Mickey Gubitosi Movies

Venerable minstrel-show impresario Walter Wills makes his third and final Our Gang appearance in the one-reel comedy Doin' Their Bit. Hoping to entertain the military troops stationed in Greenpoint, Mr. Wills organizes the Our Gang kids into a junior USO troupe. In addition to performing a distressingly unfunny "boot camp" sketch (which attempts to garner laughs by making jokes about "dead Japs"), the gang participates in a brace of production numbers, slickly choreographed by Bud Murray. In the final analysis, the regular Our Gang members are virtually expendable: Most of the entertaining is done by a batallion of talented young dancers and singers. Doin' Their Bit was originally released on July 18, 1942. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A surprisingly good MGM Our Gang comedy, the one-reel Going to Press is an on-target spoof of a typical "adult" crime film. Determined to uncover the identity of the mysterious leader of a juvenile extortion racket, the Our Gang kids set up a crusading newspaper called The Greenpoint Press. The kids gratefully accept the help of a pleasant, well-spoken youngster named Dick (Darryl Hickman), little suspecting that he is the duplicitous boss of the dreaded Gas House Gang. Only after Dick's henchmen have taken Billy "Froggy" Laughlin for a "ride" (a harmless but painful one) are the kids able to expose the villain and save the day. Also appearing in this hilarious lampoon is Juanita Quigley, here better served than in the earlier Our Gang entry The New Pupil. Going to Press was originally released on March 7, 1942. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Just as they did in the 1941 Our Gang comedy Ye Olde Minstrels, the gang prevails upon old-time minstrel impresario Walter Wills to help them stage a fund-raising musical show. Highlights include the ensemble number "When Grandma Wore a Bustle", the barbershop-quartet set piece "Songs of Long Ago", and the grand finale "Dances Old and New". Alas, the kids are unable to post the profits because gang member Mickey (Robert Blake) has allowed most of the audience to enter for free, but good old Walter Wills comes to the rescue once again. This one-reel entry was originally released on January 24, 1942. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Another MGM Our Gang comedy that has next to nothing to do with Our Gang, the one-reel Helping Hands gets under way when Spanky McFarland receives a letter from his recently drafted older brother. Inspired by the letter's patriotic sentiments, Spanky and the gang organize a "home guard," prepared to do battle should the Nazis invade California. This attracts the attention of Army Major Sanford (Sam Flint), who informs the kids that they would be of even greater service to Uncle Sam by looking out for fire hazards, collecting scrap metal and paper, and encouraging their parents to buy war stamps and bonds. The humor level of this film can be gauged by the final gag, in which a group of diapered babies march down the street under the banner "Infantry." Helping Hands was originally released on September 27, 1941. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When Our Gang member Mickey (Robert Blake) reads an article stating that one out of every four children born is Chinese, he begins to worry that his new baby brother will be Chinese as well. Spanky McFarland and the rest of the Gang put Mickey at ease by introducing him to the family of Spanky's new friend Lee Wong. Once he's learned that people are people no matter what their ethnic background, Mickey is mollified -- until he discovers that his much-anticipated "kid brother" is not only a girl, but twins to boot. Originally released on February 15, 1941, the one-reel Our Gang comedy Baby Blues might be regarded as patronizing and even offensive by contemporary viewers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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

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

Of the many MGM Our Gang comedies focused on whiny child actor Robert Blake, the one-reel All About Hash is often cited as the worst of the bunch. It seems that little Mickey (Blake) is upset over the fact that his parents (Louis Jean Heydt and Peggy Shannon) spend every Monday night arguing. The reason: Mickey's mom invariably serves hash from the Sunday-dinner leftovers, and Mickey's dad hates hash. To teach the two adults a lesson, the Our Gang kids stage a skit on a local radio program, ending with a heartfelt plea by Mickey to stop the quarrelling. All About Hash was originally released on March 30, 1940. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An unofficial reworking of such silent Our Gang comedies as Tire Troubleand Boys Will Be Joys, as well as the 1936 two-reeler Second Childhood, the one-reel talkie Kiddie Kure is a tour de force for that marvelous character actor Thurston Hall. While playing baseball near the home of wealthy hypochondriac Mr. Morton (Hall), the Our Gang kids inadvertently break one of Morton's windows. This mishap coincides with a plan hatched by Morton's wife (Josephine Whitell) to get her husband's mind off his imaginary illnesses by adopting some children. Hoping to prove that he'd be an unsuitable parent, Morton pretends that he's crazy, the better to scare away the gang and to dissuade Mrs. Morton from her adoption scheme. Instead, the kids prove to Morton that he doesn't need all his pills and poultices, thereby giving the old man a new lease on life and a better appreciation of children. Originally released on November 23, 1940, Kiddie Kure marked the final Our Gang appearance of series stalwart Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer. ~ Hal Erickson, 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

Told that they're too young to join the Boy Scouts, the Our Gang kids form a troop of their own. Unfortunately, their camping and survival skills leave much to be desired, forcing the real scouts to come to the rescue. Originally released on June 24, 1939, Joy Scouts marked the screen debut of future Our Gang regular Mickey Gubitosi. If that name doesn't ring a bell, you might know Gubitosi better under his screen name of Robert Blake. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

To raise money for the local chapter of the Red Cross, the Our Gang kids stage an old-fashioned minstrel show with the help of Billy "Froggy" Laughlin's uncle, played by real-life minstrel man Walter Wills. What follows is not an Our Gang comedy at all, but an overproduced and somewhat tiresome musical revue. Nonetheless, the show is a success, netting the Red Cross a munificent $208.40. The one-reel Ye Olde Minstrels was originally released on March 18, 1941. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The gang's beloved teacher Miss Pipps (Sara Haden) is fired by crabby old school board chairman Mr. Pratt (Clarence Wilson), who believes that the teacher is too "nice" for her job. With the help of friendly school custodian Mr. Swenson (Christian Rub), the kids stage a play for the local PTA, explaining why Miss Pipps should not be dismissed and simultaneously exposing Mr. Pratt as the nasty curmudgeon that he is. As a result, Miss Pipps is reinstated and Pratt is duly punished -- only to be forgiven by the surprisingly charitable children. One of the better MGM Our Gang comedies, the one-reel Come Back, Miss Pipps was originally released on October 25, 1941. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide