Boys to Board - 1923

Country: United States

Director: Tom McNamara

Writers: Tom McNamara (story), Hal Roach (story), H.M. Walker   (titles)

Stars: Joe Cobb, Jackie Condon, Mickey Daniels

Release Date: 8 April 1923 (USA)

Production Co: Hal Roach Studios

Runtime: 20 min

Sound Mix: Silent

Color: Black and White

Plot Keywords: Children | Our Gang | Actor Shares First Name With Character

Genres: Short | Comedy | Family

A kindly old schoolteacher helps the gang escape from a cruel boarding school, but they wind up in a bootlegger's booby-trapped house.  

Revealing mistakes

The gang's nighttime escape from the boarding school is clearly shot during the day.

Fire Fighters - 1922

Country: United States

Directors: Robert F. McGowan, Tom McNamara

Writers: Robert A. McGowan, Tom McNamara (titles)

Stars: Elmo Billings, Richard Billings, Peggy Cartwright

Release Date: 8 October 1922 (USA)

Production Co: Hal Roach Studios

Runtime: 20 min

Sound Mix: Silent

Color: Black and White

Plot Keywords: Children | Our Gang

Genres: Comedy | Short | Family

The gang forms a fire department; they end up thwarting a bootlegger, but not before their pet animals get drunk on his moonshine. 

Trivia

This was the second "Our Gang" film made and the second to be released (following the release of the fourth film made, One Terrible Day). Because the first film made in the series is presumed lost, this is the earliest surviving entry.

This film marked Allen 'Farina' Hoskins first "Our Gang" appearance.

The Cobbler - 1923

Country: United States

Director: Tom McNamara

Writers: Hal Roach (story), H.M. Walker (titles)

Stars: Jackie Condon, Mickey Daniels, Richard Daniels

Release Date: 18 February 1923 (USA)

Production Co: Hal Roach Studios

Runtime: 20 min

Sound Mix: Silent

Color: Black and White

Plot Keywords: Our Gang | Children | Actor Shares First Name With Character

Genres: Short | Comedy | Family

A cobbler receives his back pension and invites the gang to celebrate with a picnic, but his car stalls along the way.   

Did you know?

This short subject was part of the opening-night program for the new Vogue Theatre in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Saturday, September 15th, 1923.

The Big Show - 1923

Country: United States

Director: Robert F. McGowan

Writers: Hal Roach, H.M. Walker (titles)

Stars: Roy Brooks, Joe Cobb, Jackie Condon

Release Date: 25 February 1923 (USA)

Production Co: Hal Roach Studios

Runtime: 20 min

Sound Mix: Silent

Color: Black and White

Plot Keywords: Children | Our Gang | Actor Shares First Name With Character

Genres: Comedy | Short | Family

The gang creates its own makeshift county fair, highlighted by a "movie," which is really a clever stage performance.  

Trivia

The story involves the Rascals performing in a make-believe movie theater where they imitate Charles Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Douglas Fairbanks, William S. Hart, Uncle Tom and the security guard character played by 'Gilbert, Dick'. The Chaplin imitation includes a gag repeated from Shoulder Arms wherein The Little Tramp disguises himself as a tree. The Fairbanks imitation (courtesy of Mickey Daniels) specifically refers to The Three Musketeers. The Lloyd imitation borrows from Grandma's Boy.

The make-believe movie theater sports a real movie poster, which advertises Chaplin's The Idle Class

As in other early Hal Roach Rascals shorts, the Farina character is a girl.

Saturday Morning - 1922

Country: United States

Directors: Robert F. McGowan, Tom McNamara

Writers: Hal Roach (story), H.M. Walker (titles)

Stars: Jackie Condon, Mickey Daniels, Richard Daniels

Release Date: 3 December 1922 (USA)

Production Co: Hal Roach Studios

Runtime: 20 min

Sound Mix: Silent

Color: Black and White

Plot Keywords: Pirate | Bear | Children | Our Gang

Genres: Short | Comedy | Family

Sixth silent episode in the Our Gang series. The Rascals, feeling unloved at home, decide to become pirates. Meanwhile, a mother, an aunt and a valet join the cops in searching for the runaways.  

Connections

Referenced in Fly My Kite (1931) (Short)

The Buccaneers - 1924

Country: United States

Directors: Mark Goldaine, Robert F. McGowan

Writers: Hal Roach (story), H.M. Walker (titles)

Stars: Allan Cavan, Joe Cobb, Jackie Condon

Release Date: 9 March 1924 (USA)

Production Co: Hal Roach Studios

Runtime: 20 min

Sound Mix: Silent

Color: Black and White

Plot Keywords: Our Gang | Children | Actor Shares First Name With Character

Genres: Comedy | Family | Short

Lesser Our Gang short has the group playing pirates and building a ship to sail in. Once the ship hits water it sinks but they end up on another boat when the good ol' dog unties the rope and the kids head off to sea where they must be rescued by the Navy. This entry in the series certainly isn't the best Hal Roach had to offer but it's decent enough of a time killer but the lack of laughs really keep it from being better. The only laughs don't happen until the end of the film once the kids are on the Navy ship and the Captain informs them that they hang pirates. This small sequence gets a few nice laughs but everything leading up to it is pretty flat. This includes a running joke of Joe chewing tobacco and we get close ups of the spit once it hits the floor. We see this at least five times during the film so apparently someone thought it was funny. Another joke deals with the boys not wanting Mary on the ship because pirates and girls don't go together.

It's a Bear - 1924

Country: United States

Director: Robert F. McGowan

Writers: Hal Roach (story), H.M. Walker (titles)

Stars: Joe Cobb, Jackie Condon, Mickey Daniels

Release Date: 27 July 1924 (USA)

Production Co: Hal Roach Studios

Runtime: 20 min

Sound Mix: Silent

Color: Black and White

Plot Keywords: Our Gang | Children | Actor Shares First Name With Character

Genres: Family | Short | Comedy

It's A Bear is the 27th Our Gang silent comedy release.

Trivia

The kid known as Dick was actually a little person who smoked cigars between scenes. He was 18-years-old at the time.