Pop culture Q&A

January 9, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

By Rich Heldenfels

McClatchy Newspapers

Q. I’m not able to recall all of the Little Rascals’ names. The dog was Pete and the names I recall are Alfalfa and Spanky, so I need your help.

A. If I were to offer a list of the key Rascals, I’d single out Spanky, Alfalfa, Scotty, Buckwheat, Dickie, Porky and Darla. But that would leave out other famous names: Stymie, Farina, Butch, Waldo, Wheezer and Woim, not to mention one of the series’ several Jackies, actor- director Jackie Cooper, and Mickey, better known later as actor Robert Blake. That doesn’t include everyone.

“The Little Rascals” were televised versions of big-screen “Our Gang” comedies. Of 221 made between 1922 and 1944, 80 from 1929-38 were sold to TV as “The Little Rascals.”

They included many cast changes. George “Spanky” McFarland, for instance, made his first appearance in 1931, and Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer arrived in 1935. To see the whole range of performers, look for the DVD box set “The Little Rascals: The Complete Collection,” which has the 80 shorts, and the book “Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals,” by Leonard Maltin and Richard W. Bann.

Q. How is Maria Arena Bell related to the Bell dynasty? Have they ever had a helmer at “The Young and the Restless” or “The Bold and the Beautiful” that wasn’t a Bell?

A. Both shows are Bell family affairs; “Y&R” is produced by the Bell Serial Dramatic Co. and B&B by Bell-Phillip Television Productions. Maria Arena Bell, head writer and the new executive producer of “The Young and the Restless,” is an experienced writer for TV and print. She also is married to William J. Bell Jr., president of the Bell Serial Dramatic Co. He is the son of Lee Phillip Bell and the late William J. Bell, creators of “Y&R” and “B&B.” Bradley Bell, Bill Jr.’s brother, is executive producer of “B&B.”

Q. What has happened to the show “The Whole Truth”? According to our local listings, it has been scheduled, but at the scheduled time another show has been aired. I really enjoyed that show.

A. ABC pulled the Rob Morrow-Maura Tierney drama after a handful of telecasts. But, because it still had some unaired episodes, it started to burn them off in early December. Only the ratings were reportedly so dismal, ABC yanked it again — which may have caused the confusion in your TV listings.

Q. There was a movie I saw in black-and-white about a lady who gets seeds that grow money trees. Problem: The money eventually decomposes like leaves. What is the name of it?

A. That was 1952’s “It Grows on Trees” (sometimes called “There’s Nothing Like Money”), with Irene Dunne and Dean Jagger. Unfortunately, I do not know of an authorized home-video version of it.

Q. Years ago, I watched a British movie — possibly on PBS; not sure. It was about a young girl who befriended a lighthouse keeper on the eastern coast of England. It also involved a flock of geese he either kept or protected. He was disabled in some way and was ineligible for service during World War II but on D-Day took a boat to rescue soldiers at the Normandy invasion. I think the movie was titled “Wild Goose, Brother Goose,” but I cannot find any information about it. Do you know the title of it and if it is still available anywhere?

A. You most likely remember “The Snow Goose,” a 1971 Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation based on a story by Paul Gallico. It starred Richard Harris and Jenny Agutter (although it’s not Normandy but Dunkirk where the lighthouse keeper assists). I do not know of an authorized release of it and do not recommend unauthorized ones.