Buried Treasure

film no. 47

availability:

Our Gang Silent Comedies Volume 1 (VHS) from Video Classics and

Our Gang Comedies I (VHS) from The Picture Palace

This copy is a TV print from the Mischief Makers series, with the opening and ending titles replaced by new ones from Video Classics. The inter-titles have been removed. The print totals 15:16, with 14:34 of it original footage. Roughly three quarters of the original film is included.

Our Gang (CD-ROM) from Rom-Man Technologies

Copyright 1994 by Onscreen Entertainment, Inc. This print has a generic opening title from Mogull's Film Library and a generic end title, but the crew credits and inter-titles are included. Since it's a CD-ROM, there are fewer frames per second, and the resolution is limited, but the picture quality is fairly good. The film ends abruptly, cutting some footage at the end, but there is also footage at the beginning that's missing from the TV print. The initials "RMT" are superimposed in the righthand corner. The print totals 16:42, with 16:32 of it original footage. Roughly three quarters of the original film is included. Viewing this version along with the Video Classics version will achieve almost the entire original film.

technical details:

the crew:

Produced by Hal Roach

Probably credited in the film as a presenter.

Supervised by F. Richard Jones

Credited in the film as supervising director.

Directed by Robert F. McGowan

This credit appears in the film, but without his middle initial.

Photographed by Art Lloyd

This credit appears in the film.

Edited by Richard Currier

This credit appears in the film.

Titles by H. M. Walker

This credit appears in the film.

Story by Hal E. Roach

This credit doesn't appear in the film.

Released by Pathé Exchange, Inc.

Passed by the National Board of Review

Probably 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
• laboratory superintendent - Charles Levin
• still photographer - Bud "Stax" Graves
• transportation director - Bob Davis
• school teacher - Fern Carter

possible uncredited involvement

• assistant direction - Possibly Charles Oelze.
• editing - Bert Jordan was among the cutters during this period.
• writing - Robert F. McGowan, Carl Harbaugh, Hal Yates, Frank Terry and James Parrott may have been among the gag writers.
• property department - Charles Oelze and Don Sandstrom were probably involved in this capacity, and possibly Ted Driscoll, Sherbourne Shields and Roy Seawright.
• animal training - Tony Campanaro was probably among the animal trainers.

the kids:

Allen "Farina" Hoskins as "Farina"

Featured role. He gets quite a bit of footage frolicking with the chimp. He's described as an "able bodied seaman," implying that he's male.

Johnny Downs as "Johnnie"

Featured role. He's the rich kid that joins the gang on their treasure hunt.

Jay R. Smith as "Specks"

Supporting role. Or more specifically, 'Admiral "Specks".' He's given some footage fishing with Pal.

Mickey Daniels

Supporting role. He's the captain of the gang's boat.

Joe Cobb

Supporting role. The natives are particularly interested in eating him.

Mary Kornman

Supporting role. She saves the day by discovering the fireworks.

Jackie Condon

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

other boys

Bit parts. Among the natives are two black boys that get bonked on the head by the gang.

the animals:

Pal

Supporting role. Not listed by Maltin & Bann. He appears to be Jay's dog, and catches cats instead of fish.

Buster

Supporting role. This is the other dog that joins the gang. Later played "Magnolia" in "Thundering Fleas" (no. 51).

other animals

Featured role and bit parts.
(1.) The chimpanzee that plays with Farina and is given quite a lot of footage. Not a baboon, as Maltin & Bann describe him.
(2.) The black cat caught by Pal.
(3.) The cat on board the gang's boat.

the adults:

Lyle Tayo as Johnnie's mom

Small part. According to Maltin & Bann. She's not shown in this print.

Charlie Hall as the man in the gorilla suit

Small part. According to Maltin & Bann. There are a few people dressed as gorillas, but the one shown with the head removed looks like Hall.

Jack Roach as the man in the lion suit

Small part. According to Maltin & Bann. His face is shown, but I haven't seen any photos of him to verify.

Dorothy Vernon as another mother

Bit part. According to Maltin & Bann. She's not shown in this print.

other adults

Small parts, bit parts and extras.
(1.) "'Cap' Tuttle," the kindly old man with the treasure map.
(2.) Johnnie's dad, who discourages him from reading Treasure Island.
(3.) The friend of Johnnie's dad, who finds the situation amusing.
(4.) The man steering Johnnie's dad's boat.
(5.) There are scores of adults doing location shooting on the island, most of whom are black men playing natives. A few others make up the crew, and some others are dressed as apes, and one dressed as a bear. One of the men might be Sammy Brooks.

the locations:

U. S. S. Catalina

A press photograph reveals that the gang was aboard this boat of the Wrigley line during the filming of this short. While it doesn't verify that the boat was one of the ones used in the film, it does support the idea that the island scenes were shot on Catalina Island, which was also the subject of the brochure that Cap Tuttle has with the map on it.

miscellaneous:

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