ROARING ROADS

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Former Our Gang kids Mickey Daniels, David Sharpe, Gertrude Messinger, and Mary Kornman in a different series at a different studio. In between, they'd had a series at the Hal Roach studio called "The Boy Friends". And Thelma Todd was in one film in that series, LOVE FEVER.

 Although there is a June Marlowe in this film ( she is even called June Marlowe ) she isn't the one that played "Miss Crabtree" in Our Gang comedies.








ROARING ROADS:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0136492/

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David Sharpe - SCREEN THRILLS ILLUSTRATED

A little about David Sharpe from the magazine SCREEN THRILLS ILLUSTRATED, focusing on his long and successful career as a stuntman. This article was originally published in October 1963.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dave Sharpe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although he appeared in some of the comedy films of the thirties, Dave Sharpe achieved his greatest fame as a stuntman. He had a long and successful career as a stuntman and doubled for the stars of many famous classic movies. Because of his small size he sometimes doubled for girls, including Frances Gifford and Kay Aldridge in the Nyoka serials.




Dave Sharpe, right, with Charles Quigley, Miles Mander, Carole Landis, and Herman Brix in DAREDEVILS OF THE RED CIRCLE, a favorite of many serial fans.

 

Dave Sharpe's phenomenal jumping ability was put to good use in the serials.

 

                                                      DRUMS OF FU MANCHU, 1940.

 

 

 

 

 His amazing leaps, together with some well done special effects, gave the illusion of flight in the serials CAPTAIN MARVEL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and KING OF THE ROCKET MEN.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave Sharpe later appeared on many television shows including THE LONE RANGER, THE CISCO KID, ZORRO, WILD BILL HICKOK, and many others. 

 

 

 

Dave Sharpe is next in line behind Spock on STAR TREK.

 

 

 

Here are some Dave Sharpe compilations from youtube.com. The first two contain some of his scenes with Thelma Todd from LOVE FEVER.















DAREDEVILS OF THE RED CIRCLE:
http://filesofjerryblake.com/2013/04/24/daredevils-of-the-red-circle/

Dave Sharpe:
http://www.westernclippings.com/stuntmen/davesharpe_stuntmen.shtml

Serial Squadron:
http://www.serialsquadron.com/


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A little about "The Boy Friends" series at the Roach studio.

The Boy Friends

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    

Cast members from left to right: Grady Sutton, Dorothy Granger, David Sharpe, Gertrude Messinger, Mickey Daniels, Mary Kornman

The Boy Friends is a series of American comedy short films released between 1930 and 1932. The series consisted of fifteen films and was spun off from the long running Our Gang film series (also known as The Little Rascals).

Overview

Like the Our Gang shorts of the time, The Boy Friends films were two-reel short subjects produced by Hal Roach through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. They featured teenaged actors including some, particularly Mickey Daniels and Mary Kornman, who as children had starred in the early silent Our Gang shorts. Grady Sutton was also a lead player in the series. Daniels appeared in every short, Kornman appeared in all but one.
Roach released three The Boy Friends films in 1930: Doctor's Orders, Ladies Last, and Bigger and Better. The series added seven installments in 1931: Blood and Thunder, High Gear, Love Fever, Air Tight, Call a Cop, Mama Loves Papa, and The Kickoff. Finally, 1932 saw the release of the last five films: Love Pains, The Knockout, Too Many Women, Wild Babies, and You're Telling Me. Mickey Daniels appeared in each short, as did Mary Kornman with the exception of You're Telling Me. At least some of the films in the series took place at Elmira College, an actual school located in Roach's home town of Elmira, New York.

Characters

• Mickey (Mickey Daniels): The main character
• Mary (Mary Kornman): Mickey's girl friend
• Grady "Alabam" Sutton (Grady Sutton): Mickey's best friend and sidekick
• Dave (David Sharpe): Mickey and Grady's friend. He was their rival in his first short.
• Gertie (Gertrude Messinger):Dave's love interest
• Dorothy (Dorothy Granger): Alabam's love interest

Filmography

1930

• Doctor's Orders
• Bigger and Better
• Ladies Last

1931

• Blood and Thunder
• High Gear
• Love Fever
• Air-Tight
• Call a Cop!
• Mama Loves Papa
• The Kick-Off!

1932

• Love Pains
• The Knock-Out
• You're Telling Me
• Wild Babies
• Too Many Women

                                               *                          *                          *


"The Boy Friends" was like a teenage version of "Our Gang". The idea had potential, and the films even had some of the same cast members as the earlier series, but the series was not a success. Best thing that I can say about these movies is that they had pretty girls in them. Betty Bolen and Jacqueline Wells appeared in addition to Mary Kornman, Gertrude Messinger, and Dorothy Granger.


The series was said to have been the brainchild of George Stevens, who later became one of the most famous directors of all time. GUNGA DINN, THE MORE THE MERRIER, SHANE, and THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD are among the many classics he had to his credit. He also had another two-reel comedy series at RKO, "The Blondes And The Redheads", which was similar to "The Boy Friends", only with more emphasis on the girls..





Cast members Grady Sutton, Dorothy Granger, David Sharpe, Gertrude Messinger, Mickey Daniels, and Mary Kornman all autographed this photo.

Looking at these photos, it seems to me that the idea was that each couple resembled each other somewhat, and therefore looked as if they belonged together.


                                                                         Leg art.

 

No doubt about it, in each case those legs look like they belong together.

 

 

 

 

In another publicity photo, they form a human pyramid.

 

 

 

 

 

MAMA LOVES PAPA

 

 

 George Stevens ( seated ) directs a "Boy Friends" comedy.

 

 

 

 

Mickey Daniels and Mary Kornman in TOO MANY WOMEN.

 

The idea is that she's showing him pictures of them together that were taken when they were kids. The movie showed flashbacks from Our Gang comedies that they had made together in the silent era. This was an interesting idea, but it wasn't followed up on afterwards.

 

 

 

 

Jacqueline Wells, Mary Kornman, and Betty Bolen in THE KNOCKOUT

 

 

 

 

 

Notice the toy Mickey Mouse in this scene from THE KNOCKOUT.

 

 

 Since Kay Kamen handled the merchandising of Hal Roach's properties as well as those of Walt Disney, it's not too surprising that Roach was actually involved in the promotion of toy "Mickey Mouses" in this period.

 

 

 

Hal Roach photographer Stax shot this photo of the "Boy Friends" with this 1932 Studebaker just in case it might be wanted for advertising purposes. But like the series itself, it didn't sell.

 

Reblogged from http://www.waxapple.org/articles/archives/98/

FILM FAN MONTHLY with "Boy Friends" cover.

Watch AIR TIGHT:





The Blondes And The Redheads:
http://benny-drinnon.blogspot.com/2013/02/blondes-and-redheads.html

The Boy Friends:
http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/354593%7C0/The-Boyfriends-Shorts.html

http://petekellysblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/some-grace-notes-on-hal-roach-fun.html

http://www.lordheath.com/index.php?p=1_1155_The-Boy-Friends


Betty Bolen:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0092863/


Mickey Daniels:
http://ourgang.wikia.com/wiki/Mickey_Daniels_(actor)


Dorothy Granger:
http://benny-drinnon.blogspot.com/2012/04/dorothy-granger.html


Mary Kornman:
http://marykornman.com/


Gertrude Messenger:
http://www.b-westerns.com/ladies47.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude_Messinger


Mickey Mouse ( And Hal Roach ):
http://benny-drinnon.blogspot.com/2013/10/mickey-mouse-and-mr-roach.html


David Sharpe:
http://hollywoodstuntmen.blogspot.com/2012/09/david-sharpe_27.html


George Stevens:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Stevens


Grady Sutton:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude_Messinger


Jacqueline Wells:
http://www.westernclippings.com/interview/juliebishop_interview.shtml



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