Bobby Blake Movies
- 1947
The fifth of seven "Red Ryder" westerns starring Allan Lane, Oregon Trail Scouts recounts how Red met his young sidekick, Little Beaver. Failing to acquire hunting rights on the Willamette Indian Reservation, evil Bill Hunter (Roy Barcroft) decides to kidnap Little Beaver (Robert Blake) and use the boy as leverage in future negotiations with Beaver's grandfather, Chief Running Fox (Frank Lackteen). Beaver's foster-father, The Judge (Earle Hodgins), is murdered in the ensuing fracas but the Indian boy finds a safe haven with fur trapper Red Ryder (Lane). Hunter and his men make another move to catch Little Beaver, however, but are once again foiled by Red, this time for good. Although pleased that his grandson is alive and well, Running Fox leaves it up to the child whether he wishes to stay with the tribe or remain with Red Ryder and his aunt, the Duchess (Martha Wentworth). Little Beaver chooses the latter option and a long-lasting friendship is established. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martha Wentworth
- 1946
A much celebrated bout between legendary prize-fighters Jim Corbett and Bob Fitzsimmons becomes a hot issue in the Nevada community of Carson City in this above-average entry in Republic Pictures popular "Red Ryder" series. Leading citizen Molly McVey (Peggy Stewart) considers boxing to be a display of barbarism and does her utmost to have the fight cancelled. Red Ryder (Allan Lane), in contrast, permits Corbett (George Turner) and his manager Bill Delaney (Roscoe Karns) to use the Duchess's ranch as their headquarters. Our hero, however, almost comes to regret that decision when nearly ambushed by villainous Mckean (Roy Barcroft), who conspires to take off with the prize money. No sooner is McKean dispatched when Red finds himself kidnapped by a couple of ruffians hired by Molly, who still attempts to prevent the carnage. Molly, however, discovers her error and Red returns just in time to witness Corbett losing to Fitzsimmons (John Dehner). Supporting actor George Turner, who bears no resemblance to the real life Jim Corbett (1866-1933), later played the title role in the 1947 serial Son of Zorro. Coprbett, who had won the world heavyweight championship in 1892, did indeed lose the title to Fitzsimmons (1863-1917) in Carson City, NV, March 17, 1897. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Adams, Bobby Barber, (more)
- 1944
There's oil in them thar' hills and an unscrupulous oil company scout attempts to drive the settlers off their newly valuable land in this typical Red Ryder Western starring "the Peaceable Man" (William Elliott). Oil company representative Walter Garfield (LeRoy Mason) and his equally nefarious associate, Ace Hanlon (Glenn Strange), manage to drive several ranchers away, but obstinate rancher Ben Taylor (Jack Kirk) is killed right in front of his daughter, Ann (Linda Stirling). When Red Ryder (Elliott), Ann's neighbor, becomes too nosy, Garfield sends for an old associate, gambler Johnny Bennett (aka the San Antonio Kid) (Duncan Renaldo), and charges him with killing the pesky rancher. The Kid is saved by Red when his horse bolts and they become friends. Although shocked that the newcomer is a notorious gambler, Red's aunt, the Duchess (Alice Fleming), hires him as a ranch hand and Johnny reveals Garfield's nefarious plan. Working together, Red and Johnny manage to trap Garfield and his henchmen and after a dramatic shootout, Red chases the villains to their hideout. A fight breaks out and a pool of oil is set on fire. Garfield is killed in the subsequent blaze and Hanlon is brought to justice. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William "Wild Bill" Elliott, Bobby Blake, (more)
- 1944
Our Gang member Froggy (Billy Laughlin) is in love with pretty ballet student Marilyn (Valerie Lee), but she is dedicated to her art. To win Marilyn's affections, Froggy tries to pass himself off as a master terpsichorean, with the assistance of the other gang members -- and a complicated block-and-tackle system. The pas de deux between youthful ballet dancers Valerie Lee and Bobby Browning is the only memorable aspect of this hackneyed one-reeler. Though not the final Our Gang comedy to be filmed, Dancing Romeo was the last to be released, on April 29, 1944. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bobby Blake, Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, (more)
- 1944
MGM's Our Gang series had fallen into such disrepute by 1944 that the studio released the series' valedictory offering, Tale of a Dog, as an "MGM Miniature." This one begins as black youngsters Buckwheat (Billie Thomas) and Big Shot (Cordell Hickman) decide to give their dog Smallpox to the Our Gang kids as a present. Overhearing this, the gang misunderstands, thinking that "smallpox" is the dreaded contagious disease rather than a pooch. Within minutes, the kids manage to spread rumors about an impending smallpox epidemic, and before long the entire city -- and the Board of Health -- is in a state of panic. It is hard to determine which scene in this film is worse: the "Loose Lips Sink Ships" curtain speech delivered by the mayor or the appalling racial humor when Buckwheat's mom (Willa Pearl Curtis) misinterprets the doctor's instructions to "isolate" her son. Then there's the closing gag, in which Smallpox the dog speaks in an exaggerated Negro dialect. First shown on April 15, 1944, Tale of a Dog was the final Our Gang one-reeler to be filmed, but not the last to be released; that dubious honor went to the equally unfunny Dancing Romeo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bobby Blake, Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, (more)
- 1944
Inspired by the success of his favorite comedian Red Skelton, Our Gang member Froggy (Billy Laughlin) decides to become a radio star. Armed with a tattered joke book and a vast array of "funny" props, Froggy and the other gang members begin searching for a suitable radio sponsor, starting in the waiting room of a dentist's office. Eventually, the kids abandon comedy in favor of Shakespearean drama, with even less success. This Our Gang one-reeler has so little going for it that the viewer is advised to forget the plot and concentrate on the talented supporting cast, including such veteran performers as Brandon Hurst, Chester Clute, Morris Ankrum, Jack "Tiny" Lipson, and Joe Yule Sr. (father of Mickey Rooney). Radio Bugs was originally released on April 1, 1944. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bobby Blake, Billy "Froggy" Laughlin, (more)
- 1943
Arguably the least entertaining of all the MGM Our Gang mini-musicals, Calling All Kids finds the gang invading a local radio station to perform a revue honoring the U.S. military. Amidst such dubious highlights as a "recruting office" sketch featuring the less-than-dynamic duo of Mickey (Robert Blake and Froggy (Billy Laughlin), and a closing ensemble piece with lyrics that rhyme "Taxes" with "Axis," the film features an extended celebrity-impression routine, with Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas imitating Eddie "Rochester" Anderson and other kids posing as Judy Garland, Eleanor Powell, Fred Astaire, Carmen Miranda, and Virginia O'Brien. Calling All Kids was originally released on April 24, 1943. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bobby Blake, Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, (more)
- 1943
Our Gang member Janet Burston believes that her family is neglecting her, so she decides to run away from home. The other gang members try to help Janet get adopted (or "adapted") by a more agreeable family, choosing a kindly elderly couple (Sarah Padden and Harry C. Bradley) for the honor. But when the old couple discover that Janet is a runaway, they decide to teach her a lesson by creating a home atmosphere so unpleasant and demanding that she'll be begging to return to her own kinfolk. The only noteworthy aspect of this Our Gang copy is the supporting-cast presence of British actress Elspeth Dudgeon, who previously played the centenarian patriarch of the eccentric Femm family in the 1932 horror classic The Old Dark House. The one-reel Family Troubles was originally released on April 3, 1943. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bobby Blake, Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, (more)
- 1943
The "three smart guys" in this one-reel MGM Our Gang comedy are Mickey (Robert Blake), Froggy (Billy Laughlin), and Buckwheat (Billie Thomas), who devise a scheme to play hooky from school and go fishing. But upon arriving at the river bank, the kids make the acquaintance of a friendly hobo (Edward Fielding), who advises them that they'll never hook the "fish" of success unless they return to school. Duly chastened, the boys rush off to the schoolhouse just in time for the first bell. Three Smart Guys was originally released on October 23, 1943. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bobby Blake, Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, (more)
- 1943
As the incumbent for the presidency of the "One for All and All for One Club," little Mickey (Robert Blake) is so certain he will win that he refuses to campaign. The situation changes radically when Mickey is challenged by political upstart Froggy (Billy Laughlin), who gains popular support with a steady stream of empty promises. But both candidates are in for an unpleasant surprise when Janet Burston appears as a write-in. The one-reel Our Gang comedy Election Daze was released on July 31, 1943, not long before the actual presidential campaign between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Thomas E. Dewey. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bobby Blake, Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, (more)
- 1943
Moving out of their standard small-town surroundings, the Our Gang kids visit the farm owned by the uncle of Gang member Mickey (Robert Blake). Here the youngsters attempt to milk a cow by placing two bottles under the udders and hoping that nature takes its course. If this weren't hilarious enough, the kids feed Mexican jumping beans to the chickens, are chased by an ornery mule, and end up stuck in a hay-baling machine. Once again, a lot of potentially funny material is laid low by misfire direction and unconvincing performances -- hallmarks of the later MGM Our Gang one-reelers. Farm Hands was originally released on June 19, 1943. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bobby Blake, Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, (more)
- 1942
Weighing themselves on a penny machine, the Our Gang kids receive a fortune card predicting that they will receive "unexpected riches." Acting upon this, the kids decide to dig for buried treasure, using a fradulent map provided by one of their wise-guy acquaintances. Though the treasure hunt comes a-cropper, the fortune card's prediction comes true in an unexpected fashion. Originally released on November 28, 1942, the one-reel Unexpected Riches represented Spanky McFarland's final Our Gang appearance, ending an incredible ten-year run with the comedy series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Bobby Blake, (more)
- 1942
Just when it seemed that the MGM Our Gang series was going to continue wallowing in mediocrity, along came the one-reel gem Mighty Lak a Goat. In this consistently funny outing, the Gang members try to clean off their clothes after being splattered with mud. The "miracle" cleaning solution devised by Billy "Froggy" Laughlin works beautifully, but with one major drawback: The stuff stinks to high heaven! Oblivious to their putrid pungency, the kids manage to empty out a bus, a classroom, and a movie theater (even the actors on the screen can't stand the smell) before they sniff out the reason for their sudden unpopularity. Watch for Ava Gardner in a tiny role as a movie-house cashier. The last truly worthwhile Our Gang comedy, Mighty Lak a Goat was originally released on October 10, 1942. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Bobby Blake, (more)
- 1942
Future film star Stephen McNally (here billed as Horace McNally) appears in this Our Gang one-reeler as Bill Patterson, ace director at Mammoth Studios. On the say-so of studio casting director J.D. Broderick (Bryon Shores), Patterson agrees to give a screen test to the Our Gang kids' talented dog Rover. Alas, the petulant pooch does not take direction well, nor does he respond positively when the cameraman announces that he's "ready to shoot." Originally released on August 22, 1942, Rover's Big Chance could charitably be described as a one-joke film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Bobby Blake, (more)
- 1942
The Our Gang kids are upset that WWII is causing them deprivations and inconveniences. Organizing a fact-finding committee, Gang members Mickey (Robert Blake), Froggy (Billy Laughlin), Buckwheat (Billy Thomas), and Janet Burston try to determine what to do about the present national crisis. With the help of a convenient copy of Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac, the kids stage a play in which they cathartically come to grips with the sacrifices indigenous to the war effor, and provide patriotic solutions to the situation. The one-reel Our Gang propaganda piece Benjamin Franklin Jr. was originally released on January 30, 1943. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bobby Blake, Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, (more)
- 1940
The janitor of the Greenpoint department store is murdered during a robbery, and Our Gang members Mickey (Robert Blake), Froggy (Billy Laughlin), Buckwheat (Billie Thomas), and Janet Burston witness the crime. The thieves (Norman Willis and Dick Rich) take the boys hostage, but Janet escapes and heads for the police. Alas, no grownup will believe her story, so Janet enlists the aid of the other gang members to rescue the boys and capture the crooks. A surprisingly grim and depressing Our Gang" comedy, the one-reel Little Miss Pinkerton was originally released on September 18, 1943. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bobby Blake, Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, (more)
