Small Talk (1929 film)

Small Talk
Directed byRobert F. McGowan
Written byRobert F. McGowan
H. M. Walker
Produced byRobert F. McGowan
Hal Roach
StarringBobby Hutchins
Mary Ann Jackson
Joe Cobb
Allen Hoskins
Jean Darling
Harry Spear
Pete the Pup
Lyle Tayo
Helen Jerome Eddy
Edith Fortier
Pat Harmon
Charles McMurphy
CinematographyArt Lloyd
Edited byRichard C. Currier
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • May 18, 1929 (1929-05-18)
Running time
24:57[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Small Talk is a 1929 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan.[2] Produced by Hal Roach and released to theaters by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it was the 86th entry in the Our Gang series to be released,[3] and the first to be made with sound.[4]

Plot

The gang are all orphans, hoping to be adopted by nice families where "spinach is not on the menu". Wheezer, the youngest child, gets adopted by a wealthy couple, while his older sister Mary Ann does not. The gang all comes to visit Wheezer in his new home, setting off an alarm that causes the police and the fire department to come over. At that time, Wheezer's new mother decides to adopt Mary Ann as well. The couple's friends all each adopt a child as well; even Farina is adopted by the maid at Wheezer's new home.

Production notes

Small Talk is the first sound entry in the Our Gang series, and the only sound Our Gang film to be three reels, clocking in at 25 minutes. Three additional silent shorts produced before the release of Small TalkLittle Mother, Cat, Dog & Co. and Saturday's Lesson—would be released afterwards. The film was originally part of the Little Rascals television syndication package for the 1950s until the 1980s, when it was dropped from the package over concerns about its length and sound quality.

Cast

The Gang

Additional cast

Filming Locations

At the end of the film, the police and fire trucks pull up to the house at 4052 Lafayette Place in Culver City, California.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ theluckycorner.com/
  2. ^ "Silent Era: Small Talk". silentera. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
  3. ^ Maltin, Leonard; Bann, Richard W. (1977). Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals. Crown Publishers. pp. 100–102. ISBN 978-0-517-52675-0. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  4. ^ Vecsey, George (2011). "New York Times: Small Talk". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
  5. ^ Now, Chris Bungo Studios Filming Locations Then and. "Chris Bungo Studios Filming Locations Then and Now". Chris Bungo Studios Filming Locations Then and Now. Retrieved November 15, 2024.