General Spanky
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | General Spanky |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1936 |
| length | 71 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director |
Gordon Douglas Fred C. Newmeyer |
| script |
Richard Flournoy Hal Yates John Guedel |
| production | Hal Roach |
| music | Marvin Hatley |
| camera |
Art Lloyd Walter Lundin |
| cut | Ray Snyder |
| occupation | |
| |
General Spanky is a 1936 American film. It was produced by Hal Roach for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , directed by Gordon Douglas and Fred C. Newmeyer . The black and white film is based on the popular series Die kleine Rolche (Original: Our Gang ).
action
Shortly before the American Civil War , the 6-year-old shoeshine boy Spanky and his friend Buckwheat, an escaped slave boy, flee from a Mississippi river steamer. You are taken in by Marshall Valent and live with him from then on. At the beginning of the civil war, Marshall went to war as a Confederate officer. He asks Spanky and Buckwheat to take care of his fiancée Louella. Spanky forms a children's army with Buckwheat and her friend Alfalfa, which also includes other children from the city. They are building a fort , which by passing Northern state soldiers is believed to be real and is attacked. When the Northerners general arrives, the children come out of the fort to surrender. The general praises the children for their bravery and calls Spanky "General Spanky". The house is seized by Northerner Captain Simmons as headquarters. When Marshall reappears wounded, the children hide him, but Simmons follows them and finds Marshall. He is arrested and charged. Despite the lack of evidence, he was sentenced to death by a court martial for espionage. Spanky turns to the Northern General for help. This ensures a retrial in which Marshall's death sentence is overturned. The house is returned and Simmons arrested. With the promise not to fight in the war anymore, Marshall is released as part of a prisoner exchange. In gratitude, the children accept the general as a member of their troops.
background
General Spanky is the only feature film in the series about The Little Rascals . After Hal Roach had had great box office success with Laurel & Hardy , which had also started as a short film series, he wanted to make Our Gang a success in the cinema as well. Since the film was only moderately successful financially, Die kleine Strolche was only continued as a short film series.
reception
The film was unsuccessful at the box office. As a result, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer insisted on continuing the series only in the form of short films and not producing any further feature films. Today the film is criticized as partly racist because of its uncritical attitude towards slavery.
"The Civil War setting is not entirely appropriate to the antics of Our Gang, and as a result General Spanky is more peculiar than funny."
"The civil war environment is not entirely suitable for the antics of the little thugs, so General Spanky seems more strange than funny."
"General Spanky" is one of those films that will have you sitting in stunned silence, not knowing exactly what you are watching.
"General Spanky" is one of those films that you sit in front of stunned silence and wonder what you are actually watching. "
Awards
Elmer Raguse was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Sound category for General Spanky in 1937 .
Web links
- General Spanky in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ General Spanky. In: Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved February 11, 2018 .
- ↑ a b c General Spanky on New York Times Movies
- ↑ a b General Spanky on eFilmCritic.com