A Lot of Lost Fun #1 – Yale Vs. Harvard

One of the best things about doing a project on the Hal Roach Studio is having access to a library of films. Thanks to historians, film collectors, and preservationists, we’re fortunate to be able to see so many gems that are nearly a century old.

But every so often, a title will be so elusive that even the most hardcore historians are unable to find it. These lost films are always fascinating little mysteries. 

Fans are left wondering, if one of these titles is found, will we be getting a forgotten gem, or something that should have stayed lost?

 

 

Yale Vs. Harvard seems to fall into the former category. This was the grand opener to Hal Roach’s first season of Our Gang comedies under a new distribution deal with MGM, and Roach and series’ director Bob McGowan seemed to spare no expense at making it a standout entry. Thanks to a surviving cutting continuity, we can see that, Yale Vs. Harvard offered a fun time with fast paced gags, witty title cards (thanks, of course, to H. M. “Beanie” Walker), and some pretty nifty camera tricks. 

Throughout the transcript, we’re told that this football-themed adventure contains a number of glass shots aimed up from the ground as the Our Gang kids are in huddle position, and sometimes to show the junior football players running over the camera. Angles shooting down are mentioned too, as are dolly shots following kids at play. While the gags were surely a joy to plan out, preparing the technical aspects must have been equally fun.

The continuity opens on a Beanie Walker title card telling us that “the great football classic between Our Gang and the Gas House Garlics was on – All hospitals had been notified.” A great football classic it is. A grandstand full of enthusiastic fans eagerly hold up cards that spell ‘Our Gang’. A cheerleader electrifies the crowd with a chant of, “Raw! Raw! Raw! Our Gang! Gang! Gang! Gang!” And an announcer, operating a machine of makeshift megaphones, declares (by way of cartoon titles) the Gang’s arrival to the stadium.

The Our Gang kids (Farina, Joe, Jackie, Jay R., Harry, and others) are confident, if a bit clumsy. Wheezer is the runt of the team and, as a title card explains, “it’s his first game – And probably his last.” Sure enough, after a minor fall on the ground, Wheezer sits out the game. Luckily, nurse Jean Darling is on board to kiss his hand.

The older kids are prepped for a sensational game. Farina, in particular, is ready to fight. (“Ah hate to kill people – but it’s gotta be done.”) But he has yet to meet the opposing team.

FARINA: “Listen, brother – How big is these Gas Housers?”
JACKIE: “Aw, they’re all little fellers – They’re harmless.”
FARINA: “They ain’t no such word in football as harmless.”

 

The so-called ‘little fellers’ are hardly that. Introduced as a team of “eleven half-backs,” they are all nearly twice the Gang’s size, and with about ten times the urge to pummel. One carries a horse-shoe just to bend it!

The Gas Housers use their intimidating size to their advantage, and easily shake off any objections to unfair play. They even cheat at the pre-game coin toss. The rival team captain keeps the coin hidden in his hand as he turns it over and announces to the Gang, “You lose!” He then pockets it.

Joe dares to speak up – “That’s my nickel!”

One menacing look from the captain makes Joe change his mind. Smiling, he adds, “It’s all right – I got ‘nother one.”

The game is about to begin.

CAPTAIN: “Are you guys ready? – Has all your folks been notified?”
JOE: “I ain’t feelin’ so good. It’s my appenticittus comin’ back.”
CAPTAIN: “You’ll play football or you’ll fight!”
FARINA: “Football is my favorite dish!

 

Most of the Gang’s plays end in a tackle from the opposing team. At one point, Jay R. has the ball, only to be piled on. But the Gas House Garlics take it a step further, picking him up onto their shoulders, ball still in his hand, and carrying him to the goal post. He makes a perfect touchdown for them.

 

 

Joe thinks the Gang are doomed, and suggests they split (“Every man run for home”). A rival overhears and reports back to his men.

The other team has the ball on the next play. We cut back and forth between the Gas Housers charging to the goal post while the Gang casually wait, laying on the ground and kicking their legs. Finally, touch down for the Gas House Garlics. While they’re busy celebrating, the Our Gang kids beat it to the exit gate only to be stopped at the other end by… the Gas House Garlics, who have somehow transported ahead.

“Where you guys goin’?”, one of them asks.
“We was just exercisin’ –“, Joe claims.

One of the Gas Housers is Grange, an Italian lad with a fondness for eating garlic. Farina seems to be his favorite victim. When they meet, Grange stoops down just to blow his foul-smelling breath into Farina’s face and declare, “I don’t like you personally!”

Farina puts his hand to his nose and responds, “This is a fine time to bring that up”.

“He knows his garlic – His breath is terri-b-u-l-l,” Farina tells the others.

 

The next play ends in a scrimmage, with everyone practically tied to each other. Poor Joe has his head shoved under his sweater, and jumps about trying to get it out. Another kid’s tongue is comically stretched, while Jackie and Jay R. get stuck in a sneezing fit from too much dust-to-nose contact.

 

Meanwhile, Farina has blocked his nostrils with two corks. Grange immediately takes the corks out, tosses them away, and gives Farina another whiff of garlic. Grange then grabs a hold of Farina’s legs, stretching them to cartoonish lengths.

“Foul! – Let go my laigs! –” 

Luckily, teammate Jay R. comes to Farina’s rescue.

But Farina’s dilemma is far from finished. As the kids are in formation for the next play, Farina finds himself face-to-face with Grange. Farina gets another kid to switch places with him (“This garlic boy too strong fo’ me—“). He looks off to the left, a smile of relief on his face. Farina then looks forward to find that Grange has also switched places. Even his most desperate solution – a gas mask – fails when Grange decides to breathe right into the hose attached to the mask. There’s no escaping the garlic.

Farina’s bad luck continues when he mistakes a live duck for the game ball. Though later, he does manage to score a touchdown – for the other team.

An ally of the Gang arrive on the field with a box. Earlier, he’d been told by Joe to, “get a shotgun or cannon – anything – we might as well die fightin’”. Among the battle weapons is a hammer, which Joe puts Farina’s sister Mango in charge of. She gleefully socks two resting members of the other team with a hammer hit to the head.

Joe then hides the football under his shirt, while the others use a balloon as a decoy. A swift kick sends the balloon soaring high, distracting the tough team enough for the Gang to score a touchdown. The play is repeated – this time with an ostrich egg filling in. The egg makes a great mess on one of the rival kids, while Jay R. makes a clean touchdown.

The pace of the wild climax increases. The Gang hit every enemy they come across with a shot of ammonia. Mango conks some more Gas Housers with her hammer. This isn’t a game anymore – it’s war, and the Gas House Garlics are losing it.

The Captain, losing his confidence, confronts the Gang.

CAPTAIN: “We only got four men left, Mister Joe.“
JOE: “You’ll either play football or fight.“

Football it is. A Gas Houser catches the ball. The Gang kids tackle him, lift him up, and carry him to the goal post. He scores a touch down – this time for the Gang.

“ – Our Gang wins – 47 to 20 – 11 innings! – “, the announcer proclaims.

Celebration is in full swing!

But while the rest of the Gang have gotten their revenge, Farina still needs to get his.

He arrives on the field with a skunk.

“ – Here, Garlic – I found your kitten – “

The skunk goes to work and the place quickly empties out. Farina may not have scored for the team, but he sure won his own game.

 

Special thanks to the Library of Congress and to Our Gang historian Robert Demoss for supplying us with the cutting continuity. 

Written by Matthew Lydick