George K. French Movies

When the hard-working, widowed mother of Our Gang member Allan "Farina" Hoskins falls ill, things look bad for her family: She has no money for food or medicine, and even worse, the cruel landlord intends to evict her unless two hundred dollars in back rent is immediately forthcoming. Determined to raise the money himself, Farina is equally determined not to let bad fortune weigh him down, and to that end he adopts a perpetual winning smile. Unfortunately, the rest of the gang misinterprets Farina's grin, thinking that he's mocking them. Only after Farina has been abused beyond reason by the other kids does Joe Cobb discover the truth. Hoping to make up for their past misdeeds, the gang vows to earn enough money to save both Farina's mother and her humble home. As it turns out, however, Farina and his family are rescued by a convenient oil gusher. Long considered lost, this silent, two-reel Our Gang comedy was rediscovered in France in 1991: Inasmuch as it has not yet been released to video, the above synopsis is based on contemporary reviews and an eyewitness account by "Little Rascals" historians Leonard Maltin and Richard W. Bann. Originally released on February 26, 1928, The Smile Wins was the last Our Gang film released through Pathe; thereafter, producer Hal Roach would distribute his product exclusively through MGM. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally released on April 7, 1928, "Barnum & Ringling, Inc." was the first "Our Gang" silent comedy to be released with a synchronized musical and sound-effects track. All of the action takes place at the fashionable Ritz-Biltmore hotel, where the Our Gang kids have elected to stage a circus. The fun really begins when the circus animals escape and begin roaming in and out of various hotel rooms. And when an ostrich manages to consume a full bottle of bootleg booze, it's "Katie Bar the Door." Watch for brief appearances by character actor Eugene Pallette as a house detective, future B-western heavy Charles King as a would-be Romeo, and comedian Oliver Hardy as a startled guest. (Ollie is in fact, so startled that he swallows a cork!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Better known for his good looks than any acting capabilities, former male model Reed Howes starred in this silent action melodrama as the ne'er-do-well son of a railroad tycoon who attempts to regain his father's trust by landing an all-important ore-hauling contract. A rival railroad entrepreneur (J.P. McGowan, who also directed) does his best to sabotage the endeavor, but Howes perseveres against the odds. The film was built around footage of a spectacular train collision, which was in reality a stunt photographed at the South Dakota State Fair some years previously. Director J.P. McGowan's long love affair with trains had begun with The Hazards of Helen, a legendary 2-reel series that had starred his then-wife Helen Holmes. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Gang member Joe Cobb celebrates his tenth birthday by baking his own cake since his widowed mother can't afford to buy one. Later, Joe wonders why none of the Our Gang kids have responded to his party invitations. He soon discovers that all the kids have converged at a rival party held by wealthy Jackie Condon. Sensing Joe's disappointment, Jackie invites him to bring his cake to the "better" party, thereby combining the two happy celebrations. But the revelers have a few surprises in store for them thanks to Joe's kid sister, who has "helpfully" stuffed the cake with soap, tacks, old shoes, and other such party favors. Originally released on March 13, 1927, the silent, two-reel Ten Years Old was partially remade as the 1932 Our Gang talkie Birthday Blues. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Easily one of the fastest and funniest of the silent Our Gang comedies, Thundering Fleas is set in motion with a sidewalk performance of Professor Clements' Trained Flea and Insect Circus. When the Professor's star attraction, Garfield the flea (depicted via animation) escapes, Clements offers to pay the Our Gang kids a dollar if they can locate the wayward insect. Alas, all of the fleas manage to get away thanks to the gang's "assistance," and pretty soon the entire city is scratching and writhing. The limit comes when the kids -- and the fleas -- attend the fancy wedding reception of Mary Kornman's older sister. Comedy buffs will be amused by the presence of three major Hal Roach stars in minor roles: Oliver Hardy as a pants-less policeman, Charley Chase (hidden behind a huge walrus moustache) as a twitching wedding guest, and a moustache-less James Finlayson -- of the raised eyebrow and the spectacular double take -- as the justice of the peace. Originally released on July 18, 1926, Thundering Fleas is also available in a shortened, TV version retitled The Flea Circus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While the Our Gang kids are beating the summer heat with their own elaborate version of a "slip-n-slide," a fire alarm rings, and the men from the nearby firehouse race to the conflagration. Tagging along, the youngsters manage, through a series of incredible coincidences, to put the fire out themselves. Impressed, the fire chief deputizes the kids and helps them organize their own fire brigade. As usual, the gang takes its new responsibilities with the seriousness of any adult: They even build their own fire engine, which though unwieldy is certainly fast and efficient. But will the gang be able to extinguish a fire in a chemist's lab and escape being blown to bits by a hidden reserve of dynamite? Largely filmed on the familiar Hal Roach Studios back lot (sharp-eyed comedy fans can spot such "landmarks" as the A to Z Pawnshop and the Pink Pup Café), The Fourth Alarm was originally released on September 12, 1926. The film was meticulously remade in 1932 as Hook and Ladder. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Reed Howes, the original Arrow Collar man (or so his publicity claimed), stars in The Bashful Buccaneer. Howes plays a writer of rip-roaring sea adventures who (naturally) has never been on the bounding main in his life. To glean first-hand information, he hires out a boat owned by heroine Dorothy Dwan and heads out on a treasure hunt. He proves he's got what it takes when the crew stages a mutiny. Featured in the cast was "Gunboat" Smith, a popular boxer of the era. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Judge Somers (Tully Marshall) refuses to let his daughter, Edith (Sylvia Bremer), marry Jerry Warner (T. Roy Barnes) because he does not believe that the young man has any business sense. To help him out, Jerry's Uncle Bellamy (Lincoln Plumer) gives him ten thousand dollars to get started. Judge Somers tells him that if he still has that amount in six months, he can marry Edith. Warner gets off to a rocky start, since he uses half the money to buy oil stock which Somers claims is worthless. An opportunity for quick money appears in the form of an offer from newlyweds Chris and Beatrice Skinner (Harry Meyers and Wanda Hawley). Skinner's grandfather (Jack Duffy) does not approve of Beatrice and threatens to cut off his allowance. The couple decides to divorce and remarry after Skinner gets his grandfather's money. Skinner offers Warner ten thousand dollars to play the corespondent, but then he becomes unreasonably jealous and threatens to divorce Beatrice for real. It gets worse when Edith finds Warner and Beatrice together and doesn't realize it's a set-up for Skinner's grandfather. Finally everything gets untangled, grandpa decides he likes Beatrice after all, and the supposedly worthless oil stock turns out to be quite valuable. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Originally released on January 13, 1924, the silent, two-reel Our Gang comedy Tire Trouble is the film in which the gang operates their own taxi service. Not only do the kids build their own cab (using an abandoned Model T), but they also outfit the vehicle with all manner of clever, labor-saving and traffic-conscious devices. While helping "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison and Allen "Farina" Hoskins deliver their laundry, cab driver Mickey Daniels drives himself and the rest of the gang to the home of wealthy invalid J. William McAllister. Despite the admonitions of McAllister's legions of doctors and nurses, the youngsters decide that the old man doesn't look nearly as sick as he's supposed to be -- and of course, they're right. Thanks to the gang, McAllister enjoys a new lease on life, and to reward his youthful benefactors, he takes them all to an amusement park. The highlight of this consistently delightful film is a dizzying roller coaster ride, capped by a riotous visit to a fun house. Many current prints of Tire Trouble have been copied from the 13-minute TV version, retitled The Cure. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide