A Quiet Street

technical details:

Production A-5.

Story written June 12 and 13, 1922.

Filmed June 14 to July 1, and July 26 and 27, 1922. See 'miscellaneous' section below for more details.

Copyrighted November 11, 1922, by Pathé Exchange, Inc. Registration no. LU18400. Since the copyright was not renewed, this film is now in the public domain.

Released on December 31, 1922. It was the 6th film in the series to be released.

Silent two-reeler.

Probable opening title: '"Our Gang" Comedies - Hal Roach presents His Rascals in "A Quiet Street".' This is the way the lobby card reads, but the heading in the film may have read '"Our Gang" Comedy' or perhaps '"Our Gang" Series.'

the crew:

Produced by Hal Roach

Probably credited in the film as a presenter.

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

This credit probably appears in the film.

Story by Hal E. Roach

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

supervision - Charles Parrott (better known as Charley Chase) was still director-general at the studio when this film was made, but isn't given supervisory credit, suggesting that he probably stepped down just prior to the release of this film.

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:

main players

Jackie Condon

Featured role. He appears throughout the film, being the little tag-along who's left out of all the fun, and being bullied by the new boy.

Mickey Daniels

Featured role. He's featured pretty strongly in this film, and has established himself as one of the main kids, being featured specifically in the tooth-pulling sequence.

Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison as "Booker T."

Featured role. Maltin & Bann give him his "Booker T." moniker, but this print doesn't reveal any information. He's featured at least as much as the other kids, and still seems to be the leader of the gang.

Jack Davis

Featured role. He appears throughout the film, making his most prominent appearance in the series so far. He clearly had become a main player by this point.

Gabe Saenz as "Banty"

Supporting role. He appears as the new kid, whose father is a cop. He mainly appears early in the film, but has a fairly big role. The synopsis submitted for copyright purposes reveals the character name. However, midway through the document, the writer seems to think that Jack Davis is the same kid, so perhaps the nickname belongs to him.

other kids

Peggy Cartwright

Apparent bit part. She appears in the background in the opening scene of this print as the new kid's sister. Any other scenes she appears in are missing from this print. This was her last appearance in the series.

boy 005a

Bit part. He's the first boy to listen to Ernie through the 'radeo phone,' and looks like one of the boys in "The Big Show" (no. 7).

boy 005b

Bit part. This is the blonde boy that listens to the 'radeo phone.'

other boys

Bit parts. Five other boys show up to check out Mickey's tooth (and later the 'radeo phone'). I haven't noticed them in any other films. There are plenty of longshots, too, so there might be additional boys.

the animals:

Bill

Supporting role. The original Our Gang dog appears off and on throughout this film.

Dinah the Mule

Small part. Dinah only appears at the end of the print, but it seems apparent that she's also in an earlier scene removed from this print.

cat 005

Small part. This is Jackie's cat, and looks pretty small, so it was probably still a kitten. It appears early in the film. Possibly the same cat that appeared in "The Cobbler" (no. 8).

other animals

Small part and extras.

(1.) The new kid's dog, who fights the gang's dog.

(2.) A couple of horses pulling a wagon as the cop talks on the phone.

the adults:

Charles Stevenson as the police officer

Supporting role. He's the father of the new kid, and appears sporadically throughout the film.

Jack Hill as "Red Mike"

Supporting role. He's the mugger who gets chased down by the gang's dog for the big finale.

Joseph Morrison as Ernie's dad

Small part. He looks more like a grandfather. Like in "Fire Fighters" (no. 2), he's made up as an old man. In this print, he only appears at the end of the film, but it seems clear that he's also in an earlier scene that's been cut out.

Vera White as the new kid's mother

Small part. She's seen only at the beginning of the film in this print. Listed by Maltin & Bann as Clara Guiol.

Dick Gilbert as the mugging victim, and also as one of the police officers

Small part. He's seen briefly as the mugging victim, but I can't spot him among the police officers. That part's according to Maltin & Bann.

William Gillespie as the police dispatcher

Bit part. He's seen briefly on the phone with Stevenson.

other adults

Bit parts and extras.

(1.) Three men appear as the movers at the beginning of the film.

(2.) There appear to be perhaps seven other officers besides Stevenson and Gilbert.

(3.) We don't get a look at him, but there's a man driving the car that Red Mike jumps into.

the locations:

Woodbine Street, Palms district, Los Angeles

This is where the two dogs are fighting. In the distance is the Palms Chamber of Commerce on the 3300 block of Motor Avenue, which was later occupied by the Micholithic company. The chamber by that time had moved to the 3400 block.

Master Mfg. Co.

This company moved into 3316 Motor Avenue by 1927, but may not have been at this location when this film was made. The backyard of this property is where the cops apprehend Jack Hill, and also where Ernie's dad comes out of the house and punishes Ernie. The top of the Palms Depot can be made out in some of these shots. As the boys make their getaway, they're running south down the alley behind this property.

Featherstone Avenue, Palms district, Los Angeles

The new kid's house is on the corner of this street, though I don't know the exact spot.

the hideout entrance

The entrance to Red Mike's hideout looks pretty similar to the entrance of the J.J.J.'s headquarters in "Young Sherlocks" (no. 3). If they're the same, then the surrounding objects and position of the sun are different.

the stairs

Maltin & Bann presume that the long flight of stairs in this film are the same seen in Laurel & Hardy's "The Music Box." However, I doubt this strongly for two reasons. First, the stairs in the Laurel & Hardy film go straight up without any bends along the way. Secondly, there are houses to one side of those stairs (both sides these days), but none around the stairs in this film. Perhaps the homes were built between 1922 and 1932.

the river

This appears to be around the same area that appears in "Saturday Morning" (no. 6).

the vacant lot

Appears to be the same place shown in "The Big Show" (no. 7) and "Stage Fright" (no. 17).

gas station

The word 'triangle' is shown on the building, which may be part of the business name. Another part says something about 'crank case service,' which really reminds us of the era in which this film was made.

movie theater

This is presumably near the gas station, since it's involved in the same sequence of action. The boy stop for a few seconds at a large poster which advertises many things, including the Ethel Clayton film "Her Own Money," which had been released in January 1922. This would suggest that it's a second- or third-run theater.

plumber

After Jack Hill drops into the open car, the dog chases him past a little shack with a sign that reads 'plumber.'

Sperry

This name is on the side of a building the gang is hiding behind.

miscellaneous:

19 days of shooting went into the making of this film. The 1922 datebook describes the work on June 12 as 'story etc.' It's probable that this same type of pre-shooting activity took place on the 13th, for which no details are given, since the words 'started to shoot' are written in for the 14th. Filming continued until July 1st. No shooting took place on June 18th or July 2nd, which were Sundays, nor on July 4th, which was Independence Day. The studio was also closed on Mon., July 3rd, resulting in a three-day weekend, but work took place on Sun., June 25th, to compensate for this. From July 5th to July 25th, "Saturday Morning" (no. 6) was started and finished. After this, on July 26th and 27th, more shooting took place for "A Quiet Street." The datebook doesn't specify if this involved retakes or added scenes. It's interesting to note that work on the story for "A Quiet Street" began the Monday following the Saturday 'finish' for "One Terrible Day" (no. 4), and that shooting for "The Big Show" (no. 7) began the day after the final day of shooting for "A Quiet Street." The Our Gang unit had very little time off during 1922.

The Motion Picture News of Dec. 30, 1922, carried a review of this film written by Lillian Gale: "Every one of 'Our Gang,' who have won popularity as juvenile players in the 'Our Gang' Series are given opportunities to carry scenes on their very own in this comedy. 'A Quiet Street' describes the opposite, but does tell the story of happenings on what might be a quiet street if it weren't for 'Our Gang.'
"'Red Mike,' a desperate character, robs a passer-by. Previously, the children have been indulging in pranks that have aroused the interest of the police, and when 'Mike' makes a get-away, it looks black for the 'kids,' who are responsible for several noisy capers, and appear to blame for 'Mike's' rough work.
"There is more activity expressed in this picture than usual, and the pranks of the children are just as entertaining and amusing, as much as that grown-ups who come to bring the children for a laugh, will find themselves getting considerable 'kick' out of the situations themselves. In addition, an intelligent bull-dog shares honors for commendable assistance in keeping the fun on high."

The Motion Picture News of Dec. 30, 1922, also reported the following: "Just as Pathe announces a second series of six Hal Roach 'Our Gang' comedies with kids and their animal pets, James W. Dean, film reviewer for the Newspaper Enterprise Association of more than four hundred daily papers, saw 'A Quiet Street,' announced for release on Dec. 24, and was moved to add the following to what he has previously printed about these two-reel novelties.
"'The "Our Gang" Comedies were probably designed to amuse the kids. They are just about the best entertainment for grown-up boys that I have seen.
"'Freckle-face Mickey Daniels, "Sunshine Sammy," tow-headed Jackie Condon and Jackie Davis, form just the sort of a desperate gang that every fellow belonged to, or feared, when he was a rag-tag and bob-tailed worry to his mother. I laughed more heartily at them in "A Quiet Street" then I did at Chaplin in "Easy Street."'"

The datebook also provides information on the weather on the various dates of production. The weather was described as 'bright' for both of the pre-shooting dates of June 12th and 13th. For most of the shooting dates, it continued to be 'bright,' including during the 4th of July weekend. The exceptions to this occurred on June 25th, when the weather was described as 'hot & sultry - sprinkled,' June 26th, when it was described as 'hot & dull,' June 27th, when it was 'fairly sunny but hazy,' June 28th, when it was 'fairly bright,' June 29th, when it was 'bright & pleasant,' and July 1st, when it was described as 'medium.' For both of the latter shooting dates of July 26th and 27th, the weather was described as 'bright.'

This film was the sixth of six in the first 'series' of Our Gang films.

38 still images were printed into numerous press photos to promote this film.

availability:

Our Gang Volume #11 (VHS) from Grapevine Video and also from The Picture Palace

I suspect that this is a TV print from the Mischief Makers series, but with a soundtrack borrowed from some other film, since the sound effects don't correspond to what's on the screen. The opening titles have been replaced with a card reading "A Quiet Street with Our Gang Kids," and this is similar to available copies of "Saturday Morning" (no. 6) prepared by Video Classics. The ending title card is generic. The music at the very end of the print is the same as the TV print (from Those Lovable Scallawags With Their Gangs) of "Young Sherlocks" (no. 3), suggesting that at least the soundtrack could be a hybrid. All of the inter-titles have been removed, as well as some apparent opening footage. The last part of this version is inverted, which is evident by looking at the dog and at the familiar locations. The print totals 14:40, with 14:34 of it 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 same version already released by Grapevine on the VHS, but with a different soundtrack.

Our Gang Silent Comedies (Volume 1) (VHS) from Nostalgia Family Video

This print is identical to the Grapevine version.

Our Gang Silent Comedies Vol. 13 (VHS) from Video Classics

This print is identical to the Grapevine version.

Our Gang Silent Comedies Vol. 8 (VHS) from HenryButch

This print is identical to the Grapevine version.

See anything that needs changing? Contact me at BtheW@aol.com.

© Robert Demoss.