Hal Law Movies

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, Rovi

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, Rovi

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, Rovi

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, Rovi

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, Rovi

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, Rovi

Our Gang member Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas has told so many lies that no one believes his claim of seeing a marauding monkey in a nearby "haunted" house. This time, however, Buckwheat is telling the truth: The monkey, a harmless circus escapee, is indeed wandering the corridors of the abandoned structure. But the kids don't know that, and when they decide to teach Buckwheat a lesson by disguising Billy "Froggy" Laughlin as a chimp, it is they who end up scared witless. Don't Lie was originally released on April 4, 1942. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Upset because, as a leap year baby, he only has a birthday every four years, Our Gang member Billy "Froggy" Laughlin bemoans the fact that he has never had a birthday party. The gang decides to throw a surprise party in Froggy's honor, but to keep him in the dark, they pretend to kick him out of the clubhouse. Vengefully, Froggy sneaks back and sets all sorts of booby-traps for the other gang members. But -- you guessed it -- when the party takes place, it is Froggy who bears the brunt of his pre-set pranks. Originally released on May 30, 1942, the one-reel Our Gang comedy Surprised Parties is but a pale shadow of the series' vintage entries of the '20s and '30s. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Junior con man Freddie "Slicker" Walburn sells the Our Gang kids some "invisible rays," with which they hope to power their homemade mechanical robot. Miracle of miracles, the robot not only begins to move, but actually performs several of the gang's household chores. In truth, the robot is being manipulated by Slicker's cohort Billy Ray "Boxcar" Smith, but the kids don't find out until their rampaging mechanical man nearly lays waste to the entire neighborhood. The one-reel Our Gang comedy Robot Wrecks was originally released on July 12, 1941. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Having read horror stories about wicked stepmothers, the Our Gang kids are determined to break up the marriage between Darla Hood's widowed father (Byron Shores) and his new bride (Barbara Bedford). Never bothering to find out (as Darla has) that the second Mrs. Hood is a wonderful woman, the kids pull off all sorts of pranks at the wedding ceremony, from playing the radio too loud to releasing a cylinder of laughing gas. This is one time that the climactic assembly-line spanking gag is thoroughly justified. Originally released on December 13, 1941, the one-reel Wedding Worries marked Darla Hood's final Our Gang appearance. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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, Rovi

While recklessly playing baseball in a busy street, Our Gang member Mickey (Robert Blake) is struck by a car. Though he fully recovers from his injuries, Mickey meets several other kids in the hospital who weren't so lucky. Instantly developing a sense of civic responsibility, the Gang members establish the "1-2-3 Go Safety Society," dedicated to lowering the number of auto injuries in their community. Playing more like a public service announcement than an Our Gang one-reeler, 1-2-3 Go was originally released on April 26, 1941. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Our Gang kids unintentionally wreak havoc at the gala Hollywood premiere of the adventure epic Gun Boats. Chased away by the angry authorities, the undaunted kids decide to stage their own movie premiere -- and they even film a movie for the occasion! Alas, the gang's cinematic effort, The Mysteeryus Mystery, isn't quite as entertaining as the efforts by Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas to remove his feet from a block of cement (he was merely trying to leave his footprints, à la Grauman's Chinese Theater). Like many MGM Our Gang one-reelers, this one ends with a song performed by Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer -- with the unsolicited assistance of a newly hatched chick. The Big Premiere was originally released on March 9, 1940. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi