Two Too Young
Encyclopedia
Two Too Young is a 1936
Our Gang
short comedy film
directed by Gordon Douglas
. Produced by Hal Roach
and released to theaters by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
, it was the 147th Our Gang
short to be released.
When Buckwheat and Porky refuse their offer, Spanky and Alfalfa sneak into the janitor's office and borrow his clothing to disguise themselves as an adult. Spanky sits on Alfalfa's shoulders, and also cuts Alfalfa's cowlick
off to use as a mustache (Alfalfa, upon learning Spanky has shorn him of his trademark: "I'm ruined!").
Telling the little kids that he's a G-man, the ersatz Spanky-Alfalfa "adult" succeeds in extracting the firecrackers from Buckwheat. Spanky and Alfafa fail to make an escape, however, without giving away their disguise. Undaunted, Spanky discards the disguise and begins attempting to light the firecrackers with his magnifying glass. Buckwheat gets even with him by sneaking into the classroom and ringing the teacher's bell, bringing recess to an early end. As everyone heads inside, Spanky has Alfalfa stuff the firecrackers in his back pocket, and Porky picks up Spanky's magnifying glass, which he'd left discarded on the ground as he headed back inside.
Back in class, Miss Lawrence calls on the children to recite their recitations, but it turns out that Alfalfa is the only one willing to recite. He stands to recite "The Charge of the Light Brigade
," revealing the firecrackers in his back pocket. Using the magnifying glass, Porky trains the light on Alfalfa's pocket, setting off the firecrackers so that by the time Alfalfa reaches the "Cannons to the left of me/Cannons to the right of me/Volleyed and thundered" verses of the poem, the poor boy's backside is on fire. Alfalfa runs around the classroom and then outside where he puts his rear out in a washtub full of cold water. With his mouth hanging open and his eyes closed, he dunks his rear end into the cold water over and over again. He does this as the rest of the class looks on and begins to laugh at the situation. At first he does not notice them, but then he looks over as he continues to dunk. When Alfalfa sees the whole class staring at him, he turns red and is VERY embarrassed, but can't stop dunking because it feels so good. Hilarious!
Classroom extras:
1936 in film
The year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
Our Gang
Our Gang
Our Gang, also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach's Rascals, was a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and the adventures they had together. Created by comedy producer Hal Roach, the series is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively...
short comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Gordon Douglas
Gordon Douglas (director)
Gordon Douglas was an American film director, who directed many different genres of films over the course of a five-decade career in motion pictures. He was a native of New York City.-Hal Roach and Our Gang:...
. Produced by Hal Roach
Hal Roach
Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach, Sr. was an American film and television producer and director, and from the 1910s to the 1990s.- Early life and career :Hal Roach was born in Elmira, New York...
and released to theaters by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
, it was the 147th Our Gang
Our Gang
Our Gang, also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach's Rascals, was a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and the adventures they had together. Created by comedy producer Hal Roach, the series is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively...
short to be released.
Plot
During a slow day at school, Alfalfa spends penmanship class writing a note to Spanky, informing his pal that the two "little kids", Buckwheat and Porky, have firecrackers and that Spanky should think of a way to relieve them of their possessions. Alfalfa delivers his note to Spanky via paper airplane, and as soon as recess begins, the two boys stop Buckwheat and Porky at the door and offer to trade a magnifying glass and a water pistol for the firecrackers.When Buckwheat and Porky refuse their offer, Spanky and Alfalfa sneak into the janitor's office and borrow his clothing to disguise themselves as an adult. Spanky sits on Alfalfa's shoulders, and also cuts Alfalfa's cowlick
Cowlick
A cowlick is a section of hair that stands straight up or lies at an angle at odds with the style in which the rest of an individual's hair is worn. Cowlicks appear when the growth direction of the hair forms a spiral pattern. The term "cowlick" originates from the domestic bovine's habit of...
off to use as a mustache (Alfalfa, upon learning Spanky has shorn him of his trademark: "I'm ruined!").
Telling the little kids that he's a G-man, the ersatz Spanky-Alfalfa "adult" succeeds in extracting the firecrackers from Buckwheat. Spanky and Alfafa fail to make an escape, however, without giving away their disguise. Undaunted, Spanky discards the disguise and begins attempting to light the firecrackers with his magnifying glass. Buckwheat gets even with him by sneaking into the classroom and ringing the teacher's bell, bringing recess to an early end. As everyone heads inside, Spanky has Alfalfa stuff the firecrackers in his back pocket, and Porky picks up Spanky's magnifying glass, which he'd left discarded on the ground as he headed back inside.
Back in class, Miss Lawrence calls on the children to recite their recitations, but it turns out that Alfalfa is the only one willing to recite. He stands to recite "The Charge of the Light Brigade
The Charge of the Light Brigade (poem)
"The Charge of the Light Brigade" is an 1854 narrative poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson about the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War...
," revealing the firecrackers in his back pocket. Using the magnifying glass, Porky trains the light on Alfalfa's pocket, setting off the firecrackers so that by the time Alfalfa reaches the "Cannons to the left of me/Cannons to the right of me/Volleyed and thundered" verses of the poem, the poor boy's backside is on fire. Alfalfa runs around the classroom and then outside where he puts his rear out in a washtub full of cold water. With his mouth hanging open and his eyes closed, he dunks his rear end into the cold water over and over again. He does this as the rest of the class looks on and begins to laugh at the situation. At first he does not notice them, but then he looks over as he continues to dunk. When Alfalfa sees the whole class staring at him, he turns red and is VERY embarrassed, but can't stop dunking because it feels so good. Hilarious!
Cast
- George McFarlandGeorge McFarlandGeorge Robert Phillips "Spanky" McFarland was an American actor most famous for his appearances as a child in the Our Gang series of short-subject comedies of the 1930s and 1940s...
- Spanky - Carl SwitzerCarl SwitzerCarl Dean "Alfalfa" Switzer was an American child actor, professional dog breeder and hunting guide, most notable for appearing in the Our Gang short subjects series as Alfalfa, one of the series' most popular and best-remembered characters.-Early life and family:Switzer was born in Paris,...
- Alfalfa - Eugene Lee - Porky
- Billie Thomas - Buckwheat
- Rosina LawrenceRosina LawrenceRosina Lawrence was a Canadian-born American actress, singer, and dancer. She was a native of Ottawa, Ontario.-Career:...
- Miss Lawrence
Classroom extras:
- Donald Proffitt
- Joe Strauch Jr.
- John CollumJohn CollumJohn K. Collum was an American child actor of the 1930s.-Career:Born in Illinois, Collum was the son of Hal Roach's casting director, Joseph Collum, and appeared in twenty-six of Roach's Our Gang comedies from 1932 to 1938...
- Tommy McFarland
- Dickie De Nuet
- Jerry TuckerJerry TuckerJerry Tucker is a former American child actor, most notable for appearing as the "rich kid" in the Our Gang short subjects series semi-regularly from 1931 to 1938....
- Rex Downing
- Sidney KibrickSidney KibrickSidney Kibrick is an American former child actor, most notable for appearing in the Our Gang short subjects series from 1935 to 1939. From 1937 to 1939, he portrayed "The Woim", the sidekick of the neighborhood bully "Butch", played by Tommy Bond.He is the brother of the late Leonard Kibrick,...
- Harold SwitzerHarold SwitzerHarold Frederick Switzer was an American child actor, most notable for appearing in the Our Gang short subjects series as an extra...