''Birthday Blues'' is a 1932 ''

Our Gang ''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, also the ...

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

Robert F. McGowan Robert Francis McGowan (July 11, 1882 – January 27, 1955) was an American film director and producer, best known as the senior director of the ''Our Gang'' short subjects film series from 1922 until 1933. Career Before moving to Los Angeles, ...

. 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 a gift for Mom on their own. Unfortunately, the "late 1922 model" dress they have selected is beyond their price range (a daunting $1.98); thus, acting upon the advice of Stymie, Dickie and Spanky decide to bake a cake with hidden prizes, then auction off the cake at ten cents a slice. 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 Dad finds out that Dickie is using the money to buy Mom a dress, he abruptly changes his attitude. However, Dad feels the dress that Dickie bought is too fancy for Mom to wear to church on Sunday morning, but Mom proudly wears the one Dickie and Spanky picked out, to the crowd's amusement.

Cast

The Gang

* Dickie Moore as Dickie * Matthew Beard as Stymie * Dorothy DeBorba as Dorothy *

Kendall McComas Kendall McComas (October 29, 1916 – October 15, 1981) was an American child actor. Career Born in Holton, Kansas, McComas first appeared in the '' Mickey McGuire'' short subjects series as a member of Mickey McGuire's gang and stayed throug ...

as Breezy Brisbane *

George McFarland George McFarland (October 2, 1928 – June 30, 1993) was an American actor most famous for starring as a child as Spanky in the ''Our Gang'' series of short-subject comedies of the 1930s and 1940s. The ''Our Gang'' shorts were later syndicated ...

as Spanky *

Bobbie Beard Bobbie Beard (August 2, 1930 – October 16, 1999) was an American child actor, best known for portraying "Cotton" in several ''Our Gang'' short films from 1932 to 1934. He was a native of Los Angeles, California. His older brother was Matthew ...

as Cotton * Jackie Lyn Dufton as Jacquie *

Pete the Pup Pete the Pup (original, 1924 – June 1930; second Pete, September 9, 1929 – January 28, 1946) was a character in Hal Roach's '' Our Gang'' comedies (later known as ''The Little Rascals'') during the 1930s, otherwise known as "Pete, the dog w ...

as Himself

Additional cast

* Carlena Beard as Party guest with fake snake * Georgie Billings as Party guest with powder in mouth *

Edith Fellows Edith Marilyn Fellows (May 20, 1923 – June 26, 2011) was an American actress who became a child star in the 1930s. Best known for playing orphans and street urchins, Fellows was an expressive actress with a good singing voice. She made her ...

as Party guest with string in mouth *

Douglas Greer Charles Douglas "Turkey Egg" Greer (May 21, 1921 – January 6, 2016) was an American child actor. Career and war service Greer was a semi-regular actor in ''Our Gang'' between 1930 and 1932, but also appeared in some feature films besides the ...

as Party guest squirted by liquid *

Donald Haines Donald Haines (May 9, 1919 – February 20, 1943) was an American child actor who had recurring appearances in the ''Our Gang'' short subjects series from 1930 to 1933. He appeared in ''Our Gang'' during the early sound days along with Nor ...

as Tough party guest * Dickie Jackson as Party guest with bubbles in mouth *

Mildred Kornman Mildred Gene Kornman (July 10, 1925 – August 19, 2022), also billed as Ricki VanDusen, was an American actress, model, businesswoman, and photographer. At the time of her death, she was one of the last living actresses of the silent era. L ...

as Party guest *

Marcia Mae Jones Marcia Mae Jones (August 1, 1924 – September 2, 2007) was an American film and television actress whose prolific career spanned 57 years. Early years Jones was the youngest of four children born to actress Freda Jones. All three of her ...

as Party guest with whistle *

Bobby Mallon Robert Howard Mallon (April 7, 1919 - September 10, 2008) was an American actor. Early life He was born in Greybull, Wyoming. Career Mallon was known for playing Bobby in 13 of the ''Our Gang''/'' Little Rascals'' series of movies produced by ...

as Party guest with liquid in mouth *

Hooper Atchley Lemuel Hooper Atchley (April 30, 1887 – November 17, 1943) was an American film actor. Atchley was the son of Mr. and Mrs. P. S. Atchley. He was a 1908 graduate of the Knoxville, Tennessee, school system. Atchley's first professional ac ...

as John, the father *

Harry Bernard Harry Bernard (January 13, 1878 – November 4, 1940) was an American actor and comedian best remembered for his appearance in numerous comedy films by Mack Sennett and Hal Roach. Harry Bernard appeared in over 150 films between 1915 and 1940, ...

as Store proprietor * Gordon Douglas as Delivery boy *

Lillian Rich Lillian Rose Rich Woodland, more commonly known as Lillian Rich (1 January 1900 – 5 January 1954) was an English-born actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 60 films between 1919 and 1940. Biography Rich was born in Herne ...

as Lillian, the mother

Notes

The film was edited by about 5 minutes from the Little Rascals syndicated television package in 1971 due to perceived racism toward

African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

. The episode was fully reinstated on

AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** AM ...

from 2001 to 2003.

References

External links

* * 1932 films American black-and-white films Films directed by Robert F. McGowan Hal Roach Studios short films 1932 comedy films Our Gang films 1932 short films 1930s American films {{short-comedy-film-stub