The missing character of Spanky's father

It has been brought on a review once and it may have been brought up on a few posts before but I've been thinking about for a long time.a mentioned by the reviewer it is very curious as the character of Spanky's father is missing from the short.The first scene is during the day as is the second so it would be assumed that the Dad was at work. The show is on a Friday night so if Pop was your typical 9 to 5 er he should be present. One theory says the Dad is a military man and away from home,while possible in 1935 the U.S. had a very small military. Another theory says the Father could be deceased but that would seem incorrect as the mother would then be working. Still another says they could be divorced but Mom is wearing a wedding ring and an engagement ring so they are not divorced .One idea says the Dad was sitting in the audience but the mom went out there and never talked or looked at anyone.

The people I've spoken to all think this is very interesting indeed. The what ifs are wild. The father would have not tolerated the way the MC handles his wife when she went to look to see if Spanky was on the other side of the curtain. The father would have punched the MC in the nose for manhandeling his wife I such a manner. The Pop would have calmed down the Mom before she tried to run on the stage maybe it would have been him who pulls her back? The Dad probably would have halted the mom from going out behind the curtain.He would have certainly stopped the Grandma from pulling on the ropes and humiliating his wife in that manner.

Anyway you cut it the father missing was major to the plot and what happened.