Melodies Old and New

This M-G-M musical short, Melodies Old and New, is the two hundred fourth entry in the "Our Gang" series and the one hundred sixteenth talkie. The gang are trying to raise money for football uniforms so once again, Froggy's Uncle Walter Wills decides to put on a show. Compared to Ye Olde Minstrels, the show itself is once again a makeshift operation with one of the numbers involving Spanky, Mickey, Froggy, and Buckwheat doing their own amusing renditions of old popular songs with each-except for Buckwheat-also doing a solo. Janet Burston also does a nice number at the beginning before also introing some professional kid dancers doing what's popular at the time of this short. I really liked this one so that's a recommendation of Melodies Old and New. P.S. Supposedly Dwayne Hickman-later to be known as Dobie Gillis on TV-was one of the kid dancers.

This is another one of those MGM mini-musicals in which the Our Gang kids seems almost peripheral, at least compared to the professional dancers in this film

In the beginning, we see the likes of Spanky, Buckwheat, Mickey, etc., as they ask Walter Wills to help them put on another show (sounds like "Ye Olde Minstrels II").

And in the opening number we do have Janet (in her pre-obnoxious days) doing a cute rendition of "Grandman Wore a Bustle." Then Spanky, Mickey, Buckwheat, and Froggy do a medley of songs. Each does a solo, except Buckwheat for some reason: perhaps he couldn't sing (though that didn't stop the other boys..heh heh).

Ironically, the best part of this short doesn't even involve the talents of Our Gang. This is where the professional child dancers come out to do show their stuff: they do the jitterbug, the Charleston, the boogie woogie, etc. It's really neat to watch.

With that said, I'm not entirely convinced I was watching an Our Gang short. It was more like a Dancing School recital with the Gang as supporting players. Still, it's an overall enjoyable film.