Main Cast: George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, Eugene "Porky" Lee, Darla Hood
Release Year: 1939
Country: US
Run Time: 1rl minutes
Plot
The Our Gang kids' hopes to win the upcoming Kidmobile Race Classic are nearly dashed when town bully Tommy "Butch" Bond arranges for the gang's pet pooch Whiskers to be picked up by the dog pound. But instead of demoralizing the gang, the impoundment of Whiskers merely gives them a stronger reason to win the race and claim the prize, with which they will pay the dog's license fee. Only temporarily foiled, Butch and his pal Sidney "Woim" Kibrick try every dirty trick in the book to sabotage the gang's homemade "auto." The one-reel Our Gang comedy Auto Antics was originally released on July 22, 1939. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Auto Antics is a 1939Our Gangshortcomedy film directed by Edward Cahn. It was the 182nd Our Gang short (183rd episode, 94th talking short, 95th talking episode, and 14th MGM produced episode) that was released.
The gang's hopes to win the upcoming Kidmobile Race Classic are nearly dashed when town bully Butch arranges for the gang's pet pooch Whiskers to be picked up by the dog pound. But instead of demoralizing the gang, the impoundment of Whiskers merely gives them a stronger reason to win the race and claim the prize, with which they will pay the dog's license fee. Only temporarily foiled, Butch and his pal Woim try every dirty trick in the book to sabotage the gang's homemade "auto." [1]
Notes
This episode sees the first major exit since the Our Gang unit was sold by Hal Roach. Eugene Lee leaves the role of Porky due to the fact that he was actually taller than Spanky at this point. Its also determined that he was growing too fast and becoming too big to be cute anymore. Robert Blake, playing Mickey, actually replaced him. In the coming year many of the better known Our Gangers would leave the series as it would go downhill even faster than the past year.
