technical details:
Production G-24.
Release no. C-22.
Filmed Oct. 1 to 9, 1934. See the 'miscellaneous' section below for details.
Title sheet prepared by William Terhune on October 24, 1934.
Cutting continuity submitted November 1, 1934.
According to the trade publications, this film was released was September 29, 1934, making it the 131st film in the series to be released. However, the other dates listed above make it clear that the release date was probably around the time of the copyright date in November. See the 'miscellaneous' section below for details.
Copyrighted November 13, 1934, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Corporation. Registration no. LP5126. Renewed August 1, 1962, with registration no. R299636. This copyright is currently due to expire at the end of 2029.
All-talking two-reeler.
Opening title: 'Hal Roach presents Our Gang in "Washee Ironee".'
King World Productions episode no. 45b, 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 James Parrott
- This credit appears in the film.
- Photography: Francis Corby A. S. C.
- This credit appears in the film. Listed as Francis Curby in the Official Films print.
- Film Editor: Louis McManus
- This credit appears in the film.
- Recording Engineer: William Randall
- This credit appears in the film.
- 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. 345.
- NRA
- The emblem for the National Recovery Administration is missing from this print, but was presumably included on the title card with the MGM lion.
- studio personnel
- general manager - Henry Ginsberg
- assistant general manager - L. A. French
- secretary-treasurer - C. H. Roach
- assistant secretary - Mat O'Brien
- film editor and sound department - Elmer Raguse
- construction supervisor - C. E. Christensen
- laboratory superintendent - Charles Levin
- process department - Roy Seawright
- musical director - Marvin Hatley
- still photographer - Clarence "Stax" Graves
- transportation director - Bob Davis
- school teacher - Fern Carter. Teaching the extra kids was Selma Rossman.
- possible uncredited involvement
- assistant direction - Probably Gordon Douglas.
- writing - Hal Yates, Carl Harbaugh, James Parrott, Charlie Hall, Frank Butler, Robert McKenzie, Nick Grinde, Hal Law, Frank Terry, Frank Tashlin and Gordon Douglas may have been among the gag writers.
- property department - Charles Oelze, Don Sandstrom, Thomas Benton Roberts and Bob Saunders were probably involved in this capacity.
- titles - Louis McManus probably designed the main titles.
- animation - Probably the work of Roy Seawright.
the kids:
- George "Spanky" McFarland as "Spanky"
- Featured role. He's the referee at the football game, but more importantly, the leader of the gang for the first time.
- Wally Albright as "Waldo"
- Featured role. He's a rich kid that gets into the football game and needs his clothes laundered afterwards. This was his final appearance in the series.
- Harry Lowe, Jr.
- Supporting role. He's the Chinese boy that Spanky brings to the house to solve the gang's laundry problems. Maltin & Bann list him as Yen Wong, which seems to derive from the name on the window of the Chinese laundry, which in any event says "Yun Wong." The payroll ledger lists him as Harry Law, Jr., which might explain the inclusion of Hal Law, Jr., in Maltin & Bann's cast listing. Harry "Hal" Law was a gag writer on this film, and the authors may have thought that his son was among the cast members.
- the football players
- Scotty Beckett
- Supporting role. He has Pete on a leash throughout the football game, and scores a touchdown this way.
- Matthew "Stymie" Beard as "Stymie"
- Supporting role. He's seen throughout most of the film, but has only a little bit of dialogue.
- Leonard Kibrick
- Supporting role. He's the center on the football team and is virtually a silent character, but is present throughout most of the scenes.
- Tommy Bond
- Supporting role. He's the quarterback, but is otherwise mostly an ensemble player.
- Jerry Tucker
- Supporting role. He's given very little dialogue, but is present during most of the film.
- Alvin Buckelew
- Supporting role. He's entirely an ensemble player, but is one of the main group that appears in most of the scenes.
- Gene Blumenthal
- Small part. Later famously known as Gene Reynolds. He's seen only during the football scenes, and is standing to the right of Wally after his touchdown.
- Mickey Rentschler
- Small part. In the shot of Spanky giving the cough medicine to Pete, he's the tall kid in the center wearing the helmet.
- Dickie Jones
- Small part. He's seen only during the football scenes. and is standing to the left of Wally after his touchdown.
- Billy Lee Wolfstone
- Small part. He's the fat boy seen during the football scenes.
- Joe Levine
- Small part. He's the boy with the frizzy hair seen during the football scenes.
- John Collum
- Small part. He's shown only in longshots during the football game.
- the spectators
- Jackie Lynn Taylor
- Small part. Listed by Maltin & Bann as Jacqueline Taylor. She's the nurse on the sidelines. Spanky flirts with her.
- Jackie White
- Small part. She's the little girl watching the game and later accompanying Jackie Taylor. When she sees Wally in the buff, she says "Oh, you nasty man," borrowing a catchphrase from Joe Penner.
- Billie Thomas
- Small part. He's given a couple of closeups cheering on the sidelines.
- Tommy McFarland
- Small part. He's given the first closeup among the kids cheering and is holding a derby hat.
- Willie Mae Walton
- Small part. She's listed in the payroll ledger, and Maltin & Bann list her as Willie Mae Taylor.
- other kids
- Small parts and extras. Names that still need to be matched to faces are Paul Graff, Hugh Sheridan and Bernard Hollenberg. Maltin & Bann include Tony Kales in their cast listing, but his name doesn't appear in the payroll ledger. Unidentified so far is the boy leading the cheers and two of the football players.
the animals:
- Pete the Pup IV as "Pete"
- Supporting role. He swallows Spanky's whistle.
- Leo
- Bit part. The MGM lion appears at the opening of the film (but was cut from the Cabin Fever print).
- other animals
- Small parts.
- (1.) The monkey belonging to Waldo's mother. Listed by Maltin & Bann as Elmer the Monkey from "Bear Facts" (whose real name was actually George), but this could just as easily be one of the other monkeys populating the Our Gang series.
- (2.) The goat pulling the first aid cart.
the adults:
- Ellinor Van Der Veer as Waldo's mother
- Supporting role. She's more concerned with her standing in society than her son's happiness.
- Sam Adams as the butler
- Supporting role. He's present through much of the indoor scenes, suffering indignities along with the women. Maltin's earlier book, The Great Movie Shorts, lists Sam Baker, possibly in place of Sam Adams.
- Stanley "Tiny" Sandford as the traffic cop
- Small part. He repeatedly halts traffic, only to realize that it's only Spanky pretending to be an emergency vehicle.
- Floyd Shackelford as "Sam" aka "Sammy"
- Bit part. He's the gardener who gives Waldo a boost so he can watch the game.
- Gertrude Astor
- Bit part. She's the Maid of Olympia sitting next to Van Der Veer during the card games, and gets ice cream on her bare back.
- Almeda Fowler
- Bit part. She's one of the Maids of Olympia. In the shot where the bubble bursts between the noses of two ladies, she's the one on the left.
- Ernie Alexander
- Bit part. He's listed in the ledger, and appears to be the pedestrian who almost gets hit by the patrol wagon.
- Mary Emery
- Extra. She's looking on as Astor gets hit with the ice cream.
- Julia Griffith
- Extra. She's the first Maid of Olympia with the monkey landing on her back, but is better seen looking on as one of the other Maids loses her hat.
- Lester Dorr
- Extra. He's listed in the ledger, and appears to be in the shot of the crowd covering their eyes, specifically, the left-most of the men with their feet at the edge of the curb.
- Dick Gilbert
- Extra. He's listed in the ledger, and appears to be at the far left in the crowd covering their eyes.
- Charles Meakin
- Extra. He's listed in the ledger, and appears to be one of the men on the sidewalk as the cops take off in their vehicle.
- other adults
- Bit parts and extras.
- (1.) Aside from Van Der Veer, there were fifteen women who worked in the Maids Of Olympia scene. Aside from those listed above, they were: Katherine Wallace, Loretta Russell, Flo Promis, Lucille De Never, Dorothy "Dot" Hagen, Dorothy Cleveland, Paula Drendell, Symona Boniface, Elsie Mackaye, Alberta Singer and Jean Maize. I'm pretty sure Boniface is the second one whose back the monkey jumps on. These scenes were shot on the 5th and 6th, and another woman scheduled on the 5th was Flo Wicks, who wound up not taking part.
- (2.) Seven additional cops and several pedestrians are shown in the street scenes, as well as several drivers, mostly unseen. In addition to those already listed above, James C. Morton is listed in the ledger, and Maltin & Bann credit him as one of the cops. It does sound like his voice is in there somewhere after the big crash, but I don't see him. The remaining ledger names are: Harry Milaman, Charles McMurphy, Charles McAvoy, Ed O'Neil, Harry Arras, Leon Brace, Everett Sullivan, Everett Hawkins, John Binns, Clyde Courtwright, Rus Coles, Bud McTaggart, Sarah Dudley, Ethel Palmer, Harley Wood, Dorothy Kent, Mrs. J. W. Burns, Retta Palmer, J. P. Rockney, Joe Collum, Rus Buster, H. Erickson B. Thacker, Duke Yorke, Wilda George, C. Christy, Harry Bernard, Joe Young, Mike Jeffries, Jack Mark, Pauline High and Fred Sommers. Maltin & Bann credit William Irving with playing one of the cops, but he's not listed in the ledger. They also credit director James Parrott with walking by the laundry, but I think this identification could only be possible if he was visible in a photograph.
- (3.) The butler's sneeze was dubbed in by Billy Gilbert.
the music:
- "Good Old Days" by Leroy Shield
- Copyrighted Jan. 10, 1931.
- (A14.) This is played during the opening credits and as we're introduced to Waldo and his mother. A small part is repeated during the end titles.
- piece 131
- This is the classical violin piece that Waldo plays on the phonograph. Presumably the few notes heard as he practices derive from the same source.
the locations:
- Hal E. Roach Studios, Culver City
- The street scenes appear to be shot on the New York street set at the Roach studio.
- Hubbard St., Culver City
- This was the location used for the football field, and was either part of, or adjacent to, the Roach studio. It's the same location used for the amusement park in "Boys Will Be Joys" (no. 42) and the football game in "Yale Vs. Harvard" (no. 67).
miscellaneous:
Eight shooting dates went into the making of this film. Almost four months had passed since shooting finished for "Mike Fright" (no. 130). Shooting for "Washee Ironee" started on Oct. 1st and continued until Oct. 9th. There was no shooting on Oct. 7th, which was a Sunday. After this, over five weeks would pass before the Our Gang unit began filming "Mama's Little Pirate" (no. 132).
The trade publications, such as The Motion Picture Herald, give the release date of September 29, 1934, for this film. It now seems likely that this was a projected release date for production G-24 prior to the start of the film season. The fact is that the title sheet is dated October 24th, and the cutting continuity is dated November 1st, which means that the release date was probably around the time of the copyright date of November 13th. But what caused the delay? I think the likeliest suspect was a film called "Babes In Toyland." Our Gang director Gus Meins was recruited at the last minute to replace Raymond McCarey as the director of the non-Laurel & Hardy portions of this feature (with the comedy material being directed by Charley Rogers). Shooting began on August 6th and probably would have wrapped around the end of the month, resulting in a relatively short delay in the Our Gang schedule. However, Stan Laurel injured himself on the 14th, and Meins and Rogers shot non-Laurel footage for the next two days before suspending production for two weeks. Before shooting could resume, injuries to other cast and crew members, and a week in jail for villain Henry Brandon, ensured that shooting would not resume until September 24th. Under normal circumstances, the feature would have wrapped by this time and Meins would have been back with the Our Gang unit. Instead, Roach put James Parrott in the director's chair for "Washee Ironee," which was being shot concurrently with "Babes In Toyland." We know these two films were concurrent because former Gangster Johnny Downs, in costume for the feature, had his photo taken with the Our Gang kids, in costume for the short. Filming for "Babes In Toyland" finally finished on October 17th, which seems to be around the time the Our Gang short wrapped. Also of note are the photos of Spanky's birthday party shown in Jackie Taylor's book. Spanky turned 6 on October 2nd. All of the kids are in costume for this film in the photos.
Near the end of this film, the kids are yelling chaotically as they're chasing Pete around the house during the social gathering. The sounds from this part of the film were later repurposed for "Divot Diggers" (no. 142)
The script submitted to MGM was given the catalog number B666.
Reel one ends as Wally ducks after the girls see him naked.
A clip from this film was used in the TV special "Sports On The Silver Screen," first shown on Mar. 16, 1997, on HBO.
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