Wilma Cox Movies
- 1938
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
- Starring:
- Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Eugene "Porky" Lee, (more)
- 1938
Again concocting an elaborate hooky-playing scheme, Our Gang kid Spanky McFarland places a block of ice on the chest of his pal Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer. The strategy this time is to convince their mothers that Alfalfa has a bad cold, and that Spanky must remain by his side to nurse him back to help. In fact, the boys plan to go fishing the moment their mothers' backs are turned -- and the scheme might have worked, had not little Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas and Eugene "Porky" Lee spilled the beans to Spanky's mom. Vowing to teach the boys a lesson, she orders Spanky and Alfalfa to remain in the house all day and look after Spanky's kid brother Junior. This turns out to be a major mistake when, while trying to clean Junior's clothes, the boys end up locked in a steam cabinet, while poor Buckwheat finds himself stuck in the washing machine's rinse cycle. Though adhering strictly to formula, the "Our Gang" one-reeler Canned Fishing pleased the crowd when it was originally released on February 12, 1938. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1937
Film collectors take note: Hal Roach's Pick a Star is not a Laurel and Hardy picture, though the popular comic duo does make a brace of amusing cameo appearances halfway through the film. A remake of Buster Keaton's Free and Easy, this is the story of how small-town gas-station owner Joe Jenkins (Jack Haley) tries to help his sweetheart Cecilia Moore (Rosina Lawrence) realize her ambition to become a movie star. At the behest of travelling entrepreneur Stone (Russell Hicks), Jenkins organizes a talent contest, the first prize being a trip to Hollywood and a screen test. When Stone turns out to be a crook and skips town with the proceeds of the contest, Cecilia is heartbroken, but Joe promises to go to Hollywood himself and make the right connections to assure her rise to stardom. Alas, the best Joe can manage in Tinseltown is a busboy job at the Colonial Club, a fact he tries to conceal from Cecilia and her wisecracking sister Nellie (Patsy Kelly) when they unexpectedly arrive in California as guests of movie-matinee idol Rinaldo Lopez (Mischa Auer). In desperation, Joe pretends to be a nightclub entertainer, but when this ruse is revealed, Cecilia angrily walks out on him, accompanying Rinaldo first to his movie studio and then to his apartment. Naturally Rinaldo has seduction on his mind, but innocent Cecilia doesn't realize this until Joe storms into the apartment with blood in his eye. Ashamed for his lascivious behavior, Rinaldo arranges for Cecilia to have a screen test for producer Klawheimer (Charles Halton). At the last moment, Cecilia suffers an attack of "camera fright," but Joe gently coaches her through her test, and there's a happy ending for all concerned -- even for sister Nellie, who's been relentlessly cynical about the storyline from first scene to last. Cast as "movie stars," Laurel and Hardy show up briefly in the movie-studio scenes to participate in a reciprocal-destruction sequence with their old screen nemesis Walter Long, and to perform an amusing musical routine with "dueling" harmonicas. Pick a Star has been reissued as Movie Struck, while the Laurel & Hardy scenes were released separately to TV as the ersatz two-reeler A Day at the Studio. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patsy Kelly, Jack Haley, (more)
- 1937
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
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1934
In this romantic comedy, a chanteuse singing in a trashy Shanghai bar finds hope for escape when a rakish sailor comes to town and falls in love with her. They are happy during his brief layover, but then his ship departs and he must return Stateside. The sailor doesn't make a lot of money and fears that he could never adequately support his new love, and so writes her a letter explaining that they can never meet again. He sends the letter, but it is intercepted by two practical jokers who write a new letter telling the singer how much the sailor loves her. Upon receiving the love letter, the hapless lady sets sail for Los Angeles. Unfortunately, her lover refuses to acknowledge her. Now the two jokers try to do everything they can to bring the two back together. Songs include: "Here's the Key to My Heart" (Richard Whiting, Sidney Clare), "She Learned About Sailors" (Clare, Whiting) and "If I Were Adam and You Were Eve" (James J. Hanley). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
