tavm
Just watched this on YouTube. It was based on a comic strip by Gene Byrnes that I knew about but have never read though I knew it was about a kid gang having fun like the Our Gang kids in the movies. Speaking of them, among the members here is a former member of OG in Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer. In fact, he sings badly here as he did there to hilarious effect! Also in this gang are Billy Lee who was in the OG short, Mike Fright, as a tap dancer as well as Henry "Spike" Lee-here credited as Jerry Wilson-who was an extra in various of those shorts and the guy who plays Puddin'Head (Malcolm Hutton) here who was previously in Peck's Bad Boy at the Circus which also featured Spanky McFarland who was in between stints in OG at the time. There are some funny gags though the majority of the film concerns a missing man and the wife, baby, and mother he left behind. No great shakes but Reg'lar Fellas is pretty enjoyable for what it was.
mark.waltz
Alfalfa takes second fiddle here as he is cast as the outcast member of a group of pre-teens who reconcile a stubborn old woman with her daughter in law while having a series of adventures and take on a duo of con-artists out to swindle the old crank. It is slow moving and mostly unbelievable, making even the most cloying of Little Rascals shorts more entertaining than this. Of course, Alfalfa sings, but he is over-shadowed by Billy Lee as the gang's leader. Sara Padden tries to make something two dimensional out of her stereotypical character but is defeated by the script. Veteran stutterer Roscoe Ates is aboard for further annoyance.
MartinHafer
"Reg'lar Fellers" was an attempt to make a movie version of the comic strip of the same name. While a few cartoon were successfully launched, this live-action version appears to have bombed, as no further live versions of "Reg'lar Fellers" were made. And, judging by what I saw, I can certainly understand why.The gang of kids in this sappy film strongly resemble Our Gang. In fact, one of the kids is played by Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer and it must have been a bit of a comedown to depart MGM studio for tiny and VERY low-budgeted PRC. Additionally, a couple of the characters sure seemed like knockoffs of Darla and Spanky. In fact, this Spanky wannabe even wore the same cap and shirt! Now considering that by this point the Our Gang franchise had become very sanitized and lost its old Hal Roach edge, making an even more saccharine copy is NOT a good thing! The story finds this group of annoying kids trying to build an amphibious tank that they can give to the US government. Considering that the country was not yet in WWII, this is an interesting aspect of the film--the only one. When this fails, the kids inexplicably get involved with a horrible and nasty old crank, Mrs. Carter. Mrs. Carter is 100% mean--yet, by the end of the film, the gang has melted her heart and made her a sweet old lady. I think I'm gonna throw up just thinking about it! The only reason you might want to see this one is to see Alfalfa slumming it! In real life, he was apparently a vile young man and was pretty much hated by everyone associated with Our Gang. So, in "Reg'lar Fellers" you can see him get his karmic retribution--especially since through most of the film he's treated like dirt by the other kids. Not enjoyable, sappy and poorly written--I cannot for the life of me understand what PRC was thinking of when they made this one.
inclass
Young actor Billy Lee heads up the cast in this 1941 film, "Reg'lar Fellers", this time in the role of "Pinhead Duffy". A comic strip called "Reg'lar Fellers" had been very popular for some time when this film, based upon its characters was made.Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer plays "Bump Hudson" who finally gets his chance to join the pint-sized clique who call themselves the Reg'lar Fellers. "Jimmy Dugan", the leader of the "fellers" is played by Buddy Boles. The film opens with a kids' radio quiz show in progress, starting with a song from the (real life) Meglin Glee Club, which would include actor Billy Lee, who, beginning at age 3, had received his acting, singing and dancing instruction from The Meglin Professional School For Kiddies. Next is the quiz portion of the radio program where some of the kids battle it out in the quiz. Jimmy Dugan places first. From there, the film takes you around the town to meet some of the adult central characters and to set up the film's plot. Finally, it's off to the "Reg'lar Fellers'" clubhouse. There, we get to learn a little bit about each of the kids. One of the feller's, the child inventor of the group, Puddn'head Duffy, (played by Malcolm Hutton) has invented what he calls his "Colossal Amphibious Tank #1". It's supposed to run on land, as well as sail in water.
And so, a big outdoor get-together is announced. It's held by the fellers out by the lake, to celebrate the christening of the vessel, and to test its seaworthiness. On hand is Pinhead's band to provide some music, and Aggie Reilly, (the oldest girl among the "fellers", played by Janet Dempsy) handles the christening. Billy Lee's Band, as they are listed in the credits, is actually providing the music for this segment, but Billy has other, non-musician actors filling in on-screen as his character, "Pinhead's" band-mates. (It is hard to tell whether it is Billy Lee or his character, "Pinhead" who is making a point of showing off his fancy moves behind the drum set. No doubt, Billy Lee was an accomplished drummer by age ten, when he appeared in this film.) After a drum roll, and the christening, the colossal Amphibious Tank #1 sets off. It is soon obvious that Tank #1 will need to be replaced by a Tank #2, as the vessel sinks along with the hopes of its inventor.The fellers then get involved, through the inventions of newcomer, "Bump" (Switser), as well as through the brave efforts of Pinhead and Jimmy, in helping to capture the two thieves who not only framed a local man who wound up in prison, but who came into town to rob the man's mother, Hettie Carter, (played by Sarah Padden). Hettie Carter, who had been against her son's marriage and had no time for his wife or their child, or for any children, repents of her ways after the fellers save the day. She not only provides a brand new club house for the feller's, but a needed home for her daughter-in-law and the baby. The grand opening of the new club house brings everyone together for a huge party. The closing event at the party, is one more song by Pinhead's band, "Hoorah For Fun" as sung by Billy Lee.
Billy Lee and Carl "Alafalfa" Switzer were to star in a number of additional episodes of "Reg'lar Fellers", but the project ended with this first installment. Lee & Switzer also appeared together in the movies, "Easy To Take" (1936) and "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch" (1942).
