technical details:
Production K-8.
Release no. C-587.
Filmed February 15 to 19, 1937. See the 'miscellaneous' section below for details.
Negative shipped on March 8, 1937.
Cutting continuity submitted March 9, 1937.
Title sheet prepared by Elmer Raguse on March 10, 1937.
Music cue sheet prepared March 10, 1937.
Copyrighted March 31, 1937, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Corporation. Registration no. LP7034. Renewed
July 27, 1964, with registration no. R341922. This copyright is currently due to expire at the end of 2032.
Released May 13, 1937. This is the date given by Maltin & Bann. However, IMDb lists it as Mar. 13, 1937, which
would be a Saturday, the usual day of release for MGM shorts. Early in the film season, Fred Quimby of MGM set a projected
release date for this production of March 27, 1937.
All-talking one-reeler.
Opening title: 'Hal Roach presents Our Gang in "Three Smart Boys".'
King World Productions episode no. 49a, 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 Gordon Douglas
- This credit appears in the film.
- Assistant Director: Charles Oelze
- This credit derives from production documents.
- Photography: Art Lloyd, A. S. C.
- This credit appears in the film.
- Film Editor: William Ziegler
- This credit appears in the film.
- Sound: William Randall
- This credit appears in the film.
- Prop Man: Aldrich
- This credit derives from the production sheets, which don't reveal the first name.
- Script Clerk: Morton
- This credit derives from the daily film reports, which don't reveal the first name.
- 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. 3127.
- studio personnel
- vice president in charge of production - S. S. Van Keuren
- secretary-treasurer - Mat O'Brien
- Roach's assistant on production activities - Lawrence Tarver
- assistant secretary-treasurer, comptroller - Hugh Huber
- film editor and sound department - Elmer Raguse
- casting - Joe Rivkin
- story department - Jack Jevne
- art department - Arthur I. Royce
- property department - W. L. Stevens
- process department - Roy Seawright
- still photographer - Bud "Stax" Graves
- musical director - Marvin Hatley
- men's wardrobe - Harry Black
- paymaster - Mrs. Grace Cash
- transportation director - Bob Davis
- school teacher - Fern Carter
- possible uncredited involvement
- writing - Hal Yates, James Parrott, Hal
Law, Felix Adler, Harry Langdon, Richard Flournoy and Gordon Douglas may have been among the gag writers.
- property department - Charles Oelze was probably involved in this capacity.
- animal training - Tony Campanaro may have been among the animal trainers.
the kids:
- George "Spanky" McFarland as "Spanky"
- Featured role. Waldo refers to him as "Master Spanky." He contrives an epidemic to close the school.
- Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer as "Alfalfa"
- Featured role. He accompanies Spanky throughout the film and has virtually the same amount of dialogue.
- Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas as "Buckwheat"
- Featured role. Spanky and Alfalfa thinks that he's been changed into a monkey.
- Eugene "Porky" Lee as "Porky"
- Supporting role. He spends the film trying to remember where Waldo's note is.
- Darwood Kaye as "Waldo"
- Small part. He sends Porky with a note to tell the boys that the epidemic is unnecessary.
- Darla Hood
- Bit part. She's shown on the school steps at the beginning of the film.
- Shirley Coates
- Bit part. She's shown on the school steps at the beginning of the film.
- Baby Patsy May
- She's not in the film itself, but her photo is shown during the opening titles.
- other kids
- About six additional kids can be seen in the background during the school scene, though the production
sheets reveal that there were actually seven. It appears that perhaps Tommy McFarland and Robert Winckler
are among them.
the animals:
- George
- Supporting role. This is the monkey that Spanky and Alfalfa think is Buckwheat. This identification is an
assumption on my part, as the monkey looks like the same one from "Bear Facts" (no. 164)
- Jiggs
- Bit part. He's the dog in the pen that scares Buckwheat.
- Leo
- Bit part. The MGM lion appears at the opening of the film.
- Pete the Pup IV
- He's not actually in the film, but his photo is shown during the opening titles.
- other animals
- Extras. There are other animals in the pens at the veterinarian's office, including at least one monkey.
the adults:
- Sidney Bracey as "O. T. Hertz," the veterinarian
- Supporting role. He examines Buckwheat. The cutting continuity refers to him as "Doctor."
- Jack Egan as "Jack," the assistant
- Small part. He prepares the serum for the monkey. The cutting continuity refers to him as
"Assistant." The production sheets list him as Jack Eagan.
- Rosina Lawrence as "Miss Lawrence"
- Small part. She wants to close the school to attend her sister's wedding.
- Nora Cecil as "Miss Witherspoon," the superintendent
- Small part. She refuses to close the school until she sees the exemplary grades the students have received.
the music:
- "Good Old Days" by Leroy Shield
- Copyrighted Jan. 10, 1931.
- (A17.) This is played over the opening titles and as Miss Witherspoon arrives at the school. The last part is
played as the boys realize that Buckwheat isn't a monkey, and the end title appears.
the locations:
- Hal E. Roach Studios
- The entire film was shot here. Studio documentation indicates that Stage 1 was used, with perhaps a bit
of last day footage shot on Stage 2.
miscellaneous:
Five shooting dates went into the making of this film. Here's a breakdown of the activity, deriving from the call
sheets, production sheets, daily film reports and various memos:
Feb. 11 - No shooting took place, but there is a crew production sheet prepared for this date.
Feb. 12 - No shooting took place, but there is a crew production sheet prepared for this date.
Feb. 13 - Film costs for the previous week were $986.31.
Feb. 15 - This was the first day of shooting. Scheduled were the five main kids, plus Rosina Lawrence, Nora
Cecil, Darwood Kaye, 4 boys over six years of age, and 4 girls over six years of age. Shooting was to take place on the
exterior school and interior office sets on Stage 4, and on the exterior barn set on Stage 1. A camera crane and a Ford
car would be needed. The production sheet places the entire day's work on Stage 1, listing the five main kids,
Lawrence, 1 bit woman (no doubt Cecil), 9 extras, and 1 school teacher. This last person would have probably been
the real thing and not an actress. A Rivkin memo to Van Keuren, O'Brien, Huber and Cash, states that Rosina Lawrence
and the five regular kids all 'started' on this date. A surviving script carries this date.
Feb. 16 - This was the second day of shooting. Scheduled were the four main boys, Sidney Bracey, and Jack
Eagan. Shooting was to take place on the exterior barn set and the interior veterinary's office set, both on Stage 1.
The Ford car, a monkey and other animals would be needed. The production sheet reveals that the four boys and Bracey
worked on Stage 1, but doesn't mention Eagan or the monkey. A Rivkin memo to the same four people states that Rosina
Lawrence and Darla both 'closed' as of Feb. 15th.
Feb. 17 - This was the third day of shooting. Scheduled were the four main boys, Sidney Bracey, and Jack
Eagan. Shooting was to take place on the interior veterinary's office set on Stage 1. A monkey and other animals would
be needed. The production sheet reveals that Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, and '2 bits' were involved, with Porky on
standby. The monkey isn't mentioned. A Raguse memo reveals that the title "Three Smart Boys" was finalized
on this date.
Feb. 18 - This was the fourth day of shooting. The four main boys and '2 bits' worked on Stage 1 on
this date.
Feb. 19 - This was the final day of shooting. Scheduled were the four main boys. Shooting was to take place on
the interior veterinary office set on Stage 2. A monkey and other animals would be needed. The production sheet mentions
the four boys working on Stage 1, but not the monkey.
Feb. 20 - The production sheet for this date lists Douglas, Oelze, Aldrich and Lloyd, but states that the production
closed the previous day. A Rivkin memo to Van Keuren, O'Brien, Huber and Cash, from this date states that Spanky,
Alfalfa, Buckwheat and Porky, were 'closed' as of Feb. 19th. Film costs for the previous week were $2765.26,
for a total of $3751.57 so far.
Feb. 22 - No shooting took place, but there is a crew production sheet prepared for this date.
Mar. 8 - A Raguse memo from this date indicates that the domestic negative and the domestic negative soundtrack were
shipped to the MGM lab, and that the domestic positive Movietone print was sent to W. D. Kelly in New York.
Mar. 22 - A Raguse memo from this date indicates that the Canadian negative and Canadian negative soundtrack were
shipped.
The negative cost on this film as of April 24th was $18,429.51.
Inspired by the feature, "Three Smart Girls."
There was a flu epidemic that closed the studio for weeks around the Christmas holiday.
This film was 968 feet in length.
The script submitted to MGM was given the catalog number B643.
availability:
- The Little Rascals Remastered & Unedited Vol. 17
(VHS) from Cabin Fever and
- The Little Rascals Remastered & Unedited Volume
Three (4 LD set) from Cabin Fever
- Released 1995. This is a complete original print with very good picture quality. The total footage lasts
10:35. This version has appeared on numerous bootlegs.
- The Little Rascals Comedy Classics Vol. 2
(VHS) from Republic Pictures Home Video
- Released Apr. 1991. This is a home movie print from Blackhawk. The opening title and crew credits are
remade, but the end title is original. The picture quality is very good. The original footage totals 10:08, but the
original soundtrack lasts an additional 0:19.
- The Little Rascals Book XI (VHS) from
Blackhawk Video
- This is the Blackhawk print.
- The Little Rascals: Pups Is Pups/Three Smart
Boys (VHS) from
Republic Pictures Home Video
- Released May 30, 1991. This is the Blackhawk print.
- The Little Rascals - The Complete Collection
(8 DVD set) from Genius Products
- Released late Oct. 2008. This is the Blackhawk print. There is also a clip from this film included in the
documentary The Story Of Hal Roach And Our Gang.