Giants Vs. Yanks

technical details:

Production A-12.

Story written November 17 and 18, 1922.

Filmed November 20 to December 19, 1922, and February 15, 1923. See the 'miscellaneous' section below for details.

Copyrighted April 27, 1923, by Pathé Exchange, Inc. Registration no. LU18912. Since the copyright was not renewed, this film is now in the public domain.

Released on May 13, 1923. It was the 12th film in the series to be released.

Silent two-reeler.

Probable opening title: '"Our Gang" Comedies - Hal Roach presents His Rascals in "Giants Vs. Yanks".' The heading may have instead read '"Our Gang" Comedy' or '"Our Gang" Series.'

Released into TV syndication as Mischief Makers episode no. 1050, "The Little League," copyrighted Sep. 1, 1960, with registration number LP17355.

the crew:

Produced by Hal Roach

Probably credited in the film as a presenter.

Directed by Robert F. McGowan

This credit probably appears in the film, but without his middle initial.

Assistant Director: Clarence Morehouse

This credit derives from Morehouse's payroll status as the Our Gang assistant director during this period.

Photographed by Len Powers and Harry W. Gerstad

This credit is based on Powers' payroll status as the Our Gang cameraman during November and December, and Gerstad's comparable status during February. Gerstad had worked on the series prior to this film, so he may have also been involved on some of the earlier shooting dates.

Titles by H. M. Walker

This credit probably appears in the film.

Props by Charles Oelze and Dick Gilbert

This credit derives from their payroll status as Our Gang prop men during this period.

Story by Hal E. Roach

This credit probably doesn't appear in the film.

Teacher: Fern Carter

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 - Bud "Stax" Graves and Gene Kornman

possible uncredited involvement

supervision - Charles Parrott (better known as Charley Chase) was still director-general at the studio when this film was started, but had stepped down by the time of its release.

editing - Credit usually went to Thomas J. Crizer during this period.

titles - Tom McNamara probably illustrated the title cards.

writing - Robert F. McGowan, Thomas J. Crizer and Leo McCarey may have contributed gags. R. H. Fahe first appears in the payroll summaries as an Our Gang gag man the week ending Nov. 25th. He may have contributed gags to this film, or perhaps began work on the next one.

the kids:

featured players

Mickey Daniels as "Mickey"

Featured role. Or more specifically, "'Ironman' Mickey." He's featured pretty much throughout the film, including the early laundry scene. In the quarantine sequence, he dresses as a woman and Ernie addresses him as "Queen 'Lizabuth."

Jack Davis

Featured role. Identified in the titles as "'Bugle-nose' Davis," but this is clearly his 'baseball' name used for team purposes. He appears throughout the film, including the woodchopping scene near the beginning. In the quarantine sequence, he wears a hunter's outfit. Maltin & Bann list him as Jackie Davis.

Joe Cobb as "Squeaky"

Featured role. He appears through most of the film, with a highlight being the scene in which he puts on a girdle and dresses as a woman.

Allen "Farina" Hoskins as "Farina"

Featured role. Or more specifically, "Little Farina." He also appears through most of the film. He umpires the game, and then gets painted white by Jackie.

Jackie Condon as "'Squealer'"

Featured role. Jackie appears as Jack's younger brother, and is seen throughout the film trying to blow his cap off his head by putting his finger in his mouth. Later, he paints Farina white, and Imogene black.

Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison as "Ernie"

Featured role. Ernie also appears through most of the film. In the quarantine sequence, he puts on a top hat and tails and proposes to Mickey. Maltin & Bann indicate that the "Sunshine Sammy" moniker is used, but this print doesn't reveal that.

Doris Oelze as "Imogene"

Supporting role. She's the baby sister of Jack and Jackie, and is featured fairly often in this film. She's the reason the kids end up in the house. Jackie paints her black.

the other team

Andy Samuel as "Cooty Martin"

Supporting role. Andy is the pitcher of the opposing team, and is the only member we get a good look at. He appears only during the baseball footage.

Gabe Saenz

Extra. It appears that he's one of the players standing near home plate during part of the baseball footage.

other boys

Bit parts. Four more boys are on the opposing team. Presumably, Frank Coghlan, Jr. (known to moviegoers as Junior Coghlan) is among them, since he's listed by Maltin & Bann, and also stated in his autobiography that he was in the film. Specifically, he remembered playing center field, backing into a fence, falling down, and getting hit on the head with the baseball. The smallest of these boys points out to the parents where their missing children are, and he appears to be around the appropriate age for Coghlan at the time.

questionable listings

For awhile, Wikipedia listed Frank Bruners as one of the "Yanks" in this film.

the animals:

Bill

Small part. This is Ernie's dog. He appears sporadically throughout the film.

Dinah the Mule

Bit part. She pulls Ernie and Farina's wagon.

other animals

Bit parts.

(1.) Six puppies owned by Mr. and Mrs. Reddy.

(2.) The goat that Mickey hooks up to the contraption spinning the laundry.

(3.) Four goats eating the laundry.

(4.) Three white geese chasing Farina around early in the film.

(5.) A cow that joins the goats in eating the laundry.

(6.) Several chickens and ducks, as well as turkeys running from an axe-wielding Farina. Joe catches one of these.

(7.) The cat walking in the background as Jackie finally loses his hat.

bugwatch

Lotsa flies crawling all over Hungry Hogan's breakfast.

the adults:

William Gillespie as "Mr. Husband"

Supporting role. He appears frequently during the quarantine scenes. Listed by Maltin & Bann as "Mr. Reddy."

Beth Darlington as "Mrs. Reddy" aka "Mrs. Wife"

Supporting role. She appears pretty much whenever Gillespie does. Maltin & Bann indicate that Clara Guiol played this part. Looks to me like Darlington.

Dick Gilbert as "'Hungry' Hogan"

Small part. He appears in an early scene with Jack and Jackie.

Molly Thompson as Mickey's mother

Small part. She appears in the early scene with Mickey, then again at the end of the film. Listed by Maltin & Bann as Fanny Kelly.

Wallace Howe as the physician

Small part. He puts the house under quarantine, and then reappears at the end to announce that it was a mistake.

Joseph Morrison as Ernie's dad

Small part. He appears early in the film and in the last scene.

Vera White as the maid

Bit part. She appears very briefly. It's her illness that causes the quarantine.

Florence Hoskins as the black maid

Bit part. She tells the Reddys about the other maid's illness.

Roy Brooks as the plainclothes officer

Bit part. He keeps the parents away from the house.

other adults

Small parts and bit parts.

(1.) Jack and Jackie's mother, who appears briefly at the start of the film and again at the end.

(2.) The man that tells the boys to get off the lot.

(3.) The third mother that shows up at the end. We never get a good look at her.

(4.) The woman in the portrait on the kitchen wall.

the locations:

Master Mfg. Co.

This was located at 3316 Motor Avenue, though the company may not have arrived by the time this film was made (they're listed in the 1927 city directory). The backyard of this property serves as Mickey's backyard, and the brick building next to it is the Palms Garage at 3304 Motor. After this, it doubles as Ernie's yard, with glimpses of the Palms Lumber Company at 10321 National Boulevard, which can also be seen near the end of the film as Mickey's mother discovers her ruined laundry.

the alley

The alley behind the Master property, which runs parallel to Motor and Vinton Avenues, is shown extensively as Joe tracks down the turkey. In one shot, the Palms Lumber Company can be made out in the background. In another shot, the Palms Depot can be seen. He catches up to the turkey at the garage of the house on the corner Vinton and National, except that the garage is on the alley. Later, when Ernie picks up Mickey and Jack, his wagon is parked on Woodbine Street at the southern end of this stretch of alley (it actually continues south of Woodbine), and we can see the house at the northwest corner of Vinton and Woodbine.

the back porch

Looks similar to the one in "Ask Grandma" (no. 38), but I think it might be different.

the house

The house where Joe catches the turkey is also the one the black cat passes in front of in "Fire Fighters" (no. 2).

miscellaneous:

23 shooting dates went into the making of this film. Work began on Nov. 17th, the day after shooting wrapped for "A Pleasant Journey" (no. 11). No specifics are given, but for the 18th, the 1922 datebook reads 'story, etc.' and for the 20th, it reads both 'getting started' and 'work starting,' indicating that the 17th had been a preparatory day. Shooting continued until Dec. 14th, after which shooting began (the next day) on "Back Stage" (no. 13). No shooting took place on Nov. 19th, Nov. 26th, Dec. 3rd, or Dec. 10th, which were all Sundays, or on Nov. 30th, which was Thanksgiving Day. On Dec. 19th, footage was shot for both "Giants Vs. Yanks" and "Back Stage." After this, filming was completed on "Back Stage," as well as most of "Dogs Of War!" (no. 14) and the final retakes for "The Big Show" (no. 7). Filming than commenced on "Lodge Night" (no. 15) in mid February 1923. On Feb. 15th, filming was divided between "Lodge Night" and "Giants Vs. Yanks," which finally wrapped on that date.

The Motion Picture News of Mar. 31, 1923, carried the following review by Lillian Gale: "The 'Our Gang' series of kid comedies have been casting a bright glow against the film horizon, so real, so natural and so logical are the actions of these talented youngsters, who have been picked by Hal Roach with rare discrimination. But then it was up to his director, Robert McGowan, to fashion them into intimate slices of juvenile high jinks. And he has done an exceptionally clever job of it. There's Mildred Davis' brother, and Sunshine Sammy, and a three-year-old ebony filly named Farina - to say nothing of Mickey Daniels, whose face is his fortune with those countless freckles. Several others complete the gang, one of which is the inevitable fat boy.
"What impresses us is the naturalness of the youngsters, none of them being camera conscious. As a result there is an absence of any suggestion of precocity. And what is more irritating than a precocious kid obeying the gags of a director? If McGowan directed these kids without having his camera hidden he is a wonder. At the same time he deserves credit for catching the true psychology of these terrible infants - products of the neighborhood who cut up capers as you find them on the funny sheets and the sidewalks of our large cities or the banks of a village creek.
"Here they take off the World's Series, leaving their various menial duties to indulge in the national pastime. The scenes are highly amusing and each kid has his opportunity to put over his or her stuff. Farina's crying spell and her walk will bring a hearty laugh. The comedy finishes with the gang quarantined in a respectable home, the occupants of which are up against it and trying to maintain order. The kids turn the place upside down before their parents come after them and guide them to their own homes - to receive the w. k. razo strop or a stormy lecture.
"Get this comedy - get them all. Your crowd won't be disappointed."

The datebooks also give information regarding what the weather was like on each of the shooting dates. During the main shooting of November and December, it was often described as 'bright.' However, it was described as 'foggy until noon then bright' on Nov. 20th, 'cold & cloudy' on the 28th, 'cloudy & cold' on the 29th, 'dark & cold - slight showers' on the 30th, 'dark & cold' on Dec. 1st, 'rainy' on the 2nd, 'medium' on the 3rd, 'medium bright' on the 4th and 5th, 'very spotted' on the 8th, and 'rainy medium dull' on the 11th. It was 'raining' on the 6th, 10th, 12th, 13th and 14th. No description was given for Nov. 26th. For the later dates, it was described as 'bright' on Dec. 19th, and 'clear' on Feb. 15th.

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

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

availability:

Our Gang Silent Comedies Vol. 5 (VHS) from Video Classics and

Our Gang Comedies V (VHS) from The Picture Palace

This is a TV print entitled "Giants Vs Yanks" from the series Those Lovable Scallawags With Their Gangs. Many of the inter-titles are intact, but part of the film is missing. Video Classics also added different music. The print totals 16:55, with 16:26 of it original footage. Roughly three quarters of the original film is included.

Our Gang Comedy Festival II (VHS/DVD) from GoodTimes Home Video

VHS first released 1989. This is also the TV print, but is shorter than the Video Classics copy, since the title card listing the cast doesn't appear. The initials 'GT' are superimposed in the right-hand corner throughout the print, and the VHS is in LP mode. The original footage totals 13:48. This VHS was included as part of the Our Gang Collector Series 5 Pack released Feb. 2002, while the DVD was included as part of a 5 DVD set of the same name released Mar. 2004.

Our Gang Silent Comedies Vol. 9 (VHS) from HenryButch

This is a very bad copy of the TV print. The soundtrack is slowed down, so it isn't clear just what the source was for this version.

Jackie Remembers Our Gang - Memories from Little Rascals Family Theater (VHS/DVD) from Jackie Taylor

A clip appears on this tape lasting 2:35. It comes from the TV print, and includes the opening title card, some name-identification superimposed over the picture, and some ending credits.

The Our Gang Story (VHS/DVD) from GoodTimes Home Video

VHS released 1994. DVD released May 21, 2002. Also included as part of Our Gang Collector Series 4 Pack (4 DVD set), released Mar. 21, 2001, Our Gang Collector Series 5 Pack (5 VHS/DVD set), released Feb. 2002 (VHS) and Mar. 2004 (DVD), and The Best Of Our Gang Volume 1 (DVD) released June 1, 2004. A clip lasting 0:04 is included, showing the two baseball teams before the game. Another clip lasting 0:39 is included, interspersing shots of Mickey drying the laundry with shots of the ballgame. Both of these clips have narration added.

Classic Comedy Teams (VHS) from GoodTimes Home Video

Released 1986. A clip lasting 0:43 is included, taken from various parts of the film. Another clip lasting 0:01 is included, showing Ernie Morrison.

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

© Robert Demoss.