Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas Movies

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

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 MGM Our Gang series began its slow but steady decline with the sub-standard one-reel entry Tiny Troubles. On this occasion, the gang is held responsible for the crimes perpetrated by a midget named Light-Fingered Lester (played by prolific dwarf actor Jerry Maren). The notion that the kids would mistake the obviously mature Lester for a tiny baby is as hard to swallow as the rest of the story. Tiny Troubles was originally released on February 18, 1939. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Former Our Gang kid Scotty Beckett makes an amusing return appearance to the series as the title character in the one-reel comedy Cousin Wilbur. Much against his will, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer invites his sissified Cousin Wilbur (Beckett) to join the All 4 One Club. The enterprising Wilbur immediately increases the membership by offering cash compensation (usually a penny or two) for every black eye and busted nose administered by neighborhood bullies Tommy "Butch" Bond and Sidney "Woim" Kibrick. When the two tough guys try to muscle in on the club, Wilbur surprises everyone by proving himself to be the best bare-knuckle fighter on the block! Cousin Wilbur was originally released on April 29, 1939. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When the parents of little Eugene "Porky" Lee are threatened with eviction, the Our Gang kids decide to stage a circus to raise the rent money. Spanky McFarland doubles as ringmaster and acrobat, with Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer as a singing trapeze artist, Darla Hood as a lion tamer, Billy "Buckwheat Thomas as the "Wild Man of Borneo," and Porky himself as "The Head Without a Body." Things come to a spectacular climax when the circus' animal attraction, a cranky mule, is "energized" by a bee sting. The one-reel Clown Princes was originally released on April 15,1939. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Our Gang kids' hopes to win the upcoming Kidmobile Race Classic are nearly dashed when town bully Tommy "Butch" Bond arranges for the gang's pet pooch Whiskers to be picked up by the dog pound. But instead of demoralizing the gang, the impoundment of Whiskers merely gives them a stronger reason to win the race and claim the prize, with which they will pay the dog's license fee. Only temporarily foiled, Butch and his pal Sidney "Woim" Kibrick try every dirty trick in the book to sabotage the gang's homemade "auto." The one-reel Our Gang comedy Auto Antics was originally released on July 22, 1939. ~ 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 Our Gang comedy series moved from Hal Roach Studios to MGM with the one-reel gem The Little Ranger. Snubbed by his girlfriend Darla Hood, Gang member Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer accepts the invitation of tomboyish Shirley "Muggsy" Coates to attend the local picture show. While watching the adventures of his favorite cowboy star, Alfalfa dreams that he himself is a Wild West sheriff, with his pals Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas and Eugene "Porky" Lee as deputies. Naturally, Darla also figures prominently in Alfalfa's dream, as does his archrival Tommy "Butch" Bond. What happens next determines Alfie's destiny when he awakens from his slumbers. A very funny entry, The Little Ranger successfully retained all the elements that had made Our Gang so popular during its Hal Roach days -- something that could not be said for most of the subsequent MGM offerings. The film was originally released on August 6, 1938. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Spanky McFarland returned to the Our Gang comedy series in the one-reel entry Aladdin's Lantern. This time around, the gang members are putting on a musical show about Aladdin and his lamp. While Spanky, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, and Darla Hood endeavor to stick to the script (such as it is), their efforts are undermined by smaller kids Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas and Eugene "Porky" Lee. The film ends on a combustible note as Alfalfa tries to render a song while his pants catch fire! Aladdin's Lantern was originally released on September 17, 1938. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide