Readin' and Writin'
Encyclopedia
Readin' and Writin' is a 1932 Our Gang
short comedy film
directed by Robert F. McGowan
. It was the 111th (22nd talking episode) Our Gang short that was released.
Brisbane tells Stymie to call Miss Crabtree "Crabby", tells Dorothy to give Miss Crabtree a note stating she is hard of hearing, and tells Wheezer to answer questions rudely. Brisbane also puts tacks on the seats, glues Miss Crabtree's books together, and blows a loud horn in the classroom.
Spud then recites a poem honoring the teacher. Brisbane then throws a spitball at Sherwood. Miss Crabtree sends Brisbane out in the hall. Brisbane then brings Dinah the Mule inside the schoolroom. Miss Crabtree then punishes Brisbane and tells him to learn Sherwood's poem and recite every verse to the class. Brisbane refuses and Miss Crabtree suspends him pending expulsion. Brisbane then realizes that being out of school with no one to play with and nothing to do is not all that much fun. He then learns the poem and sincerely apologizes to Miss Crabtree. She still makes him recite the poem and he does so in tears. Then Marmalade accidentally brings in a skunk from outside and it sprays, sending the class all outside and eliciting a bugeyed reaction from Pete the Pup
.
Our Gang
Our Gang, also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach's Rascals, was a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and the adventures they had together. Created by comedy producer Hal Roach, the series is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively...
short comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Robert F. McGowan
Robert F. McGowan
Robert Francis McGowan was an American film director and producer, best known as the senior director of the Our Gang short subjects film series from 1922 until 1933.-Career:...
. It was the 111th (22nd talking episode) Our Gang short that was released.
Plot
It is the first day of school and children are beginning school for the first time. Breezy Brisbane is returning for another year. His mother tells him that he is to study hard in school and that he will be president some day. He answers back that he does not want to be president and wants to be a street car conductor. Brisbane then visits the blacksmith who gives him some encouraging words. Brisbane makes a wise remark, angering the blacksmith who tells Brisbane of a kid that got expelled back when he was a child. Brisbane then gets some bright ideas to get himself kicked out of school.Brisbane tells Stymie to call Miss Crabtree "Crabby", tells Dorothy to give Miss Crabtree a note stating she is hard of hearing, and tells Wheezer to answer questions rudely. Brisbane also puts tacks on the seats, glues Miss Crabtree's books together, and blows a loud horn in the classroom.
Spud then recites a poem honoring the teacher. Brisbane then throws a spitball at Sherwood. Miss Crabtree sends Brisbane out in the hall. Brisbane then brings Dinah the Mule inside the schoolroom. Miss Crabtree then punishes Brisbane and tells him to learn Sherwood's poem and recite every verse to the class. Brisbane refuses and Miss Crabtree suspends him pending expulsion. Brisbane then realizes that being out of school with no one to play with and nothing to do is not all that much fun. He then learns the poem and sincerely apologizes to Miss Crabtree. She still makes him recite the poem and he does so in tears. Then Marmalade accidentally brings in a skunk from outside and it sprays, sending the class all outside and eliciting a bugeyed reaction from Pete the Pup
Pete the Pup
Pete the Pup was a Pit Bull character in Hal Roach's Our Gang comedies during the 1920s and 1930s...
.
Note
- Readin' and Writin' marked the final appearance of June MarloweJune MarloweJune Marlowe , was an American actress, who appeared in six Our Gang short subjects as the lovely schoolteacher Miss Crabtree.-Career:...
as Miss Crabtree. It also marked the debut appearance of Kendall McComas as Breezy Brisbane. The wise-cracking Brisbane character was created to replace Jackie CooperJackie CooperJackie Cooper was an American actor, television director, producer and executive. He was a child actor who managed to make the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first child actor to receive an Academy Award nomination...
who left the series in 1931 to do feature films. While the central character in Readin' and Writin' , McComas received only minor speaking roles throughout the year. Already in his teens by the time he joined the Our Gang series, McComas departed in late 1932. - A few minutes were edited out of the Little Rascals television package back in 1971 because of racism toward African Americans and a few other scenes were deemed to simply be in bad taste. These scenes were reinstated in 2001 when shown on AMC until 2003.
Cast
- Kendall McComas - Breezy Brisbane
- Matthew Beard - Stymie
- Sherwood BaileySherwood BaileySherwood Bailey was an American former child actor. His parents were non-professionals. He is most notable for appearing as the red-headed, freckle-faced bad boy and enemy of the gang, Spud in the Our Gang short subjects series from 1931 to 1932.Bailey's most notable appearance was that of the...
- Sherwood 'Spud' - Bobby Hutchins - Wheezer
- Dorothy DeBorbaDorothy DeBorbaDorothy Adelle DeBorba was an American former child actress who was a regular in the Our Gang series of short subjects as the leading lady from 1930 to 1933.-Early life:...
- Dorothy - Carlena BeardCarlena BeardCarlena Beard was an American child actor, most famous for portraying several different minor characters in the Our Gang short films from 1930 to 1935. She was a native of Los Angeles, California...
- Marmalade, Stymie's sister - Donald HainesDonald HainesDonald Haines was an American child actor who had recurring appearances in the Our Gang short subjects series from 1929 to 1933.-Our Gang:...
- Donald, kid in classroom - Patsy Britten - Patsy, kid in classroom
- Pete the PupPete the PupPete the Pup was a Pit Bull character in Hal Roach's Our Gang comedies during the 1920s and 1930s...
- Petie - June MarloweJune MarloweJune Marlowe , was an American actress, who appeared in six Our Gang short subjects as the lovely schoolteacher Miss Crabtree.-Career:...
- Miss June Crabtree - Harry BernardHarry BernardHarry Bernard was a movie comedian who worked for Mack Sennett and with Laurel & Hardy, usually typecast as a policeman.Bernard was born in San Francisco, California, and died in Hollywood.-Selected filmography:...
- The fruit vendor - Otto FriesOtto FriesOtto Fries was an American film actor. He appeared in 129 films between 1920 and 1938.-Career:Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Fries became a dapper-looking supporting comic with a varied background in medicine shows and vaudeville. He easily transitioned to film in the early 1910s...
- The blacksmith - Lyle TayoLyle TayoLyle Tayo was an American film actress who appeared in 59 films between 1921 and 1948. Tayo was born in Elmdale, Kansas and died in Hollywood, California. She is buried in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery....
- Breezy's mother - May Wallace - Wheezer's mother