Hal Roach had a great idea after observing several neighborhood children playing outside of his office window. He thought if he were so captivated by these children, others might follow suit. He was right. In 1922, Mr. Roach, with the help of Producer/Director Bob McGowan, started production on a series of films that would endure not only the Great Depression of the early 1930’s, but would live on to be one of the most popular comedy series to date…Our Gang.

Most people are not aware that the original Our Gang films were "silent movies." Yes, before Spanky, Darla, Porky, Buckwheat and Alfalfa, there were Joe Cobb, Mary Kornman, Mickey Daniels, Jackie Condon and Farina Hoskins, to name a few. They blazed the trail for those who followed. Farina and Joe were probably the most prolific members from this period. They combined for a total of 195 appearances throughout the years. Both were able to successfully make the transition from "silents" to "talkies."

The Gang had many incarnations throughout the years. The early 1930’s featured, in my opinion, the best ensemble cast of the series. The teaming of Farina, Mary Ann Jackson, Jackie Cooper, "Wheezer" Hutchins, Dorothy DeBorba, Chubby Chaney, and Pete the Pup was truly a casting director’s dream come true. The addition of June Marlowe (Miss Crabtree) topped-off this wonderful cast. She was both the "love interest" of Jackie and the straight-man for some of the best skits in film history.

The year 1932 marked the first appearance of "Spanky" McFarland. He was teamed with Dickie Moore, "Brisbane" McComas, "Stymie" Beard, Tommy "Butch" Bond and both Wheezer and Dorothy, who were by then outgrowing their roles in the series. Hal Roach felt Spanky would be a building-block to reconstruct The Gang. He was right. During the period of 1932-1935, Spanky was the ace-in-the-hole. While subsequent cast members appeared briefly, but never really caught-on, Spanky’s natural charm earned him a permanent position as one of the most popular of all the Rascals.
By 1935, the cast had solidified. "Buckwheat" Thomas joined Spanky in late 1934. Though there were other people before him that were given the nickname "Buckwheat", Billie Thomas went on to become the Buckwheat we all know and love. "Alfalfa" Switzer, "Porky" Lee, and Darla Hood were added during the 1935 campaign, and joined forces with Spanky and Buckwheat to create some of the more popular Our Gang shorts.

Hal Roach sold the Our Gang series to M-G-M in May of 1938. This brought an end to an era. Many people , myself included, feel this was the end of Our Gang. M-G-M failed to capture the magic and innocence of the previous years. Even with the cast of Spanky, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Porky and Darla, M-G-M could not sustain what Hal Roach had created…a comedic masterpiece.

The series eventually came to an end in 1944. There were several attempts, though half-hearted, to revive Our Gang. Hal Roach even attempted to recapture the original magic he had helped create. He released two films during the late 1940's - Curly and Who Killed Doc Robbin - which were not nearly as good as his original work with Our Gang.

In 1950, the original Our Gang films were re-released as "The Little Rascals." They were shown primarily in movie theaters, but eventually made their way to television in 1955. The films were aired on TV throughout the 1950's and 60's exposing new generations to the exploits of this timeless comedy series. The 1970's found the films at the center of racial controversy. King World Productions, the current owners of the rights to the series, was forced to edit most of the films to eliminate racial stereotypes. Some of the films were totally removed from the TV programming rotation. Among these films were: The Kid From Borneo, Little Sinner, Lazy Days, Little Daddy, Big Ears, A Tough Winter, Moan & Groan, Inc. and A Lad an' a Lamp. These films did contain some racial stereotypes of the day and are considered fairly offensive by today's standards, but there never seemed to be any racial negativity when it came to the interaction among the kids.

Today, there are few TV stations, if any, that broadcast the films, although through video distribution the Rascals continue to gain new audiences and re-aquaint old ones. There are several web sites and at least one discussion group devoted to Our Gang. In addition, some of the original Our Gang members are still active in promoting the gang. Tommy "Butch" Bond appears regularly at film conventions and autograph shows. Dorothy DeBorba also attends the conventions and shows. Others are marketing pictures and memorabilia from their days in the gang. Still, others simply just enjoy the fact that people are still interested in the films, and will gladly respond to attempts to contact them