A Lad an' a Lamp

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A Lad an' a Lamp
Lad an a lamp TITLE.JPEG
Directed by Robert F. McGowan
Produced byRobert F. McGowan
Hal Roach
Cinematography Art Lloyd
Edited by Richard C. Currier
Music by Leroy Shield
Marvin Hatley
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • December 17, 1932 (1932-12-17)
Running time
16' 51" [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

A Lad an' a Lamp is a 1932 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 119th (32nd talking episode) Our Gang short that was released. The film has been criticized as containing racist humor.

Contents

Plot

Fascinated by the story of Aladdin and his magic lamp, the gang gather together with several gasoline and kerosene lamps and lanterns and a few electric lamps hoping that by rubbing them vigorously, a genie will appear. Thanks to a series of coincidences—not least of which involves a friendly stage magician—the kids become convinced that they have succeeded in invoking Aladdin. But their excitement turns to dismay when Stymie believes Spanky has transformed his kid brother Cotton into a monkey (chimpanzee).

Cast

The Gang

Additional cast

Cast notes

Bobby Hutchins returns to the fold after missing Hook and Ladder , Free Wheeling , and Birthday Blues .

Critique

Despite a sequence in which Spanky enjoys a free meal at a lunch counter, courtesy of a trained monkey, A Lad an' a Lamp has been criticized as containing racist humor that seems inappropriate when viewed in the 21st century. For this reason, A Lad an' a Lamp has been withdrawn from the "Little Rascals" television package. [2] It is currently available in its entirety on VHS and DVD.

See also

Related Research Articles

The Our Gang personnel page is a listing of the significant cast and crew from the Our Gang short subjects film series, originally created and produced by Hal Roach which ran in movie theaters from 1922 to 1944.

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Bobbie Beard was an American child actor, best known for portraying "Cotton" in several Our Gang short films from 1932 to 1934. He was a native of Los Angeles, California. His older brother was Matthew "Stymie" Beard, one of the series' most popular and best-remembered characters.

References

  1. theluckycorner.com/
  2. Hal Erickson (2011). "New York Times: A Lad an' a Lamp". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved September 19, 2008.