Be Part of History

Beloved by millions of film fans of all ages, and from all over the world — Our Gang (The Little Rascals) is truly special. So many of us grew up with them, we see ourselves in them and just watching them brings a smile to our face.

But as great as the Rascals are in terms of sheer entertainment, their presentations on home video or TV have always been subpar mainly due to the poor condition of the film elements, lack of access to the original film materials and primitive restoration technology. But now, that is about to change.

At ClassicFlix, we specialize in acquiring and restoring classic films and have licensed all 80 Hal Roach Little Rascal sound shorts for release on Blu-ray and DVD. When we’re done, our restorations will be the final and definitive versions of these beloved and iconic shorts.

What has changed to make this possible?

• The state of the film elements certainly hasn’t changed, in fact, they have likely gotten a lot worse and are getting worse every day
• Unlike previous presentations (on home video or TV) we have access to the original nitrate film elements
• Restoration technology has come a long way since the DVD restorations were done over 10 years ago

So jump on board and back this project today. Be a part of this rare and historic chance to preserve and restore these wonderful films for future generations to enjoy.

Goals and Perks

Our goal is to raise $70,000 in 30 days. Doing so, we’ll be able to digitally preserve and restore the first 22 Little Rascal sound shorts.

All donations are welcome, but only those selecting a “perk” of $50 or more will be entitled to one (1) copy on Blu-ray or DVD of The Complete Little Rascals – The ClassicFlix Restorations, Volume 1 (U.S. only) which will contain the first 22 sound shorts: Small Talk to Dogs Is Dogs.

Donations $25 and up will have access to exclusive video sneak peeks of the preservation and restoration progress as well as additional updates and news about the campaign. Donations of $10 and under will receive updates and news via written text only.

About ClassicFlix

Previously a retailer for over 10 years, ClassicFlix transitioned to a home video label in 2017 and has garnered a reputation for top-notch restorations. We focus exclusively on classic cinema and won’t settle for anything less than superior presentations of our top-line releases.

What others are saying:

• T-Men (1947) “Superb visual quality that does justice to John Alton’s striking black & white cinematography…” – Leonard Maltin
• Raw Deal (1948)  “Another beautifully produced Blu-ray from ClassicFlix.” – Robert Harris, Home Theater Forum
• He Walked by Night (1948) “Film noir aficionados will love this top-notch rendering that brings this movie to life like never before.” – David Krauss, High-Def Digest

Below is an example of our restoration work on Raw Deal. More examples can be found on our YouTube channel.

Risks & Challenges

When dealing with film elements, especially those that are over 90 years old, there are always inherent risks. Sometimes it may be that a film can is mis-labeled, other times deterioration is so bad that the elements are unusable.  Locating the best available Little Rascal film elements is within reach, but will be time consuming and laborious.

Access to film elements (because of the pandemic, especially if it comes back stronger this winter) could be hindered as storage facilities that house the film elements may close. But that would only delay the project, not end it.

Other Ways You Can Help

Have you backed this project? If yes, great! If not, that’s okay too. Either way, there are still many other ways you can spread the word and help us reach our goal.

The best way is to post about the campaign anywhere you have an audience: movie related or not. Why? Because the love for the Little Rascals transcends the average film fan and touches all age, income and demographic levels.

Most people on the street likely wouldn’t be able to name the character Clark Gable played in Gone With the Wind (1939), one of the most popular films of all time, but they know who Spanky, Alfalfa and Darla are— and most often have a deep, personal connection with them. So don’t be shy… post early and post often!

Other ways to help (and people with thank you when you do):

• Post and share about the campaign on all social media platforms 
• Post about the campaign on media forums
• Blog about the campaign
• Use email to share about the campaign