Sprucin' Up

Production Notes

Length: Two Reel
Producer: Hal Roach
Director: Gus Meins
Photography: Art Lloyd
Editor: Louis McManus
Titles:
Writer: Hal Roach
Released: June 1, 1935
Studio: M-G-M

Main Cast

Supporting Cast

Bess Flowers - Scotty's Mother
Dick Elliot - Mr. Jones
Dorian Johnston
Gertrude Sutton - Alfafa's mother
Harry Bernard - Officer Riley
James Burtis - Real Estate Agent
Lester Dorr - First Pedestraian
Leota Lorraine - Spanky's Mother
Lillian Rich - Mrs. Jones
Viola Richard - Second Pedestrian

The Short

Plot: Spanky doesn't feel like getting out of bed until he discovers it's Saturday morning, and afterward, he's up like a rocket knowing he doesn't have to go to school. Singing as he's dressing, his mother comments his ears are dirty enough to grow potatoes and sends him off to wash up, but she catches him just sloshing the water around in the sink and making "washing up" noises. Likewise, Scotty and Alfalfa's mothers criticize them for either not cleaning their shoes or combing their hair. Sneaking out wearing a hat over his uncombed hair, Alfalfa joins the gang sitting and watching as new neighbors move on to the street with a cute new daughter, Marianne. The new neighbor is also the new truant officer, and as Mary Ann notices the boys, they scatter if but to return cleaned and polished to meet her and her father. Returning later, Spanky rids himself of the competition by honking Mr. Jones' car horn for him to come out and get rid of the kids, ingratiating himself to the man, but once he gets inside, he discovers Alfalfa has beat him to the punch. Marianne is unsure of the source of the attention, but while the two boys are each annoyed by the presence of the other, she leaves with Percy, her boyfriend, who leaves a cactus under Spanky and Alfalfa trying to outdo each other in chin-ups on a curtain rod which then breaks and drops them into Mr. Jones and then into the cactus. As they flee, they promise to never again get distracted over a girl, but Alfalfa is quick to forget as another girl comes round and Spanky shoves him through the hedge.
Quotes:

"Oh, it's Saturday! Oh, it's Saturday! Hey, nonny-nonny and a hot-cha-cha..." - Spanky
"Mom, a potato doesn't have a chance now!" - Spanky
"Tarzan never combs his hair." - Alfalfa
"Say, how much would you charge to go haunt a house?" - Spanky
"Personality, boy... personality..." - Alfalfa
"Anything you can do, I can do better." - Alfalfa

Notes/Trivia:

Frank Tashlin, one of the writers, used to work for Warner Brothers cartoon division, and later went on to direct "Son Of Paleface" with Bob Hope, "The Girl Can't Help It" with Jayne Mansfield and "Artists And Models" with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

Sequence

Previous Short: Teacher's Beau
Next Short: Little Papa