Leave it to Spanky (or The Little Rascal): The time Our Gang was nearly cancelled

Today is the birthday of Our Gang (The Little Rascals) star George “Spanky” McFarland. In his honor, we’ll be looking at an usual period when Our Gang went in a new direction.

A typical Our Gang comedy short would find the familiar neighborhood kids getting into mischief right in their own backyard. They constructed chaotic contraptions, built big barn-held events, skipped school, and made general mischief. It was a successful formula that fueled the series for years.

But many may recall two outings that were noticeable deviations. Bedtime Worries and Wild Poses are domestic comedies that put much less focus on the gang.

In May 1933, Little Rascals director Bob McGowan a Western Union telegram from the studio’s then-general manager Henry Ginsberg. Ginsberg had just left a meeting with Fred Quimby and Felix Feist, the respective head and sales manager of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. As he reported to McGowan from the Hotel Astor in New York City:

“While I was in New York selling, (the) department was most insistent that (Our) Gang be eliminated. This was most discouraging to me and I finally got them to accept at least six subjects next year. I believe it most important that you spend some time with Quimby and get all possible suggestions and ideas so that we can feel assured that the first Gang made next year is a type satisfactory with the possibility of retrieving the series. I suggest this to you for our mutual benefit.”

Per Ginsberg’s suggestion, a retooling was done. The new Our Gang shorts would be more like prototype sitcoms where the laughs came from a typical suburban family. It made sense to put the series’ then-breakout star Spanky McFarland at the center. At only five-years-old, Spanky was a pro in front of the camera, and a natural comedian.

Playing off Spanky would be a pair of kooky parents played by Emerson Treacy and Gay Seabrook. Treacy and Seabrook were familiar to Americans as the stars of the radio series Growin’ Up. Their in-character relationship was reminiscent of one established by the popular comedy duo of George Burns and Gracie Allen.

The family dynamic worked perfectly. Spanky, the innocent yet still wise toddler discovers the world and all its confusing setups with a bit of skepticism. 

 

Gay, the loving matriarch who tries to keep tension out of the house. And Emerson, the hardworking husband and father who just wants to come home from a busy day to a quiet evening. 

Unfortunately, Emerson often deals with his son’s “silly questions”. Spanky’s latest curiosity is about pop’s new job as a shipping clerk.

 

Later, Spanky takes on a life-changing challenge – sleeping by himself. But Emerson doesn’t account for bedtime ruined by a kid too distracted to sleep, a bed that won’t stay up, and an unexpected visitor.

A burglar (Roach regular Harry Bernard) sneaks into the Treacy home in pursuit of the household goods. The burglar initially gets by thanks to Spanky’s innocence and Emerson’s exhaustion.

Spanky survives his first night alone, but has to face his next obstacle in Wild Poses. Emerson and Gay take their baby out to get his picture taken at Otto Phocus’ photography studio. Spanky misunderstands the adults’ decision to ‘shoot’ him, which is not at all helped by the older kids at the studio telling wild stories about what he’ll be in for. 

The next thirteen minutes of Wild Poses take place almost entirely in one room. Here is where McGowan and the Roach writers really had to get creative – how many funny ideas could they work into this single setting? Once again, we are treated to a character-driven vehicle as Spanky does everything in his power to make a simple task not so simple.

While different from past episodes, Wild Poses and Bedtime Worries don’t totally abandon the tone of The Little Rascals. A major component to the series’ success was its depiction of real kids in relatable situations. The Roach writers would often think back to their own childhood experiences for stories, which is still visible in these two shorts. Though this time, part of the inspiration seemed to come from parenting. What parent hasn’t had to deal with a kid    who just won’t sit still for their first portrait?

Besides Treacy and Seabrook, Wild Poses adds veteran comic actor Franklin Pangborn into the mix. Playing the Otto Phocus, Pangborn puts in his typically brilliant performance as a pompous type whose day is quickly ruined by the madness around him. 

With director Bob McGowan and Spanish reporter Eugenio de Zarraga.

It’s not clear what made MGM want to nearly pull the plug on Our Gang. Outside of the occasional negative review, the long-running series was still quite popular. Also unclear is who exactly came up with the domestic concept. Bob McGowan had a strong hold on the series creatively, and his same-named nephew (a.k.a. Anthony Mack) was acting as a writer at the time. Royal King Cole, a screenwriter later known for scripting comic superhero serials, is the only other known contributor to Bedtime Worries. Wild Poses’ known scribes include the McGowans and short comedy writer Stanly Rauh.

Moving more attention towards the adult players must have been a breath of fresh air for McGowan. As the old Hollywood saying goes, never work with children or animals. 

McGowan had been working with both for over a decade, and was reportedly losing his energy year by year. Having capable veterans in front of the camera eased tensions and allowed for the longtime director to experiment.

 

 

Director Bob McGowan and the cast, including visitors Dorothy DeBorba and George Stevens, Jr. (on McGowan's lap).

 

However, the new Our Gang formula wouldn’t last past these two entries. The series went on hiatus in August of that year, during which time Spanky was loaned out to Paramount to appear in the feature Miss Fane’s Baby is Stolen. The return to Our Gang was delayed further when Spanky came down with a nasty case of the whooping cough. The nearly four-month gap seemed to give Bob McGowan enough time to decide on calling it quits as the series’ director. He would be succeeded by Gus Meins, who would pull Our Gang into more familiar territory. 

What we’re left with from this brief period are two out-of-the-ordinary but funny entries.  

 

Clips from Bedtime Worries and Wild Poses came from ClassicFlix’s incredible restorations. Both are available on Blu-Ray (The Little Rascals, Vol. 4) and on DVD (as part of the Complete Collection).

https://www.classicflix.com/ 

Matthew Lydick