''Free Wheeling'' is a 1932 '' Our Gang'' short

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 117th (29th talking episode) ''Our Gang'' short that was released.

Plot

Confined to a neck brace, poor little rich boy Dickie would like to play with the neighborhood kids, but his overprotective mother will not let him. On the sly, however, Dickie sneaks out of his bedroom in search of adventure in the company of his best pal, Stymie. Purchasing a ride on the donkey-driven "taxicab" piloted by Breezy Brisbane, the boys, along with hitchhikers Spanky and Jacquie Lyn, experience enough thrills and excitement to last a lifetime when the taxi begins rolling down a steep hill minus brakes.

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 as Spanky *

Jacquie Lyn Jacquie Lyn (born Elizabeth Anne Mary Jacqueline Dufton; 3 September 1928 – 21 March 2002) was a British-born American child actress, who had a brief yet notable career in motion pictures. Career Lyn was born at 8 Sandfield Road, Croydon, Su ...

as Jacquie *

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 Douglas

Additional cast

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 Kid who gets paddled by the gang * Johnnie Mae Beard as Stymie's mother *

Estelle Etterre Estelle Etterre (sometimes billed as Belle Hare; July 26, 1899 – March 7, 1996) was an American actress. She appeared in many early 1930s Hal Roach films, such as the Laurel and Hardy short films '' County Hospital'', '' The Chimp'' (both 193 ...

as Dickie's nurse *

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 Dickie's mother *

Creighton Hale Creighton Hale (born Patrick Fitzgerald; May 24, 1882 – August 9, 1965) was an Irish-American theatre, film, and television actor whose career extended more than a half-century, from the early 1900s to the end of the 1950s. Career Born in Cou ...

as Creighton, Dickie's 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 a roadside worker * Dick Gilbert as a roadside worker * Theresa Harris as Maid * Jack Hill as Officer sent skyward *

Wilfred Lucas Wilfred Van Norman Lucas (January 30, 1871 – December 13, 1940) was a Canadian American stage actor who found success in film as an actor, director, and screenwriter. Early life Lucas was born in Norfolk County, Ontario on January 30, 1871,US ...

as the doctor * Anthony Mack as the man who gets socked while asleep by lamppost

Note

''Free Wheeling'' was edited by a few minutes on the syndicated ''Little Rascals'' television packages in 1971 due to its racism toward African Americans. The film was restored 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 *** ...

airing from 2001 to 2003. The "free wheeling" downhill scenes involving the runaway car were filmed on Outpost Drive in

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

References

External links

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