Official Officers

"Official Officers" is an unusual installment of the Our Gang comedies as it's set in the inner city. Most seemed to be set in the suburbs or even the country.

When the story begins, the kids have no place to play and often play in the streets...which is very dangerous. To make matters worse, the cop on this beat, Officer McManus, is a bully and has no sympathy for the kids. And, not surprisingly, the kids fear him. However, the Police Inspector gets a look at McManus' actions and soon replaces him with another officer who tries hard to make the community like him. As a result, the kids now begin playing policeman...and they want to be just like them. So what will they do when now civilian McManus returns and is looking for trouble?

This installment of Our Gang finds the film with less emphasis on laughs and more on social commentary. I think it has a great point to make and the story is timeless.

By the way, this is the first appearance of Farina's real life sister, Jannie. She is adorable...just like her little big brother!