Dogs Of War!

technical details:

Production A-14.

Filmed January 12 to February 23, and April 11, 1923. See the 'miscellaneous' section below for details.

Premiered on June 10, 1923, in New York City.

Released on July 1, 1923. It was the 14th film in the series to be released.

Copyrighted July 19, 1923, by Pathé Exchange, Inc. Registration no. LU19216. Since the copyright was not renewed, this film is now in the public domain.

Silent two-reeler.

Opening title: '"Our Gang" Comedies - Hal Roach presents His Rascals in "Dogs Of War!".' The Exclusive print says '"Our Gang" Comedy.' The exclamation point in the film title is not indicated by Maltin & Bann.

Released into TV syndication as Mischief Makers episode no. 1056, "Battleground," copyrighted Sep. 1, 1960, with registration number LP17361. Footage also went into episode no. 1053, "Hollywood U.S.A.," copyrighted Sep. 1, 1960, with registration number LP17358.

the crew:

Produced by Hal Roach

Credited in the film as a presenter.

Directed by Robert F. McGowan and Tom McNamara

McGowan receives sole credit appears in the film, but without his middle initial. McNamara's involvement is revealed by entries in Camera for the weeks starting Jan. 8th and 15th.

Assistant Director: Clarence Morehouse

This credit derives from Morehouse's payroll status as the Our Gang assistant director during this period. Camera magazine indicates his involvement for the weeks starting Jan. 8th and 15th.

Photographed by Harry W. Gerstad and Len Powers

Not listed by Maltin & Bann. Gerstad receives sole credit in the film. Powers was still considered the Our Gang cameraman on the first two days of shooting, so he may have been involved on those dates. The payroll summaries reveal that he moved on to the Dippy Doo Dads series the following week and was replaced by Gerstad. Camera magazine indicates his involvement for the weeks starting Jan. 8th and 15th.

Edited by T. J. Crizer

This credit appears in the film, but is not indicated by Maltin & Bann. The 'T' stands for Thomas.

Titles by H. M. Walker

This credit appears in the film.

Props by Charles Oelze and Dick Gilbert

This credit derives from their payroll status as Our Gang prop men during this period.

Story by Hal E. Roach and Tom McNamara

This credit doesn't appear in the film. McNamara is credited as the scenarist for the Our Gang units for the weeks starting Jan. 8th and 15th by Camera magazine. R. H. Fahe was listed in the payroll summaries as an Our Gang gag man during this period.

Teacher: Fern Carter

Released by Pathé Exchange, Inc.

Passed by the National Board of Review

As indicated in the film.

studio personnel

general manager - Warren Doane

assistant general manager - L. A. French

secretary-treasurer - C. H. Roach

construction supervisor - C. E. Christensen

purchasing superintendent - John L. Murphy

still photographer - Bud "Stax" Graves and Gene Kornman

possible uncredited involvement

titles - Tom McNamara probably illustrated the title cards.

writing - Robert F. McGowan, Thomas J. Crizer and Leo McCarey may have contributed gags. Hal Conklin first appears in the payroll summaries as an Our Gang gag man the week ending Feb. 3rd. He may have contributed gags to this film, or perhaps started off with the next one.

the kids:

featured players

Allen "Farina" Hoskins as "Farina"

Featured role. He appears throughout the film, and even gets some business of his own. He's a "her" in this film.

Mickey Daniels

Featured role. Mickey appears throughout the film, mostly as part of the group. Mary's 'sick chart' spells his name "Micky."

Jack Davis as "Jack"

Featured role. He's featured during the war sequence, but does mostly ensemble acting during the studio sequence.

Mary Kornman

Supporting role. She appears both during the battle scene (as the nurse), and then again at the film studio.

Jackie Condon as "Jackie"

Supporting role. He does mostly ensemble acting in this film.

Joe Cobb

Supporting role. He does mostly ensemble acting in this film.

Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison

Supporting role. Ernie also does mostly ensemble acting. Maltin & Bann indicate that the "Sunshine Sammy" moniker was used in this film, but it wasn't.

other kids

Andy Samuel

Small part. He's one of the boys in the opposing army, and is shown more than the others.

George "Freckles" Warde

Bit part. Listed by Maltin & Bann as Monty O'Grady, but I'm quite certain that it's not him. He's another boy in the opposing army. Not to be confused with George "Sonny Boy" Warde.

Elmo Billings

Bit part. He's another boy in the opposing army.

Gabe Saenz

Bit part. He's another boy in the opposing army.

other kids

Bit parts.

(1.) The other girl in the film-within-a-film besides Mary. We never get a good look at her.

(2.) Two remaining boys in the opposing army, but we never get a good look at them.

(3.) At least one boy shown in a still photo on the wall behind Roy Brooks in the casting office.

the animals:

skunk 014

Small part. The "kittie," as Farina puts it. Presumably the same skunk that later appeared in "Big Business" (no. 23).

horse 014

Extra. This is the white horse seen in the background towards the end of the film as the gang is making their getaway. Could be Duke from "The Ol' Gray Hoss" (no. 78).

the adults:

featured players

Dick Gilbert as the studio guard

Supporting role. He appears repeatedly during the studio sequence chasing the kids around.

William Gillespie as the director of "Should Husbands Work?"

Supporting role. He's featured strongly during his scenes, which are decidedly over-the-top. He also appears to be the actor in military garb that helps Farina down the steps, and is apparently in costume for the Harold Lloyd feature "Why Worry?".

Charley Lloyd as the cameraman of "Should Husbands Work?"

Small part. He's shown during the filming of the film-within-a-film. Listed by Maltin & Bann as Charley Young.

Charles Stevenson as the actor playing "Dan"

Small part. He's featured in the film-within-a-film.

Vera White as the actress playing the mother of "Little Clarice"

Small part. She's featured in the film-within-a-film. Listed by Maltin & Bann as Clara Guiol.

Harold Lloyd

Small part. He briefly appears as himself, on the set of an actual film called "Why Worry?."

woman 014

Small part. This is the other woman in "Should Husbands Work?"

Roy Brooks as the studio receptionist

Small part. He's seen in the front office. He's listed by Maltin & Bann, but as one of the actors on the lot.

other adults

Joseph Morrison as the assistant director of "Should Husbands Work?"

Small part. He's shown during the filming of the film-within-a-film.

Sammy Brooks

Small part. Not listed by Maltin & Bann. He's the short guy in the crew for "Should Husbands Work?"

Wallace Howe

Bit part. He's in costume for "Why Worry?" and is dressed in a suit and bowler hat as Farina comes down the stairs behind the administrative building.

Leo White

Bit part. He's in costume for "Why Worry?" and is in military garb talking to William Gillespie, who helps Farina down the steps.

Jobyna Ralston

Bit part. Harold Lloyd's leading lady, seen during his scene.

Fred Newmeyer

Bit part. Harold Lloyd's director, seen during his scene.

Bob Davis as the truck driver

Bit part. He's barely seen at all.

Walter Lundin

Bit part. Harold Lloyd's cameraman. He's barely seen.

other adults

Bit parts and extras.

(1.) The man in the bear costume.

(2.) The man serving as projectionist.

(3.) Three remaining men in the crew of "Should Husbands Work?"

(4.) Two men sweeping the treadmill before Farina switches it on.

(5.) Two officers next to the truck, one of whom is Jack Hill, but I don't know which.

(6.) The woman who takes Mary to the studio.

(7.) The black woman dressed as a maid and watching the rushes for "Should Husbands Work?"

(8.) Six men dressed as Mexicans in the Harold Lloyd scene.

(9.) Many people seen in the background on the lot. There are three men and one woman in costume with Howe and White, and Farina walks past them right after wandering onto the lot. There are four men and three women shown in front of the studio as the gang arrives, plus another adult barely seen in the doorway. In the hospital scene that the gang disrupts, there are two principal actors plus the director and three crew members, as well as four nurses in the background. There are about eleven banditos that chase the gang. There is also a man inside the "cage" in the casting office, but barely seen. There are numerous people walking in the background of several shots, as well as in the still photos on the walls of the casting office. Also, since Maltin & Bann list Roy Brooks, there's a possibility that Mark Jones is among the adults in this film, since they seem to identify Jones as Roy Brooks for other films.

the locations:

Hal E. Roach Studios

Much of the studio is featured in this film, including the front of the administration building and many of the behind-the-scenes locations. Known as West Coast Studios in the film. The site of the gang's war appears to be in an adjacent vacant lot.

miscellaneous:

30 shooting dates went into the making of this film. Shooting was supposed to begin on Jan. 11th, but the retakes for "The Big Show" (no. 7) continued on that date. Therefore, "Dogs Of War!" began shooting on the 12th, and continued until Feb. 10th. No footage was shot on Jan. 14th, Jan. 21st, Jan. 28th, Feb. 4th, or Feb. 11th, which were all Sundays. After this, shooting commenced on "Lodge Night" (no. 15), but additional "Dogs Of War!" footage was shot on Feb. 20th, 22nd and 23rd, with the last date being divided between the two films. After this, "Lodge Night" was completed, and "Fast Company" (no. 16) and "Stage Fright" (no. 17) were both started. On Apr. 11th, McGowan did retakes for "Dogs Of War!" while Tom McNamara seemingly finished "Stage Fright" (there would be retakes). The very next day, shooting began for "July Days" (no. 18), further illustrating the point that the Our Gang unit took very little time off during this early period.

The 1923 studio datebook reveals what the weather was like on the various shooting dates. During the initial January and February dates, the weather was described as 'bright' almost half the time. Specifically, it was 'bright & windy'on Feb. 4th. It was described as 'medium' on Jan. 20th, 21st, 26th, 27th, and 28th. It was described as 'raining' on Jan. 23rd, 25th, 29th, and Feb. 11th, 'rainy' on Jan. 30th and 31st, 'rainy & dark' on Feb. 1st, 'spotted & rainy' on Feb. 8th, and 'dark' on Jan. 22nd. The weather was described as 'dull' on Jan. 24th, and 'dull most of day' on Jan. 12th. It was described as 'clear' on all of the shooting dates of late February and April.

In March of 1923, the Our Gang kids made a personal appearance at the California Theatre in Los Angeles, wearing the "war" costumes used for this film.

This film was the second of six in the third 'series' of Our Gang films.

There were 40 copies of this film printed for its initial release.

availability:

The Little Rascals Remastered & Unedited Vol. 16 (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 excellent picture quality. It runs at 26:17 at a slower projection speed. There's also a clip lasting 0:01 shown during the opening sequence to all the Cabin Fever releases, which shows the gang running on the treadmill. This version has appeared on numerous bootlegs.

The Little Rascals Remastered & Unedited - Rare, Original Silent Episodes (VHS) from Cabin Fever

Released 1996. This is identical to the other Cabin Fever release.

Slapstick Encyclopedia Volume 6: Hal Roach - The Lot Of Fun (VHS) from Kino Video

This is an original print preceded by a textual introduction. The picture quality is almost as good as the Cabin Fever version. This edition is copyright 1998 by Film Preservation Associates with music by Brian Benison. The other films on the tape are not Our Gang Comedies. It runs at 24:21 at a slower speed.

Slapstick Encyclopedia Volumes 5-8 (LD set) from Kino Video

Our Gang Comedies (3 LDs) from MGM/UA Home Video

Released 1994. This is a virtually complete print with the original opening titles and very good picture quality. The footage totals 26:20.

The Little Rascals Collection (5 DVDs) from Passport Video

Released July 13, 2004. This is the Kino Video version, with the same soundtrack. The title of the DVD set is superimposed in the left hand corner of the screen. It runs 24:19 at a slower projection speed.

Rascals Silents Vol. 3 (VHS) from A-1 Video

This is a mostly original version, but with an Atlas Films ending title. The picture quality is very good. The total footage is 26:20, with 26:18 of it original. The main advantage to this version is that the entire frame is shown.

The Original Little Rascals Comedies (2 Movie Collection) (VHS) from Video Resource Distributors, Inc.

Released in 1994. This is also an original print. The tape is in EP mode, but the picture quality is still fairly good. The total footage lasts 19:44, but runs at a faster speed than the Cabin Fever version. This was repackaged as part of The Original Little Rascals Comedies (4 Movie Collection), a double VHS release.

Little Rascals Volume 2 (DVD) from East West Entertainment

Released 2005. This is print has the original titles.

Our Gang Volume #1 (VHS) from Grapevine Video and also from The Picture Palace

This is a home movie print from Exclusive Movie Studios, Inc., in Chicago. The exclamation point isn't included in the title. The main body of the film is fairly complete, with the opening title being replaced by one from Exclusive, and the closing title being generic. The picture quality isn't that good. The print totals 19:01, with 18:54 of it original footage. This version has appeared on numerous bootlegs.

Our Gang Silent Comedies Vol. 11 (VHS) from Video Classics

This is identical to the Grapevine release.

A Festival Of Silent Comedy Volume Six (DVD) from Reelclassicdvd.com

Released 2007.

Our Gang Silent Comedies Vol. 5 (VHS) from HenryButch

This copy derives from the MGM/UA laserdisc.

The Little Rascals: Bear Shooters/Waldo's Last Stand/Dogs Of War! (VHS/DVD) from GoodTimes Home Video

Released Mar. 1 or 21, 2001. Presumably released initially on VHS. Included as part of The Little Rascals 4-Pack DVD, released May 29, 2001, and probably also Our Gang Collection (10 VHS set/8 DVD set), released May 7, 2002.

The Little Rascals - Funniest Episodes (5 VHS set) from GoodTimes Home Video

Released June 25, 2002.

The Best Of Our Gang Volume 1 (DVD) from GoodTimes Home Video

Released June 1, 2004. Also included on The Best Of Our Gang Volumes 1 & 2 (2 DVD set).

Our Gang Volume 2 (DVD) from TV Classics

Released Sep. 5, 2003.

TV Time Comedy 100 TV Episodes (10 DVD set) from TV Time

The Little Rascals & Our Gang Collection Vol. 2 (DVD) from Janus Entertainment, Inc.

It's also included with Vol. 1 in a 2 DVD set entitled The Little Rascals & Our Gang Collector's Edition.

Laurel and Hardy and Friends - Volume Three (VHS) from Hal Roach Studios

Released Dec. 15, 1998.

Three Stooges, Little Rascals & East Side Kids Collection (5 DVD set) from Diamond Ent. Corp.

Released Aug. 30, 2005.

Classic Troublemakers (3 DVD set) from St. Clair Entertainment

Released Oct. 25, 2005.

Smiles And Spectacles - The Harold Lloyd Treasury (5 DVD set) from Passport Video

Released Feb. 13, 2007.

Jackie Remembers Our Gang - The Silent Era (VHS/DVD) from Jackie Taylor

A clip is shown on this tape lasting 2:40. It includes the original opening title card.

The Our Gang Story (VHS/DVD) from GoodTimes Home Video

VHS released 1994. DVD released May 21, 2002. Also included as part of Our Gang Collector Series 4 Pack (4 DVD set), released Mar. 21, 2001, Our Gang Collector Series 5 Pack (5 VHS/DVD set), released Feb. 2002 (VHS) and Mar. 2004 (DVD), and The Best Of Our Gang Volume 1 (DVD) released June 1, 2004. A clip lasting 0:07 is included, showing Farina at war, with narration added.

SlapHappy: Vol. 4 (DVD) from Fishigan Films

Released 2003. Originally produced in 2001. Includes a clip from this film. This volume is also included as part of The SlapHappy Collection (11 DVD set).

SlapHappy: Vol. 9 (DVD) from Fishigan Films

Released 2003. Originally produced in 2001. Includes two clips from this film. This volume is also included as part of The SlapHappy Collection (11 DVD set).

The Little Rascals - The Complete Collection (8 VHS set) from Genius Products

Released late Oct. 2008. Includes several clips from this film as part of a documentary called The Story Of Hal Roach And Our Gang.

See anything that needs changing? Contact me at BtheW@aol.com.

© Robert Demoss.