Small Talk (1929 film)

Small Talk
Directed byRobert McGowan
Written byH.M. Walker
(dialogue)
Produced byRobert McGowan
StarringBobby "Wheezer" Hutchins
Mary Ann Jackson
Allen "Farina" Hoskins
Joe Cobb
Harry Spear
Jean Darling
Pete the Pup
CinematographyArt Lloyd and
F.E. Hershey
Edited byRichard Currier
Production
companies
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 American Our Gang comedy short film directed by Robert 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. At the end, Pete the Pup turns on Miss Eddy's player piano and sits listening to "There's a Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder".

Production order

Released on May 18, 1929, Small Talk (production #89) was preceded in production by the final entry with no dialogue, Saturday's Lesson (production #88), which was released five-and-a-half months later, on November 9. The entry produced after Small Talk, Railroadin' (production #90), was released on June 18.

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 Talk—Little 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: Hal Roach presents His Rascals' Voices

uncredited (listed in order of on-screen time)

Adults in the cast

uncredited (in order of appearance)
  • Lyle Tayo as Mrs. Brown, proprietress of "Mrs Brown's Home For Children"
  • Helen Jerome Eddy as Miss Eddy, high society lady who comes to adopt Wheezer
  • Edith Fortier as Miss Eddy's servant who comes with her to the orphanage
  • Mary Emery as Miss Eddy's high society friend playing cards at a table with her and two other society ladies... at the end, she adopts Jean
  • Symona Boniface as Miss Eddy's high society friend playing cards at a table with her and two other society ladies... at the end, she adopts Joe
  • Viola Porter as Miss Eddy's high society friend playing cards at a table with her and two other society ladies... at the end, she has her arm around Harry
  • Emmett King as doctor called by Miss Eddy to examine Wheezer who seems to be sick, but actually misses his sister
  • Pat Harmon as police officer who runs into Miss Eddy's mansion and takes a pratfall on a rug
  • Charles McMurphy as police officer who asks, "Did you kids turn in all these fire and police alarms around here?"
  • Frona Hale as Miss Eddy's society guest who comes into the hallway with the other three society ladies to ask why the emergency vehicles arrived. When Farina asks her about adopting him, she replies, "No, sweetheart, I'm afraid not"
  • Emma Reed as Miss Eddy's maid who sees Farina crying and tells him, "Honeylamb, dry all o'them big tears... so you can take a good look at your new mammy"

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.


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