Between 1922 and 1948, comedic film director Hal Roach created a total of 220 film shorts under the name Our Gang. Featuring over 41 different child actors over the years, the beloved shorts chronicled the adventures of a group of children who lived in a poverty-stricken neighborhood together. In the early 50s, thanks to the enormous popularity of the series, MGM took 80 of the shorts and packaged them for television as The Little Rascals. And, in the decades that followed, millions of former kids sat mesmerized by the hilarious antics and colorful characters. A staple of syndicated television for many years, they still hold a fond place in our hearts. (click below to read more)
Some of the most memorable in the cast of characters were Billy “Buckwheat” Thomas, George “Spanky” McFarland, Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer, Darla Hood, Matthew “Stymie” Beard and Billy “Froggy” Laughlin. Robert Blake and Jackie Cooper also appeared in numerous episodes. And let’s not forget their canine cohort, Pete the Pup. Surprisingly, a few notable kids auditioned for the films but were turned down, including Shirley Temple, Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland.
Besides the comical adventures of the cast, however, there were some profound undertones that were remarkable considering the era the films were made. Females and African-Americans weren’t cast as subordinates, but presented as equals. This occurred at a time that discrimination was still rampant against both groups. And while some felt the portrayal still had racist elements, the cast members themselves insisted that they were “just a group of kids having fun.”
The series survived in syndication for literally decades and a number of DVD compilations have recently been released. In 1979, The Little Rascals Christmas Special, an animated holiday show was released that featured the voices of two original kids, Darla Hood and Matthew “Stymie” Beard. Hanna-Barbera produced an animated Saturday morning series in 1982, which ran for two seasons and in 1994, Universal Pictures released the live-action film, The Little Rascals, which reinterpreted many of the classic shorts. Sadly, none of the surviving rascals at the time appeared in the film and few from the original cast survive today. These funny little film shorts, on the other hand, will likely live on forever.
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