Election Day
"The Little Rascals are on the campaign trail—and it's a landslide of laughs!"
Plot
In the midst of a heated local election, the Our Gang neighborhood is divided between two rival candidates for 'mayor,' Jay R. Smith and Joe Cobb, who resort to aggressive campaigning and physical intimidation to secure votes from their peers. Farina, tasked by his mother to deliver heavy bundles of laundry to various clients, finds himself caught in the crossfire as he is repeatedly harassed and threatened with a 'sock in the jaw' if he doesn't pledge his allegiance to one of the candidates. To navigate the treacherous streets and complete his chores without being bullied, Farina utilizes his ingenuity to create a series of elaborate disguises, including a dress to pass as an elderly woman, a hula-style dancer outfit, and eventually a scarecrow in a field. The situation escalates into a chaotic series of slapstick encounters involving a local election booth, a runaway goat, and the eventual realization that the 'political' stakes are far less important than the simple task of finishing his work. The film concludes with the typical Our Gang brand of mayhem as the election results lead to more physical comedy than actual civic resolution.
About the Production
This film was produced during the critical transition period between silent films and 'talkies.' While primarily a silent short, it was released with a synchronized Vitaphone disc soundtrack featuring music and sound effects. It was the 82nd Our Gang short to be released. Robert A. McGowan, nephew of the primary series director Robert F. McGowan, took the helm for this entry, maintaining the signature pacing and child-centric perspective that made the series a staple of the 1920s.
Historical Background
1929 was a pivotal year in American history, marking the end of the 'Roaring Twenties' and the beginning of the Great Depression following the stock market crash in October. 'Election Day' was released in March, during a time of relative prosperity and a fascination with the democratic process following the 1928 Presidential election. The film reflects the era's social norms, including the depiction of child labor (Farina delivering laundry) and the casual use of physical threats as comedy. It also captures the architectural and social landscape of pre-urbanized Culver City, California.
Why This Film Matters
The 'Our Gang' series was groundbreaking for its time because it featured a racially integrated cast of children playing together as equals, a rarity in the Jim Crow era. While the films still utilized certain racial stereotypes of the time, Farina was often the smartest and most resourceful character in the group. 'Election Day' specifically highlights the theme of the 'little guy' trying to avoid the pressures of organized groups (the rival candidates), a sentiment that resonated with working-class audiences of the late 1920s.
Making Of
The production of 'Election Day' was overseen by Robert A. McGowan, who often filled in for his uncle, Robert F. McGowan, when the latter was ill or exhausted from the grueling production schedule of the Roach studio. The child actors were famously allowed to improvise much of their physical business, a hallmark of the 'Our Gang' style which prioritized natural reactions over rigid scripting. During the filming of the laundry delivery scenes, the crew had to use hidden wires to help Farina manage the oversized bundles in the wind. The transition to sound was a major concern behind the scenes; while this film was shot silent, the pressure to incorporate audio meant that the editing had to be tighter to sync with the pre-recorded musical score provided by the studio orchestra.
Visual Style
The film utilizes standard 1.33:1 aspect ratio cinematography typical of the era. Art Lloyd, a frequent collaborator at Roach Studios, used flat, bright lighting to ensure all the children's expressions were visible. The outdoor sequences utilize deep focus to capture the sprawling neighborhood chase scenes, and the camera work is largely static, relying on the actors to move within the frame to create a sense of action.
Innovations
The film is a notable example of the 'synchronized sound' era, where studios were experimenting with adding audio to silent footage to compete with the new 'talkies.' The seamless integration of the scarecrow costume gags required precise editing to maintain the illusion of Farina's quick changes.
Music
The film was released with a synchronized musical score and sound effects track on Vitaphone discs. The music consists of upbeat, orchestral ragtime and 'hurry' music typical of silent comedies. There is no spoken dialogue; instead, the story is told through intertitles and the synchronized sound effects (like the thud of a falling body or the bleat of a goat).
Famous Quotes
Intertitle: 'If you don't vote for Joe, I'll sock you in the jaw!'
Intertitle: 'I'm voting for Jay R. — he's got the biggest fists!'
Intertitle: 'Farina, you get that laundry delivered or you'll have an election of your own right here!'
Memorable Scenes
- The sequence where Farina hides in a field as a scarecrow, only to have the rival gangs congregate right in front of him, forcing him to remain perfectly still while being poked and prodded.
- The 'quick-change' montage where Farina transitions from a laundry boy to an old woman to evade the bullies.
- The final chaotic chase involving a goat that disrupts the makeshift polling station.
Did You Know?
- This was one of the final Our Gang shorts to be released as a silent film (with synchronized sound effects), as the series transitioned fully to 'all-talking' later in 1929 with 'Small Talk.'
- Farina (Allen Hoskins) performs several 'quick-change' routines in this film, showcasing his versatility as the series' most prominent star of the late 1920s.
- The character of Jay R. Smith was often cast as the 'heavy' or the rival to Joe Cobb during this specific era of the gang.
- The 'sock in the jaw' threat became a recurring trope in Hal Roach comedies to represent juvenile bravado.
- The laundry bundles Farina carries were actually stuffed with lightweight paper and cotton to allow the child actor to move easily while appearing burdened.
- The film features a rare appearance of the 'Our Gang' kids interacting with a pseudo-political plot, mirroring the adult obsession with elections during the late 1920s.
- Jackie Condon, one of the original members of the gang, was nearing the end of his tenure with the group when this was filmed.
- The scarecrow disguise used by Farina was a recycled prop from a previous Hal Roach production.
- The goat used in the climax was a trained animal actor frequently used in Roach comedies for its ability to 'butt' actors on cue.
- Despite the title, the film avoids any actual partisan politics, focusing entirely on the slapstick nature of the 'campaigning' process.
What Critics Said
At the time of its release, 'Election Day' was praised by trade publications like Motion Picture News for its 'clever gags' and the reliable performance of Farina. Modern critics and film historians view it as a solid, if standard, example of the late-silent era Our Gang shorts. It is often noted for its high energy and the creative use of costumes, though some modern viewers find the aggressive 'bullying' themes more jarring than 1929 audiences did.
What Audiences Thought
The film was a hit with Saturday matinee audiences, who were the primary demographic for the Our Gang shorts. Children of the era reportedly found the 'scarecrow' sequence particularly hilarious. The series was so popular by 1929 that any new release was guaranteed a wide theatrical run in MGM-affiliated theaters.
Film Connections
Influenced By
- The slapstick style of Charlie Chaplin
- The 'Boy's Life' magazine stories of the 1920s
- Earlier Hal Roach 'Our Gang' shorts like 'The Fourth Alarm'
This Film Influenced
- Later 'Our Gang' sound shorts
- The Little Rascals (1994) features similar neighborhood rivalry themes
- Home Alone (for its themes of a child using ingenuity to outsmart bullies)
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Film Restoration
The film is preserved and exists in the archives of the Library of Congress and the UCLA Film & Television Archive. It has been restored and released as part of various 'Little Rascals' DVD collections, though the original Vitaphone sound discs are sometimes replaced with modern scores in lower-quality public domain releases.