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Gordon Douglas (director)
Gordon Douglas Brickner (December 15, 1907 – September 29, 1993) was an American film director and actor, who directed many different genres of films over the course of a five-decade career in motion pictures. Early life Born Gordon Douglas Brickner in New York City, he began his career as a child actor, appearing in some films directed by Maurice Costello. He also worked at MGM as a book-keeper. Career Hal Roach and ''Our Gang'' As a teenager, Douglas got a job at the Hal Roach Studios, working in the office and appearing in bit parts in various Hal Roach films. He made walk-on appearances in at least three ''Our Gang'' shorts: ''Teacher's Pet (1930 film), Teacher's Pet'' (1930), ''Big Ears (film), Big Ears'' (1931) and ''Birthday Blues'' (1932). By 1934, Douglas was assistant to director Gus Meins and served as assistant director on Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy's 1934 film ''Babes in Toyland (1934 film), Babes in Toyland'' and on the ''Our Gang'' comedies made between 1934 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Child Actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in film, movies or television. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associated terms include teenage actor or teen actor, an actor who reached popularity as a Adolescence, teenager. Famous earlier examples include Elizabeth Taylor, who started as a child star in the early 1940s in productions like ''National Velvet (film), National Velvet'' before becoming a popular film star as an adult in movies. Many child actors find themselves struggling to adapt as they become adults, mainly due to typecasting. Macaulay Culkin and Lindsay Lohan are two particular famous child actors who eventually experienced much difficulty with the fame they acquired at a young age. Some child actors do go on to have successful acting careers as adults; notable actors who first gained fame as children include Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 television series ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' * An informal nickname for a student or alum of Carleton College CARL may refer to: *Canadian Association of Research Libraries *Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries See also * Carle (other) * Charles *Carle, a surname *Karl (other) *Karle (other) Karle may refer to: Places * Karle (Svitavy District), a municipality and village in the Czech Republic * Karli, India, a town in Maharashtra, India ** Karla Caves, a complex of Buddhist cave shrines * Karle, Belgaum, a settlement in Belgaum ... {{disambig ja:カール zh:卡尔 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zenobia (film)
''Zenobia'' (also known as ''Elephants Never Forget'' ( UK) and ''It's Spring Again'') is a 1939 comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Oliver Hardy, Harry Langdon, Billie Burke, Alice Brady, James Ellison, Jean Parker, June Lang, Stepin Fetchit and Hattie McDaniel. The source of the film was the 1891 short story "Zenobia's Infidelity" by H.C. Bunner, which was originally purchased by producer Hal Roach as a vehicle for Roland Young. Plot In 1870, Dr. Henry Tibbett, a Mississippi country doctor is called on by a travelling circus trainer to cure his sick elephant. After the doctor heals the grateful beast, the elephant becomes so attached to him that it starts to follow him everywhere. This leads to the trainer suing Dr. Tibbett for alienation of affection. The presence of the elephant also endangers the engagement of Dr.Tibbett's daughter Mary to the son of the prominent Carter family, who are social snobs looking for an excuse to call off the wedding. Things a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aladdin's Lantern
''Aladdin's Lantern'' is a 1938 ''Our Gang'' short comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas. It was the 171st ''Our Gang'' short (172nd episode, 83rd talking short, 84th talking episode, and third MGM produced episode) that was released. Plot The gang members are putting on a musical show about Aladdin and his lamp. While Spanky, Alfalfa and Darla endeavor to stick to the script (such as it is), their efforts are undermined by smaller kids Buckwheat and Porky. The ending finds Alfalfa getting his just deserts as his bottom gets set on fire in front of the audience. They roar in laughter as his seat cooks to a medium rare and his face turns bright red in embarrassment. As the show fades to black Alfalfa is happily cooling his blistered backside in a washing machine filled with cold water while the water boils from the heat and steam rises around him. Cast The Gang * Darla Hood as Darla * Eugene Lee as Porky * George McFarland as Spanky / Caliph * Carl Switzer as Alfalfa / Aladd ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Little Ranger
''The Little Ranger'' is a 1938 ''Our Gang'' short comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas. It was the 169th short in the ''Our Gang'' series, and the first produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, who purchased the rights to the series from creator Hal Roach. Plot Snubbed by his girlfriend Darla, Alfalfa accepts the invitation of tomboyish Muggsy to attend the local picture show. While watching the adventures of his favorite cowboy star, Alfalfa dreams that he himself is a Wild West sheriff, with his pals Buckwheat and Porky as deputies. Naturally, Darla also figures prominently in Alfalfa's dream, as does his archrival Butch. What happens next determines Alfalfa's destiny when he wakes up from his dream. Cast The Gang * Carl Switzer as Alfalfa * Darla Hood as Darla * Eugene Lee as Porky * Billie Thomas as Buckwheat * Shirley Coates as Muggsy Additional cast * Tommy Bond as Butch * Sidney Kibrick as Woim * Darwood Kaye as Waldo * Grace Bohanon as Girl in theatre Members of Butch's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 and based in Beverly Hills, California. MGM was formed by Marcus Loew by combining Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures, and Louis B. Mayer Productions, Louis B. Mayer Pictures into one company. It hired a number of well known actors as contract players—its slogan was "more stars than there are in heaven"—and soon became Hollywood's most prestigious film studio, producing popular musical films and winning many Academy Awards. MGM also owned film studios, movie lots, movie theaters and technical production facilities. Its most prosperous era, from 1926 to 1959, was bracketed by two productions of ''Ben-Hur (1959 film), Ben Hur''. After that, it divested itself of the Loews movie theater chain, and, in the 1960s, diversified ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pay As You Exit
''Pay as You Exit'' is a 1936 '' Our Gang'' short comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas. It was the 148th '' Our Gang'' short that was released. Plot Hoping to attract customers to Spanky's barnyard production of ''Romeo and Juliet'', star performer Alfalfa proposes a "pay as you exit" policy: If the kids like the show, they will pay the allotted "one penny" admission on the way out. The performance is nearly over before it starts when leading lady Darla walks out, complaining that Alfalfa has been eating onions (which, he insists, improves his splendid speaking voice.) Spanky stalls for time in a cute weight-lifting act. Alfalfa hits upon a replacement for Darla: Buckwheat, decked out in a lovely blonde wig and Juliet costume. When the kids in the audience recognize him, they clap and cheer and call out, "It's Buckwheat! Hooray for Buckwheat!" However, the ladder Alfalfa is standing on gives way; Buckwheat saves him before he falls. When the ladder gives way again, Alfalfa t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spooky Hooky
''Spooky Hooky'' is a 1936 ''Our Gang'' short comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas. It was the 149th ''Our Gang'' (61st talking episode) short that was released. Plot When Alfalfa, Spanky, Buckwheat and Porky become bored with school, they decide to fake an illness for the next day and leave a note on their teacher Miss Lawrence's desk so that they can go to the circus, which they had just seen arrive in town. However, when Miss Lawrence reveals that she plans on taking the class to the circus the next day, Spanky tries to hurry back to the school to retrieve the note, but Porky and Buckwheat return and lock the door behind them before Spanky is able to make it to the door. Now with no way to get back in the school, the boys decide to sneak into the school later that night to recover the note. What follows is a series of scared chaos that the boys and the school's janitor encounter. The boys do succeed in recovering the note; however, in the final scene, each of the four boys ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
General Spanky
''General Spanky'' is a 1936 American comedy film produced by Hal Roach. A spin-off of Roach's popular ''Our Gang'' short subjects, the film stars George McFarland, Phillips Holmes, Rosina Lawrence, Billie Thomas and Carl Switzer. Directed by Fred Newmeyer and Gordon Douglas, it was originally released to theaters on December 11, 1936, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). This film, a Civil War period piece, was intended as an experiment to determine if Roach could move ''Our Gang'' into features, as the double feature and block booking were slowly smothering his short subjects production. The film was a box-office disappointment and, after another year of shorts production, Roach ended up selling the ''Our Gang'' unit to MGM in May 1938. When Roach bought the rights to the back catalog of ''Our Gang'' films he had produced from MGM in 1949, he did not buy back the rights to ''General Spanky''. The film was part of the MGM catalog acquired in 1986 by Turner Entertainment, which holds ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sidney Kibrick
Sidney Henry Kibrick (born July 2, 1928) is an American former child actor, most notable for appearing in the ''Our Gang'' short subjects film series, over a ten-year period from 1933 and 1943. Kibrick was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on July 2, 1928. He attended Mount Vernon Junior High. Kibrick made a brief non-dialogue appearance as an extra in the feature film ''Dead End'', observed as one of three or so children huddled together during one of the river dock scenes. He made his uncredited film debut in ''Out all Night'' (1933), and after a few more uncredited roles was cast in 1935 in ''Our Gang'', from 1937 to 1939, in that series he portrayed "Woim" (a vernacular pronunciation of "worm"), the sidekick of the neighborhood bully "Butch", played by 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 on ''Our Gang'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 on ''Our Gang'' (''Little Rascals'') comedies (first as "Tommy" and later as "Butch"). Also, he is noted for being the first actor to appear onscreen as "Superman's pal" Jimmy Olsen, having portrayed the character in the film serials ''Superman'' (1948) and ''Atom Man vs. Superman'' (1950). Biography Early years and ''Our Gang'' Born in Dallas, Texas, Bond got his start in 1931 at the age of 4 when a talent scout for Hal Roach studios approached him as he was leaving a Dallas cinema. Bond was hired at Hal Roach Studios for the ''Our Gang'' series in the summer of 1931 to begin work that upcoming fall, at around the same time as George "Spanky" McFarland was hired. Bond worked in ''Our Gang'' for three years, alternately appearing as a supporting character and a background actor. His sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Darwood "Waldo" Kaye
Darwood Kenneth Smith (September 8, 1929 – May 15, 2002), also known as Darwood Kaye, was an American child actor most notable for his semi-regular role as the bookish rich kid Waldo in the ''Our Gang'' short subjects series from 1937 to 1940. As an adult, Smith became a Seventh-day Adventist pastor, ministering at several churches until his death in 2002. Kaye was "discovered" in 1935 while his family was on vacation in Hollywood, California; he was asked to come to the studios for a screen test, and made some uncredited appearances in films in 1936. ''Our Gang'' Kaye had a small role in Hal Roach's 1937 ''Our Gang'' comedy ''Glove Taps''. His first speaking part was in ''Hearts Are Thumps'', released the same year. In most of his ''Our Gang'' appearances, Kaye portrayed "Waldo", a rich kid with an officious, studious nature who competed with schoolmates "Alfalfa" Switzer and "Butch" Bond for the affections of little Darla Hood. Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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