Beginner's Luck

Beginner's Luck is a 1935 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Gus Meins. It was the 135th Our Gang short (47th talking episode) that was released. It was also the first short for seven-year-old Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer and his ten-year-old brother Harold Switzer to appear.

For the expression, see Beginner's luck. For the 2001 film, see Beginner's Luck (2001 film).

Beginner's Luck
Directed byGus Meins
Produced byHal Roach
Music byMarvin Hatley
CinematographyArt Lloyd
Edited byLouis McManus
Distributed byMGM
Release date
  • February 23, 1935 (1935-02-23)
Running time
18:24
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

Spanky has been entered into a kiddie amateur show by his pushy stage mother, who thinks he is the greatest actor of his day. Spanky wants nothing to do with this and would rather not act at all. The gang comes up with a plan to disrupt his recitation with peashooters and noisemakers and make him flop.

At the theater, Spanky befriends a little girl called Daisy Dimple "Dancer par excellance" (Marianne Edwards) who has bombed her act due to stage fright but needs the prize money to buy a special dress. Spanky has a change of heart and decides to win the prize and give the money to the girl. He promises her, "Girlie, the dress is in the bag." However, word does not get out the gang, who are in the audience prepared to embarrass Spanky any way they can.

Spanky's stoically performing his act with him having an amusing slow burn annoyance while enduring his friends embarrassing him surprisingly makes his act the hit of the show, with everyone laughing and loving it (except his mother). So loved is his act, he easily wins the prize, which goes to Daisy so she could pay for her dress. The one who really ended up being embarrassed was Spanky's mother, who had inadvertently lost her dress, and she was hidden behind a screen prop.

Cast

The Gang

Additional cast
  • Marianne Edwards as Daisy Dimple
  • Laura June Kenny as Floradora Dolly
  • The Cabin Kids as Themselves
  • Bonnie Lynn as Little girl singing
  • The Meglin Kiddies as the Floradora Dollies
  • Carl Switzer as Arizona Nightingale
  • Harold Switzer as Arizona Nightingale
  • Freddie Walburn as Kid with the harmonica
  • Jackie White as Tapdancer
  • Bess Flowers as Friend of Spanky's mother
  • Charlie Hall as Stage hand
  • Tom Herbert as Master of Ceremonies
  • Ruth Hiatt as Daisy's mother
  • Kitty Kelly as Spanky's mother
  • James C. Morton as Piano player
  • May Wallace as Spanky's grandmother
  • Ernie Alexander as Audience member
  • Fred Holmes as Audience member
  • Jack Lipson as Audience member
  • Tommy McFarland as Audience member
  • Robert McKenzie as Audience member
  • Snooky Valentine as Undetermined role
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See also

References


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