The Lucky Corner

film no. 138

availability:

The Little Rascals Remastered & Unedited Vol. 10 (VHS) from Cabin Fever and
The Little Rascals Remastered & Unedited Volume Two (4 LD set) from Cabin Fever: Released July 6, 1994. Also released as part of 12 VHS boxed set. This is a nearly complete print, but is missing the MGM lion. The picture quality is excellent. The total footage lasts 15:55. This version has appeared on numerous bootlegs. There are also two clips included in the opening advertisement of all the Cabin Fever VHS releases. The 1st lasts 0:07, and shows the parade. The 2nd lasts 0:02, and shows Buckwheat's teeth chattering. There's also a clip lasting 0:06 included in the opening montage of all the Cabin Fever releases, which shows the parade.
The Little Rascals Volume '10: Collector's Edition (VHS) from Hallmark Home Entertainment: Released Aug. 15, 2000. Also included as part of The Little Rascals Volumes 1-10: Collector's Edition (10 VHS set), released Aug. 15, 2000.
The Little Rascals Remastered & Unedited Vol. 9 & Vol. 10 (DVD) from Cabin Fever: Same contents as the Cabin Fever VHS releases. Also released as part of The Little Rascals Remastered & Unedited (6 DVD set).
The Little Rascals - The Complete Collection (8 DVD set) from Genius Products: Released late Oct. 2008. This is identical to the Cabin Fever version.
The Little Rascals On Parade (VHS) from NTA Home Entertainment: Released Apr. 1991. This is a home movie print from Blackhawk. The opening titles are remade, but the crew credits and the end title are original. The picture quality is very good. The original footage totals 15:48, but the original soundtrack lasts an additional 0:08.
The Little Rascals Book VII (VHS) from Blackhawk Video: This is the Blackhawk print.
The Little Rascals: Rushin' Ballet/Lucky Corner (VHS) from Republic Pictures Home Video: Released May 1991. This is a home movie print from Blackhawk.
Rascal Dazzle (VHS/LD) from Embassy Home Entertainment: Original film released 1981. Video released 1984. A clip lasting 1:08 is included, showing the parade, with narration and sound effects added. Another clip lasting 0:06 is included, showing Buckwheat sliding on the block of ice, with music and sound effects added.
Jackie Remembers Our Gang - The Silent Era (VHS/DVD) from Jackie Taylor: A clip lasting 0:03 is included, showing Buckwheat with chattering teeth, with narration added.

technical details:

Production G-31.

Filmed around mid-spring 1935. Maltin & Bann state that the release date was one full year after completion, which seems to be only a month or two off.

Copyrighted February 19, 1936, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Corporation. Registration no. LP6212. Renewed June 21, 1963, with registration no. R317581. This copyright is currently due to expire at the end of 2031.

Released March 14, 1936. It was the 143rd film in the series to be released.

All-talking two-reeler.

Opening title: 'Hal Roach presents Our Gang in "The Lucky Corner".'

King World Productions episode no. 34b, available in both colorized and original black-and-white versions.

the crew:

Produced by Hal Roach: Credited in the film as a presenter.
Directed by Gus Meins: This credit appears in the film.
Photography: Ernest Depew, A. S. C.: This credit appears in the film.
Film Editor: Louis McManus: This credit appears in the film.
Sound: W. B. Delaplain: Not listed by Maltin & Bann. This credit appears in the film.
Assistant Director: Gordon Douglas: Revealed in the photo in Maltin & Bann's book.
Animal trainer: Tony Campanaro: He trained the current Pete.
Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer: Indicated in the opening title card.
Passed by the National Board of Review: As indicated in the film.
Western Electric System: As indicated in the film.
Approved by the Motion Picture Producers & Distributors of America: Certificate no. 869.
studio personnel
possible uncredited involvement

the kids:

George "Spanky" McFarland as "Spanky" aka "Spank": Featured role. He leads the parade and sets up a show to attract customers for the lemonade stand.
Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas as "Buckwheat": Featured role. He's given several tasks to perform throughout the film, providing comedy relief along the way.
Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer as "Alfalfa": Featured role. He's given a fair amount of dialogue throughout the film, and sings a song with Harold.
Leonard Kibrick: Featured role. He and his father try to sabotage Gus's business.
Scotty Beckett as "Scott": Supporting role. He runs the lemonade stand with Gus.
Gloria Brown as "Gloria": Small part. She's the girl that does the tapdancing routine. She's listed as Gloria Mann in the 1977 edition, and in Maltin's earlier book, The Great Movie Shorts.
Harold Switzer as "Harold": Small part. He's present in most of the scenes, but only noticeable during his singing routine with Alfalfa.
Merrill Strong: Small part. He shares the glass of lemonade in the first scene and honks the horn with his foot later on. Maltin & Bann list him as Merrell Strong.
Marianne Edwards: Small part. She shares the glass of lemonade in the first scene, and is part of the parade, but has no dialogue.
Alvin Buckelew: Small part. He plays the bass drum in the parade.
Donald Proffitt: Small part. He's pretty much entirely an ensemble player in this film.
Billy Minderhout: Small part. Listed by Maltin & Bann as Billy Winderlout. He's the boy in the sailor suit.
John Collum: Extra. He's seen in the crowd on the sidewalk during the parade scene.
other kids: Bit parts and extras.
(1.) Seven additional girls in the parade, which should basically correspond to the girls 'backstage' at the shoeshine stand. Listed among them by Maltin & Bann are Priscilla Lyon, who I'm not able to spot, and (presuming this is a girl) Snooky Valentine, who I'm not familiar with.
(2.) One additional boy along the parade route. Maltin & Bann list Tommy McFarland, but I'm not so sure this is him. There's also a girl in the crowd seen in one shot.

the animals:

Pete the Pup IV: Bit part. He's shown in the parade, but doesn't seem to be in any other part of the film.
Leo: Bit part. The MGM lion appears at the opening of the film (but was cut from the Cabin Fever print).

the adults:

Gus Leonard as "Gus" aka "Grandpa": Featured role. He runs the lemonade stand.
William Wagner as the proprietor: Supporting role. He pressures the cop into sending Gus and his lemonade stand away from his own business.
James C. Morton as the cop: Supporting role. He settles disputes, directs traffic and clears the way for the parade.
Joe Mathey as "Joe," Buckwheat's dad: Supporting role. He allows Gus to set up next to his shoeshine stand.
Charley Lloyd as the barber: Small part. According to Maltin & Bann. He lends Spanky his electric razor. He's listed in the 1977 edition as Charley Young. This is interesting since, not only does he resemble Charley Young, but the sign on the window says 'Young's Barber Shop.' I don't know what Lloyd looks like.
Bobby Dunn as one of the lemonade customers: Small part. Maltin & Bann list him as the 'poisoned' customer, but specifically, the cop accuses him of trying to poison him. I'm not familiar with this actor, so I'll take their word for it.
Joe Bordeaux as the painter: Bit part. He gets knocked down by the board that Buckwheat slides over. I'm not familiar with this actor, so I'll take Maltin & Bann's word for it.
Ernie Alexander as the first customer: Bit part. He turns down Leonard's lemonade in favor of Grandpa's.
Art Rowlands as the customer who screams: Bit part. According to Maltin & Bann. I still need to familiarize myself with this actor.
Fred Holmes as one of the crowd: Extra. He's standing right next to the lemonade stand, and Buckwheat slides through his legs.
Jack "Tiny" Lipson as one of the crowd: Extra. He's standing right next to Holmes.
Lester Dorr as one of the crowd: Extra. He drinks lemonade as Wagner summons the cop. Maltin & Bann state that he plays two parts, wearing different clothes. I think he might be shown to the left of Jack Lipson in the longshots.
other adults: Bit parts and extras.
(1.) The woman with Ernie Alexander.
(2.) There are dozens of additional pedestrians in this film. Maltin & Bann list several that I still need to familiarize myself with: Sam Lufkin, Jack Hill, Bunny Bronson and Toby Dolan.

the music:

"Good Old Days" by Leroy Shield: Copyrighted Jan. 10, 1931.
(A15.) A new recording of this piece is played over the opening titles and as we first see the lemonade stand. The very end is repeated over the end title.
"Dixie (I Wish I Was In Dixie Land)" by Daniel Decatur Emmett: Published in 1859. Also known as "Dixie's Land." This is the song played during the parade. A Marvin Hatley arrangement of this song was copyrighted on May 7, 1936.
piece 138a: This is probably a contemporary hit, but I don't know the name of it. Gloria tapdances to it.
"Goin' To Town" by T. Marvin Hatley: Copyrighted Dec. 5, 1933. Written with lyrics by Eddie Dunn and Charley Chase. An instrumental version is played as Buckwheat gets a lemon, and then gets starch instead of sugar.
"Little Brown Jug": Attributed to Septimus Winner in 1869. In this film, it's sung by Alfalfa and Harold Switzer. Steve Porter had a number three hit with this song in 1900. Marvin Hatley received arrangement credit for this version, which was copyrighted on Jan. 29, 1936.
"The Stars And Stripes Forever" by John Philip Sousa: Composed on Christmas Day, 1896. Published in 1897. This is the Official March of the United States of America. It was a number one hit for Sousa's Band in both 1897 and 1901. In this film, it's initially whistled for a few seconds by Leonard as he serves lemonade, and later played while Leonard and his father do their electric razor dance.

the locations:

Hal E. Roach Studios: It appears that the entire film was shot on the New York street set in the Hal Roach backlot.

miscellaneous:

Working titles for this film included "Lemonade Trust" and "Follow The Leader."

3 star Mfg. Co. in Elmira, NY produced the sugar and starch.

Wagner's business has a Baby Ruth ad on the wall.

©July 1, 2005, by Robert Demoss.
2005 updates: 7/4, 7/9, 8/27, 8/30, 12/19.
2006 updates: 1/3, 1/16, 2/11, 2/12, 4/3, 5/16, 7/19, 10/25.
2007 updates: 4/1, 10/22.
2008 updates: 2/26, 5/26, 7/12, 7/27, 9/7, 9/12, 9/22, 11/6.
2009 updates: 7/23.

Thanks to Rob Stone, Joe Moore, Piet Schreuders, Elliot Unkefer and Paul Mular for assistance on this page.