''Arbor Day'' is a 1936 '' Our Gang''

short Short may refer to: Places * Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon * Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place People * Short (surname) * List of people known as ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by Fred C. Newmeyer. It was the 145th ''Our Gang'' short that was released.

Plot

Spanky attempts to hide from the truant officer and avoid going to school, where he is being forced to participate in the Green Street Grammar School's annual

Arbor Day Arbor Day (or Arbour in some countries) is a secular day of observance in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees. Today, many countries observe such a holiday. Though usually observed in the spring, the date varies, dependi ...

show. Alfalfa tries to talk him out of his fears, but truant officer Smithers happens along to personally usher both children to school himself. Meanwhile, a husband and wife midget pair (George and Olive Brasno) walk out on their circus sideshow jobs. They disguise themselves as children to enjoy a day about town, but Smithers mistakes them for actual children and takes them to school. At school, the kids trudge through their Arbor Day recitals and songs (Alfalfa contributes a squeaky rendition of

Joyce Kilmer Alfred Joyce Kilmer (December 6, 1886 – July 30, 1918) was an American writer and poet mainly remembered for a short poem titled "Trees" (1913), which was published in the collection ''Trees and Other Poems'' in 1914. Though a prolific poet wh ...

's "

Trees In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are u ...

" set to music by

Oscar Rasbach Oscar Rasbach (August 2, 1888 – March 23, 1975) was an American pianist and composer and arranger of art songs and works for piano. Biography Oscar was born in Kentucky, but studied "academic subjects in Los Angeles". He also studied music wi ...

. When the midgets-in-disguise offer to join in the show, they contribute a shimmy routine which shocks the entire audience of faculty and parents. The circus proprietor turns up to apprehend the two midgets, who, as they are carried away back to the circus, call out to the recital audience "Come by and see a ''good'' show sometime!" Principal Cass then informs Smithers he's fired, to Spanky and Alfala's delight.

Cast

The Gang

Darla Hood Darla Jean Hood (November 8, 1931 – June 13, 1979) was an American child actress, best known as the leading lady in the ''Our Gang'' series from 1935 to 1941. She was born in Leedey, Oklahoma, the only child of music teacher Elizabeth Da ...

as Darla * George McFarland as Spanky * Carl Switzer as Alfalfa *

Billie Thomas Billie may refer to: People * Billie Allen (1925-2015), American actress * Billie Bird (1908-2002), American actress and comedian * Billie Burke (1884-1970), American actress * Billie Joe Armstrong (born 1972), American singer and guitarist for ...

as Buckwheat

Additional cast

* Daniel Boone - Brown-haired boy in pageant * Gloria Brown as Ballet dancer * Betsy Gay as Ballet dancer *

George Brasno George F. Brasno (December 23, 1911 – August 15, 1982) was an American actor who appeared in a few films through the 1930s and 1940s. He and his sister Olive Brasno were first recognized as a brother and sister little-people singing team i ...

as Man Midget *

Olive Brasno Olive Brasno (October 17, 1917 – January 25, 1998) was a dwarf dancer and actress who was known for her song and dance act with her brother, George. She also appeared in a few films through the 1930s and 1940s. Born in the community of Old ...

as Woman Midget *

Maurice Cass Maurice Cass (October 12, 1884 – June 8, 1954) was a character actor on stage and in films and television shows. Born in Vilna, Russian Empire (modern day Vilnius, Lithuania) he moved to America at six years of age. When he was 17, he toure ...

as Mr. Cass * George Guhl as Truant Officer Smithers *

Rosina Lawrence Rosina May Lawrence (December 30, 1912 – June 23, 1997) was a British-Canadian actress and singer. She had a short but memorable career in the 1920s and 1930s in Hollywood before she married in 1939 and retired from entertainment. She is best kn ...

as Miss Lawrence *

Hattie McDaniel Hattie McDaniel (June 10, 1893October 26, 1952) was an American actress, singer-songwriter, and comedian. For her role as Mammy in ''Gone with the Wind (film), Gone with the Wind'' (1939), she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, ...

as Buckwheat's mother * Dick Rush as Murphy, the side show barker *

Kathryn Sheldon Kathryn Sheldon (September 22, 1879December 25, 1975) was an American film actress who appeared in over 100 films between 1916 and 1956. Modern viewers will recognize Sheldon as the domineering Nell in The Three Stooges' 1940 short film '' Rock ...

as Miss Argyle *

May Wallace May Wallace (August 23, 1877 – December 11, 1938) was an American film actress. Biography Wallace was born in 1877 in Russiaville, Indiana. As a film actress, she often played supporting roles for producer Hal Roach in his Laurel and ...

as Autograph Seeker * John Collum as Classroom extra * Jack Egger as Classroom extra *

Bobby Dunn Robert P. Dunn (August 28, 1890 – March 24, 1937) was a comic actor who was one of the original Keystone Kops in '' Hoffmeyer's Legacy''. Early years Dunn was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Richard P. and Melissa Dunn, and attended S ...

as Crowd Extra *

Rolfe Sedan Rolfe Sedan (born Edward Sedan; January 20, 1896 – September 15, 1982) was an American character actor, best known for appearing in bit parts, often uncredited, usually portraying clerks, train conductors, postmen, cooks, waiters, etc. Ea ...

as Crowd Extra

Notes

*''Arbor Day'' marks a return ''Our Gang'' appearance for

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...

and

, a brother-sister

midget Midget (from ''midge'', a tiny biting insect) is a term for a person of unusually short stature that is considered by some to be pejorative due to its etymology. While not a medical term like "dwarfism", a medical condition with a number of ca ...

team who appeared in '' Shrimps for a Day'' a year prior.

George Guhl George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...

portrays their nemesis truant officer. The film also features future

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

winner

as the mother of Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, and

in her first appearance as the Gang's schoolteacher Miss Lawrence. ''Arbor Day'' was the last regular two-reel ''Our Gang'' comedy. All further releases in the series—save for the special release ''

Our Gang Follies of 1938 ''Our Gang Follies of 1938'' (later reissued as simply ''Follies of 1938'') is a 1937 American musical short subject, the 161st short subject entry in Hal Roach's ''Our Gang'' (''Little Rascals'') series. Directed by Gordon Douglas as a sequel to ...

''—would be one reel (approximately ten minutes) in length. *While not edited substantially for inclusion in the ''Little Rascals''

television syndication Broadcast syndication is the practice of leasing the right to broadcasting television shows and radio programs to multiple television stations and radio stations, without going through a broadcast network. It is common in the United States wher ...

package from the 1950s to the 1990s, ''Arbor Day'' was moderately edited for time constraints when broadcast as part of the

American Movie Classics AMC is an American multinational basic cable television channel that is the flagship property of AMC Networks. The channel's programming primarily consists of theatrically released films, along with a limited amount of original programming. T ...

network's ''Little Rascals'' package from 2001 to 2003.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Arbor Day (Film) 1936 films American black-and-white films 1936 comedy films Films directed by Fred C. Newmeyer Hal Roach Studios short films Our Gang films 1930s American films