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Tale of a Dog

  • 1944
  • Approved
  • 10m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
107
YOUR RATING
Robert Blake, Janet Burston, Billy 'Froggy' Laughlin, Billie 'Buckwheat' Thomas, and Our Gang in Tale of a Dog (1944)
ComedyFamilyShort

When Bigshot Jones gives his unnamed dog to the All-For-One Club, Buckwheat quickly named the canine, "Smallpox". When Froggy, Mickey, Janet all other Our Gang members first hear, they mista... Read allWhen Bigshot Jones gives his unnamed dog to the All-For-One Club, Buckwheat quickly named the canine, "Smallpox". When Froggy, Mickey, Janet all other Our Gang members first hear, they mistakenly think that Bigshot has given Buckwheat the disease of the same name. Froggy, Janet, ... Read allWhen Bigshot Jones gives his unnamed dog to the All-For-One Club, Buckwheat quickly named the canine, "Smallpox". When Froggy, Mickey, Janet all other Our Gang members first hear, they mistakenly think that Bigshot has given Buckwheat the disease of the same name. Froggy, Janet, and Mickey proceed to incite a panic in the town of Greenpoint by spreading rumors of a sm... Read all

  • Director
    • Cy Endfield
  • Writers
    • Hal Law
    • Robert A. McGowan
  • Stars
    • Our Gang
    • Gene Collins
    • Margaret Bert
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    107
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Cy Endfield
    • Writers
      • Hal Law
      • Robert A. McGowan
    • Stars
      • Our Gang
      • Gene Collins
      • Margaret Bert
    • 7User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos1

    View Poster

    Top cast14

    Edit
    Our Gang
    • Children
    Gene Collins
    • Kid who grabs Dickie
    Margaret Bert
    • Alarmed Citizen
    • (uncredited)
    Robert Blake
    Robert Blake
    • Mickey Blake
    • (uncredited)
    Janet Burston
    • Janet
    • (uncredited)
    Willa Pearl Curtis
    • Buckwheat's Mother
    • (uncredited)
    Fern Emmett
    Fern Emmett
    • Prissy Gossiper #3
    • (uncredited)
    Richard Hall
    Richard Hall
    • Dickie, small boy
    • (uncredited)
    Cordell Hickman
    Cordell Hickman
    • Big Shot Jones
    • (uncredited)
    Billy 'Froggy' Laughlin
    Billy 'Froggy' Laughlin
    • Froggy Laughlin
    • (uncredited)
    Dorothy Neumann
    Dorothy Neumann
    • Prissy Gossiper #2
    • (unconfirmed)
    • (uncredited)
    Anita Sharp-Bolster
    Anita Sharp-Bolster
    • Prissy Gossiper #1
    • (uncredited)
    Billie 'Buckwheat' Thomas
    Billie 'Buckwheat' Thomas
    • Buckwheat Thomas
    • (uncredited)
    Emmett Vogan
    Emmett Vogan
    • Dr. Parkson
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Cy Endfield
    • Writers
      • Hal Law
      • Robert A. McGowan
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews7

    6.3107
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    Featured reviews

    8tomneiman

    A cute and funny short

    Contrary to the defamatory statements made by so-called Our Gang critics Hal Erickson and Leonard Maltin, I found this to be an amusing film. I especially enjoyed the scenes of Buckwheat, Big Shot, and Smallpox the dog, the phone booth, Buckwheat covered with ice, and the talking animation of the dog at the end. I found this film to be funnier than so-called Little Rascals' classics such as "Dogs is Dogs" which I did not find to be funny at all. Give these MGM episodes a break. Release them together with of all of the other 88 Hal Roach talking episodes in packets of DVDs. While I'm at it, maybe somebody will find all of the missing films of the silent Our Gang episodes. That way, all 221 of them will be ready for packaged release on DVD. What a collection!
    6kpetnews

    Not too bad until Mickey, Froggy and Janet become involved

    Oddly enough, I found the first minute or so with Buckwheat and Big Shot discussing the dog to be a warm, endearing scene. Buckwheat's decision to call the dog "Smallpox" is rather contrived, but the scene still feels more natural than you might expect. Later, there are a couple of funny little digs at gossipy housewives (who all attended the Margaret Hamilton finishing school, it seems) and the phone booth bit IS kind of amusing (but is there no other phone booth in this dang town?) but, alas, it's all capped off by another lecture, which seems to be the only thing MGM honed down to a fine science in these shorts.

    Better than the usual MGM short, because there's some attempt at gags and some characterization. Not a terrible way to end the series.
    8dweilermg-1

    Great Comedy But ...

    Sadly Willa Pearl Curtis' portrayal of Buckwheat's mama as a goofy stereotypical black "Mammy" would keep this comedy short off of TV today. ♣
    5wes-connors

    Production Closes on "Our Gang"

    It's a sad day for Big Shot Jones (Cordell Hickman), who has been ordered to get rid of his dog. The problem is solved when Buckwheat Thomas (Billie Thomas) agrees to take ownership. He names the dog "Smallpox" and takes it to the clubhouse. Froggy (Billy Laughlin), Mickey (Robert Blake) and Janet (Janet Burston) arrive and overhear the boys talking. They mistakenly assume Buckwheat and Big Shot have smallpox. They inform the Greenpoint health officer and, soon, the entire town is in a panic. This is the penultimate "Our Gang" comedy released, and the last one filmed; this is most interesting for that fact. They had a great, 20-year run and more than duplicated that success in television re-runs.

    ***** Tale of a Dog (4/15/44) Cyril Endfield ~ Billie Thomas, Billy Laughlin, Robert Blake, Janet Burston

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    Related interests

    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Drew Barrymore and Pat Welsh in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
    Family
    Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)
    Short

    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The last "Our Gang" short to be produced.
    • Goofs
      In the film's very last scene - while Smallpox, who was just renamed Spotty, is "talking" - the can of dog food on the bottom right is stacked *upside down,* while all the other cans are stacked right-side-up.
    • Quotes

      "Smallpox"/"Spotty" the Dog: My, oh my! That sho' is good news!

      [sho is African-American slang]

      "Smallpox"/"Spotty" the Dog: [Final line of an an Our Gang comedy short, in 35 years. The next Our Gang short was an animated special, that was filmed in 1979. A Christmas special, The Little Rascals' Christmas Special was filmed in Spring of 1979, was also 'Darla Hood's acting role. She died on Wednesday, June 13th, 1979, from acute hepatitis]

    • Crazy credits
      Smallpox, (just renamed Spotty) the dog's mouth speaking, as it says: My, oh my! That sho' is good news!
    • Connections
      Featured in Our Gang: Inside the Clubhouse (1984)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 15, 1944 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • Loew's
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 10m
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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