The Pinch Singer

Production Notes[]

Length: Two Reels
Producer: Hal Roach
Director: Fred Newmeyer
Photography: Art Lloyd
Editor: Louis McManus
Titles:
Writer: Hal Roach
Released: January 4, 1936
Studio: M-G-M

Main Cast[]

Betsy Gay
Carl Switzer - sings "On The Road To Californy" and "I'm In The Mood For Love"
Darla Jean Hood - sings "I'm In The Mood For Love"
Eugene Lee
George McFarland
Harold Switzer
Jerry Tucker (actor)
John Collum
Sidney Kibrick
Marianne Edwards
Richard De Nuet
William Thomas Jr.
William Minderhout

Supporting Cast[]

Barbara Goodrich
Betty Cox
Bill Madsen - Page
Blair Davies - Radio Announcer
Bud Murray Dancers
Charlie Hall - Druggist and Audience Member
Chet Brandenberg - Audience Member
Daniel Boone (actor)
David Sharpe - Page
Delmar Watson (unconfirmed)
Dorian Johnston (unconfirmed}
Eddie Craven - Elevator Boy
Gail Goodson - Information Girl (unconfirmed)
George Weidler - member of the Boy Saxophone Players
Gloria Brown
Harry McCabe
Jackie Morrow
Junior Kavanaugh
Kay Frye
Joe Strauch Jr. (unconfirmed)
Lester Dorr - Audience Member
Marvin Hatley - Music Conductor
Paul Hilton
Peggy Lynch (actress)
The Plantation Trio - sings "Five Foot Two"
Rex Downing
Richard Jones - member of the Famous Broadway Artists
Thomas McFarland
Walt Weidler - member of the Boy Saxophone Players
Werner Weidler - member of the Boy Saxophone Players
William Madsen - Page

The Short[]

Plot: The local radio station is having an amateur radio contest with $50 as the prize money so Spanky McFarland auditions everyone in the Eagles Club to discover their best talent to win it. Buckwheat gets caught whistling along to a phonograph, but Alfalfa thinks he's the logical choice with Harold backing him with the accordion, and with Spanky eyeing Pete with a mallet to the tail with a gong, he gets eliminated. Despite his best efforts in costume as an old lady and in blackface, Alfalfa loses out to Darla singing "I'm In The Mood For Love." Their singer found, Spanky just has to be there to meet her and get her on the radio. Unfortunately, Darla runs late and then gets her coat stuck in the elevator doors, and Alfalfa wastes no time to quickly fill in for her. Eyeing another gong off to the side, he hides it away in his case so he won't be interrupted as he was with Pete. Back at the clubhouse, the gang is listening on the radio, but hearing Alfalfa approach the microphone prompts them to rush to the drugstore, take over all the phone booths and quickly vote him through to win the prize money. Spanky and Darla arrive just as he gets the money, and as Spanky applauds his pal, Alfalfa gongs him in the process of his little speech.
Quotes:

"You mean you just finished." - Spanky
"It's Alfalfa!" - Jerry
"Hey, kids, lets give Buckwheat a big, great big hand, because he had us all fooled then." - Spanky

Notes/Trivia:

This short was produced before but released after the next short, Divot Diggers, marking this short the 141st and Divot Diggers the 142nd.
This was the last short for Marianne Edwards in the series.
This was the first short for director Fred Newmeyer. Previously, he was going to be the original director for Our Gang before he was replaced.
Beginning in 1971, King World had some scenes removed from television prints of this film due to perceived racism towards African-Americans. Cut were Alfalfa's attempt to sing in blackface, as well as the blackface musical number by "The Plantation Trio."
This was the second of three Rascal radio contest shorts, the others being Mike Fright and Framing Youth.
Although Maltin and Bann include him for this short, Joe Strauch Jr. probably does not actually appear in this short. He mostly worked as a stand-in for Spanky.
Alfalfa's warbling of "I'm In The Mood For Love" was used as the theme when actor Danny Devito of "Taxi" married Rhea Perlman of "Cheers."
This is the second musical episode in the series after Our Gang Follies Of 1936.

Sequence[]

Previous Short: Divot Diggers
Next Short: Second Childhood