Spanky (1932) User Reviews

Spanky, being a baby, doing what babies do.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 15 November 2019]

Actually, Spanky McFarland is a toddler here, approximately three and a half years old and absolutely adorable. He's past the age of the terror two's, and yet, still gets into trouble. He's adorable chasing a bug with the help of Petey the dog and later even more cute while getting his bath. mother is angry with father because father is hoarding money given to him by his grandfather and not spending it on the family as she believes he should. Downstairs, Stymie is putting on a production of "Uncle Tom's Cabin", one of the weirdest of any stage productions I've ever seen, with Stymie playing both Uncle Tom and Little Eva. Somehow, Spanky finds his father's hiding place, and bill's start to fly out of the window. Pop Billy Gilbert is furious and yet feels forced to make a change. This is definitely situation based, not plot based, and while Spanky, in his second entry in the series, gets the title acclaim, it's obvious that Stymie is still in the game and will continue to steal seems as long as he is able.

Goofy fun.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 2 December 2011]

For the most part, this short featuring the kids from Our Gang is unfocused and seems more an opportunity to reuse the footage from Spanky's screen test than anything else. It seems that many clips in "Spanky" were taken directly from this--such as the scenes where he's chasing bugs with a hammer. Apart from this, you'll see a very young Spanky get into lots of trouble as he destroys the kids' play as well as throws his father's (Billy Gibert) hidden money out the window! All in all, Spanky played a really destructive brat in this one...but he was so cute that you enjoyed it anyway and could look for the lack of a clear plot.

While this is a pretty good short, hold on to your seat and breath deep when you see the play. After all, all the white kids are in black-face to do the story "Uncle Tom's Cabin"! Funnier (and less offensive) is when Stymie's sister drops out of the play and Stymie is drafted to play BOTH roles--that of Uncle Tom and Topsy the female slave!

Spanky marks the first time a talkie Our Gang short is named after one of its characters

[tavm · 9/10 · 25 October 2014]

This Hal Roach comedy short, Spanky, is the one hundred thirteenth in the "Our Gang/Little Rascals" series and the twenty-fifth talkie. The beginning is actually the screen test directed by James W. Horne of the little tyke that got great reactions from the studio brass including Roach himself who signed Spanky to a five-year contract. He's chasing a bug with a toy shotgun (I think) and a hammer. Then we transition to a talkie remake of Uncle Tom's Uncle with most of the same gags intact. Oh, and Billy Gilbert-previously in Shiver My Timbers, Dogs Is Dogs, and Free Eats-plays Spanky's father here. I'll just say this was another very funny Our Gang short mainly because of Spanky. There was also a very funny sound effect of someone "crying" in the play. I think I've said enough so that's definitely a recommendation.

Puttin' On A Play With The Little Rascals

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 17 April 2000]

An OUR GANG Comedy Short.

Little SPANKY is a real pill & the bane of older brother Brisbane's existence. Forced to baby-sit while the Rascals put on their production of Uncle Tom's Cabin, he's not surprised when the little tyke makes a shambles of the proceedings. But then Spanky discovers a hidden horde of cash...

This very funny little film was made to showcase newcomer Spanky - and his bug hunt & money tossing are hilarious - but the talents of Stymie are equally on display as he portrays both Uncle Tom & Topsy in the play. That's Billy Gilbert as Spanky's pop.

The title character exercising his Second Amendment Rights here . . .

[cricket30 · 8/10 · 14 January 2018]

. . . looks to be maybe three years old. Though this would make SPANKY somewhat of a laggard by Lone Star standards, perhaps it constitutes a happy median in the La La Land of Hollywood. Spanky's efforts to become a poster baby for the National Rifle Association (or its precursors) are further diluted by his showing at least an equal interest in using hammers as a means to eradicate the flies, ants, and cockroaches infesting his home. Fortunately, SPANKY includes other highlights NOT dependent upon the whims of a three-year-old. Uncowed by the Tyranny of Political Correctness, Our Gang dons Blackface to stage a production of UNCLE TOM'S CABIN in their club barn. As Little Eva yoyos between Heaven and Earth, Uncle Tom apparently knocks up Elisa while rotten vegetables chase Simon Legree across ice floes. This screen adaptation of Harriet Beecher Stowe's historical novel is much truer to the book than the earlier mishmash offered by Old Tom's Edison Manufacturing Company. (When you check the facts, you'll see that Thomas Alva literally died of envy when he watched SPANKY from what became his Deathbed.)

Cranky

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 4 August 2017]

Here we got "Spanky", an American black-and-white sound film from 1932, so this one has its 85th anniversary this year. The names of director McGowan and writer Walker from that time stand for another Our Gang short film. This one runs for 20 minutes and the title is of course the name of the possible most famous Rascal. He is joined by Wheezer, Stymie and a few of the others as we find out about Spanky's dad's mischief in here. Especially money-wise. Spanky himself does not have really more screen time than the rest of the gang. For McFarland who plays the title character, it was just his second appearance as a Rascal, so you can see the film as a bit of an introduction. And many other films starring Spanky followed afterward. His dad here is played by Walk of Fame honoree Billy Gilbert. Sadly neither his plot nor the parts where the kids are once again rehearsing a stage play were really entertaining in my opinion. This is one of the Rascals shorts without Miss Crabtree. Is that the reason why it was so forgettable? One of the reasons maybe. I give it a thumbs-down. Not recommended.