General Spanky (1936)

A small boy is instrumental in a famous Civil War victory.

Directors:

Gordon Douglas, Fred C. Newmeyer

Writers:

Richard Flournoy (original story and screen play), Hal Yates (original story and screen play),

Stars:

George 'Spanky' McFarland, Phillips Holmes, Ralph Morgan

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
George 'Spanky' McFarland	...	Spanky (as Spanky McFarland)
Phillips Holmes	...	Marshall Valient
Ralph Morgan	...	Yankee General
Irving Pichel	...	Simmons
Rosina Lawrence	...	Louella
Billie 'Buckwheat' Thomas	...	Buckwheat (as Billie Thomas)
Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer	...	Alfalfa (as Carl Switzer)
Hobart Bosworth	...	Colonel Blanchard
Robert Middlemass	...	Overseer
James P. Burtis	...	Boat Captain (as James Burtis)
Louise Beavers	...	Cornelia
Willie Best	...	Henry (as William Best)

Storyline

A small boy is instrumental in a famous Civil War victory.

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Plot Keywords:

civil war | court martial | riverboat | our gang | shoeshine boy | 

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Genres:

Family | Comedy

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 December 1936 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Hal Roach Studios - 8822 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hal Roach Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

71 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The initials of R. P. W. C. R. C. W. M. R. (Spanky's Confederate Army) stands for "The Royal Protection of Women and Children, Regiment Club of the World and Mississippi River".

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Quotes

[following day, after Spanky and Buckwheat dove off the ship, they see a birthday cake and both of them are hungry!]
Buckwheat: The cake's on fire.

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Connections

Edited from Abraham Lincoln (1930)

User Reviews

Strange Our Gang Oddity

The film starts with promise because there is more interaction between Spanky and Buckwheat, but as the film progresses, the two boys have fewer scenes together. This slows the pace considerably. Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas gives a very strong performance in his early scenes. When he is left behind on the riverboat, his fear and abandonment are palpable and his tears are truly heartbreaking. When he goes from man to man asking for help and is repeatedly rejected the viewer really begins to wonder if this is a comedy or not. Watching a children's birthday party through a picket fence is another moving moment. As another reviewer mentioned, I was also worried about the big dog choking on chicken bones! Once Spanky and Buckwheat are in Marshall Valiant's home, Spanky tends to interact mainly with the adults and the chemistry of the children is essentially lost.

The Old South/Huck Finn-type setting really doesn't do much for the plot except allow the children to be out of doors a great deal. Ralph Morgan is the most engaging adult, but then the other roles really don't have much substance to them. Louise Beavers manages some funny moments with a Yankee soldier towards the end.

The villains aren't really villainous enough and the lovers not intense enough. Yet, I do think it's worth viewing if you're an Our Gang enthusiast, if for no other reason that the odd curiosity of the whole piece. I give it seven stars because, while not a great movie, it kept me engaged the whole time and curious as to what would happen next.