What's new

DVD Review HTF DVD REVIEW: The Our Gang Collection (Warner Archives) (1 Viewer)

David Weicker

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2005
Messages
4,672
Real Name
David
I'm curious. How exactly are the revenues for Short Subjects tallied?

Attendance/ticket sales would be for the main Feature.

A poll might indicate whether a particular Short was liked or disliked. But did anyone in the 40's choose to see or not see a film based on the accompanying Short?
 

Tony Bensley

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2013
Messages
7,306
Location
Somewhere in Canada
Real Name
Anthony
David Weicker said:
I'm curious. How exactly are the revenues for Short Subjects tallied?

Attendance/ticket sales would be for the main Feature.

A poll might indicate whether a particular Short was liked or disliked. But did anyone in the 40's choose to see or not see a film based on the accompanying Short?
Hi David!


While I'm certainly no expert in this area, I believe there was some sort of system in place, in which Theatre Exhibitors would decide whether or not to hold over a short subject, based at least in part, on written audience feedback, as they exited! I don't find it difficult to imagine that the last MGM 'Our Gang' shorts likely didn't receive very much in the way of positive feedback to hold these over for another week! My guess is they only played for whatever the predetermined minimum engagement was, and nothing more!


LITTLE MISS PINKERTON wouldn't have received positive feedback from me if I was a Theatre goer in 1943, at any rate! :P


CHEERS! :)
 

Randy Korstick

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2000
Messages
5,839
It was my understanding that most of the big theaters in those days were owned by the big studios so if it was an MGM theater the shorts and cartoons would be provided by them, Paramount theater everything by them. For smaller and independent movie theaters I believe they chose from what was offered to them. I think all the theaters tried to have new shorts and cartoons available for the Saturday double feature aimed at kids every week as that was part of the draw along with the next chapter of a serial.
 

Tony Bensley

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2013
Messages
7,306
Location
Somewhere in Canada
Real Name
Anthony
It was my understanding that most of the big theaters in those days were owned by the big studios so if it was an MGM theater the shorts and cartoons would be provided by them, Paramount theater everything by them. For smaller and independent movie theaters I believe they chose from what was offered to them. I think all the theaters tried to have new shorts and cartoons available for the Saturday double feature aimed at kids every week as that was part of the draw along with the next chapter of a serial.
In any event, it's easy for me to see how 5 of the last 7 'Our Gang' shorts were Box Office money losers, as most of the post Spanky shorts made for pretty dreary (As opposed to merely below average!) viewing! Ironically, my favorite of these post Spanky shorts was the last released DANCING ROMEO (1944), which was the biggest MGM 'Our Gang' Box Office money loser (By virtue of the series trashed reputation, perhaps?) of them all!

CHEERS! :)
 

Mark Y

Screenwriter
Joined
Mar 20, 2006
Messages
1,233
Sorry to bump this old thread, but I figured it might be a place to ask about this. This is a "poor man's screen shot" of a still from the Our Gang short "Radio Bugs." It was part of a TV intro on WFLD-Channel 32 in Chicago. I have never seen this particular still anywhere else. There is a very similar one in the Maltin-Bann Our Gang book, but it's not the exact same shot. Can anyone point me to where I might find it? I have located all the other photos they used in this intro.

Thanks!
20191013_083946.jpg
 

Tony Bensley

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2013
Messages
7,306
Location
Somewhere in Canada
Real Name
Anthony
Sorry to bump this old thread, but I figured it might be a place to ask about this. This is a "poor man's screen shot" of a still from the Our Gang short "Radio Bugs." It was part of a TV intro on WFLD-Channel 32 in Chicago. I have never seen this particular still anywhere else. There is a very similar one in the Maltin-Bann Our Gang book, but it's not the exact same shot. Can anyone point me to where I might find it? I have located all the other photos they used in this intro.

Thanks!
View attachment 116747
Interesting looking still with the tinting. Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas was also quite noticeably older, by this late stage of the 'Our Gang' series. Had MGM decided to continue for another year, I suspect he might have been replaced due to this. Was the added headache of likely having to recast also a factor in dropping the series, in addition to the series now losing money?

CHEERS! :)
 

Mark Y

Screenwriter
Joined
Mar 20, 2006
Messages
1,233
Interesting looking still with the tinting. Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas was also quite noticeably older, by this late stage of the 'Our Gang' series. Had MGM decided to continue for another year, I suspect he might have been replaced due to this. Was the added headache of likely having to recast also a factor in dropping the series, in addition to the series now losing money?

CHEERS! :)

I don't know, but I recall reading that the end was quite abrupt as the next short was being (or had been) scripted when the series was canceled.
 

Tony Bensley

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2013
Messages
7,306
Location
Somewhere in Canada
Real Name
Anthony
I don't know, but I recall reading that the end was quite abrupt as the next short was being (or had been) scripted when the series was canceled.
Correct. HOME FRONT COMMANDOS was the 'Our Gang' short in production when MGM pulled the plug. Actual shooting of the long running series ended November 26, 1943.

CHEERS! :)
 

Matt Hough

Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2006
Messages
26,153
Location
Charlotte, NC
Real Name
Matt Hough
Correct. HOME FRONT COMMANDOS was the 'Our Gang' short in production when MGM pulled the plug. Actual shooting of the long running series ended November 26, 1943.

CHEERS! :)
Hmmm...that would have been a lousy Thanksgiving for some of the families involved in the production of these shorts.
 

Tony Bensley

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2013
Messages
7,306
Location
Somewhere in Canada
Real Name
Anthony
Hmmm...that would have been a lousy Thanksgiving for some of the families involved in the production of these shorts.
I'm not sure they actually knew at the time that November 26 would be the last day of shooting for the 'Our Gang' series. DANCING ROMEO (1944) was the short they were filming, at the time. If they were made aware the subsequent production had been canceled and that the series was being terminated, then yes, how lousy a Thanksgiving that must have been! :(
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
356,818
Messages
5,123,885
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
0
Top