Production K-2.
Release no. C-582.
Filmed September 8 to 12, 1936. See the 'miscellaneous' section below for details.
First previewed at the Ritz on September 23, 1936.
Negative shipped on September 30, 1936.
Title sheet prepared by Elmer Raguse on October 1, 1936.
Cutting continuity submitted October 2, 1936.
According to Maltin & Bann, this film was released on September 26, 1936, making it the 147th film in the series to be released. However, judging by the dates listed above, it seems likely that the film was released in October.
Copyrighted October 21, 1936, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Corporation. Registration no. LP6694. Renewed November 1, 1963, with registration no. R324744. This copyright is currently due to expire at the end of 2031.
All-talking one-reeler.
Opening title: 'Hal Roach presents Our Gang in "Two Too Young".'
King World Productions episode no. 34a, available in both colorized and original black-and-white versions.
Five shooting dates went into the making of this film. Shooting began on Sep. 8th (a day when retakes for "General Spanky" were also being shot), and continued until
Sep. 11th. Studio paperwork seems to indicate that pre-production officially began on September 1st. Here's a breakdown of the activity as described on the call sheets, daily film
reports and various memos. Keep in mind that the word 'scene' really means 'shot' in this case, as there were obviously not 100 scenes in the film:
Aug. 24 - A memo from this date indicates that a request was made to clear "The Charge Of The Light Brigade" for use in this film.
Sep. 3 - A memo from this date indicates that "The Charge Of The Light Brigade" was cleared for use in the film.
Sep. 4 - An item from this date mentions the name Barney Carr, who worked as an assistant director on this film. This was probably his starting date on the production.
Sep. 5 - Film costs for the previous week were $325.24.
Sep. 8 - This was the first day of shooting. Scheduled were Rosina Lawrence, Spanky, Buckwheat, Alfalfa, Porky, 16 extra kids, and stuntman Ivan Atcher. Footage was to be shot
for the 'before recess' sequence, including the penmanship activity, using the interior schoolroom set. Later, footage was to be shot of scenes involving the firecrackers and
Buckwheat ringing the bell, using the exterior school entrance set. After this, footage was to be shot showing Spanky and Alfalfa disguising themselves as a man, using the interior
janitor's room set. This is all according to the call sheets, which were filled out prior to each day's filming. Ultimately, 19 'scenes' were shot. At this point, the film
was known as "Our Gang Short." A memo from Rivkin on this date to Van Keuren, O'Brien, Huber and Cash, requests that the four main boys, plus Rosina Lawrence and Joe Strauch,
Jr., be 'opened' for this production.
Sep. 9 - This was the second day of shooting. Scheduled were the four main boys, the 16 extra kids, and Ivan Atcher. Footage was to be shot showing Spanky and Alfalfa dressing
up as a man, using the interior janitor's room set. Later, footage was to be shot of the 'man' wobbling down the stairs, using the exterior school entrance set. After this,
teeter-totter footage was to be shot using the exterior schoolyard set. Still later, footage of Buckwheat and Porky on the teeter-totter was to be shot using the same set.
Ultimately, 17 scenes were shot on this day.
Sep. 10 - This was the third day of shooting. Scheduled were Rosina Lawrence, the four main boys, the 16 extra kids, including Joe Strauch, Jr., and Ivan Atcher. Footage was to
be reshot showing the 'man' wobbling down the stairs, using the exterior school entrance set. Later, more teeter-totter footage was to be shot, using the exterior schoolyard
set. In the afternoon, with Lawrence's arrival, footage was to be shot for the 'after recess' sequence, including the recitation, using the interior schoolroom set.
Ultimately, 28 scenes were shot. At this point, the film was still known as "Our Gang Short."
Sep. 11 - This was the fourth day of shooting. Scheduled were Rosina Lawrence, the four main boys, and the 16 extra kids. Footage was to be shot for the 'after recess'
sequence, including the recitation, using the interior schoolroom set. Ultimately, 34 scenes were shot. The picture was considered 'closed' on this day. A memo from Joe Rivkin to
the same four people as on Sep. 8th requested that the same six actors be 'closed' for this production.
Sep. 12 - The call sheets indicate that this was the final day of shooting. Only 2 scenes were shot, neither of which apparently requiring the presence of the cast. This is
consistent with the payroll ledgers, which don't mention any day players working on this date. A memo from this date indicates that the main titles for the film were set, including
the eventual title of the film. Film costs for the previous week were $2530.65, bringing the total to $2855.89 so far.
Sep. 13 - A daily film report from this date lists Douglas, Lloyd and Ziegler, which presumably means post-production was taking place.
Sep. 14 - A daily film report from this date lists Douglas, Lloyd and Zieger.
Sep. 19 - Film costs for the previous week were $614.65, bringing the total to $3470.54 so far.
Sep. 26 - Film costs for the previous week were $344.22, bringing the total to $3814.76 so far.
Sep. 29 - A memo from this date indicates that the film had been shipped to W. D. Kelly in New York.
Sep. 30 - A memo from this date indicates that the negative had been delivered to the MGM lab.
Oct. 21 - A memo from this date indicates that the Canadian negative had been delivered.
Alfalfa recites "The Charge Of The Light Brigade" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Written in 1854.
On September 24th, Shortly after the making of this short, the Cuming County Democrat of West Point, NB, published the following article written by Gordon Douglas, and entitled
"Gags In Comedies":
"In my opinion, comedy revolving around children is composed of gags which are not only possible but quite probable to occur in a group of chilren in any neighborhood. To be sure-fire,
a gag in a juvenile cast picture must have a double edge. To appeal to children, the gag must have the 'busy-ness' and hustling that a child feels when he is an 'adventurer,'
such as organising a pin-show, fooling the teacher, building a 'racer' out of old boxes, or establishing a lemonade stand. Writing stories of children's pictures requires that the
author keep before him at all times 'to a child, the loss of an ice cream cone is as great a tragedy and of as great importance as the loss of a million dollar is to an adult.'
"To appeal to an adult, these stories must be so natural and so true that they bring back the adult's own childhood.
"I sometimes wonder if our kid comedies aren't dramas to youngsters instead of comedy. We follow simple rules: Good is repaid with good; Honest effort is rewarded; Bad is
repaid with punishment through some unexpected turn of events as though God himself had meted out the punishment.
"We know absolutely that a gag at the expense of some physical handicap will not get across.
"The best way for a gag-writer to be successful in comedies about chiildren is to listen patiently to proud parents extol the cleverness and virtues of their children or if he is
fortunate enough to have children of his own to watch them.
"Hal Roach thought of making 'Our Gang' comedies when his own youngsters began performing antics which he a proud father, told his friends about and he listened to his friends'
stories about their children. One day, while chucking about the day's gift of mischievous actions, it suddenly dawned on him that those could be put on the screen.
"We are at a great advantage in 'Our Gang' because of our children. They come from all parts of the United States - only one is a native of Los Angeles - and their friends
are their co-actors. They attend school together. They are truly a 'gang.' Each child has a definite and distinct personality. 'Spanky' McFarland is the naturalborn leader.
Darla Hood is the sweetheart of the crowd. Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer is the one who gets himself into difficulties and represents the 'poor child' of any group of youngsters.
'Porky' Lee is the chubby little boy who eats anything and everything in sight so the rest of the youngsters must constantly be on guard against her vagaries - he's the element of
unknowing annoyance. Baby Patsy May is someone's baby which the children are all fond of and toward whom they are all protective. They's all for one and one for all."
The pressbook for this film mistakenly states that Gus Meins was the director.
As of January 11, 1937, the negative cost on this film was $18,196.78
The script submitted to MGM was given the catalog number B659.
This film was 911 feet in length.
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© Robert Demoss.