Our Gang Follies of 1936: A weirdly charming backyard mess

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you have a soft spot for the Our Gang era. If you’re looking for a tight story, you’re going to be bored out of your mind. But if you want to see a bunch of kids from the thirties just being themselves—sometimes a little too much—it’s a fun enough way to kill twenty minutes.

The whole premise is just a talent show. They want to put on a show to raise money, and that’s it. There’s no big conflict, just the usual group of kids trying to organize something that, in reality, would have been a total disaster.

The vibe

It’s very loose. Sometimes it feels like they just let the cameras roll while the kids improvised. Alfalfa is, as always, the highlight. He has this look on his face half the time like he’s not entirely sure what he’s supposed to be doing, which is hilarious.

There is a segment with the Brian Sisters that feels like it goes on for an eternity. They’re talented, sure, but the pacing just drops off a cliff. It’s the kind of thing where you start checking your phone even though you’re supposed to be watching a classic.

Small observations

• Spanky is basically the manager of the whole operation. Watching him try to keep everyone in line is genuinely funny.
• The sets look like they were built out of cardboard and hope. I love it.
• Porky is just there, being small and cute. He doesn't do much, but he doesn't have to.
• The musical numbers are… well, they are definitely from 1936.

It’s nowhere near the complexity of something like The Little Rascal, but it isn't trying to be. It feels a bit like a home movie that got a budget. Some of the kids are clearly looking directly at the crew, and there’s a moment where a prop almost falls over and nobody fixes it. They just keep going.

I found myself wondering if they were actually having fun or if they were just exhausted by take five. You can see the flicker of a real kid behind the performance, especially when they think the camera isn't pointed right at them. It’s that little bit of messiness that makes it better than the polished stuff.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s not even a great movie. But it’s a snapshot of a different time. It makes me miss when movies didn't have to explain every single thing that happened on screen. Sometimes a talent show is just a talent show. 🎈