Pay as You Exit is a 1936 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas. It was the 148th Our Gang short to be released.[1]

Pay as You Exit
Film poster
Directed byGordon Douglas
Produced byHal Roach
CinematographyWalter Lundin
Edited byWilliam H. Ziegler
Music byLeroy Shield
Marvin Hatley
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • October 24, 1936 (1936-10-24)
Running time
10:27
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot edit

Hoping to attract customers to Spanky's barnyard production of Romeo and Juliet, star performer Alfalfa proposes a "pay as you exit" policy: If the kids like the show, they will pay the allotted "one penny" admission on the way out.

The performance is nearly over before it starts when leading lady Darla walks out, complaining that Alfalfa has been eating onions (which, he insists, improves his splendid speaking voice.) Spanky stalls for time in a cute weight-lifting act. Alfalfa hits upon a replacement for Darla: Buckwheat, decked out in a lovely blonde wig and Juliet costume. When the kids in the audience recognize him, they clap and cheer and call out, "It's Buckwheat! Hooray for Buckwheat!"

However, the ladder Alfalfa is standing on gives way; Buckwheat saves him before he falls. When the ladder gives way again, Alfalfa tells Buckwheat to hold on tight, but the aroma of onions gets to Buckwheat, causing him to let go. As the ladder weaves, Spanky drops the curtain and Alfalfa and the ladder then tear through it and into the audience, much to their laughing delight.

When the audience leaves, Spanky admonishes him for his "pay as you exit" scheme. But pay they did and Alfalfa and Spanky eat onions as a toast to their success.

Notes edit

  • Joe Cobb, an Our Gang star from the series' silent days, makes a return appearance.
  • Among the incidental music played on the Victrola by stagehand Porky in the course of the show are LeRoy Shield's familiar background tunes "In My Canoe" and "Hide and Go Seek", as well as "Walking the Deck", a tune written for the 1936 Laurel and Hardy feature Our Relations.[2]
  • The Buckwheat character was originally a girl, but had morphed into a boy by this episode, appearing for the first time in his new costuming—overalls, striped shirt, oversized shoes, and a large unkempt Afro—which was retained for the series until the end.

Cast edit

The Gang edit

Additional cast edit

Audience extras edit

John Collum, Rex Downing, Jack Egger, Paul Hilton, Sidney Kibrick, Harold Switzer, Marvin Strin, Robert Winckler

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Maltin, Leonard; Bann, Richard W. (1977). Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals. Crown Publishers. pp. 195–196. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  2. ^ Hal Erickson (2008). "New York Times: Pay As You Exit". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on January 16, 2008. Retrieved September 21, 2008.

External links edit