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  • The Hal Roach Comedy Carnival (1947)
  • Approved
    112 min | Comedy
The Hal Roach Comedy Carnival (1947)
Approved
112 min | Comedy

To quote a Marine D.I. in San Diego or John Wayne in several movies, "Listen up, we ain't going to plow this ground twice." In 1947, Hal Roach made a film called "Curley", which was an expanded version of 1930's "Our Gang" short "Teacher's...See moreTo quote a Marine D.I. in San Diego or John Wayne in several movies, "Listen up, we ain't going to plow this ground twice." In 1947, Hal Roach made a film called "Curley", which was an expanded version of 1930's "Our Gang" short "Teacher's Pet", with Frances Rafferty and Larry Olsen taking the roles played by June Marlowe and Jackie Cooper in the original short. Hal Roach also made a film called "The Fabulous Joe", basically about a drunk, a talking dog, gangsters and Marie Wilson running around in her skivvies. The two films, intended as bottom-half of a double feature, were released about two weeks apart, with "Curley" going out first. "The Fabulous Joe" came about two weeks later. At the same time, the two films were stitched together and offered, with the combined running time of 112 minutes, to exhibitors who didn't play double features. The film listed on this page, "Hal Roach's Comedy Carnival", is the result. "Curley" was an attempt by Hal Roach, who no longer owned the rights to "Our Gang" (aka "The Little Rascals") to create a version of "Our Gang" with a new set of kids, which would be known as "Curley and His Gang", and would be feature-length films in Cinecolor. "Curley" was the first one in the series and was followed in 1948 by "Who Killed "Doc" Robbin" with the same kids from "Curley" playing the same roles. Later, "Curley" and "Who Killed 'Doc' Robbin" were packaged together as "The Adventures of Curley and His Gang" for theatres and later sold to televising, and there are sources who keep adding the adult cast from the "Doc Robbin" film (Don Castle, Virginia Grey, Claire DuBrey, Paul Hurst and others)incorrectly to the cast of "Curley." The fun part of "Hal Roach's Comedy Carnival" is that it is comprised of two films that are about as opposite of each other as films can be. "The Fabulous Joe" is a screwball comedy filled with double entendre dialogue and scenes and as "Adult" as a film of the 40's could be and still get PCA approval. "Curley", as mentioned, is "Our Gang" updated and in color. Written by Les Adams See less
Read more: Plot summary
Directors
Bernard Carr (segments: Curly) | Harve Foster (segments: Fabulous Joe)
Writers
Arnold Belgard (additional dialogue) (segments: Fabulous Joe) | Dorothy Davenport (screenplay) (segments: Curly) (as Dorothy Reid) | Jack Jevne (screenplay) (segments: Fabulous Joe) | Mary Eunice McCarthy (additional dialogue) (segments: Curly) (as Mary McCarthy) & 2 more
Producer
Cinematographer
Editor
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Status
Edit Released
Updated Aug 29, 1947

Release date
Aug 29, 1947 (United States)

Contacts

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Cast

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48 cast members
Name Known for
Frances Rafferty
Mildred Johnson (archive footage) Mildred Johnson (archive footage)   See fewer
Larry Olsen
Curley (archive footage) Curley (archive footage)   See fewer
Eilene Janssen
Betty (archive footage) Betty (archive footage)   See fewer
Dale Belding
Speck (archive footage) Speck (archive footage)   See fewer
Peter Miles
Dud (archive footage) Dud (archive footage)   See fewer
Ardda Lynwood
Ardda (archive footage) Ardda (archive footage)   See fewer
Kathleen Howard
Aunt Martha (archive footage) Aunt Martha (archive footage)   See fewer
Edna Holland
Miss Payne (archive footage) Miss Payne (archive footage)   See fewer
Rene Beard
Dis (archive footage) Dis (archive footage)   See fewer
Donald King
Dat (archive footage) Dat (archive footage)   See fewer
Gene Holland
Hank (archive footage) Hank (archive footage)   See fewer
Billy Gray
Sandy (archive footage) Sandy (archive footage)   See fewer
Georgie Nokes
Chuck (archive footage) Chuck (archive footage)   See fewer
George McDonald
Bozo (archive footage) Bozo (archive footage)   See fewer
Billy Andrews
Biff (archive footage) Biff (archive footage)   See fewer
James Menzies
Jimmie (archive footage) Jimmie (archive footage)   See fewer
Thomas Menzies
Tommie (archive footage) Tommie (archive footage)   See fewer
Helen Brown
Miss Evans (archive footage) Miss Evans (archive footage)   See fewer
Robert Bentley
Lt. Col. Martin (archive footage) Lt. Col. Martin (archive footage)   See fewer
Ferris Taylor
Justice of the Peace (archive footage) Justice of the Peace (archive footage)   See fewer
Barbara Wooddell
Mrs. Benson (archive footage) Mrs. Benson (archive footage)   See fewer
Eddie Dunn
2nd Baggage Man (archive footage) 2nd Baggage Man (archive footage)   See fewer
Jim Farley
1st Baggage Man (archive footage) 1st Baggage Man (archive footage)   See fewer
Guy Beach
Station Master (archive footage) Station Master (archive footage)   See fewer
Syd Saylor
Donald (archive footage) Donald (archive footage)   See fewer
Fred Trowbridge
Train Conductor (archive footage) Train Conductor (archive footage)   See fewer
Walter Abel
Milo Terkle (archive footage) Milo Terkle (archive footage)   See fewer
Margot Grahame
Emily Terkle (archive footage) Emily Terkle (archive footage)   See fewer
Marie Wilson
Gorgeous Gilmore (archive footage) Gorgeous Gilmore (archive footage)   See fewer
Donald Meek
Henry Cadwallade (archive footage) Henry Cadwallade (archive footage)   See fewer
Sheldon Leonard
Louie (archive footage) Louie (archive footage)   See fewer
Howard Petrie
George Baxter (archive footage) George Baxter (archive footage)   See fewer
Nana Bryant
Mrs. Belmont (archive footage) Mrs. Belmont (archive footage)   See fewer
Clarence Kolb
Cornelius Belmont Sr. (archive footage) Cornelius Belmont Sr. (archive footage)   See fewer
John Miles
Cornelius Belmont Jr. (archive footage) Cornelius Belmont Jr. (archive footage)   See fewer
Barbara Bates
Debbie Terkle (archive footage) Debbie Terkle (archive footage)   See fewer
Lucien Littlefield
The Judge (archive footage) The Judge (archive footage)   See fewer
Dorothy Christy
Grace (archive footage) Grace (archive footage)   See fewer
John Eldredge
Charlie (archive footage) Charlie (archive footage)   See fewer
Al Bridge
Bartender (archive footage) Bartender (archive footage)   See fewer
Charlotte Wynters
Miss Hart (archive footage) Miss Hart (archive footage)   See fewer
Ellen Corby
Cathy (archive footage) Cathy (archive footage)   See fewer
Patti Morgan
Girl Friend (archive footage) Girl Friend (archive footage)   See fewer
Jimmie Dundee
Milk Man (archive footage) Milk Man (archive footage)   See fewer
Tommy Noonan
Elevator Boy (archive footage) Elevator Boy (archive footage)   See fewer
Cyril Ring
Bill (archive footage) Bill (archive footage)   See fewer
Eddie Hall
Flyer (archive footage) Flyer (archive footage)   See fewer
Mickey McBan
Party Guest (archive footage) Party Guest (archive footage)   See fewer
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