Dogs of War (1923)

Director:

Robert F. McGowan

Writers:

Hal Roach (story)
H.M. Walker (titles)

Release Date:

1 July 1923 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Short

Plot:

The gang wages war using old vegetables as munitions. Later, they ruin a movie in progress when they double-expose the film.

Plot Keywords:

Children | Our Gang | Reference To Theda Bara | Actor Shares First Name With Character

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Hal Roach's Rascals	...	Themselves
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roy Brooks	...	Actor around the lot
Joe Cobb	...	Joe
Jackie Condon	...	Jackie
Mickey Daniels	...	Mickey
Bob Davis	...	Truck driver
Jack Davis	...	Jack
Dick Gilbert	...	Studio guard
William Gillespie	...	Director of 'Should Husbands Work?'
Clara Guiol	...	Actress, mother of 'Little Clarice'
Jack Hill	...	Officer
Allen 'Farina' Hoskins	...	Farina
Wallace Howe	...	Actor around the lot
Mary Kornman	...	Mary
Harold Lloyd	...	Himself
Walter Lundin	...	Film's photographer
Ernest Morrison	...	Sunshine Sammy
Ernie Morrison Sr.	...	Film's assistant director
Fred C. Newmeyer	...	Director of 'Why Worry?'
Monty O'Grady
Jobyna Ralston	...	Herself
Andy Samuel
Lincoln Stedman	...	Casting director
Charles Stevenson	...	Actor, 'Dan' (as Charles E. Stevenson)
Leo White	...	Actor around the lot
Charley Young	...	Film's photographer

Runtime:

24 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Hal Roach Studios - 8822 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Hal Roach Studios

Trivia:

Filmed alongside Harold Lloyd's Why Worry? (1923), using the South American town set built for that film, and featuring Lloyd and Jobyna Ralston as themselves.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "American Masters: Harold Lloyd: The Third Genius" (1989)

An Entertaining, Creative Short Comedy

With two different but both creative and entertaining sequences, this Our Gang comedy works very well. It features some lively yet believable performances by the young cast, and as a bonus there is also a fun cameo appearance by Harold Lloyd.

Both the mock battle scene and the studio scene are full of good material, with some creative props and amusing gags. The mock battle is not only entertaining to watch, but also comes across as just the kind of thing that a group of imaginative children would conceive of. The sequence in the studio is less tightly organized, but it has a good manic pace to it, and it is high-lighted by some clever visual effects.

The studio sequence also offers a pleasant, light-hearted look at the movie business, which is typical of this kind of scene in silent comedies. This lack of pretense in the way that many in the industry of the era saw themselves is quite a contrast from the ponderous self-importance of so many of today's film-makers. That could be one of the reasons why you so rarely see such lively, innocently enjoyable comedies like this anymore.