''Auto Antics'' is a 1939 ''

Our Gang ''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, who also pr ...

'' short

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by Edward Cahn. It was the 182nd ''Our Gang'' short to be released. Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). ''The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang''. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. p.204

Plot

Banners proclaim "Greenpoint's Proudest Day! - Mammoth Celebration Dedicating Our New Sewer System", featuring the Kidmobile Race with a first prize of five dollars. ''Our Gang'''s hopes to win the race are nearly dashed when town bully Butch (

Tommy Bond Thomas Ross Bond (September 16, 1926 – September 24, 2005) was an American actor, director, producer and writer. He was best known for his work as a child actor for two nonconsecutive periods in ''Our Gang'' (''Little Rascals'') comedies (fir ...

) arranges for the gang's pet dog Whiskers to be picked up by the dog pound. But instead of demoralizing the gang, the impoundment of Whiskers merely gives them a stronger reason to win the race and claim the prize, with which they will pay the dog's license fee. There is no shortage of dirty tricks on the part of Butch and his henchman Woim (

Sidney Kibrick Sidney Henry Kibrick (born July 2, 1928) is an American former child actor primarily of the 1930s, most notable for appearing in the ''Our Gang/Little Rascals'' short subjects film series, featuring in more than two dozen, between 1933 and 1939. ...

), who try everything to wreck the Gang's chances and their homemade "auto."

Cast

The Gang

Darla Hood Darla Jean Hood (November 8, 1931 – June 13, 1979) was an American child actress, best known as the female lead in the ''Our Gang'' series from 1935 to 1941. As an adult, she performed as a singer in nightclubs and on television. ''Our ...

as Darla * Eugene Lee as Porky *

George McFarland George Robert Philips McFarland (October 2, 1928 – June 30, 1993) was an American actor most famous for starring as a child as Spanky in Hal Roach's ''Our Gang'' series of short-subject comedies of the 1930s and 1940s. The ''Our Gang'' short ...

as Spanky *

Carl Switzer Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community *Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of tel ...

as Alfalfa *

Billie Thomas Billie may refer to: People *Billie (given name), the given name Other * ''Billie'' (1965 film), a 1965 film starring Patty Duke * ''Billie'' (2019 film), a documentary about Billie Holiday * ''Billie'' (musical), 1928 Broadway musical by ...

as Buckwheat * Mickey Gubitosi as Mickey *

Leonard Landy Leonard Jerome Landy (July 3, 1933 – July 26, 2017) was an American child actor. He appeared in the ''Our Gang'' comedies from 1938 until 1941, in which he went by the names of Percy, Phooey, Deacon, and Leonard. ''Our Gang'' Landy joined ' ...

as Leonard

Additional cast

as Butch *

as Woim *

Baldwin Cooke Baldwin Gardiner Cooke (March 10, 1888 – December 31, 1953), also known as Baldy Cooke, was a comedic American actor. Born in New York, Cooke and his wife, Alice, toured in vaudeville with Stan Laurel, remaining close friends over the years. H ...

as Luke * Major James H. McNamara as Mayor of Greenpoint * Joe Whitehead as Dogcatcher

Notes

''Auto Antics'' features the final appearance of Eugene "Porky" Lee, who was dismissed from the series after growing significantly taller (to the point that he became taller than George "Spanky" McFarland) during ''Our Gang'''s first year at MGM. Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). ''The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang''. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. p.272

Robert Blake Robert Blake (or variants) may refer to: Sports * Bob Blake (American football) (1885–1962), American football player * Robbie Blake (born 1976), English footballer * Bob Blake (ice hockey) (1914–2008), American ice hockey player * Rob Blake ...

, who had just replaced Gary Jasgar as the tag-along toddler, assumed the role vacated by Porky at the beginning of ''Our Gang's'' 1939–40 season of shorts. Darla Hood became ill during the filming of ''Auto Antics''. One shot features the kids hanging on to the back of the dogcatchers' truck as it starts down the road. Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer was, according to Hood in a later interview, "in one of his little moods" and ruined every take of that shot. At the end of the thirty-second take, Hood passed out from the exhaust fumes and had to be escorted to the hospital. Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). ''The Little Rascals: The Life & Times of Our Gang''. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. p. 204

References

External links

* * 1939 films American black-and-white films American auto racing films Films directed by Edward L. Cahn Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer short films 1939 comedy films Our Gang films 1939 short films 1930s American films {{short-comedy-film-stub