- Birthday Blues
Infobox Film
name = Birthday Blues
image_size =
caption =
director =Robert F. McGowan
producer =Robert F. McGowan Hal Roach
writer =
narrator =
starring =
music =Leroy Shield Marvin Hatley
cinematography = Art Lloyd
editing = Richard C. Currier
distributor = MGM
released =12 November ,1932
runtime = 20 minutes
country = USA
language = English
budget =
preceded_by = "Free Wheeling "
followed_by = "A Lad an' a Lamp "
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0022690"Birthday Blues" is a 1932 "
Our Gang " shortcomedy film directed byRobert F. McGowan . It was the 118th (31st talking episode) "Our Gang " short that was released.Plot
When their pennypinching father refuses to buy a birthday gift for their long-suffering mother, brothers Dickie and Spanky decide to purchase Mom a gift on their own. Unfortunately, the "late 1922 model" dress they've selected is way beyond their price range (a daunting $1.98); thus, acting upon the advice of their pal "Stymie", Dickie and Spanky decide to bake a cake with hidden prizes, then auction off the cake at ten cents a slice. This is the film in which the kids' oversized cake --- a truly frightening creation --- emits a low "woooooo-owww" sound as it cools off in the oven. It is also the film in which, responding to Spanky's suggestion that they buy their mom a shotgun, Dickie moans "Aw, what would she do with a gun?" --- whereupon Spanky replies "Shoot Papa!!!!". The party turns out to be a mess and Spanky's and Dickie's father returns to find it. He throws the gang and other kids out of the house and then gives Dickie a severe spanking. When his father finds out that Dickie is using the money to buy his mother a dress, he abruptly changes his attitude. cite web |url=http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/225664/Birthday-Blues/overview |title=New York Times: Birthday Blues |accessdate=2008-09-19|work=NY Times]
This film was edited by about 5 minutes from the Little Rascals syndicated television package in 1971 due to percieved racism toward African Americans. The episode was fully reinstated on
AMC from 2001 to 2003.Cast
* Dickie Moore - Dickie
*George McFarland - Spanky
* Matthew Beard - Stymie
*Dorothy DeBorba - Dorothy
*Bobbie Beard - Cotton
*Carlena Beard - Marmalade
*Donald Haines
*Bobby Mallon
*Douglas Greer
*Georgie Billings
*Jerry Tucker
*Mildred Kornman
*Dickie Jackson
*Jackie Lyn Dufton (as Jacquie Lyn)
*Kendall McComas - Breezy
*Artye Folz
*Pete the Pup - Petie
*Charles McMurphy - Officer
*Lillian Rich - Lillian, the kids' mother
*Hooper Atchley - John, the inconsiderate father
* Gordon Douglas - Delivery boy
*Harry Bernard - Store proprietoree also
*
Our Gang filmography References
External links
*imdb title|id=0022690|title=Birthday Blues
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