Beginner's Luck (1935)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Brilliant and touching

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

Noticeably absent from all other comments I've read are these two: 1. The script doesn't make even a reference to Spanky's dad, and; 2. Kitty Kelly's (Spanky's mom) "shocking" experience when stage hook meets blown foot light socket.1. Where's Dad? Surprisingly for a '30s Roach short, the presence of at least a disinterested father in contrast to such a matriarchal mother figure was absent. Was Spanky's mom divorced/separated? Did dad pass away? Was he in the audience that fateful "talent" Friday night? Or was he just a busy guy at work and play so to stand clear of mom's equally boorish treatment of him (like son)? Without a father figure figuring into the script, it leaves the Rascals rescue crew (and Spanky's live-in grandma) to stand in for daddy. In the end. it was a rather hyper-matriarchal decision of director Gus Meins to leave dad completely out of the picture. Even a henpecked buffoon of a dad would've been comical!2. Static Cling-on. Perhaps a bit of a stretch, but Gus Meins really put some production value into this sight gag very near the marquee climax. So, consider this possible setup that the director may well have thought of, though not entirely clear...Question: Could the enormous amount of static electricity stored in Spanky's mom's dress following the "shocking socket" scene also account for why the rather dull-tipped metal curtain hook managed to so relentlessly snag onto her dress hem in the end?Well, gang, chew on these two for awhile as I look forward to your comments! Also, which if any Rascals and Stooges stunts have you tried to publicly duplicate? Candid Camera, anyone?

This is a rather cute little Our Gang short, but I also found it unsettling as it was clearly a case of art imitating life. It all begins with Spanky doing a recitation for his mother's friends. Clearly, the mother is an obnoxious mother of a kid who just wants to be a kid! Later, she enters him in a talent show--when all sorts of hijinks ensue--some of which is pretty cute.As I say, it's a case of art imitating life because I have read Leonard Maltin's book about the Rascals. And, unfortunately, a lot of the kids had pushy parents just like Spanky's in the film. It made the laughs a little less funny when I realized the writer for this short was probably influenced by the kids' real life folks! By the way, speaking of obnoxious folks, this was Alfalfa's first film with Our Gang. While cute in the films, he and his family are a VERY sad example of the sorts of pushy behavior and monstrous egos that were all too common with child actors. Read up on them when you get a chance--it's interesting but very, very sad.Also, in this film you hear a child poorly singing "Honolulu Baby"--the tune that was popularized in the great Laurel & Hardy feature "Sons of the Desert".

"Beginner's Luck" is a rascals jewel set around a children's amateur show.Spanky has been put into this show by his ambitious mother ,who believes he will wow the audience with his ability to recite Mark Antony's funeral oration of Shakespere's "Julius Ceasar".Spanky conspires with the gang to ruin his act and therefore put an end to his acting days.At the theater Spanky meets a lovely young girl who needs the prize money to buy the dress she is wearing but freezes on stage and now Spanky comes to her aide by telling her he will win and give her the prize.Spanky has his mom ,who has no idea their is a sabotage planned, go talk to the gang and stop their assault.As one would figure they don't understand his message and go ahead with their original idea.When Spanky begins his act the gang starts up hitting him with peashooters and loud wales on their noisemakers.Spanky tries his best to continue and try and win the prize.The audience think this is all part of his act and are laughing along as peashooters clack off his armored costume.Spanky's act is a pure winner in it's comedic form but his mother is upset that her son is being laughed at in such a raucous manner.She pleads to have the show stopped or someone to take Spanky off the stage.Her pleas fall on deaf ears as his act is a major hit.Spanky has won over the audience and doesn't know it.At this point the viewer is informed that Spanky has won the prize.His mother finally rushes to a back curtain to try to hook him and drag him off the stage.She is set to fall victim to the show stopping ending that she could have never imagined ,but is pure belly laughs! Spanky again steals the spotlight by trying to save his mother and winds up making a hysterical sight gag at his mother's expense that is nothing short of a hilarious.

I have found this short to be very strange,cruel,disturbing and really sets a poor example.I have also thought it to be very predictable as well.Knowing the rascals shorts one can see once Spank tells the girl he is going to win the prize for her and his mother has spoken to the gang to try and stop their planned assault what is going to happen.Spanky's mother runs afoul of the MC who is a real hard boiled type after he selects her son to open the show and she tells him "My son is too much of an artist to open a show".The MC decides to hold their act till the finale but doesn't tell them.From this point on the MC is nothing but pure obnoxious to Spank and his mom.When the little girl runs offstage the audience erupt with pretty wild laughter at her expense you know how cruel they are.Spanky has done a good deed by offering the prize after he wins and his mom also has done a good deed by agreeing and giving the girl and great big smile.Spanky's mom also does another good deed when she says she will talk to the gang.When Spanky starts off everything goes wrong,the act is now a comedy .His mother pleads with the MC but he won't take him off and is violent when she tries to run on stage.The good Samaritans have no allies at all even his granny is laughing at him.Granny then takes matters into her own hands and asks to raise the back curtain saying "Here's where we stop the show" and proceeds hiking the curtain as it snags the mother's dress and is taking it up with it.Grandma can be seen laughing hysterically as the audience joins in as it sees whats happening.What is going on with her-she is stripping her daughter in front of this wild crowd.No one comes to their aide and Spanky has to see his mother humiliated like this.Spanky tries to protect his mom and puts a theater board in front of her to hide her ,the audience laughter hits near riot level as she has her head on top of a large dog art work board.This is pure sadistic and cruel and way over the top .Very disturbing to see an adult woman and one of the kid's mother get this type of treatment.Once that prop goes into place you know the mother is degraded.It sets a bad example laughing at their misfortune.