Washee Ironee

Infobox Film
name = Washee Ironee


image_size =
caption =
director = James Parrott
producer = Hal Roach
writer =
narrator =
starring =
music =
cinematography = Francis Corby
editing = Louis McManus
distributor = MGM
released = 29 September, 1934
runtime = 20 minutes
country = USA
language = English
budget =
preceded_by = "Mike Fright"
followed_by = "Mama's Little Pirate"
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0025961

"Washee Ironee" is a 1934 "Our Gang" short comedy film directed by James Parrott. It was the 131st "Our Gang" short (43rd talking episode) that was released.

Plot

On the day that he is scheduled to perform a violin solo at a swank bridge luncheon held by his social-climbing mother, rich kid Waldo opts instead to play football with the Our Gang kids. With Waldo's help, the kids win the game, but his expensive clothes are covered with mud. Unofficial "Gang" leader Spanky McFarland declares that he and his pals are perfectly capable of washing Wally's duds on their own --- and the result is a slapstick smorgasbord, culminating in a typically outsized Hal Roach traffic jam. cite web |url=http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/225674/Washee-Ironee/overview |title=New York Times: Washee Ironee |accessdate=2008-09-20|work=NY Times]

This episode was directed by James Parrott, who directed many Laurel and Hardy shorts. It was Wally Albright's last episode as well. Wally left the gang to return to normal life. He had served for a short time but got many lead roles, including one on this episode. It was also Billie Thomas' third episode but not yet as Buckwheat. Willie Mae Taylor holds that role on this episode. But from the next episode on Billie Thomas would be Buckwheat. He would play a girl for the next year but the character would morph into a boy by mid 1935. Billie would appear in every succeeding Our Gang Hal Roach episode with the exception of Feed'm and Weep in 1938. He also would appear in all 52 MGM Our Gang episodes until the series ended in 1944. Washie Iornee is also Tommy Bond's last episode for his first tenure with Our Gang. Tommy returned two and a half years later as a recurring character who is a bully named Butch.

Washie Iornee was edited by about 5 minutes on the syndicated Little Rascals television package beginning in 1971 due to stereotyping of African Americans and Asians. The full episode was not even reinstated on the AMC showings from 2001 to 2003, unlike most other episodes due to the fact that the film was not considered that strong. It was available on VHS home video in the late 1990's and will be available on DVD as of October 28, 2008.

Cast

* Wally Albright - Waldo

* Matthew Beard - Stymie
* Scotty Beckett - Scotty
* George McFarland - Spanky
* Tommy Bond - Tommy
* Alvin Buckelew - Alvin
* John Collum
* Leonard Kibrick - Leonard
* Willie Mae Taylor - Buckwheat
* Billie Thomas - Game Spectator
* Jerry Tucker
* Tommy McFarland
* Joe Strauch Jr.
* Pete The Pup - Petie
* Ernie Alexander - Pedestrian
* Gertrude Astor - Maid of Olympia
* Symona Boniface - Maid of Olympia
* Lester Dorr - Pedestrian
* Billy Gilbert - Sneeze dub (voice)
* Julia Griffith - Maid of Olympia
* James C. Morton - Policeman
* James Parrott - Man walking by laundry
* Tiny Sandford - Policeman directing traffic
* Ellinor Vanderveer - Waldo's mother
* Yen Wong - Kid from Laundromat

ee also

* Our Gang filmography

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0025961|title=Washee Ironee