Thefirstepisodeswereshotin1922andfoundanendin1944.Totallythereare221singleepisodes.Acompletecatalogofallepisodesyouwillfindat"AllmoviesofOurGang/TheLittleRascalsataglance".Asmallpicturegalleryyoucanfindunder"Gallery"bbb
ThelittleRascalswerecalledintolivethroughthelegendaryproducerHalRoach(RoachalsospottedthecomediansLaurel&Hardy).ThetriggerforthecombinationofachildtroupewastheexceptionalbigsuccessofrascalErnie"SunshineSammy"MorrisonincomediesofHaroldLloydandSnubPollard.
Thecompositionofthetroupewascheckeredandrepresentedtypicalchildrenintheneighborhood.TheoriginalcastwereMaryKornman(thebeautifulgirl),Allen"Farina"Hoskins"(thenaivenegro),MickeyDaniels(thefreckledwhipper-snapper),JoeCobb(thepleasantfatperson),JackieCondon(therichfellow),ErnieMorrison(therascal)andlastbutnotleastPetethepetwithapaintedcirclearoundhisrighteye.
Thesuccessoftherascalswasbasedontheimitationoftheworldoftheadultbutatthesametimetheyplayedatrickorshewabehaviorwhichtheadultswouldn'tdaretodothemselves.Itisalsoastonishingthatthechildrenactedextremelynaturalincontrasttothechildstarsinthe30'swiththeirpseudoadultness.
Thestoriesweremadefromsimplepatternbutaffectionate.Atthistimedidn'texistrealscriptsbutrathertherewasashortoutlineofthemaintheme,gagsandotherideasweredevelopedonlyduringtheshot.Thesuccessoftheserialwasn'tduetoasinglepersonbutwastheresultofaexemplaryteamwork.
Eachepisodeofferednewadventuresforthechildren.ThereisatriptoNewYorkwherehappenedthecoincidencethatthechildrenareabletonabbingabus,toplaydeadheadortohoveroverthecitywithapieceoffabricasparachutereplacement.
Inspiteoftheirunusualbehavior,therascalsneverhadtoexpectseriousconsequencesbecausetheytrickedtheadultswithwitandphantasie.Perhapsthechildrentookasoundthrashingafterasuccessfuladventure,butafterthattheyshowtotheaudiencewitharoguishexpressionthattheprecededadventurewasworthforthisandthatnothingcouldtakeawaytheirgobyexperiences.
WhenHalRoachsoldtheserialtoM-G-Min1938,itranginthedeclineoftheserial.M-G-Mwasn'tabletomaintainingthemagicwhichtheserialradiatedbeforeandwasshutdownin1944.
SincethentheserialexperiencedaresurrectiontimeandagainthroughbroadcastingsonTV.Withthistheyerectedalastingmonumenttothelittlerascals.
