This is the first time I have ever seen an episode of the
Little Rascals in color. I didn’t think that I would enjoy it as much as I did.
I was the same way when it came to the colorizations of many of my favorite
classic movies when that was first being done in the 1990’s., but I have come
to really enjoy it with some films. Of course, certain movies should always be
viewed in black and white; Casablanca is a prime example of that; but for the
most part the colorization process lends certain clarity to the old films. It’s
also interesting to be able to see the furnishings and clothing more clearly.
There is so much more detail, which I did not expect.
In this 1935, the gang struggles with the everyday problem
of finding enough food to eat. In the midst of the Great Depression this was
not an isolated problem, but one with which audiences could readily identify.
Even if they themselves were not on Public Assistance, everyone in the audience
knew someone who was.
Woven into this story
is a bit of Social Injustice, as Stymie tries to keep the dreaded Dog Catcher
from taking his dog to the pound. Unless he can come up with the $5 necessary
for a license, the dog will be gassed by the end of the day. With no money for
food, it’s a stretch of the imagination to figure out where he is going to get
the money to save his dog. But, they say that the Lord hears the prayers of
children first, so when Stymie prays for that $5, and it just floats in on the
wind, it is really no surprise. Neither is the policeman who chases him
thinking the money is stolen.
When the gang finally arrives at the Pound with the money,
they are told by the sadistic Dog Catcher that they are too late and the dog is
dead. He actually smiles as he tells them. But things usually work out in these
old shorts, and this is no exception. I used to watch these old films every day
before going to school. As a kid I readily identified with their problems and
the injustices heaped upon them by the adults. And, at 58 years of age, I still
do.
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