Eugene "Porky" Lee Movies

Former Our Gang kid Scotty Beckett makes an amusing return appearance to the series as the title character in the one-reel comedy Cousin Wilbur. Much against his will, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer invites his sissified Cousin Wilbur (Beckett) to join the All 4 One Club. The enterprising Wilbur immediately increases the membership by offering cash compensation (usually a penny or two) for every black eye and busted nose administered by neighborhood bullies Tommy "Butch" Bond and Sidney "Woim" Kibrick. When the two tough guys try to muscle in on the club, Wilbur surprises everyone by proving himself to be the best bare-knuckle fighter on the block! Cousin Wilbur was originally released on April 29, 1939. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Told that they're too young to join the Boy Scouts, the Our Gang kids form a troop of their own. Unfortunately, their camping and survival skills leave much to be desired, forcing the real scouts to come to the rescue. Originally released on June 24, 1939, Joy Scouts marked the screen debut of future Our Gang regular Mickey Gubitosi. If that name doesn't ring a bell, you might know Gubitosi better under his screen name of Robert Blake. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Our Gang kids must raise 37 cents to pay off neighborhood bully Tommy "Butch" Bond. After earning a dollar for taking care of an injured dog, the kids hit upon a sure-fire moneymaking scheme; they'll "rescue" every dog in town, thereby collecting a dollar from each grateful owner. Naturally, the pet owners are upset when their pooches mysteriously disappear, and before long the gang is in hot water with the cops. Originally released on July 1, 1939, Dog Daze is a substandard Our Gang one-reeler that even the presence of guest star Scotty Beckett (repeating his "Cousin Wilbur" characterization) cannot rescue from mediocrity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Once again, Our Gang members Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer and Tommy "Butch" Bond are bitter rivals for the affections of little Darla Hood. The nerdish Waldo (Darwood Kaye) comes up with a solution: Alfalfa and Butch will compete for the title of Junior Mayor during Boys' Week, and whichever one wins will earn the honor of escorting Darla to the annual Strawberry Festival. But despite the strenuous efforts of both young candidates, a "dark horse" wins not only the election, but also the girl. Originally released on August 27, 1938, the one-reel Our Gang comedy Party Fever was among the earliest directorial efforts of George Sidney (The Harvey Girls, Show Boat, Bye Bye Birdie). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Filmed on MGM's standing Dr. Kildare sets, the one-reel Our Gang comedy Men in Fright gets under way as Gang members Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Spanky McFarland, Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas, Eugene "Porky" Lee, and Leonard Landy pay a visit to their hospitalized friend Darla Hood. Thanks to a convenient plot device, Alfalfa is mistaken for a tonsillectomy patient and subjected to laughing gas. Once this complication has been straightened out, the kids burrow through a picnic basket full of such delicacies as pickles, ice cream, and hot dogs, with the expected results (conveyed via a clever bit of animation). Men in Fright was originally released on October 15, 1938. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hoping to get even for all the practical jokes perpetrated by neighborhood troublemaker Tommy "Butch" Bond, the Our Gang kids plan to sabotage Butch's birthday party. The weapon of choice is a firecracker, which is substituted for one of the birthday candles. Unfortunately, the kids in general and Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer in particular are unable to escape from the party before the big (and tasty) explosion. Essentially a single-joke effort, the one-reel Our Gang comedy Practical Jokers was originally released on December 17, 1938. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hoping to earn enough money to buy baseball equipment, the Our Gang kids elect to have all their teeth pulled out. Their logic is sublime: If the Good Fairy is willing to slip a dime under the pillow for one tooth, imagine how much the kids will earn if they extract all of their ivories. Upon learning of this scheme, playful dentist Dr. Schwartz (played with unaccustomed sobriety by perennial movie "drunk" Jack Norton) decides to teach the little rascals a lesson -- beginning with a terrified Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer. The Awful Tooth was originally released on May 28, 1938. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this followup to the earlier one-reeler Our Gang: Night 'N' Gales, comedian Johnny Arthur reprises his role as Darla Hood's long-suffering father. It's Mr. Hood's birthday, and he has been eagerly anticipating a quiet dinner at home with his family. Alas, Darla has invited a "few friends" to the celebration: Our Gang-ers Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Eugene "Porky" Lee, Philip Hurlic, and Leonard Landy. The well-meaning quartet drive poor Mr. Hood to distraction with loud and interminable choruses of "Happy Birthday, Mr. Hood", but this is nothing compared to the presents they've brought: a frog, a duck, and a cat, all of which get into a noisy confrontation with the family dog. When the kids aren't arguing over their favorite comic-strip characters, they're busily devouring Mr. Hood's birthday dinner; the poor fellow doesn't even get a slice of his own cake! Feed 'Em and Weep was orginally released on May 7, 1938. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Upon learning that Darla Hood's father (Jack Pepper) owns a circus, Our Gang members Spanky McFarland and Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer try their best to impress Darla, hoping to land circus jobs. Never letting the facts get in the way of a good story, Alfalfa claims that he is an expert bear tamer, who uses his "magnetic personality" to hypnotize wild bears into submission. Overhearing this, Darla's dad decides to teach Alfie and Spanky a lesson, and to that end he disguises himself as a bear. Best line: "Alfalfa never turns back!" The one-reel "Our Gang" comedy Bear Facts was originally released on March 5, 1938. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Last week, fickle Darla Hood declared that she would not go out with neighborhood bully Butch (Tommy Bond) until he started behaving like a gentleman. This week, however, Darla is ga-ga over "muscle men" in general and self-styled wrestler Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer in particular. Thanks to the machinations of his manager Spanky McFarland, "Wildcat" Alfalfa is set to defend his championship title in a fixed bout against the "Masked Marvel"--in reality, the wimpy Waldo (Darwood Kaye). But what Alfie doesn't know is that a revenge-seeking Butch has traded places with Waldo. As he prepares to mop up the floor with the helpless Alfalfa, Butch is defeated through the trickery of Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas and Eugene "Porky" Lee -- but this time, both Alfalfa and Butch are losers when it comes to Darla. Originally released on April 16, 1938, Our Gang: Came the Brawn marked Spanky McFarland's final appearance in Hal Roach's "Our Gang" series, though Spanky would return to the property when it was purchased by MGM later in the year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A followup to the musical-revue short Our Gang Follies of 1936, the one-reel Reunion in Rhythm was apparently filmed under the title Our Gang Follies of 1937. Its release title reflected the fact that, in addition to such current Gang members as Spanky McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Darla Hood, Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas, and Eugene "Porky" Lee, the film also features return appearances by former "Our Gang" stalwarts Mickey Daniels, Mary Kornman, Joe Cobb and Mathew "Stymie" Beard. The occasion is a class reunion at Adams Street Grammar School, where the students stage a show for the entertainment of the alumni. Musical highlights include "Baby Face", performed by Darla and Porky; &"Broadway Rhythm", performed by Spanky and the ensemble; and a medley of &"Going Hollywood" and "I'm Through With Love", sung by Alfalfa and Georgia Jean LaRue. Originally released on January 9, 1937, "Reunion in Rhythm" is the least satisfying of the "Our Gang" musicals, perhaps because the kids seem a tad over-rehearsed this time out. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Briefly digressing from "Our Gang"'s new one-reel format, the series' December 18, 1937 release, Our Gang Follies of 1938, was expanded to two reels -- and the result is often considered to be the best "Gang" comedy of all. Another musical short in the tradition of Our Gang Follies of 1936 and Reunion in Rhythm, this one begins in the basement "theater" of Spanky McFarland, who serves as emcee of a lavish kiddie revue, built primarily around the talents of Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, "King of the Crooners." Alas, Alfalfa has decided to forego swing music in favor of grand opera, and to that end he walks out of the show and heads to the Cosmopolitan Opera House, where Mr. Barnaby (Henry Brandon), the troupe's bemused manager, jokingly signs Alfalfa to a contract -- effective twenty years later. Falling asleep, Alfalfa begins dreaming of his future, envisioning his name in lights all over Broadway. Alfie's dream turns into a nightmare when he loses his "gift" on the eve of his operatic debut, whereupon the now aged and wizened Barnaby forces the hapless crooner to sing in the streets. Our hero is rescued when he ventures into fashionable Club Spanky, where lead singer Darla Hood and orchestra leader Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas are now making "hundreds of thousands of dollars." Though at first insisting that he's a "slave to his art," Alfie finally breaks down and agrees to return to crooning -- but his dream, and the film, aren't quite over yet. Seldom has the imagination of a child been so vividly conveyed as in Our Gang Follies of 1938, wherein the standard "show-biz movie" cliches are played out and exaggerated for all they're worth. As a bonus, the film scores as both an uproarious comedy and a legitimately entertaining musical. Highlights include Alfalfa's unforgettable renditions of "I'm the Barber of Seville" and "Learn to Croon"; Darla's interpretation of "The Love Bug Will Get You If You Don't Watch Out"; "Loch Lomond", performed by Annabella Logan (who grew up to become fabled jazz singer Annie Ross); and "That Foolish Feeling" and "There's No Two Ways About It", sung and danced by Georgia Jean LaRue and Phil MacMahon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide