Pay as You Exit

Pay as You Exit is a 1936 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Gordon Douglas. It was the 148th Our Gang short that was released.

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

Plot

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'll pay the allotted "one penny" admission on the way out.

Alas, the show 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, but Porky stole the show. 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
  • 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.[1]
  • 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

The Gang

Additional cast

Audience extras

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

See also

References
  1. "New York Times: Pay As You Exit". NY Times. Retrieved September 21, 2008.


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