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The
Great Mike 
Jimmy Dolan, Corky, and Speck (Alfalfa). Jimmy and Speck (Alfalfa) are buddies who have a profitable little paper route for themselves. They deliver their papers in a wagon pulled by a horse named Mike. One day Jimmy gets a new subscriber—Colonel Whitney, a horse breeder who has just moved to the area to enter a string of horses at "the new racetrack being built at Santa Anita". After meeting the Colonel, and his trainer Mr. Spencer, Jimmy talks them both into letting his "delivery wagon" horse— as the haughty Colonel calls Mike—run against some real race horses. Mike just barely misses beating Lightning Boy, the Colonel's prize thoroughbred. Impressed with Mike and the moxy of little Jimmy, the Colonel and Mr. Spencer befriend Jimmy and Speck (and Jimmy's dog Corky). 
  The boys spend some quality time with The Great Mike and Corky. Eventually Jimmy and Mr. Spencer become partners and, with Colonel Whitney's help, enter Mike in stakes races. Ordinarily, Jimmy doesn't believe in horses racing for money, but he plans on using his share of any winnings Mike generates to buy some new sporting equipment for the clubhouse that he and the other paper boys hang out in (how could you not love a kid like this?) Adding to the fun is the fact that the boyfriend of Jimmy's sister is a former jockey who gets back into shape to be Mike's regular jockey. 
 More Speck, Jimmy, and Corky... Along the way, Jimmy and company run into some problems, too. At one point, Jimmy has to give up Mike because his Uncle Joe has used Mike to settle a debt with the owner of another stable. Men from the other stable come over to pick up Mike while Jimmy is at school. When Jimmy and Speck get home that day, Jimmy can't find Mike anywhere. Alfalfa [as Speck]: What's the matter Jimmy, ain't Mike out in the pasture? Jimmy: No, Speck. They took him away. Alfalfa: Don't feel too bad about it, Jimmy. You can buy another horse. Jimmy: I don't want another horse. If I can't have Mike, I don't want any. And I'll never speak to my Uncle Joe again as long as I live. Alfalfa: I don't blame you Jimmy. I wouldn't either. 
 Alfalfa and Jimmy discuss whether Mike can really beat Lightning Boy; and seethe at the Colonel's insult of Mike. Jimmy gets Mike back soon after thanks to the kind movie star who owns the stable that had taken Mike away. The climax of the film comes when Mike beats Colonel Whitney's horse, winning a $45,000 purse—and Jimmy's share is enough for a whole slew of new sports equipment for the clubhouse! 
The Colonel, Alfalfa (Speck), Jimmy, and Mr. Spencer get to know each other over some flapjacks. "The Great Mike" is a hopelessly cornball and improbable film, but you know what? We like it a lot. It's a nice, harmless, gentle film that is all about friendship and loyalty and honor and decency and respect. And what's wrong with that? We particularly like the relationship between Jimmy and Colonel Whitney (played nicely by Pierre Watkin, who would appear in another Alfalfa film, "Redwood Forest Trail", six years later.) At first, the Colonel is somewhat haughty and a bit standoffish; in fact, Alfalfa refers to him as a "grouch". But although Jimmy tends to be a bit didactic, the Colonel is won over by the boy's spirit and innocent enthusiasm for the horse racing game—"The Sport of Kings", as Jimmy respectfully calls it. Soon we see that the Colonel is actually a pretty good guy, as is his trainer Mr. Spencer, who winds up becoming Jimmy's partner; they both virtually become part of Jimmy's family. 
 Alfalfa cheers on Mike, then plays taps for Corky the dog. Alfalfa gives an unremarkable but likeable performance, although it seems strange that he appears significantly older than Jimmy (as well as the other paper boys) but yet takes orders from Jimmy regarding paper delivery operations. Throughout, he wears a Goober Pyle-like beanie with fishing lures stuck in it (not unlike the hat he wore in "Henry and Dizzy"). He is unfailingly supportive of his pal Jimmy. He even dons his Boy Scout uniform and plays taps for Jimmy's dog Corky when the little pooch gets shot by some bad guys who try to drug Mike during the night. Late in the film, there is a vintage "Alfalfa moment" that recalls the glory days of the Little Rascals. During one of Mike's races, Alfalfa is at the rail along with Speck and Mr. Spencer, cheering Mike on. Next to Alfalfa is a man who has bet on another horse in the race. After Mike wins, Jimmy and Mr. Spencer leave to join their horse in the winner's circle. Alfalfa follows, but not right away—first he smiles smugly at the man who lost his bet, and takes off just before the angry man tries to smack him with a rolled-up program. 
Opening credits for "The Great Mike" 
In addition to Alfalfa, the other stars of "The Great Mike" each had interesting careers that merit some attention. First, Robert "Buzz" Henry (Jimmy Dolan) continued acting into the late sixties, appearing in films such as "In Like Flint" and "Von Ryan's Express". He would then become a second unit director on a handful of films, most notably "the Wild Bunch", before his death in 1970 at the age of 40. Pierre Watkin (Colonel Whitney) appeared in a massive amount of films: over 250 in just over 30 years, pictures as diverse as "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", "Pride of the Yankees", "Canadian Mounties vs. Atomic Invaders", "The King of Hockey", and "Mr. Doodle Kicks Off". Finally, Stuart Erwin (Mr. Spencer) had a long career in films, capped off in the early fifties with his own sitcom, "The Stu Erwin Show", in which he played a high-school principal, co-starring with Martin Milner and Merry Anders (later "Policewoman Dorothy Miller", and Joe Friday's quasi-girlfriend, in "Dragnet"). 
Contemporary publicity poster for "The Great Mike". Alfalfa is at right. Back to "Alfalfaddendum" main page |
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