General Spanky: Civil War Shenanigans with the Gang

Is it worth your time?

If you have a high tolerance for 1930s studio artificiality and want to see the Our Gang kids in uniforms they definitely weren't sized for, sure. If you prefer your history movies to have, you know, actual history or coherent stakes, skip it. It feels like someone took a bunch of leftover props from a bigger production and just said, 'Let the kids play in the trenches.'

The whole thing is built on a premise that’s frankly exhausting to think about too hard. You’ve got Spanky essentially running a military campaign between naps and pranks. It’s less Gone with the Wind and more like a fever dream version of a Saturday morning cartoon.

Oddly specific observations:

• There is a dog, Von, who seems more interested in his handler than the plot.
• The uniforms look like they were made of heavy felt that must have been miserable in the heat.
• Watching Alfalfa try to act serious while literally everything else is falling apart around him is a special kind of comedy.
• The dialogue is stiff, but the kids just ignore the script whenever they feel like it.

There’s a scene where they’re supposed to be hiding from the enemy, but the background extras look like they’re just waiting for lunch to be called. It’s hard to ignore. It’s that kind of 'wait, are they actually filming this?' moment that makes you realize movies weren't always as polished as we think.

It’s not as charming as Fireman, Save My Child!, but it has a weird, persistent energy. Maybe it’s the desperation of the era showing through the screen. You can almost feel the studio head shouting at everyone to make it work, even if the script was clearly written on the back of a napkin.

Do not expect depth. Do not expect to learn anything about the Civil War. Just watch the kids run around and try not to trip over their own oversized boots. Sometimes, that’s all you really need on a Tuesday night. 🎥