Alfalfa's Aunt

Alfalfa's Aunt
Alfalfa's Aunt
Directed by	George Sidney
Written by	Hal Law; Robert A. McGowan
Produced by	Jack Chertok
Cinematography	Jackson Rose
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date	January 7, 1939 (U.S.);
Running time	10:37
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$17,972

Alfalfa's Aunt is a 1939 comedy short subject, the 176th entry in the Our Gang (Little Rascals) series originally created by Hal Roach.^[2] Produced by Jack Chertok for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by George Sidney, the one-reel short was released to theaters in January 1939 by MGM.

Plot

Alfalfa's Aunt Penelope sends the Switzers a telegram that says that she's coming to visit. She has given up her pursuits of being a sculptor and has turned to writing murder mysteries. Just before Alfalfa's parents leave to attend a meeting that night, Penelope reads Alfalfa's father John a page of her story, which is written in the form of a letter:

"Dear X,

I have discovered that only my nephew stands between me and the Switzer millions! So like the others, he shall die in agony - tonight - at the stroke of nine!"

After John and his wife Martha go out and leave Alfalfa in Penelope's care, Alfalfa stumbles upon the page that Penelope read to John. He becomes horrified, believing that his own aunt is plotting to murder him. He tells Penelope that he is going to bed and then summons the gang to help prevent him from being murdered. While dumping out poisons in the bathroom, Porky causes a sudden loud, long noise, which leads Penelope to believe that the house is being burglarized.

Eventually, Alfalfa's parents return home and the gang proudly tell the adults that they saved Alfalfa from being killed by his aunt. Angered by the insanity and misunderstandings, Penelope decides to pack up and leave immediately ("How can an author write in a madhouse like this?!"). The entire situation is explained and all the misunderstandings are cleared up. Before Alfalfa is given a chance to apologize to his Aunt Penelope, John rewards him with a dollar bill just for getting rid of her.

Cast

The Gang

Carl Switzer as Alfalfa Switzer
Eugene Gordon Lee as Porky
George McFarland as Spanky
Billie Thomas as Buckwheat
Gary Jasgar as Slapsie
Leonard Landy as Leonard

Additional cast

Barbara Bedford as Martha Switzer, Alfalfa's mother
Marie Blake as Martha's sister and Alfalfa's Aunt Penelope.
William Newell as John Switzer, Alfalfa's father

Reception

Alfalfa's Aunt is considered one of the better Our Gang shorts produced after Hal Roach sold the series to MGM in mid-1938; the post-Roach era is generally considered a subpar era for the series.

References

^ Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang, p. 238. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-517-58325-9
^ Maltin, Leonard; Bann, Richard W. (1977). Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals. Crown Publishers. p. 226. Retrieved 3 March 2024.