Bear Facts

Released: March 5, 1938
Director: Gordon Douglas
Episode length: 10:12 (20/34)
Alfalfa's screen time: 7:33 (4/34) 74% (1/34)
Lines of dialogue spoken by Alfalfa: 96 (1/34)
Song: None
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Skip episode synopsis and go directly to commentary

Alfalfa, Spanky, Buckwheat, and Porky are tired of having nothing to do on Saturday afternoons. The two older boys send Buckwheat and Porky out to try and track down some excitement and report back. Sure enough, the two return to the All-Star Clubhouse and say that a little girl (Darla) has just moved into town, and her father owns the circus. Alfalfa declares that this is their opportunity to find some excitement in the guise of securing animal training jobs with the circus. After all, Alfalfa reasons, they trained their monkey Elmer, didn't they?

Alfalfa and company visit Darla. Alfalfa tells an absurd story about his prowess with training bears in the jungle. Darla's father overhears Alfalfa's bragging and decides to teach the youngster a lesson. He dresses up in a bear costume, and Darla, who is wise to the plan, goads Alfalfa into dancing with the "bear", who goes by the name of Fifi. Soon, Alfalfa is tossed onto the couch by Fifi, and he and his three pals flee from Darla's house, convinced that a little boredom on a Saturday afternoon is not necessarily a bad thing.



Commentary
If it's "All Alfalfa, All the Time" that you're looking for, "Bear Facts" is the episode for you. Our hero is asked to deliver dialogue on an almost nonstop basis in this outing, an average of one line every 4.7 seconds of screen time. And speaking of screen time, Alfalfa has more of it in "Bear Facts" than all except three other of his episodes: "Little Papa", "Second Childhood", and "Our Gang Follies of 1938". But all three of these were two-reelers; Bear Facts was a one-reeler.

That bit of housekeeping out of the way, "Bear Facts" is a solid late-era entry. It falls somewhat short on the laugh-meter, but compensates for this shortcoming by its fast pacing and unusual content. Alfalfa's "fantasy" safari sequence, and his subsequent soft-shoe with "Fifi the Bear"—who he does not know is really Darla's father—are two scenes that rank high on the list of Little Rascals "frozen moments", i.e. scenes or images that tend to stick out in the mind of most Little Rascals viewers from the time they first saw them, probably in the early morning while getting ready to go to school.


The kids snack on some jelly sandwiches in a publicity
shot on the set of "Bear Facts"

"Bear Facts" was produced immediately after the wreckage of "Canned Fishing", and this solid outing represented a return to a more customary level of excellence from our heroes. Also in this episode, Darla—or at least her character—continues an increasingly curious transition from guileless ingenue to slightly cloying, self-satisfied coquette. Note this exchange of dialogue between her and Alfalfa:

Alfalfa: Why, I bet your father's so proud of you, that he'll do anything you ask.
Darla: Well—he always has.

Alfalfa's no angel either. When he shows up at Darla's doorstep with his pals to offer her a "bow-kwet" of flowers, he remembers to first confirm, almost parenthetically, that her father is indeed the owner of the circus before he continues with his campaign of flattery.


Buckwheat, Porky, and friend on the set of "Bear Facts".

(Note: Frequently puzzling to viewers of this episode is the question of exactly what is in the packages that Porky gives out to the tamed bears in Alfalfa's safari fantasy scene. A careful viewing/listening to the action which precedes it seems to suggest that Alfalfa has decided that the bears make themselves useful by schlepping their safari equipment the rest of the trip.)

Although pleasant and sure-footed, "Bear Facts" may not be one of the most memorable all-around Little Rascals episodes; but if nothing else, it showcases Alfalfa in all his hammy glory, and that's never a bad thing.

We give "Bear Facts"

3 cowlicks (out of a possible 5)

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