No, this *isn't* the worst Our Gang short made ("The New Pupil" should take that honor) - it's the most *soporific.*
This film makes you think of the kind of junk that: (1) back in the day, you had to watch in high school during History class; or (2) if your own (personal) TV set was broken or your folks grounded you, this was the kind of boring pap they were watching on PBS and forced you to listen to, whether you were done with your homework or not (and then you wished either your own TV was working again and/or your grounding was rescinded so you could enjoy something *really* escapist *and* funny like "Happy Days," "Laverne and Shirley," or "Welcome Back, Kotter" - I guess you could tell I was a teenager in the late 70's!).
Not even one scene that came close to producing a chuckle, in which Janet Burston told the "mugs" in the audience to keep quiet and then made a face, could save this sleep-inducing exercise.
Since Warner Bros. - via Turner Entertainment Co. - now owns this Our Gang film, and since their Turner Classic Movies channel occasionally runs some of these MGM-produced Our Gangs as short subjects between features, then perhaps TCM should air "Benjamin Franklin, Jr." late at night as a public service to hardcore insomniacs.
Not recommended except for history geeks only. Avoid at all costs.
This film makes you think of the kind of junk that: (1) back in the day, you had to watch in high school during History class; or (2) if your own (personal) TV set was broken or your folks grounded you, this was the kind of boring pap they were watching on PBS and forced you to listen to, whether you were done with your homework or not (and then you wished either your own TV was working again and/or your grounding was rescinded so you could enjoy something *really* escapist *and* funny like "Happy Days," "Laverne and Shirley," or "Welcome Back, Kotter" - I guess you could tell I was a teenager in the late 70's!).
Not even one scene that came close to producing a chuckle, in which Janet Burston told the "mugs" in the audience to keep quiet and then made a face, could save this sleep-inducing exercise.
Since Warner Bros. - via Turner Entertainment Co. - now owns this Our Gang film, and since their Turner Classic Movies channel occasionally runs some of these MGM-produced Our Gangs as short subjects between features, then perhaps TCM should air "Benjamin Franklin, Jr." late at night as a public service to hardcore insomniacs.
Not recommended except for history geeks only. Avoid at all costs.