Framing Youth (1937)

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

. . . the one World Certainty, "Our Gang" consistently reminded America during the 1930s. This juvenile mob, led by its hulking kingpin "Spanky," terrorized any kids who did not belong to the coercive clique. FRAMING YOUTH relates the sad details surrounding a challenge from shrinking violet virtuoso violinist "Butch McGann" to Spanky's extortion ring lieutenant, "Alfalfa." Alleged "crooner" Alfalfa's vocal stylings sound slightly worse than a croaking frog, as his weak warbles wobble and crack at least once per song stanza. However, the "fix" is in for Alfalfa during FRAMING YOUTH. Even AFTER Butch has won the Grand Prize for musical kids fair and square by performing flawlessly, the contest organizers are browbeaten into allowing a very tardy Alfalfa to dumb down the proceedings with a cacophony more grating than nails on a blackboard. While the brute Spanky is busy giving accomplished fiddler Butch TWO black eyes, his riotous Little Rascal pals intimidate the weak-kneed adults into reneging on Butch's just desserts, revoking his reward, and reallocating the trophy to croaking crooner Alfalfa!

....but I DON'T like hearing singing in Our Gang films. Up until Darla and Alfalfa entered the series late in its lifespan at Hal Roach Studios, the kids NEVER sang or danced. The emphasis was on kids acting like kids. Now, in films like "Framing Youth", the emphasis is on Alfalfa's god-awful singing--something that gets old because he did it so many times in these films. The first time you hear him, it's mildly funny--but this is about the sixth one with him crooning. Fortunatley, in this one there is at least a SLIGHT variation on this familiar theme.The short begins with a cute bit with a talent agency--with the gang (Darla, Buckwheat, Porky and Spanky) all working with their star, Alfalfa--getting him ready for the big talent contest. Soon, however, the evil Butch enters and threatens Alfalfa--as HE intends to win. Despite this, the Alfalfinator performs...and there will be consequences.Fortunately, while Alfalfa sings, the frog bit wasn't too bad and was at least mildly funny. Certainly not a great short (especially compared to the earlier films) but quite watchable and cute. I especially liked it when Buckwheat phoned Porky!

An OUR GANG Comedy Short. Spanky is manager of the Rascals' new Voice Studio, with Alfalfa as crooner in residence. They have plans on entering Alfalfa in a local talent contest. But Butch plans to win the contest with his violin and he becomes a FRAMING YOUTH by threatening mayhem if Spanky doesn't find some way to keep Alfalfa out of the running.A pleasant little film. The Studio, with office workers Porky, Buckwheat & Darla is cute. Alfalfa's singing of `Just An Echo In The Valley' is hilarious.

Butch is out to win a talent show. The only way he can do this is by making sure Alfalfa is out of the competition. So Butch decides that threatening Alfalfa's manager, Spanky, with grievous bodily harm is the ticket. In the end, though, Alfalfa sings...with some help from a frog stuck in his collar. Not a fantastic Our Gang offering. The climactic talent show scene runs out of steam quickly. Only a scene toward the beginning in which Darla, Porky, and Buckwheat serve as Spanky's office staff is more like the gang we know and love.