. She doesn't appear in the TV print, but I think she must be shown at the beginning as Mrs. Renssalaer announces her charitable outing.

Ed Brandenberg as the cook

Bit part. He's seen briefly running an eatery. The monkey lands on a hot skillet there.

Wallace Howe as the traffic cop

Bit part. He's seen briefly holding up his hand to stop the car.

other adults

Bit parts.
(1.) The young woman accompanying Peggy at the farm.
(2.) The man who paints Gillespie's face by mistake.

the locations:

the wealthy neighborhood

The neighborhood used in this film is the same later seen in "Tire Trouble" (no. 22) and "Mary, Queen Of Tots" (no. 41). Even the shot of the walkway with the street in the background seems to occur in all three films.

the hill

Ernie takes a ride in a rolling tire and takes a spill on a steep hill. This hill is also shown in "The Sun Down Limited" (no. 31)

miscellaneous:

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