It's mentioned in the Leonard Maltin/Richard W. Bann book on the series (originally titled "Our Gang: The Life And Times Of The Little Rascals" -- a revised edition was later published called "The Little Rascals: The Life And Times Of Our Gang." They cite a short list of films pulled from syndication by King World in the early 1970s. However, one of the titles mentioned ("Little Sinner") definitely was still part of the package, albeit in an extremely cut version.
By the way, these are the shorts missing from the King World TV package. Some are for "political correctness" reasons, one due to its depiction of a divorce situation and the kids' reaction to it ("Big Ears"), one ("Railroadin'") which was left out of the series because the soundtrack was missing at the time (apparently never added to the TV package once it was found in the late 1970s, although Blackhawk Films released it). I don't know why "Small Talk" was added to the list, but it's not in the King World TV package. (It was aired on television pre-King World.) Small Talk Railroadin' Moan & Groan Inc. Lazy Days A Tough Winter A Lad An' A Lamp Little Daddy The Kid From Borneo Big Ears Despite its inclusion in the Maltin/Bann list, "Little Sinner" was part of the King World series. It and other shorts ("Spanky," "Helping Grandma" and "The Pinch Singer" among them) were extremely and severely edited, to the point where they ran alongside the later one-reel shorts when our local Chicago station used to run the Rascals in a half-hour alongside the Three Stooges. I don't really remember all the specifics of cuts to various shorts. They weren't all cut, but a lot of them were. Also, the original 1955 "Little Rascals" TV package included 11 silent shorts, which were pulled somewhere along the way as well.
For one thing, it's three reels long I watched WFLD in the 70s and I don't remember "Little Sinner." I didn't know what the cuts were until I read Maltin/Bann and/or watched the unedited shorts on VHS or DVD, but I knew those sequences weren't there when I watched them. IMO, some of the censoring is highly questionable (Free Wheeling, Arbor Day for example), and some kinda really isn't (Anniversary Trouble, Our Gang Follies of 1936 for example).
Here's the current DVD vs restoration. DVD plays during the first half. That's quite a difference! I have the old Cabin Fever VHS tapes.
They ran it, under the title "Little SinnerS." But it made no sense. Spanky tells everyone he's skipping Sunday school to go fishing, everyone warns him not to go, he leaves, then comes right back and the pastor asks him if he learned his lesson. "And how!"
Wikipedia: In 1971, because of controversy over some dated racial humor in the shorts and other content deemed to be in bad taste, King World made significant edits to Little Rascals TV prints. Many series entries were trimmed by two to four minutes, while others (among them Spanky, Bargain Day, The Pinch Singer and Mush and Milk) were cut to nearly half of their original length. At the same time, eight Little Rascals shorts were pulled from the King World television package altogether. Lazy Days, Moan and Groan, Inc., the Stepin Fetchit-guest-starred A Tough Winter, Little Daddy, A Lad an' a Lamp, The Kid From Borneo, and Little Sinner were deleted from the syndication package because of perceived racism, while Big Ears was deleted for its depiction of carelessly ingesting an assortment of drugs out of a medicine cabinet. The early talkie Railroadin' was never part of the television package because its soundtrack (recorded on phonographic records) was considered lost, although it was later found and restored to the film.
Trivia: In the complete LITTLE SINNER, much of the footage that would be cut appears to be from MGM's HALLELUJAH.
I wonder, as far as the silents go, what they have licensed. I'm assuming the MGMs, since they're still under copyright and, besides the lost films, they might have easier access to them. If they're working solely with 35mm, how many silents still exist in 35mm?
Read over the FAQ. It sounds like it will depend on how the funding goes. I think it sounds like a fair deal. It's not gonna be cheap, but I do believe it will be GOOD. Little Rascals Preservation & Restoration Project
Read the links provided. ClassicFlix Indigo crowd-funding online: 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. 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. Otherwise the project doesn't move forward.
Thanks for the link. A few of the Q&As from their FAQ: Will every donation receive a copy of Volume 1 on Blu-ray or DVD? No. Only those who select a "perk" of $50 or more will receive a copy of the set and only those within the U.S. are able to select it. Perk levels of $10 and $25 give contributors access to exclusive updates, but no physical copies of the release. Will the set be shipped outside the United States? No. Contributions are welcome from anywhere in the world by clicking the "Back It" button on the main page, but due to licensing restrictions and shipping logistics, Volume 1 will only be shipped to contributors within the United States. However, the release will eventually be accessible via all major retail outlets. Will these shorts be released at a later date to major retail outlets? Yes, they will be. First at ClassicFlix.com, then elsewhere. But we are planning special packaging for the Blu-ray (and possibly the DVD) for contributors to this project that won't be available when the release goes wide retail. Since they won’t be shipping sets outside the USA, I’d need to wait until if or when the collection is sold at retail outlets. (However, judging from the lackluster response to the campaign so far, I kind of doubt they will be able to proceed with it anyway.). [They are only at 21% of their goal, with just 24 days to go. They have 221 backers, with the average layout per person coming to about $68. At that rate, they need to sign up over 800 more people.])
a look at the Restoration of raw film elements ( No sound work yet!) for... When the Wind Blows, School's Out, and Shiver My Timbers.
I've got my $50 in. A bit over 1/3 funded and a bit less than 2/3 of the days left. Slow and steady wins the race!
It would be bad enough if this was a single volume, but considering that this is only the first of 3 volumes which, in theory, would generate the greatest response, I'm losing hope here...