After The Three Stooges, The Little Rascals (or Our Gang) is probably the most popular series of classic comedy shorts. Everyone knows Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla and Buckwheat. However, this series of shorts lasted from 1922 to 1944 (consisting of 220 films in total). Because of this naturally over the course of the series there was an often-changing roster of kids. This new Blu-Ray set from ClassicFlix takes a look at the earliest incarnation of The Little Rascals with eight silent short films from 1922 and 1923. While some of these shorts show a series trying to find its footing, others are just as entertaining and delightful as the later talkies we are all familiar with. However every one of these shorts is boosted by a wonderful roster of classic child performers. Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison, Mickey Daniels, Jackie Condon, Mary Korman, Allen “Farina” Hoskins, Jack Davis, Joe Cobb and Peggy Cartwright are just as wonderful as the later and more famous lineups.
The restorations are fantastic. While should be expected from films that are over 100 years old, they do not look perfect, they look so much better than they ever have in the past. There is special feature showing clips from the films in both restored and unrestored versions. The difference between the two is incredible. After watching this bonus feature it is hard not to appreciate how much work went into making these films look as good as they do. Other bonus features include a look at the films which will be on Vol. 2 (which has already got me excited about that set) and a pre-Our Gang short featuring Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morison, The Pickaninny (1921), which despite the very dated title is a fun little comedy.
The new musical scores by Ben Model and Philip C. Carli are wonderful and enhance each film.
The Shorts
Our Gang (1922): A fun little start to the series. While it doesn't live up to later entries it is still a lot of fun.
Fire Fighters (1922): This short truly shows a series trying to find its footing. The early scenes do not center around the kids but rather animals dressed as an acting as humans. These early scenes are not funny at all and it is hard not to get impatient for the kids to take over. Luckily when the kids take over, the film gets more entertaining.
Young Sherlocks (1922): The idea of a short revolving around the gang playing detective is near irresistible and these film gets some pretty good sights gags out of it. While a later short would have probably been funnier, this film is still quite fun.
One Terrible Day (1922): Another fun early short. The premise of a wealthy matron wanting to take a bunch of kids on a trip as a form of charity and soon regretting it is a perfect plotline for a silent comedy. While there aren't as many great gags as there could have been there are still some very fun moments.
Saturday Morning (1922): The first great Our Gang short, this film is a wonderful silent comedy. The premise of kids simply trying to enjoy a Saturday morning allows each of the kids to have their own solo scenes and truly shine. This film is full of laugh out loud moments and is just as much a classic as any of the later better-known shorts.
The Big Show (1923): My favorite short on this set. This is an incredibly clever little film that puts a smile on my face every time. The scenes where the kids put on a movie show (that includes impressions of the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Douglas Fairbanks and Ford Sterling) is a pure delight for any lover of silent movies, especially when they recreate a scene from the Harold Lloyd feature Grandma's Boy (1922). This short is also full of laugh out loud moments, especially those revolving around little Farina (the tiniest of the kids) as the security guard.
The Cobbler (1923): This film has no real story and seems to meander from idea to idea. This creates an uneven short. However, the moments that are funny here are truly hilarious.
The Champeen! (1923): This short is a precursor to the later films, where Alfalfa and Butch fight over Darla. Frankly it is just as delightful and fun as those later films and the ending is wonderful.
This Blu-Ray set is a must have for any fan of silent comedy and I can't wait for Volume 2.
The Shorts
Our Gang (1922): A fun little start to the series. While it doesn't live up to later entries it is still a lot of fun.
Fire Fighters (1922): This short truly shows a series trying to find its footing. The early scenes do not center around the kids but rather animals dressed as an acting as humans. These early scenes are not funny at all and it is hard not to get impatient for the kids to take over. Luckily when the kids take over, the film gets more entertaining.
Young Sherlocks (1922): The idea of a short revolving around the gang playing detective is near irresistible and these film gets some pretty good sights gags out of it. While a later short would have probably been funnier, this film is still quite fun.
One Terrible Day (1922): Another fun early short. The premise of a wealthy matron wanting to take a bunch of kids on a trip as a form of charity and soon regretting it is a perfect plotline for a silent comedy. While there aren't as many great gags as there could have been there are still some very fun moments.
Saturday Morning (1922): The first great Our Gang short, this film is a wonderful silent comedy. The premise of kids simply trying to enjoy a Saturday morning allows each of the kids to have their own solo scenes and truly shine. This film is full of laugh out loud moments and is just as much a classic as any of the later better-known shorts.
The Big Show (1923): My favorite short on this set. This is an incredibly clever little film that puts a smile on my face every time. The scenes where the kids put on a movie show (that includes impressions of the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Douglas Fairbanks and Ford Sterling) is a pure delight for any lover of silent movies, especially when they recreate a scene from the Harold Lloyd feature Grandma's Boy (1922). This short is also full of laugh out loud moments, especially those revolving around little Farina (the tiniest of the kids) as the security guard.
The Cobbler (1923): This film has no real story and seems to meander from idea to idea. This creates an uneven short. However, the moments that are funny here are truly hilarious.
The Champeen! (1923): This short is a precursor to the later films, where Alfalfa and Butch fight over Darla. Frankly it is just as delightful and fun as those later films and the ending is wonderful.
This Blu-Ray set is a must have for any fan of silent comedy and I can't wait for Volume 2.
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