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He-Man Woman-Haters Club?
Our Gang's Drag Fun
By Zoe Zyzzyx
The Our Gang, also known interchangeably as The
Little Rascals, is what you might call a young boys' network.
Throughout the many cast changes over the decades the Rascals
maintained a roster of all boys plus one token girl. This formula
provided many opportunities for innocent crossdressing for these
charming tikes.
There was some gender bending behind the scenes
as Farina's stage mother had the lad dress as a girl for the audition
for Hal Roach, the producer. History would repeat itself a few
years later when Buckwheat's mother would do the same to him for
his audition. Buckwheat, however, would actually play a girl for
several episodes. Buckwheat's costume was usually loose fitting
and rather unisex styled. However, in Shrimps For a Day
Buckwheat did get something frilly to wear!
The first time drag worked its way into
an Our Gang comedy is in the silent short Baby Clothes.
Two of the boys, Mickey and Joe, have been bribed into helping
a shifty couple swindle their rich uncle. If the couple can convince
the uncle that Mickey is his little niece and Joe, a rather portly
little boy, is his baby nephew the uncle could be coerced into
giving the couple a bigger allowance. Complicating this little
scheme is a midget who likes to masquerade as an infant, a little
boy who develops a crush on the feminized Mickey and Mickey himself
who can't keep his pants rolled up underneath his skirt!
Spud is a Little Rascal who seems to enjoy dressing.
In Choo Choo, the Rascals take the place of orphans on
a train ride. Spud taunts a little girl passenger and she chases
him out of sight. When the two return, a few minutes later, it
is apparent they have made up because they return in each other's
clothes! The Rascals have put together a play based on Uncle Tom's
Cabin in Spanky. Spud has the role of Aunt Ophelia and
he plays the part with a certain dignity. He almost makes one
wish that the short were only about putting on this play. Stymie
plays Uncle Tom and he wasn't supposed to be in drag for this
one but his sister has a bellyache and he must take on the role
of Topsy too. His costume as the little slave girl is a simple
wig with ribbons and a burlap sack with "Topsy" written
on it for a dress. His character develops a cute little walk as
Topsy to let the audience know he is getting into the role. The
double role turns out a bit too much for the little thespian when
he appears on stage as Topsy with a bald pate!
The axiom of the theater is "the show must
go on." The Little Rascals must take these words to heart
especially dealing with a primadonna the likes of Darla. She walks
out as the female lead during the presentation of Romeo and Juliet
in Pay As You Exit. When Alfalfa's Romeo pines "Juliet,
wherefore art thou?", "Here I is!" is the response
from the balcony as Buckwheat, in costume, takes her place. When
Darla storms out of the production of "Tales of The Arabian
Nights" in Aladdin's Lantern it is Spanky who dons
the harem girl costume to save the day. The chorus girls fail
to show up for Our Gang Follies of 1936 so every boy in
the gang puts on the turn of the century dresses. With the instructions
to follow Spanky's dance steps, the consequences are hilarious.
Sometimes drag is a convenient disguise. In Rushin'
Ballet, Spanky and Alfalfa are in over their heads as sleuths
and they find themselves being chased by a pair of bullies. A
dance school provides a quick cover and an easy disguise as ballerinas.
Trying to escape their pursuers, they are hustled onto the stage
of a dance recital! Imagine the teacher's horror as she sees four
sets of dancers when there should only be three! Rather than get
a scolding from the teacher, Alfalfa remains on stage. The orchestra
plays an encore as Alfalfa is joined by two boy dancers. The bullies
have taken over for the real dancers however and what happens
next is more World Wrestling Federation than Swan Lake! (This
classic scene was remade and expanded in The Little Rascals film
feature in 1994.)
Alfalfa was made president of The He-man Woman
Haters Club in absentia in Mail and Female. He must now
get the love letter that he sent to Darla. A love letter that
was never delivered! Smelling a rat, the Gang is in hot pursuit
of the young lover. However, instead of finding Alfalfa red handed
violating the club's rules about fraternizing with the opposite
sex, they are fooled by him dolled up in costume featuring a curly
blond wig. In his falsetto southern twang he explains that he
is Darla's cousin Amelia from New York. Not only do the older
boys buy the story, they are charmed by Amelia!
Froggy thinks there is a party going on to which
he was not invited in Surprised Parties. When he crashes
the party en femme, it is fun to watch as the Gang wonders who
this new brash neighborhood girl is however briefly. In other
shorts: Stymie tries to pass himself off as the little mistress
of the mansion in Bargain Day, the gang spends the night
at Darla's house in her night clothes in Night 'n' Gales
and in The New Pupil, Spanky and Alfalfa are humiliated
in dresses playing with dolls.
Adults can't let kids have all of the fun. Four
male crooks try to pass themselves off as a family consisting
of a husband, wife and two babies in an attempt to rip off wealthy
matrons in Free Eats. In School's Out the Gang suspects
that the man asking about their popular teacher is going to marry
her and take her away. When the gang takes his clothes the only
thing he can find to wear is a you-know-what.
The Our Gang and Little Rascals comedies mentioned
in this article can be readily available at your local video store,
your neighborhood library or on cable television. When you ask
for the shorts don't forget to give the high sign!
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