Series: Our Gang Director: Herbert Glazer Producer: Screenplay: Hal Law, Robert A. McGowan Photography: Walter Lundin Editor: Leon Bourgeau Stars: Robert Blake, Janet Burston, Billy Laughlin, Billie Thomas, Mickey Laughlin Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Released: 03 April 1943 Length: 1 reel Production No.: 2798 Filming dates: August 12-17, 1942 Rating: 5/10

Family Troubles

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Janet is sitting next to the road crying when the boys round the corner to find her there. She tells them she is running away from home and recounts the events of yesterday when her family were gathered around with their Aunt Aurelia. Janet's mother encourages Janet's sister to sing an awful song she had been practicing for months. Janet is sent outside to take care of her noisy kitten when she becomes a distraction. Janet tells the boys that nobody wants her. "I'm disgusted with life!" she cries. (Seriously girl?) So Buckwheat, Mickey, Froggy and Happy decide to help get Janet 'adapted'. This conversation is overheard by a young boy who then rushes home to tell Janet's parents. Meanwhile the gang and Janet barge their way into the home of an elderly couple, Mr & Mrs Jones to pitch their suggestion to them about taking on Janet. The couple immediately understand what is going on and decide to accept Janet and teach her a valuable lesson. The boys are happy to have found Janet a new home but no sooner do they celebrate, the couple turn on Janet and order her to scrub the floors and give up all her food in exchange for a glass of water and a piece of bread. The Jones's deliberately act mean to Janet in order to encourage her to leave and go back home to her family. The boys, who have waited outside see her plight and agree to rescue her as Janet's family arrive at the house to collect her. The gang hide out in a cave until nightfall where they cook...... a potato. The cave fills with smoke and blackens their faces so the gang escort Janet back to her house and explain their actions. All is forgiven and Janet feels loved again.

Favourite bit It's a line that Froggy comes out with when the boys are huddled together on the sidewalk. When discussing possibilities for where Janet should go, Froggy offers his displeasure at one of the suggestions of sending her to the Johnsons: "They eat nothing but vegetables... and mostly spinach!" It's the way he says the word "spinach"!!!

Trivia • Copyrighted April 1, 1943. • Script no. B4933. • Release no. C-493. • Janet's kitten is called Fluffy. • This was the twelfth and last appearance in the Our Gang/MGM series for Barbara Bedford. • Are you sure you couldn't make Janet's skirt just a little bit higher, for gods sake? Talking of Janet, can anyone actually understand a word she says when she is blubbing all over the place? • When Janet's family come over to the Jones's house they immediately start to look for the missing Janet. The aunt looks inside the oven. I mean sure, that's where I would hide! How dumb is that woman? Not to be outdone but Mr. Jones checks inside the refrigerator. What a weird family! • As the gang wait at the cave for Buckwheat they call him over. Buckwheat appears out of breath. Why? Are you kidding me? • The gang decide to blacken their faces in order to avoid detection from being noticed. That's all well and good but what about poor Buckwheat? What the experts say • "Janet sets the perfect example of ANNOYANCE in this film. I am glad this film was only ten minutes long because I don't know how much more of THAT I could have tolerated!" ~ Lord Heath.

	Robert Blake Mickey
	Janet Burston Janet
	Billy Laughlin Froggy
	Billie Thomas Buckwheat
	Mickey Laughlin Happy
	Byron Shores Jasper Burton, Janet's father
	Barbara Bedford Mary Burston, Janet's mother
	Harry C. Bradley Mr. Tom Jones
	Sarah Padden Mrs. Mary Jones
	Elspeth Dudgeon Aunt Aurelia
	Dickie Hall Boy
	Beverly Hudson Aurelia Burston, Janet's sister

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Acknowledgements: The Little Rascals: The Life And Times Of Our Gang by Leonard Maltin & Richard W. Bann (book) This page was last updated on: 22 July 2019