For generations, Our Gang comedies have been loved by millions of fans around the world. Now celebrate the 100th anniversary of this iconic and beloved film series in The Little Rascals – The Complete Collection (Centennial Edition).
In 1922, producer Hal Roach introduced the children’s troupe known as “Our Gang” to theater audiences and launched one of the most popular and prolific franchises in short films, with 220 one- and two-reel comedies out of some twenty films. – period of two years.
In the late 1920s, the series (later retitled “The Little Rascals” for TV syndication) made the transition from mutes to “talkies” and would soon embark on its most revered and memorable period – the 80 sound shorts made at Hal Roach Studios between 1929 and 1938, all of which are included in this one-of-a-kind collection.
A must-have for any true Our Gang fan, this 6-disc set also includes over 4 hours of bonus material and features the talents of George “Spanky” McFarland, Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer, Allen “Farina” Hoskins, Darla Hood, Matthew “Stymie” Beard, Jackie Cooper, Bobby “Wheezer” Hutchins, Billie “Buckwheat” Thomas, Eugene “Porky” Lee and many more.
The shorts included in this set were by and large included in previous volumes that have been released and reviewed individually, but some of the setups are different for the new discs. A/V and narrative qualities appear unchanged, and previews of each can be found at the appropriate links below.
DISC ONE SHORTS
For thoughts on Les Petits Rascals: ClassicFlix Restorations, Volume 1, including A/V quality, please see our review here.
1929
- Banalities
- Railway
- lazy days
- Boxing gloves
- bouncing babies
- Moan & Groan, Inc.
1930
- shivering Shakespeare
- The first seven years
- When the wind blows
- bear shooters
- A difficult winter
- Pups Is Pups (previously in Volume 2)
- Professor’s Pet (V2)
DISC TWO SHORTS
For thoughts on Les Petits Rascals: ClassicFlix Restorations, Volume 2, including A/V quality, please see our review here.
1930
1931
- help grandma
- love business
- little daddy
- bargain day
- fly my kite
- Big ears
- Shiver My Timbers
- dogs are dogs
1932
- Read and write (previously in volume 3)
- Free Meals (V3)
- Spanking (V3)
- Choo Choo ! (V3)
DISC THREE SHORTS
For thoughts on Les Petits Coquins: The ClassicFlix Restorations, Volumes 3 & 4, including A/V quality, please see our reviews here and here.
1932
- the doggie
- hook and ladder
- Freewheel
- Blues Birthday
- A boy and a lamp
1933
- fish hook
- Forgotten babies
- The Borneo Kid (V4)
- Porridge and Milk (V4)
- Worries at bedtime (V4)
- Wild Poses (V4)
1934
- Hello, neighbor! (V4)
- For the love of Pete! (V4)
- The first roundup (V4)
- Honky Donkey (V4)
DISC FOUR SHORTS
For thoughts on Les Petits Coquins: The ClassicFlix Restorations, Volumes 4 & 5, including A/V quality, please see our reviews here and here.
1934
- mike scared
- Washee Ironee
1935
- Mama’s little pirate
- Day-old prawns
- Birthday Problem (previously in Volume 5)
- Beginner’s Luck (V5)
- Beautiful teacher (V5)
- Sprucin’ Up (V5)
- Little Daddy (V5)
- Little sinner (V5)
- Our 1936 Gang Follies (V5)
1936
- The Pinch Singer (V5)
- Divot Diggers (V5)
- The lucky corner (V5)
- Second childhood (V5)
DISC FIVE SHORTS
For thoughts on Les Petits Rascals: ClassicFlix Restorations, Volume 6, including A/V quality, please see our review here.
SHORTS:
1936
- Bored with education
- two too young
- Pay on exit
- scary hooky
1937
- Rhythm meeting
- Glove valves
- hearts are blows
- running ballet
- Three smart boys
- Traveling holidays
- Night and gale
- fish tales
- Supervise the youth
- The Pigskin Palooka
- Courier and Wife
- Our 1938 Gang Follies
1938
- canned peach
- Bear Facts
- Three men in a bathtub
- Came the muscle
- Feed them and cry
- The terrible tooth
- hide and seek
Special features
disc one
- Introduction by Leonard Maltin – The Little Rascals at 100: A nearly seven-minute audio introduction from the famous film critic to excerpts from the shorts and other vintage material. Maltin discusses the lasting legacy of the shorts, the initial seed of ideas, the discovery of young talent, the history of the series from the silent era to talkies, the presence and influence of Hal Roach, restorations and more.
Disc Six
- Foreign language short films: A collection of the only survivors Little rascals surviving shorts from the period between 1929 and 1931 in which Hal Roach coached children line by line to speak in a non-English language where he could earn overseas sources of income. A lot of damage remains intact here.
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- The Fantasies: This 21-minute short film from 1930 is the Spanish version of When the wind blows. It is the only film that survives entirely intact.
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- The Cazadores of Osos: This 11-minute short film from 1930 is the Spanish version of Bear shooters. Although image reels have survived for both reels of the Spanish version, only the audio material for reel 2. Thus, only the second reel is provided here.
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- Winter time: This 11-minute short film from 1930 is the French version of A difficult winter. Reel 1 of the French version has survived and is shown here.
- our band Shorts: Three newly restored Silence Era shorts are provided here, which are just as entertaining as walkie-talkies. The picture is really beautiful and the sound is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0.
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- The big show (1923) (21:06)
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- Dogs of war! (1923) (19:56)
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- Mary, queen of toddlers (1925) (20:25)
- Good old times – The music of our band: A 29-minute featurette that examines how shorts evolved from the silent era to talkies, the implementation of synchronized sound, how it improved the pacing of shorts, the exclusive compositions that were created for Hal Studios Roach, evolution cue library, responsible talent background and more.
- Then and Now – A Special Tour of our band Filming locations : A 13-minute featurette that examines some of the notable filming locations where these films came to life and what they look like today. This is well researched, but it leaves you wanting a bit more of the actual modern locations rather than the many clips and graphics.
- our band Centennial at the Hollywood Museum: A 17-minute collection of highlights from the opening of “100 Years of our band” exhibit on July 27, 2022 which included a speech by Sidney Kibrick (who primarily appeared as “Woim”) and is the last surviving star player of the series. You get great photos from the exhibit as well as commentary from Leonard Maltin, historian and author Richard W. Bann, Hal Roach’s daughter Maria Roach Carpenter, and more.
- our band Reunion on you asked for it TV show: A nine-minute reunion from 1951 with Allen “Farina” Hoskins, Johnny Downs, Mickey Daniels, Joe Cobb and Jackie Condon. Also appearing are set teacher Fern Carter, cameraman Art Lloyd and director Bob McGowan. It’s a fun piece of history that was uncovered for the fans.
- A day in the life of Spanky and Porky: A 48-minute play from 1985 in which “Spanky” and “Porky” travel around Boulder, Colorado as they take the stage, answer questions, and sign autographs as guests at the annual “Trivia Bowl” event “. There are enlightening moments regarding the issue of compensation, filming and more.
- The little rascals Jukebox: Two collections entitled “Alfalfa Tunes” and “Rascal Varieties” totaling 46 minutes are available here if you want to capture musical moments from the show.
- Image Galleries: There are galleries for “Ephemera”, “Holidays”, “Promotional Stills, Portraits, Candids and More” and “Scene and Production Stills”.
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- Speed-O Byke Theater commercial featuring Spanky (0:53)
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- Indoor commercial with Mary Ann Jackson (2:12)
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- Screen test for an unknown film starring Mary Ann Jackson (no sound) (1:47)
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- Theatrical commercial with Norman “Chubby” Chaney (1:40)
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- Interview with Spanky McFarland (4:25)
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- Art Lloyd Home Movies (without sound) (4:15)
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- Commercial for MGM Our Gang (1:19)
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- Audition Reel for Jackie Lynn Taylor (5:45)
Final Thoughts
The little rascals The show was never more present than in the days of walkie-talkie Hal Roach who found so many talented young kids full of verve and personality. For nearly a decade, the quality of the shorts remained extremely high, as you had a rotating array of stars soaring into the most ridiculous and hilarious situations. Some elements are a product of the era in which they were made, but it’s easy to admire what was created and how it has endured over the decades. As we celebrate its centenary, ClassicFlix has brought together all of its wonderful individual volumes into one complete package with the same amazing A/V presentations, but now with hours of special new features. It’s a dream setting for anyone interested in these classic shorts. Essential
The Little Rascals: The Complete Collection (Centenary Edition) will be available for purchase on Blu-Ray November 15, 2022.
Note: Images shown in this review do not reflect Blu-Ray image quality.
Disclaimer: ClassicFlix has provided a free copy of this disc for review purposes. All opinions expressed in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
