2005 Updates

Dec. 19, 2005

update for "Our Gang Follies Of 1936" (no. 141)

A recent eBay auction revealed what peripheral Our Gang kid Joan Gray looks like. However, I'm not sure if she's the second chorus girl from the right, or the center hula girl.

update for "Shivering Shakespeare" (no. 95)

It turns out that 'Turkie Egg' was Douglas Greer's nickname, and not necessarily the character he plays in this film. A clipping from a casting directory identifies him as Dougie 'Turkey Egg' Greer.

update for "Official Officers" (no. 40), "Olympic Games" (no. 63) and "Spook Spoofing" (no. 71)

These three films are all included on the "Ultimate Viewing Set" DVD release. I had forgotten to indicate this in the Dec. 15th update.

update for all of the Roach talkie shorts

The Cabin Fever laserdiscs are now included in the availability sections for these shorts. Thanks to Paul Mular for the details on these. Also, the "Ultimate Viewing Set" has been added for all of the films, and the third Hallmark DVD has been added for the ten films included on there.

Dec. 15, 2005

Update for most of the silent films

I've added some recent bootleg DVD releases deriving from the Grapevine tapes, including two DVDs from Edge Publishing, the "51 Silent Shorts" 9 DVD set, plus the Cabin Fever laserdiscs and a new Cabin Fever-related bootleg called the "Ultimate Viewing Set."

Dec. 14 to Dec. 18, 2005

The final year's worth of MGM shorts, from "Little Miss Pinkerton" (no. 217) to "Tale Of A Dog" (no. 221), were posted during this period.

Dec. 5 to Dec. 12, 2005

The fifth year's worth of MGM shorts, from "Rover's Big Chance" (no. 209) through "Farm Hands" (no. 216), were posted during this period.

Dec. 3, 2005

update for "Thundering Fleas" (no. 51)

Randy Jones emailed me to give me additional information on the version of this film included on the L&H Early Silent Classics release. Only the second half of the film is included, and he agrees with Paul that it's a terrible print. Thanks Randy and Paul.

Nov. 29, 2005

update for "Thundering Fleas" (no. 51)

It turns out that this film is listed for The Lost Films Of Laurel & Hardy ONLY on Amazon.com, and not on the DVD itself. It is, however, included on Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy: Early Silent Classics Volume 2 (DVD) from Alpha Video. Much thanks to Paul Mular for pointing this out.

Nov. 27 to Dec. 3, 2005

The fourth year's worth of MGM shorts, from "Helping Hands" (no. 202) to "Doin' Their Bit" (no. 208) were posted during this period.

Nov. 17, 2005

update for "Your Own Back Yard" (no. 44)

Robin Cook of C. W. Films has shed light on an unidentified Mexican boy in this film who sells the jumping beans to Farina. Thanks again Robin.

Nov. 16 to Nov. 25, 2005

The third year's worth of MGM shorts, from "Goin' Fishin'" (no. 192) through "Robot Wrecks" (no. 201), were posted during this period.

Nov. 15, 2005

update for "Shrimps For A Day" (no. 133)

A press photo verifies the inclusion of Philbrook Lyons in the cast for this film.

Nov. 7 to Nov. 14, 2005

The second year's worth of MGM shorts, from "Captain Spanky's Show Boat" (no. 184) through "The New Pupil" (no. 191), were posted during this period.

Nov. 7, 2005

update for various late-period Roach shorts

I've decided to list "Baby Patsy" as "Baby Patsy May," in light of a press photo that identifies her as such. This means that Baby Patsy Dittemore and Eva Lee "Marvel" Kuney are probably not in the series, since it appears to be the same kid in each appearance.

Nov. 3, 2005

update for "Old Gray Hoss" (no. 78)

The lobby card for this film reveals an alternate spelling for the title: "The Ol' Gray Hoss."

Oct. 26, 2005

update for "Three Men In A Tub" (no. 165)

I've changed my mind about Sheila Brown. Maltin & Bann list her only for this film and "Melodies Old And New" (no. 204), so I tentatively decided that the only girl I could identify in both films must be her. However, I now know that the girl in the latter film is Kay Tapscott, and not Sheila Brown, so I'm left not knowing which kid Sheila is. It's possible that Kay appears in "Three Men In A Tub."

update for "The Pigskin Palooka" (no. 160)

The boy listed by Maltin & Bann as Billy Ray Smith looks entirely like the neighbor boy in "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn," who is listed by IMDb as Vincent Graeff, so it's possible that this is the correct name.

update for "Your Own Back Yard" (no. 44)

I previously assumed that there must be a beggar in this film, since a 'beggar's seat' is referred to in Maltin & Bann's book. However, Robin Cook has informed me that the seat merely has a sign reading 'Gone To Lunch,' and that the beggar himself doesn't appear. Thanks, Robin.

Oct. 23 to Nov. 5, 2005

I posted the first year's worth of MGM shorts during this stretch, from "The Little Ranger" (no. 170) through "Auto Antics" (no. 183).

Sep. 6, 2005

update for "Ask Grandma" (no. 38)

There's a newspaper photo at www.marykornman.com that shows Mary Kornman with the dance instructor in this film. The caption reveals that this part was played by Katherine Grant.

update for the earliest silent episodes

It appears that Charles Parrott aka Charley Chase stepped down as director-general at the Roach studio during Dec. 1922. His supervisory credit on the Our Gang releases reflects this. I've decided to credit him as the supervisor of all the films through "Giants Vs. Yanks" (no. 12), and tentatively for "Back Stage" (no. 13), since they were filmed prior to and during Dec. 1922.

Aug. 30, 2005

update for "Jubilo, Jr." (no. 29) and "Divot Diggers" (no. 142)

These two films were represented by clips shown in the TV documentary "Hollywood's Children." A VHS of this documentary was released in 1991 and is now indicated on the webpages for these films.

update for all of the Roach talkies and some of the silents

A new 11 DVD set has been released by TheVintageTheatre.com, which is identical to The Little Rascals Mega Pack Collectors Edition. This affects all of the Roach talkies, plus "Dogs Of War!" (no. 14), "Derby Day" (no. 21), "Official Officers" (no. 40), "Baby Brother" (no. 61), "Olympic Games" (no. 63), "Spook Spoofing" (no. 71) and "Cat, Dog & Co." (no. 87).

Aug. 27, 2005

update for various films

A new 7 DVD set has appeared on eBay. The first 6 DVDs derive from the 6 DVD Cabin Fever set, while the extra disc includes various other episodes, including "Dogs Of War!" (no. 14), "Derby Day" (no. 21), "The Buccaneers" (no. 24), "The Sun Down Limited" (no. 31), "Mary, Queen Of Tots" (no. 41), "The Fourth Alarm!" (no. 53) and "Bear Shooters" (no. 98).

Aug. 11, 2005

update for "Telling Whoppers" (no. 56)

I've been able to view more of this film in home movie form, so there are a few changes to the page. Johnny Downs' character is known as "Tuffy" as well as "Toughey." I've also verified the participation of Billy Naylor, Peggy Eames, Gene Morgan and Dorothy Vernon. There are also a few other changes.

Aug. 7, 2005

update for "Our Gang" (no. 1)

The lobby poster for this film includes the "'Our Gang' Comedies" designation, as well as "Hal Roach presents His Rascals in 'Our Gang'," which strongly suggests that the released version of the film also did.

update for "Fishy Tales" (no. 158)

On closer inspection, it turns out that the name is "Eagle-Eye Alfalfa," and not "Ely Alfalfa," as I previously thought. Thanks to Rob Rebar for pointing this out.

Aug. 2, 2005

update for "Shivering Spooks" (no. 52)

About two seconds of footage from the cave sequence is missing from certain copies of this film. The Grapevine, Video Classics and Brentwood versions include the footage, while the Goodtimes and Video Yesteryear versions don't. Also the end of the film is missing from the Brentwood release. Thanks to Mark Brumfield for pointing this out.

update for "Washee Ironee" (no. 131)

The original VHS release of the Cabin Fever print is missing 25 seconds of footage during the 'spitting' scene. Thanks again to Mark Brumfield.

July 28, 2005

update for several of the Roach talkies

In the availability sections for "Lazy Days" (no. 92), "Bedtime Worries" (no. 124), "Second Childhood" (no. 144) and "Pay As You Exit" (no. 148), I've added the VHS releases from Blackhawk Video.

July 23 to Aug. 15, 2005

The pages for the films from "Bored Of Education" (no. 146) through "Hide And Shriek" (no. 169) were posted during this period, one film per day.

July 10, 2005

update for "The Pinch Singer" (no. 143)

The song listed as "On The Road To Californy" is, technically, "On The Road To California," which originated with the Mormons in 1846.

update for several Roach talkies

I've added the release date of April 19, 1999, for the colorized VHS collection. Even though the contents of all six volumes is reflected on the webpages (including a few that haven't been posted yet), I've mistakenly referred to a five-volume set. This error is now corrected. The films so far posted affected by this are "Pups Is Pups" (no. 100), "School's Out" (no. 102), "Love Business" (no. 104), "Dogs Is Dogs" (no. 110), "Fish Hooky" (no. 120), "Mush And Milk" (no. 123), "Mama's Little Pirate" (no. 132), "Beginner's Luck" (no. 135) and "Divot Diggers" (no. 142).

July 9, 2005

update for "Our Gang" (no. 1)

I've added the recent DVD release of the "Donkey Delivery Company" three minute home movie clip on eBay to the 'availability' section.

update for all of the films starting with "Yale Vs. Harvard" (no. 67)

It didn't occur to me until now that Leo, the MGM lion, technically appears in all of these films, so I've added him to the 'animals' sections.

July 4, 2005

update for most of the Roach talkies

I've added the King World Productions episode numbers for the films that are still part of their package. It turns out that colorized versions can be licensed of all of these films, and not just the ones that have been released on video that way.

update for some of the early talkies

Maltin & Bann list Elmer the Monkey for a handful of the talkies, even though virtually identical monkeys appear in several additional films. The only time the name "Elmer" was attributed to the monkey on film was in "Bear Facts" (no. 164) and "Aladdin's Lantern" (no. 172) (neither of which has been posted yet). I came across a publicity photo that reveals that the monkey in "Free Wheeling" (no. 117) was named Joe the Monk. Because of this, I'm tentatively assuming that the earlier monkeys are Joe, while the later ones are Elmer. Therefore, I'm changing to the name to Joe for "Pups Is Pups" (no. 100), "Bargain Day" (no. 106), "Free Eats" (no. 112), "Choo-Choo!" (no. 114), "Free Wheeling" (no. 117), "Mush And Milk" (no. 123), "Hi'-Neighbor!" (no. 126) and "Washee Ironee" (no. 131).

June 29, 2005

update for "Bring Home The Turkey" (no. 57)

I've been able to view a small portion of this film, taken from the final part, so the webpage for this film has several changes.

June 19 to July 8, 2005

The pages for the films from "Hi'-Neighbor! (no. 126) to "Arbor Day" (no. 145) were posted during this period, one film per day.

June 18, 2005

update for "Buried Treasure" (no. 47)

The gang was aboard the U. S. S. Catalina during the filming of this short.

June 17, 2005

update for several films

A new bootleg DVD has shown up on eBay called The Little Rascals - 27 Classic Movies. Films posted so far that are included on this release are "Dogs Of War!" (no. 14), "Derby Day" (no. 21), "Official Officers" (no. 40), "The Fourth Alarm!" (no. 53), "Baby Brother" (no. 61), "Spook Spoofing" (no. 71), "Teacher's Pet" (no. 101), "Helping Grandma" (no. 103), "Big Ears" (no. 108), "Spanky" (no. 113), "The Pooch" (no. 115), "Birthday Blues" (no. 118), "A Lad An' A Lamp" (no. 119), "Forgotten Babies" (no. 121), "The Kid From Borneo" (no. 122), "Mush And Milk" (no. 123) and "Wild Poses" (no. 125).

June 9, 2005

update for "Dogs Of War!" (no. 14)

After watching the Harold Lloyd feature "Why Worry?", I'm now able to verify Wallace Howe and Leo White's cameos in "Dogs Of War!" and I think I've found a second role for William Gillespie.

update for "Noisy Noises" (no. 82)

The streetcar station looks consistent with the one next to Media Park, near the intersection of Culver and Venice Boulevards.

June 8, 2005

update for "Jubilo, Jr." (no. 29)

The church shown near the end of the film is St. Augustine's Church on Washington Boulevard in Culver City.

June 7, 2005

update for "The Cobbler" (no. 8)

I've viewed a bit more of this film, specifically the last part, and have made a few changes to the page.

June 6, 2005

update for "Crazy House" (no. 76)

I've verified that the film does indeed credit McGowan, Lloyd, Currier and Walker.

update for "Seeing The World" (no. 55)

I've added this film's appearance on the A-1 Video release "Versatile Laurel & Hardy," which contains the same print seen on the other A-1 release.

June 1, 2005

update for three films

It's my opinion that the dog Laughing Gravy definitely appears in "Little Daddy" (no. 105), as indicated on the page for that film. This dog looks an awful lot like the dog in "The Pooch" (no. 115), which, however, is missing the dark patches on his sides. If this is Laughing Gravy, then those patches must have been added for the Laurel & Hardy film as well as "Little Daddy." The dog in "Spanky" (no. 113) has noticeably less darkness on his snout, so I'm listing this one as dog 113. The dog in "Hook And Ladder" (no. 116) appears to be the same dog, so there is no longer a dog 116.

update for "Pups Is Pups" (no. 100)

I hadn't noticed before that dog 087b can be spotted during the pet show sequence.

update for "Lazy Days" (no. 92)

I think the monkey from this film looks more like the silent era variety than Elmer, as listed by Maltin & Bann.

May 31, 2005

update for all films posted since "Hook And Ladder" (no. 116)

Since Robert A. McGowan (or Anthony Mack) worked at the Roach studio as late as the beginning of 1934, I've decided to extend his status as a prospective gag writer until then.

May 23, 2005

update for four films

A new version of the General Spanky DVD from Crown Rights Media has been released, but "Bear Shooters" (no. 98) and "School's Out" (no. 102) have been replaced by "Lazy Days" (no. 92) and "A Tough Winter" (no. 99).

May 16, 2005

update for the sound films posted so far

I've added copyright dates for the films starting with "Small Talk" (no. 89). I've also added the release year of 1985 for the Spotlite Video releases for "Boxing Gloves" (no. 91) and "The First Seven Years" (no. 96). I've also indicated that the Brentwood Video release of "Lazy Days" (no. 92) is the Blackhawk print, something I previously overlooked.

update for three silent films

I've added copyright dates for "Baby Brother" (no. 61), "Dog Heaven" (no. 70) and "Cat, Dog & Co." (no. 87).

update for "A Tough Winter" (no. 99)

Wheezer's nickname is indeed used in this film, and Pete is referred to as "Petey."

update for "Pups Is Pups" (no. 100)

The dog seen in the background in the opening scene is dog 087b, which is revealed by a publicity photo.

May 14, 2005

update for three films

It looks to me like Earl Mohan is the boxer in "Every Man For Himself" (no. 32), and not the friend of the boxer's, as stated by Maltin & Bann. I'm also quite sure that he's the naval officer in "The Buccaneers" (no. 24), and may have played the traffic cop in "Cradle Robbers" (no. 28). In other words, he's the man previously listed as man 024a as well as man 032a. The friend of the boxer in "Every Man For Himself" will now be listed as man 032a. The actor previously listed as man 024b will now be man 024a. This also affects "Monkey Business" (no. 48). I've also adjusted man 024c and 024d, so that they're now man 024b and 024c respectively.

update for three films

I've decided to omit boy 063a and list him as boy 055a, since I'm pretty sure these are the same kid. This affects "Seeing The World" (no. 55), "Olympic Games" (no. 63) and "Yale Vs. Harvard" (no. 67). Boys 063b and 063c will be redesignated as boys 063a and 063b as a result.

update for "Tire Trouble" (no. 22)

The wording for the opening title is substantiated by a publicity photo that I've viewed from this film.

May 8, 2005

update for four films

The piece of music labeled piece 084b is "My Man" by Maurice Yvain. It's played on the soundtracks of "The Spanking Age" (no. 80), "Wiggle Your Ears" (no. 84) and "When The Wind Blows" (no. 97). Also, the piece of music labeled piece 087f in "Cat, Dog & Co." (no. 87) is "So Blue." Thanks again to Robin for this info.

May 7, 2005

update for various silent films

I've added "The Our Gang Story" to the 'availability' section of "Fire Fighters" (no. 2), "The Champeen!" (no. 9), "Giants Vs. Yanks" (no. 12), "Dogs Of War!" (no. 14), "The Sun Down Limited" (no. 31), "Monkey Business" (no. 48) and "Shivering Spooks" (no. 52). This video contains clips-only, and not full-length films.

update for "Giants Vs. Yanks" (no. 12)

I've added "Classic Comedy Teams" to the 'availability' section, since it contains footage from this film.

May 4, 2005

update for three silent films

The boy previously known as boy 063a is actually Paul Toien, and appeared in "Olympic Games" (no. 63), "Yale Vs. Harvard" (no. 67) and "Barnum & Ringling, Inc." (no. 74). Boy 063b will now be known as boy 063a, and is added to the cast of "Yale Vs. Harvard." The other two boys with the 063 designation will now be 063b and 063c. Thanks very much to Diane Winters, the sister of Paul Toien, for contributing information on her brother.

May 3, 2005

update for "Good Cheer" (no. 46).

A lobby card reveals that the character name for the Jewish man is "Izzy."

update for various films

Footage from "Thundering Fleas" (no. 51), "War Feathers" (no. 54), "Cat, Dog & Co." (no. 87) and "Boxing Gloves" (no. 91) is included on the VHS "Jackie Remembers Our Gang - The Silent Era."

April 29 to June 4, 2005

The pages for the early talkies were posted during this period, one film per day, up to "Wild Poses" (no. 125).

April 27, 2005

update for several silent films

A company called Reelclassicdvd.com has released seven different Our Gang silents, each on a separate DVD with non-Gang material. Available are "The Buccaneers" (no. 24), "The Sun Down Limited" (no. 31), "The Big Town" (no. 34), "Shootin' Injuns" (no. 39), "Monkey Business" (no. 48), "Shivering Spooks" (no. 52) and "War Feathers" (no. 54).

April 25, 2005

update for all of the silent episodes

I've added Don Sandstrom to the 'possible uncredited involvement' list for every film starting with "Baby Brother" (no. 61). I've also extended Leo McCarey's possible involvement up through "Fast Freight" (no. 85). I've also indicated the probable involvement of Antonio Campanaro and Harry Lucenay on virtually all of the silent shorts as animal trainers, as well as the status of Fern Carter as teacher of the Our Gang kids starting in September 1922. I've also added Roy Seawright to the list for several late silent films as a probable animator. I've added Frank Butler to the list as a possible gag writer from 1923 through the end of the Pathé era, when he was involved at the studio. I've also added Carl Harbaugh to the writers at an earlier date, starting with "Better Movies" (no. 43), and removed him from the films starting with "Chicken Feed" (no. 62), since he worked with Buster Keaton after this. I'm assuming that he returned to Roach at about the time sound came in. I've also added Hal Yates to the writers at an earlier date, starting with "Your Own Back Yard" (no. 44). Also, I've added James Parrott to the writers list dating back to the beginning of the series and Charlie Hall dating back to "Big Business" (no. 23).

April 24, 2005

update for "The Spanking Age" (no. 80), "Wiggle Your Ears" (no. 84) and "Cat, Dog & Co." (no. 87)

The tune previously listed as piece 084q is a song called "The Vamp" by Byron Gay. The tune previously listed as piece 087g is a song called "Down Home Rag" by Wilbur C. Sweatman. Thanks again to Robin.

April 23, 2005

update for "Fair And Muddy" (no. 75)

A publicity photo reveals that two white rabbits were among the cast.

April 21, 2005

update for "Cat, Dog & Co." (no. 87)

The dog in the witness box that's bandaged up will now be referred to as dog 087b. Dog 087 will now be dog 087a.

April 19, 2005

update for "Fast Freight" (no. 85) and "Cat, Dog & Co." (no. 87)

I've noted the possibility that "Fast Freight" may have been the 86th release, and "Cat, Dog & Co." may have been the 90th release in the series.

update for "Barnum & Ringling, Inc." (no. 74) and "Fast Freight" (no. 85)

I've decided to designate the German shepherd in these two films as dog 074. Presumably, these are the same dog, as well as the dog that later appeared in "Pups Is Pups" (no. 100) and "Dogs Is Dogs" (no. 110).

April 18, 2005

update for "The Fourth Alarm!" (no. 53)

A publicity photo reveals that Mickey Daniels was present on at least one day of filming for this short. He's wearing regular clothes, while the rest of the kids are in costume, so presumably he was just visiting. He also seems to be present in a lobby card photo, but he's changed his clothes.

update for several silent films

This update affects the same films involved in the April 14th update, all of which are included on a 5 DVD set entitled Little Rascals Collector's Edition.

April 17, 2005

update for "Cat, Dog & Co." (no. 87)

The musical piece previously designated as piece 087h is actually a song called "Mean To Me," which was a hit in 1929 for Ruth Etting. Thanks to Robin for this detail.

April 14, 2005

update for several silent films

There's a new boxed set available containing 11 DVDs which derive their contents from the 21 Cabin Fever volumes. To fill out the last DVD, they add four titles which seem to derive from the Brentwood releases. The silent films included on this release are "Dogs Of War!" (no. 14), "Derby Day" (no. 21), "Official Officers" (no. 40), "Baby Brother" (no. 61), "Olympic Games" (no. 63), "Spook Spoofing" (no. 71) and "Cat, Dog & Co." (no. 87).

April 10, 2005

update for several silent films

Richard Lewis Ward's book A History Of The Hal Roach Studios, presents us with a few discrepancies with the Maltin & Bann book. The release dates for "Stage Fright" (no. 17) and "Derby Day" (no. 21) are now specific, Oct. 21st and Nov. 18th, 1923, respectively. Also, "Thundering Fleas" (no. 51), "Love My Dog" (no. 59), "Tired Business Men" (no. 60), "Olympic Games" (no. 63) and "The Glorious Fourth" (no. 64) have alternate release dates. In addition, "Old Gray Hoss" (no. 78) and "School Begins" (no. 79) can be added to the list of late silent films released with music and sound effects on an accompanying disc.

April 4, 2005

update for three films

I've clarified some of the information on the releases from Good Times Home Video, which effects "Dogs Of War!" (no. 14), "Derby Day" (no. 21) and "The Sun Down Limited" (no. 31).

April 3, 2005

update for "No Noise" (no. 20)

Robin Cook gave me a list of most of the inter-titles for this film, and I can verify that the names Farina and Mary both appear in the titles, and that Farina is female in this film. Also, the rival football team is called the Goose Alley Juniors. Thanks again, Robin.

update for "Playin' Hookey" (no. 65)

A lobby card verifies that Joe Cobb was referred to as "Joe" in the inter-titles of this film.

April 1, 2005

update for "Giants Vs. Yanks" (no. 12) and "The Smile Wins" (no. 66)

Robin Cook has suggested that perhaps the black maid in "Giants Vs. Yanks" is the same that played Farina's mother in "The Smile Wins." Since he has an actual film copy, it's easier to see her face than it is in the video copies.

update for "Mary, Queen Of Tots" (no. 41)

I overlooked a VHS release called Hal Roach's Rascals 3-Tape Set when preparing the page for "Mary, Queen Of Tots." I've also added the release date for this set to the page for "Spook Spoofing."

March 27, 2005

update for "It's A Bear" (no. 27)

The opening title should be designated as 'probable' for this film. However, I've been able to look at a promotional glass slide from this film which mostly corroborates the information.

update for three of the Pathé releases

I've added a 5 DVD set entitled The Encyclopedia Of Comedy to the 'availability' sections for three films: "Boys To Board" (no. 10), "Ask Grandma" (no. 38) and "Boys Will Be Joys" (no. 42).

March 26, 2005

update for "Baby Brother" (no. 61)

I've added a few details about the Uncensored DVD.

March 24 to Apr. 14, 2005

The 22 Roach/MGM Silents were posted one film per day during this period.

March 24, 2005

update for the silent Cabin Fever releases

I've included the release date of Aug. 26, 1997, for the three Pathé films released by Cabin Fever Video.

update for "Our Gang" (no. 1)

It turns out that the American Film Institute has a 9.5mm reel from Australia that derives from this film. Since it was probably restored into 16mm, there was the impression that they had a copy of "Donkey Delivery Company," but this is probably incorrect.

March 21, 2005

update for "The Fourth Alarm!" (no. 53)

I'm pretty sure that Gene Morgan plays the fire chief in this film, and not one of the other firemen.

March 20, 2005

update for several of the films posted so far

I've added a few details about some of the songs that 'sort of' appear in the silent Our Gang films, including songwriting credits and the years they were written. This affects "Saturday Morning" (no. 6), "Boys To Board" (no. 10), "The Buccaneers" (no. 24), "Jubilo, Jr." (no. 29), "Your Own Back Yard" (no. 44), "Thundering Fleas" (no. 51) and "Seeing The World" (no. 55).

March 19, 2005

update for "It's A Bear" (no. 27)

I noticed that in certain shots, a man in a costume is substituted for the actual bear, so this has been duly noted. I've also decided to list man 027b in the 'other adults' list, so man 027a is now listed simply as man 027.

March 18, 2005

update for several of the films posted so far

The man listed as man 009c is actually Sammy Brooks. This affects "The Champeen!" (no. 9), "Dogs Of War!" (no. 14), "The Big Town" (no. 34), "Buried Treasure" (no. 47), "Thundering Fleas" (no. 51) and " War Feathers" (no. 54). The man listed as man 009d will now be listed as man 009c.

March 17, 2005

update for "Our Gang" (no. 1)

The little girl who plays Mary Jane in this film is definitely Anna Mae Bilson (her middle name may actually be May). The girl previously listed as girl 001b is now girl 001.

update for "Seein' Things" (no. 25) and "Thundering Fleas" (no. 51)

There's a house shown in these two films that I'm pretty sure is on the south side of Woodbine Avenue just west of Motor Avenue. The camera is always pointed west, and the vacant lot shown in the foreground is probably the same one at the southwest corner of Motor and Woodbine.

March 16, 2005

update for several of the films posted so far

I've clarified the location information regarding the southwest corner of Motor and Woodbine Avenues in the Palms district of Los Angeles. This affects "Big Business" (no. 23), "Cradle Robbers" (no. 28), "Circus Fever" (no. 35), "Dog Days" (no. 36), "The Love Bug" (no. 37), "Ask Grandma" (no. 38), "One Wild Ride" (no. 45), "Monkey Business" (no. 48), "Thundering Fleas" (no. 51) and "Playin' Hookey" (no. 65).

March 15, 2005

update for "Tire Trouble" (no. 22)

The amusement pier shown in this film is Venice Pier, and not Santa Monica.

March 8, 2005

update for "Our Gang" (no. 1)

Greg Lawrence has contributed some information on the first Our Gang film that he acquired from Richard Bann, who has added Wallace Howe, Mark Jones, Helen Gilmore and Patsy O'Byrne to the cast listing. He has also revised Anna Mae Bilson to the list of kids, rather than the role of the widow. The actress playing the widow will henceforth be listed as woman 001a, while the actress previously listed as woman 001a will now be woman 001b. I've decided to identify the rival merchant as Wallace Howe, so the name John Hatton is thrown into question. I'm quite sure that Mark Jones is the man playing the drunk. Thanks Greg for this new information.

update for "Young Sherlocks" (no. 3), "A Pleasant Journey" (no. 11), "Dogs Of War!" (no. 14) and "Stage Fright" (no. 17)

With the new information on Mark Jones, it seems clear that the actor listed by Maltin & Bann as Roy Brooks is actually Jones, so I've updated the other films in which he appears.

update for "The Big Show" (no. 7), "Derby Day" (no. 21), "Commencement Day" (no. 26) and "Better Movies" (no. 43)

A photo being sold on eBay reveals that Billy Lord doesn't look much at all like the boy identified by Maltin & Bann as being him, so I've updated the films in which he's listed.

update for "No Noise" (no. 20)

The opening title for this film is no longer designated as 'probable' thanks to Robin, who has a copy with the original opening.

February 27, 2005

update for all of the films posted so far

Rob Stone's book Laurel Or Hardy (which details the comedy duo's solo films) provides us with some changes to the crew listings for "Thundering Fleas" (no. 51) and "Seeing The World" (no. 55), as well as subsequent Oliver Hardy appearances that I haven't posted yet. It also reveals that Stan Laurel was paid for a half day's work on "Good Cheer" (no. 46) and that he wasn't involved in the story phase of "Big Business" (no. 23). I've also acquired a list from Rob that reveals the production numbers for all of the Roach releases, and the shooting dates for virtually every film made through 1932. There are also various other details taken from this list, including story dates for "Fire Fighters" (no. 2), "A Quiet Street" (no. 5), "Saturday Morning" (no. 6), "Giants Vs. Yanks" (no. 12), "Sunday Calm" (no. 19), "Commencement Day" (no. 26) and "It's A Bear" (no. 27). There are also changes to the directorial credits for "Stage Fright" (no. 17), "July Days" (no. 18), "Sunday Calm" (no. 19), "The Buccaneers" (no. 24), "Commencement Day" (no. 26), "It's A Bear" (no. 27), "Your Own Back Yard" (no. 44) and "War Feathers" (no. 54). Other changes to crew credits and locations have been made for "Baby Clothes" (no. 49) and the films that follow it. By this time, Charles Oelze was serving as assistant director, and he may have performed this duty for some time prior to "Baby Clothes." Thanks very much to Rob Stone for this major contribution to the website.

February 26, 2005

update for "Monkey Business" (no. 48)

The Scallawags version from Video Yesteryear has at least two inter-titles missing from the Video Classics version, and not just one. Also, the laserdisc from MGM contains a version essentially the same as Video Classics'. Thanks again, Robin.

February 23, 2005

update for "Boys Will Be Joys" (no. 42)

As it turns out, the Grapevine version of this film has one inter-title that's missing from the Encore and A-1 version, making it necessary (for the time being, anyway) to view both versions for the maximum footage. Thanks to Robin for noticing this.

February 21, 2005

update for several of the films posted so far

The girl previously known as girl 021b will now be known as girl 013, since it appears that she debuted in "Back Stage" (no. 13). Also in that film is a girl that looks like Lassie Lou Ahern, so her name has been added to the cast. Other films affected by this change are "Derby Day" (no. 21), "Commencement Day" (no. 26) and "Cradle Robbers" (no. 28).

update for "Seein' Things" (no. 25)

The drug store seen next to the street below in the highrise shots is called the Sun Drug Co. Thanks to Robin for this detail.

February 20, 2005

update for "Seein' Things" (no. 25)

The building for sale described in the locations section is actually being sold by Geo. F. McCreary. I wasn't sure about the middle initial and originally said it was 'E.' Thanks to Robin for this correction.

February 11, 2005

update for "Giants Vs. Yanks" (no 12) and "Young Sherlocks" (no. 3)

Somehow, I overlooked Wallace Howe while putting together the page for "Giants Vs. Yanks" (thanks for noticing this, Robin). He plays the physician. It should be noted that Wallace Howe has a face that looks quite a lot like that of John Hatton, who appeared in the first Our Gang film. Because of this, it's not always obvious which of the two actors appears in certain films, especially "Young Sherlocks".

update for "Commencement Day" (no. 26)

The unidentified girl I've listed as girl 021b appears in this film, and can be seen sitting behind "Snoozer" in the classroom scene.

February 7, 2005

update for "Seein' Things" (no. 25)

Robin Cook of C. W. Films owns a complete print of this film, and has informed me that Silas D. Wilcox does indeed appear in the film, and that there are no animals in the footage. Thanks Robin.

January 30, 2005

update for most of the silent films posted so far

In the 'availability' section for films available on Grapevine Video, I've added the VHS and DVD releases from Finders Keepers, as well as an unknown company releasing the same material on eBay. I don't own any of these releases, so if anybody would like to contribute details, I'd be most appreciative. For the time being, I'm assuming that the versions of the films are the same as Grapevine's, since it's the same 48 films being released, and sometimes in the same order.

update for "A Quiet Street" (no. 5)

I've been able to substantiate the opening title card somewhat by corroborating it with a lobby card that I've found.

January 17, 2005

update for most of the films posted so far

I've decided to do away with the 'silent speed' and 'sound speed' labels when describing the length of original footage contained within each version of a film. Reality is much more complicated than this two category system. Sound film generally runs at 24 fps, unless it's on television, in which case it runs at 25 fps. Silent film was both shot and projected at a slower rate, with 16 fps, 18 fps and 20 fps all being common. Some projectors have a dial that controls the speed of the film, so virtually any increment is possible. Differences between the lengths of two video copies of the same film should not be taken to mean that the shorter version is missing footage. I'll mention it if I notice any differences of that sort. Generally, silent prints released by Cabin Fever, Blackhawk and Video Yesteryear are projected at the 'correct' speed.

January 8, 2005

update for "Our Gang" (no. 1)

One of the UK extracts for this film uses the name "Dobbin" for the pony, but the inter-titles aren't original, so it may very well have been another name in the original film. (Thanks again to Robin for this bit of info.)

January 7, 2005

update for "Our Gang" (no. 1)

As it turns out, the 'reel' that was restored and exhibited by the American Film Institute was nothing more than a copy of the home movie "Donkey Delivery Company." A UK home movie extract gives Ernie Morrison's name as "Sunny Jim," which suggests that perhaps the digest version viewed by the A-Haunting We Will Go tent was the same version. (Thanks to Robin Cook of C. W. Films for this correction.)

January 3 to March 9, 2005

The first 66 webpages, corresponding to the 66 Pathé releases, were uploaded on consecutive days during this period.