Robert A. McGowan Movies

The title of this one-reel Our Gang comedy is explained when Gang member Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer comes face to face with his wealthy lookalike Cornelius (also played by Switzer). This fateful meeting provides a golden opportunity for both boys: By trading places with his double, Alfalfa will be able to weasel out of his yard work and live a life of luxury, while Cornelius will be able to escape the rigors of dancing lessons, baths, and the like, and briefly enjoy the benefits of being a "regular kid." But the consequences of the boys' identity-trading serves only to lend credence to the old saw "Stay in your own backyard." Originally released on January 20, 1940, Alfalfa's Double fails to live up to the promise of its premise. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Lonely rich boy Joe Cobb wants a baby brother more than anything, but his parents are too busy and self-involved to discuss the matter. Sensing that Joe needs a few friends his own age, the family nursemaid (Anita Garvin) takes him to visit the Our Gang kids, whose latest money-making venture is an elaborate baby-minding -- and baby-washing -- operation. Upon learning that Joe is willing to pay good money for a kid brother, the crafty Allen "Farina" Hoskins "borrows" a black infant and paints it white -- a deception that literally comes out in the wash. When the black child's mother arrives, her anger makes it clear to the kids that they'd better get going while the going is good. Despite all indications to the contrary, the story ends happily -- or at least satisfactorily. Originally released in June of 1927, the silent, two-reel Our Gang comedy Baby Brother still delivers plenty of laughs, even though several of the infants are clearly uncomfortable and unhappy during the baby-washing sequence. Fringe benefits include a brief cameo by Oliver Hardy as the nursemaid's roguish boyfriend and the first Our Gang appearance by Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In his final Our Gang appearance, Tommy Bond essays his usual role as the Gang's eternal nemesis Butch. This time, Butch wins the heart of little Darla Hood, leaving heartbroken Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer to cry in his alphabet soup. Mistaking the boy's doldrums for indigestion, Alfalfa's dad (William Newell) prepares to give his son a good dose of Seidlitz Powder -- or, as Alfie calls it, "Settles-It" Powder. Later on, the kids pay a visit to Butch's jerry-built chemistry lab, where the young troublemaker is mixing up what he thinks is an explosive. Recognizing the mixture as Settles-It Powder, the crafty Alfalfa offers himself as Butch's guinea pig, "bravely" downing the concoction in hopes of impressing Darla. Alas, the powders haven't been properly combined, and before long a bloated Alfalfa is floating into the sky, while the rest of the gang frantically scurries to his rescue. Filmed in November of 1939, the one-reel Bubbling Troubles was held back from release until May 25, 1940. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After attending a magic show, the Our Gang members decide to indulge in a little prestidigitation of their own. One of the kids' magic spells apparently works too well when it seems that Allen "Farina" Hoskins' little sister Jannie "Mango" Hoskins has been transformed into a monkey. Actually, the monkey has escaped from the local zoo, while Mango is hiding elsewhere. Frantically, the kids try to bring Mango back to her normal self, only to become convinced that she has changed into a chicken -- and been devoured by a passing hobo! Though Mango is still safe, try telling that to the thoroughly terrified youngsters. Except for a lengthy scene in which the monkey cavorts about wearing a Felix the Cat costume, Chicken Feed is unfunny and at times offensive. Originally released on November 6, 1927, this second-echelon Our Gang comedy was remade in 1932 as A Lad an' a Lamp. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Easily one of the most bizarre and surrealistic of all the "Our Gang" silent films, Dog Heaven begins as the beloved Pete the Pup is rescued from committing suicide (!) by one of his canine pals. The broken-hearted Pete then explains (via dialogue titles) why he wants to end his life. It seems that Petey's lifelong master Joe Cobb has been ignoring him in favor of a pretty young girl. Even worse, Joe has accused Pete of trying to drown the girl, when in fact the dog was rescuing her from a watery grave. Just in the nick of time, Joe and Petey are tearfully reuinited --- but this is hardly the end of our doggie hero's troubles. If the viewer doesn't gasp in astonishment at the opening scene, wherein Pete the Pup fashions a noose and attempts to hang himself, the viewer's jaw will certainly drop during the segment in which Pete and a band of mongrel dogs getting blind stinking drunk on bootleg booze! Originally released on December 17, 1927, "Dog Heaven" was the earliest of the "Our Gang" silents to be reissued under the "Little Rascals" banner in the 1950s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this "lost" Our Gang two-reeler, the kids tried their hand at inventing, with the expected hilarious results. One of the best "miracle" devices was an automatic dressing machine, designed for little kids like Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins who have difficulty clothing themselves. Also worth mentioning was a submarine-like automobile (powered by Pete the Pup), which figured prominently in the slapstick climax. First released on March 10, 1928, "Edison, Marconi & Co." is one of the handful of silent Hal Roach/MGM "Our Gang" comedies that apparently no longer exists. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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

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

When neighborhood nemesis Freddie "Slicker" Walburn and his cronies tie knots in the Our Gang kids' clothes while the kids are swimming, a total war is declared. Commandeered by Spanky McFarland, the gang staves off Slicker's "troops" with a barrage of fruit, vegetables, rotten eggs and Limburger cheese. For a while, it looks as though Slicker has gained the upper hand, but the gang successfully mounts an aerial counteroffensive. Beyond a few clever gags, the most interesting aspect of this derivative Our Gang one-reeler is its location, a vacant lot located not far from a busy Los Angeles oil field. Fightin' Fools was originally released January 25, 1941. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Unlike most low-budget B-Westerns, several of Hoot Gibson's vehicles from Diversion Pictures were based on a literary source, in this case a pulp fiction novel by Colonel George B. Rodney. Helmed by former Our Gang director Robert McGowan, Frontier Justice presented Gibson as Brent Halston, a carefree cowboy whose father (Joseph W. Girard), a cattle rancher, has been committed to an insane asylum by a certain Dr. Close (Lloyd Ingraham). But as Brent discovers, the good doctor is operating as an agent for unscrupulous sheep owner Gilbert Ware (Dick Cramer), a megalomaniac who wants to drive the cattle ranchers off their lands. When Brent tries to interfere, Ware's even more unscrupulous partner John Wilton (Roger Williams) has him framed in the killing of a sheep farmer (Silver Tip Baker). About to be lynched by the vengeful sheep owners, Brent makes his escape, taking Ware hostage. Naturally, everything is neatly settled in the end when Wilton is exposed as the real murderer. Photographed by the veteran Paul Ivano, who had functioned as cinematographer on such silents as The Four Men of the Apocalypse (1921) and the notorious but handsomely mounted Queen Kelly) (1929), Frontier Justice was certainly better-looking than most inexpensive genre films, a fact that boded well for the remainder of Gibson's six Westerns for Diversion Pictures. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Hoping to get an early start on a fishing trip to the East River, the Our Gang kids board a double-decker bus at the crack of dawn. Alas, the kids' bulky fishing equipment causes nothing but discomfort for the rest of the passengers, to say nothing of the irascible driver (Paul Hurst). Thanks to the gang's unintentional interference, the bus' regular pick-up and drop-off schedule is thoroughly disrupted, and even worse, it turns out that the kids are on the wrong bus. A simple but hilarious exercise in comic frustration, the one-reel Our Gang comedy Goin' Fishin' was originally released on October 26, 1940. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Wrongfully accused of stealing, an angry Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer decides to get even with his parents by embarking upon a life of crime. To that end, he enlists the other Our Gang kids as his "mob." Hoping to deflect his pals from this drastic action, Spanky McFarland decides to teach the gang a lesson. He tricks the kids into thinking they're burglarizing a house, when in fact they're merely helping the homeowners clean out their junk. Things take an unexpected turn when a real-life fugitive from justice (Al Hill) chooses the gang's clubhouse as his hideout, with the cops hot on his heels. The one-reel Our Gang comedy Good Bad Boys was originally released on September 7, 1940. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide