''Time Out for Lessons'' is a 1939 '' 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 Edward Cahn. It was the 185th ''Our Gang'' short (186th episode, 97th talking short, 98th talking episode, and 17th MGM produced episode) that was released.

Plot

Afalfa is preparing for a Football game with the gang before his father takes him aside to talk about his poor grades, Alfalfa is told that, he has a lot of Grade "D" on his tests and unless he improves his academic standing, he'll never get to college. Alfalfa responds, "Don't 'D' stand for 'Dandy'?" He then informs his father that he intends to sail through college on a football scholarship. His father then puts forth an illustration to Alfalfa who imagines that he is a student at "Hale University" (a spoof of

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

) and that he is a big football star with poor grades. During his dream about future gridiron triumphs, Alfalfa is brought down to earth when he envisions himself being disqualified by his professor from the inevitable "big game" due to his lousy grades. After picturing this scenario our hero vows to put football on the back burner in favor of cracking the books. His father though encourages him to balance them out and not neglect one for the other, so while Alfalfa doesn't give up Football he promises and encourages the gang to take "Time Out For Lessons".

Cast

The Gang

* Carl Switzer as Alfalfa * Mickey Gubitosi as Mickey *

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 *

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 * Shirley Coates as Muggsy * Darwood Kaye as Waldo * Leonard Landy as Leonard

Additional cast

* Gloria Brown as Spanky's dance partners * Hugh Chapman as Kid encouraging Leonard * Paul Hilton as Roommate * Dickie Humphries as Kid encouraging Buckwheat * Valerie Lee as Mickey's dance partner * Si Wills as Alfalfa's father

College extras

Joe "Corky" Geil, James Gubitosi, Jovanni Gubitosi, Janice Hood, Jackie Horner, Payne Johnson, Larry Kert, Sidney Kibrick, Rae-Nell Laskey, Gerald Mackey, Tommy McFarland, Glenn Mickens, Priscilla Montgomery, Betty Ann Muir, Jo-Jo La Savio,

Harold Switzer Harold Frederick Switzer (January 16, 1925 – April 14, 1967) was an American child actor, most notable for appearing in the ''Our Gang'' short subjects series as an extra. He was the older brother of gang member Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, one ...

Notes

*The film is one of many MGM ''Our Gang'' episodes about teaching a lesson to children. The series continues to head downhill with one morality lesson after another. Soon,

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

propaganda will be a subject of many ''Our Gang'' episodes. *The film was the last appearance of Sidney Kibrick. He was initially a background character while his older brother Leonard was the gang bully. After his brother leaves, Sidney is teamed up with a new 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'' (''Little Rascals'') comedies (fir ...

. Sidney becomes known as "Woim". His last episode as Butch's sidekick had been '' Captain Spanky's Showboat''. *Features an instrumental version of "

The Jitterbug ''The Wizard of Oz'' is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). An adaptation of L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's fantasy novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', the film was primarily directed by Victor Flemin ...

", a song written (but removed) from '' The Wizard of Oz''.

References

External links

* 1939 films American black-and-white films 1939 comedy films Films directed by Edward L. Cahn Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer short films Our Gang films 1939 short films 1930s American films 1930s English-language films {{short-comedy-film-stub