When producer Hal Roach realized the great reception at the box office his first nationwide showing of "One Terrible Day" was, he released three other shorts that were made a few months before, one month at a time. By November 1922, the very first movie that was filmed back in the spring was released under the name of "Our Gang." One reel survives today of the initial effort, but it does introduce several of the kids who would have interesting futures.
Peggy Cartwright appeared in the first four, only to have her doctor father uproot his family back to Canada so she could get a decent college scholarship; Jackie Condon stuck with the gang until 1928, and had always wanted to act, but ended working for Rockwell International; freckle-faced Mickey Daniels left in 1928, and eventually became a cab driver in San Diego; Jack Davis, brother of actress Mildred Davis who married Harold Lloyd, stuck with it for only one year, becoming a cardiologist in Los Angeles; Allen 'Farina' Hoskins, who plays the two-year-old, remained with the gang until 1931, saw action in the Pacific Campaign of World War Two, and operated a rehabilitation business in Oakland; Sunshine Sammy Morrison left in early 1925 over a pay raise, became a quality control inspector for an aerospace company; and the Doty twins, who appeared in "One Terrible Day," ended their lives in tragedy during a double date when they were caught up in a flash flood leaving a party in their car in Montrose, California, and washed away. The storm killed 40 in the communty, including the twins.
McGowan, who was familiar with the adage that "children make the best comedians," received the green light to produce more "Our Gang" shorts, he began a unique working relationship with the young actors throughout his 11 years directing the series. He would explain to those children who weren't old enough to read what they should do for each scene, encouraging them to improvise as they went along.
Today's viewers are familiar with the "Our Gang" kids by the title "The Little Rascals." Roach, who sold the franchise to MGM Studios in 1938, bought the entire Our Gang catalogue in 1948. A year later, the producer repackage 79 out of 80 shorts for television and called the series 'The Little Rascals.'
Peggy Cartwright appeared in the first four, only to have her doctor father uproot his family back to Canada so she could get a decent college scholarship; Jackie Condon stuck with the gang until 1928, and had always wanted to act, but ended working for Rockwell International; freckle-faced Mickey Daniels left in 1928, and eventually became a cab driver in San Diego; Jack Davis, brother of actress Mildred Davis who married Harold Lloyd, stuck with it for only one year, becoming a cardiologist in Los Angeles; Allen 'Farina' Hoskins, who plays the two-year-old, remained with the gang until 1931, saw action in the Pacific Campaign of World War Two, and operated a rehabilitation business in Oakland; Sunshine Sammy Morrison left in early 1925 over a pay raise, became a quality control inspector for an aerospace company; and the Doty twins, who appeared in "One Terrible Day," ended their lives in tragedy during a double date when they were caught up in a flash flood leaving a party in their car in Montrose, California, and washed away. The storm killed 40 in the communty, including the twins.
McGowan, who was familiar with the adage that "children make the best comedians," received the green light to produce more "Our Gang" shorts, he began a unique working relationship with the young actors throughout his 11 years directing the series. He would explain to those children who weren't old enough to read what they should do for each scene, encouraging them to improvise as they went along.
Today's viewers are familiar with the "Our Gang" kids by the title "The Little Rascals." Roach, who sold the franchise to MGM Studios in 1938, bought the entire Our Gang catalogue in 1948. A year later, the producer repackage 79 out of 80 shorts for television and called the series 'The Little Rascals.'