MGM, the distributor for Hal Roach's 'Our Gang' series, was so impress with the treatment of December 1937's "Our Gang Follies of 1938," the studio decided to dump an astronomical (for that series) $60,000 into the production for an expanded two-reeler, making it the most expensive "Our Gang" film ever. MGM's confidence for the short movie was well rewarded as the kids' spoof on the studio's "The Broadway Melody of 1938" became the most popular episode in the long line of 'Our Gang' shorts.
Most fans of "Our Gang," whose title was changed to "The Little Rascals" when Roach sold the package to television, instantly recognize Alfalfa (Carl Switzer) belting out the operetta tune 'The Barber of Seville.' In the film he trades his trademark 'The King of Crooners' for the more sophisticated aria of the opera. Spanky organizes a musical neighborhood revue show, complete with an orchestra conducted by Buckwheat. Alfalfa's act is advertised as the show's headliner, but the singer's head swells to outlandish proportions, thinking he's way too good for a kids' show.
Most of "Our Gang Follies of 1938" deals with Alfalfa's dream of securing a contract with Barnaby (Henry Brandon), a singer with the Cosmopolitan Opera House. The contract states the theater will hire Alfalfa 20 years in the future to sing professionally. His dream fast forward years later to the day when he gets his chance to sing 'The Barber of Seville' on the opera stage. Alfalfa's dream bursts when the members of the audience hear his off-key singing, and unleash a series of jeers, boos and thrown tomatoes. Behind the scenes, Switzer loved playing cruel jokes and pranks to the cast and film crew after Roach signed him to a contract shortly after his 1935 'Our Gang' debut. For the opera scene, director Gordon Douglas reassured Switzer the film crew was only equipped with soft tomatoes to toss at him. Unbeknownst to the kid prankster, the workers decided to obtain some hard tomatoes. Viewers can initially see Switzer taking the pasting pretty well. But after receiving a few 'hard' tomatoes, his face turns to anger. After the camera stopped, Switzer grabbed his brother and said, "C'mon Harold, let's go kick their ass." A handful of strong-muscled crew members interceded before too much damage could be done.
The ambitious 20-minute film, which was longer than the gang's normal recent 10-minute one-reelers, involved one-hundred children extras. Most appear in Alfalfa's dream at the time he spots nightclub owner Spanky and co-owner Darla, twenty years later, where several song-and-dance numbers are presented. After his disastrous opera debut in his dream Alfalfa wakes up and realizes he's more of a crooner and humbly returns to Spanky's neighborhood show. During the entertainment, child singer Annabelle Logan belts out the Scottish ballad 'Loch Lomon.' Miss Logan later became famous as the jazz singer Annie Ross, who briefly dated comic Lenny Bruce and appeared in several movies, including 1983's "Superman 3" as Vera Webster.
Another actor of note in "Our Gang Follies of 1938" is Doodles Weaver as the piano player. He was well known for his later TV appearances and was an early contributor to Mad Magazine. Doodles (real name Winstead Sheffield Weaver) is the uncle to actress Sigourney Weaver.
