Porky, Darla, Alfalfa, Spanky, Buckwheat, and Pete in the treehouse celebrating Alfalfa's birthday.
Production Notes[]
Length: Eleven Minutes
Producer: Oscar Dufau, William Hanna, and Joseph Barbera
Director: Unrevealed
Writer: Unrevealed
Released: November 20, 1982
Studio: Hanna-Barbera Productions and King World Productions
Main Cast[]
- B.J. Ward as Butch
- Julie McWhirter Dees as Alfalfa Switzer, Porky, and The Woim
- Patty Maloney as Darla Hood
- Peter Cullen as Pete the Pup
- Scott Menville as Spanky McFarland
- Shavar Ross as Buckwheat Thomas
The Short[]
Plot: Alfalfa forms a detective agency, and brings Buckwheat and Porky on board as his deputies. Darla reports that her doll, Jennifer, is missing. While looking for clues, the kids run into Butch who suggests Spanky may have had something to do with the doll. The Rascals (with the exception of Darla) grow suspicious of their pal, eventually believing that he may a diamond smuggler. The kids follow Spanky, who is behaving rather strangely. They end up following Spanky to the harbor where he receives a package from a ship's captain. Alfalfa took the package from Spanky while the dock workers were chasing Alfalfa - who assumed the men were diamond smugglers, but after Alfalfa accidentally drops the package to the dock and a platform is being lowered in the path of the package (with Darla, Buckwheat, Porky and Alfalfa standing on the platform), the package is destroyed, and Spanky told Alfalfa he may as well open the package, which was apparently for him - it was a microscope which would have been beneficial for his detective agency. Spanky said the package was originally delivered to the wrong address, but his mother arranged to have it delivered to the harbor and pay cash on delivery before a party. Spanky then reveals that he was planning a surprise birthday party for Alfalfa, and was generous enough to get presents for all of the Rascals: a steak for Porky and a bone for Pete (courtesy of the butcher), a rock for Buckwheat's collection, and a new dress for Darla's doll. Spanky admitted he borrowed the doll to get its measurements. Alfalfa decides to quit the detective business after his bad experience, but Buckwheat used the components from the damaged microscope that Alfalfa received for his birthday to create a periscope - through which Alfalfa sees Butch and Woim headed for the treehouse. To avoid getting hurt, the Rascals decide to stay in the treehouse and party for the remainder of the day.
Quotes:
- None.
Notes/Trivia:
- Originally aired with Cap'n Spanky's Showboat and Go Cart Go.
- A slight reworking of Hide And Shriek, with the detective names and hats for Alfalfa, Buckwheat, and Porky retained.
- At Alfalfa's birthday party, when the Rascals cheered "Happy birthday, Alfalfa!", their lips did not move.
Sequence[]
- Previous Short: Cap'n Spanky's Showboat
- Next Short: Go Cart Go