Looking at these Charles-Lamont-directed Buster Brown shorts makes me wonder. The series is another that attempted to follow up the success of Roach's OUR GANG with a well known branded competitor: they have the Munsters, we take Charles Addams' stuff and poof, you've got a good show. The Monkees ripped off the Beatles, and so Saturday morning added music to Archie.
But this series, and this short in particular, well, it's bad. Arthur Trimble is positively effeminate in his performance. The best actor in the ensemble is Pete the Pup who's obviously picking up a few extra bucks between gigs with Our Gang. Yet what fascinates me about these is that a few years later, Charles Lamont would discover Shirley Temple and star her in a series of shorts in which all the actors were children in diapers. One in particular, POLLY-TICKS IN WASHINGTON has her as a prostitute in our Nation's capital.
I think our culture has become overly suspicious of every kindly act But... three-year-old girls as hookers. Effeminate boys in Buster Brown outfits. The people who made these were not stupid people. Who were they making this for?
But this series, and this short in particular, well, it's bad. Arthur Trimble is positively effeminate in his performance. The best actor in the ensemble is Pete the Pup who's obviously picking up a few extra bucks between gigs with Our Gang. Yet what fascinates me about these is that a few years later, Charles Lamont would discover Shirley Temple and star her in a series of shorts in which all the actors were children in diapers. One in particular, POLLY-TICKS IN WASHINGTON has her as a prostitute in our Nation's capital.
I think our culture has become overly suspicious of every kindly act But... three-year-old girls as hookers. Effeminate boys in Buster Brown outfits. The people who made these were not stupid people. Who were they making this for?
