Little Sinner
| Little Sinner | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Gus Meins |
| Produced by | Hal Roach |
| Cinematography | Francis Corby |
| Edited by | Louis McManus |
| Music by | Leroy Shield |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 17' 15 " |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Little Sinneris a 1935Our Gangshortcomedy filmdirected byGus Meins.It was the 139thOur Gangshort to be released,[1]and the first appearance of two-year old Porky.
Plot
[edit]Anxious to go fishing, Spanky skips out of Sunday school, despite the admonitions of his pals Alfalfa, Mildred, Sidney, and Marianne that "Something's going to happen to you." Actually, everything happens to Spanky and his kid brother (Eugene "Porky" Lee) in the course of the morning. Chased out of a private estate by a cantankerous caretaker, the two boys wander into a dark, mysterious woods just as aneclipseoccurs and at the same time a large group of black worshippers are holding a mass baptism ceremony. Some view the baptism and background singing of the Negro spiritual "I Am Leaning on The Lord", which contains the words: "Why don't you come out of the wilderness" as a racist stereotype. However, as Spanky, Porky and Buckwheat are scared out of the woods, a wilderness, it could merely be a play on the song's words for their situation.
Inevitably, the kids scare the worshippers, and vice versa, culminating in a hectic chase.[2]
Note
[edit]- Little Sinnerwas withdrawn from the "Little Rascals" TV package in 1971 due to its racial content. It was reinstated in 1979 with severely edited prints that exclude the eclipse and the baptism. Professor Lisa Yaszek said of the racist depiction, "Apparently somehow these black Americans don't know what an eclipse is, so they have that very stereotypical reaction of confusion and fear, which causes chaos for the boys... the way it plays out is so stereotypical and really horrible."[3]The original version was reinstated for the 2001 to 2003 showings onAMCand the 2016 showings onMeTV.
- This episode marks the first appearance ofEugene Gordon LeeasPorky.
Cast
[edit]The Gang
[edit]- Eugene Leeas Porky
- George McFarlandas Spanky
- Billie Thomasas Buckwheat
- Carl Switzeras Alfalfa
- Jerry Tuckeras Jerry
- Rex Downingas Our Gang member
- Sidney Kibrickas Our Gang member
- Donald Proffitt as Our Gang member
- Jackie Banning as Mary Ann (unconfirmed)
Additional cast
[edit]- Ray Turneras Man at Baptism/Man losing tent
- Clarence Wilson- Property owner
- Barbara Goodrich as Church extra
- Joan Lott as Church extra
- Philip Marley Rock as Church extra
- John Collumas Undetermined role
- Mildred Kornmanas Undetermined role
- Dickie De Nuet as Undetermined role
- The Etude Chorus as Singers at Baptism
Filming Locations
[edit]The church seen at the beginning and the end of the film is the Four Square Gospel Church / Palms Community Church at 3371 Mentone Avenue in thePalmsneighborhood ofLos Angeles.It was demolished in the 1950s. The same church is visible in the background in the scene where Jackie is walking down the sidewalk to Mary Ann's house in the shortThe First Seven Years.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Maltin, Leonard; Bann, Richard W. (1977).Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals.Crown Publishers. pp. 182–183.ISBN978-0-517-52675-0.Retrieved3 March2024.
- ^Hall, Mordaunt(2012)."New York Times: Little Sinner".Movies & TV Dept.The New York Times.Archived fromthe originalon 2012-10-26.Retrieved2008-09-20.
- ^White, Amy (August 18, 2017)."Solar eclipses have been a science fiction theme for thousands of years".Vox.RetrievedSeptember 11,2017.
- ^Now, Chris Bungo Studios Filming Locations Then and."Chris Bungo Studios Filming Locations Then and Now".Chris Bungo Studios Filming Locations Then and Now.Retrieved2024-11-10.
External links
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