Fast Company (1924 film)

Fast Company is a 1924 short silent comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan.^[1][2] It was the 32nd Our Gang short subject to be released.^[3]

Fast Company
Directed by	Robert F. McGowan Charles Parrott
Written by	Hal Roach H. M. Walker
Produced by	Hal Roach
Starring	Joe Cobb Jackie Condon Mickey Daniels Allen Hoskins Jack Davis Mary Kornman Ernie Morrison Dinah the Mule Lassie Lou Ahern Hal Roach, Jr. Walter Wilkinson Charles A. Bachman Helen Gilmore Charlie Hall
Edited by	T. J. Crizer
Distributed by	Pathé Exchange
Release date	November 16, 1924 (1924-11-16)
Running time	20 minutes
Country	United States
Languages	Silent English intertitles

Plot

Mickey trades places with a little rich boy, who is staying at a ritzy hotel. Mayhem ensues when the gang invades the hotel to look for Mickey and discover the snooty society ladies, a mischievous monkey, and a fireworks salesman. Later, the gang dress up as cannibals and organize a mock-tribal ritual.

Production notes

Regular Our Gang director Robert F. McGowan was injured in a fall after a camera platform collapsed, rendering him unable to work for several months. Director Charles Parrott stepped in for the ailing McGowan but was called away to New York City to address corporate matters and the unfinished film was shelved indefinitely. McGowan eventually resurrected production and completed the film nearly a year later. This resulted in appearances from Our Gang members Ernie Morrison and Jack Davis who had already left the series but returned to complete Fast Company.^[4]

When the silent Pathé Our Gang comedies were syndicated for television as "The Mischief Makers" in 1960, Fast Company was retitled The Big Switch.

Cast

The Gang

• Joe Cobb — Joe
• Jackie Condon — Jackie McChicken
• Mickey Daniels — Mickey
• Allen Hoskins — Farina
• Jack Davis — Jack McChicken
• Mary Kornman — Mary
• Ernie Morrison — Ernie
• Dinah the Mule

Additional cast

• Lassie Lou Ahern — Mary's sister
• Hal Roach Jr. — boy teasing Farina
• Walter Wilkinson — Rondamere Von Swell
• Charles A. Bachman — police officer
• Helen Gilmore — Traveler's Aid Society woman
• Charlie Hall — bellboy
• Del Henderson — hotel guest
• Lyle Tayo — hotel guest
• Charley Young — man falling out of a window

References

1. "Silent Era: Fast Company". silentera. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
2. Brown, Paul B. (2011). "New York Times: Fast Company". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
3. Maltin, Leonard; Bann, Richard W. (1977). Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals. Crown Publishers. p. 34. ISBN 978-0-517-52675-0. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
4. Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang, pp. 23-24. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-517-58325-9

External links

• Fast Company at IMDb
• Fast Company at the TCM Movie Database