“I 5 or 6 years old before I realized that all kids weren’t in the movies.” —Spanky McFarland, 1988
Prime times have passed for Our Gang. Their cultural hold on America withered after a run that exhausted all predictions thanks to television. Early programming could not generate enough content to fill the broadcast day. Boomers took them to heart in the 1950s, just as they had Hopalong Cassidy, who had already retired from the range when he first pulled his oaters out of the barn to bathe them in the light of syndication.
Unlike OG (Our Gang throughout this piece), William Boyd, the cowboy with the black suit and the jumpy name made a bundle of cash from his earlier work, thanks to contract clauses that granted him future rights to his character.
Although their cinematic legacies paid them nothing, the antics of OG inspired youth culture from the post World War I era until way into the 60s. From there, the weights of poor quality black and white film and an ongoing reassessment of social norms, pushed them out of the mainstream.
Fans of Spanky McFarland can trace his arc from his earliest appearances as a 3-year-old in “Free Eats” in 1932. His run, which included the presidency the He-Man Woman Hater’s Club lasted but ten years. The chunky little Texan left the gang at 13 after “Unexpected Riches” in 1942. His retirement was unspectacular, but others like that of his sweet co-star Mickey Gubitosi made for electrifying headlines.
Tracing the fates of each of The Little Rascals, the new name that came in the 1955 rebranding of 221 films for the tube, is a trip down a rabbit hole that even Pete the Pup would find difficult to navigate. Still, this partial sampling offers an anecdotal recap of the realities faced by some of the earliest child movie stars.
Yes, the films often reflect the racial insensitivity and wholesale stereotyping of the time. However, many of the black cast members became as popular as their white counterparts for reasons that had everything to do with talent and originality. The series itself offered characters of many races and backgrounds, something that was more than groundbreaking for a time where many American playgrounds were segregated.
Looking back on the assortment of the players years after his film career, Allen “Farina” Hoskins said his first encounters with racist attitudes came during his service in World War II. On the movie set, two decades before, he noted “They related to each other as a bunch of kids. The message, I think, was that we’re all just people, sometimes good and sometimes bad.”
So what happened to them?
Each was introduced without fanfare or any idea of their longevity as a useful player. For the most part the best years of their lives and careers concluded about the same time they entered junior high school. There was no preparation for what would come next.
Few were able to pursue acting dreams, having been typecast in their iconic roles before many of them could even read. Porky, Stymie, Darla, Chubby, Jackie, Mary Anne, Wheezer, the holy trinity of Spanky, Alfalfa, and Buckwheat, all of them reaped the show business whirlwind.
Child actor’s earnings were unprotected. Most of the films were produced during the Great Depression, which further endangered their scenarios for profit. With no residual agreements in place, what they were paid at the time was the only remuneration they or their parents ever saw. But each shared a legacy of unique fame that worked in opening and closing doors throughout their uncharted lifetimes.
For these many and varied conclusions, we go into a bit of a Cliff Notes format that is laid out like this:
Name, character name if any (birth year-death year, years spent as a Rascal) Brief notes and/or adult highlights , Cause of death / Age / Final resting places
The order is determined by the time they entered the series, although many transcended into one or more groupings.
For further reading, check out the bible on the subject, Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals, Leonard Maltin and Richard W. Bann, Crown Publishers (1977). It contains in depth scenarios for all 221 films from Our Gang (1922) to Tale of a Dog (1944).
Often referred to as Film’s first black child star, starred in 105 OG shorts, more than any other. Made $350 a week when the other gang members were making $40 a week.
Vaudeville, actor Mayor of Hell (1932), After the Thin Man (1936), U.S. Army, Sheltered Workshop Director, Alameda County Association for the Mentally Retarded, Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame. Cancer / 59 / Evergreen Cemetery, Oakland, CA.
Strangest Rascal retirement of all. His sister Mildred married screen legend Harold Lloyd, who convinced the family to pull him out of the series after 19 shorts and enroll him in military school.
Physician, cardiologist, assoc. Professor at UCLA School of Medicine.
Appeared in 46 silent and 6 talkies with Our Gang, Actress Jean Eyre (1934), Carrie Pipperidge in the original Broadway production of Carousel (1945) for 850 consecutive performances, hosted NBC New York’s A Date with Jean Darling in the 1950s. Moved to Dublin in 1974 where she wrote and published over 50 short mysteries in publications like Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine.
Born Pal the Wonder Dog, American Pit Bull Terrier. Actor The Freshman (1925) with Harold Lloyd, played “Tige” in the Buster Brown series. (Ring around the right eye. It was mostly natural, the circle completed with dye by Hollywood makeup artist Max Factor.)
Poison / 6 / Hollywood
Pete the Pup II (1929-1946, 1930-1932, 1938-1946 )
Son of Pete I, born Lucenay’s Peter, Staffordshire Terrier. Debuted as a puppy in Pups Is Pups (1930). (Ring around the right eye,) Pete II took a 6-year hiatus beginning in 1932 with the firing of his owner and trainer Harry Lucenay. Several Petes were employed 1932-1938, when Pete II returned and stayed with the series until it’s conclusion in 1944.
Old age / 16 / Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park, Calabasas, CA.
Returned to school in Baltimore, where he continued his education amidst a variety of health issues. He got to 300 lbs on his 4’7” frame. Glandular ailment treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital, he dropped down to 140. First Our Gang member to die.
Actor, director, producer. At 9 became the youngest person nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for Skippy (1931), a distinction he held for almost 50 years. U.S. Navy, star of TV sitcoms The People’s Choice (1955-1958)and Hennessey (1959-1962). Autobiography: Please Don’t Shoot My Dog (Morrow, 1981). 131 film credits from 1929-1980, including his portrayal of Perry White in all four Superman Christopher Reeve movies (1978-1987).
Natural causes / 88 / Arlington National Cemetery, VA.
Our Gang appearances totaled 36, (his derby was a gift from Stan Laurel.) Actor Captain Blood (1935), The Return of Frank James (1940), Sanford and Son (TV, 1972-1977), Good Times (TV, 1974-1977), The Buddy Holly Story (1978). Entered Synanon to kick his heroin addiction in the 1960s. Alcohol abuse motivational speaker, also numerous appearances at Our Gang reunions. Pneumonia, 5 days after falling down flight of stairs / 56 / Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles
Actor, over 100 films including Blonde Venus (1932), Oliver Twist (1933), Sergeant York (1941). U.S. Army. Founded the public relations firm DIck Moore and Associates which operated 1966-2010. Author, Twinkle, Twinkle, LIttle Star (But Don’t Have Sex or Take the Car) (Harper & Row, 1984).
Child model (Wonder Bread) in Dallas before joining Our Gang, where he starred in 84 films. U.S. Air Force, public speaker, host of The Spanky Show KOTV, Tulsa, Philco-Ford sales, personal appearance tours. Heart attack or aneurysm / 64 / Cenotaph reserved Texas State Cemetery, Austin, TX
Tommy Bond (1926-2005, 1932–1934 as Tommy, 1937–1940 as Butch)
U. S. Navy, Actor (Jimmy Olson in Superman (1948), Atom Man vs. Superman (1950), Bedtime for Bonzo (1951), total of 73 films, charter member of Screen Actors Guild, owner of KTTV, Los Angeles, spokesperson.
Cardiovascular disease / 79 / Riverside National Cemetery, CA.
Actor over 100 feature films 1933-1957 including Dante’s Inferno (1935), The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), Kings Row (1942), A Date with Judy (1948),
Barbiturate overdose / 38 / San Fernando Mission Cemetery, Los Angeles, CA
Appeared in 61 OG shorts. Actor It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), Pat and Mike (1952), The Ten Commandments (1956), The Defiant Ones (1958); TV appearances on Science Fiction Theater, The Roy Rogers Show, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.
Conducted guided hunting tours for celebrities such as Henry Fonda and James Stewart. Bred and trained hunting dogs.
Murdered during an argument over $50 and a dog. / 31 / Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Appeared in 50 OG shorts. Actor, singer, voice overs as Campbell Soup Kid, Tiny Tears doll, and Chicken of the Sea Mermaid. TV engagements include The Ken Murray Show, You Bet Your Life, and The Merv Griffin Show.
21 OG features, Actor “Waldo” in Barnyard Follies (1940). U.S. Army. Minister, Seventh-day Adventist, missionary work in Siam (Thailand)
Hit and run accident / 72 / Crestlawn Memorial Park, RIverside, CA
Mickey Gubitosi (Robert Blake) (b. 1933, 1939-1944) U. S. Army, Actor (Little Beaver in the Red Ryder series, Perry Smith in In Cold Blood (1967), Electra Glide in Blue (1973), Beretta TV series (1975-1978). Acquitted in 2005 for the murder of Bonnie Lee Bakley in 2002. Found liable for her wrongful death, 2005.
Last OF leading lady, replacing Darla in 1941 until the end of the series in 1944l. Actor, participant in OG reunions.
Natural causes / 63 / 1998 Fresno County, CA
Billy Laughlin as Froggy (1932-1948, 1940-1944) Actor, newspaper delivery Auto crash, hit by a truck while delivering papers on a scooter / 16 / Rose Hills Memorial Park, Whittier, CA
Survivors
As of February 1, 2021, the following notable cast members are confirmed as still living.
Mickey Gubitosi (Robert Blake) (b. 1933, 1939-1944) U. S. Army, Actor (Little Beaver in the Red Ryder series, Perry Smith in In Cold Blood (1967), Electra Glide in Blue (1973), Beretta TV series (1975-1978). Acquitted in 2005 for the murder of Bonnie Lee Bakley in 2002. Found liable for her wrongful death, 2005.
Actor, Cinderella Jones (1946), Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953). Graduate, Hollywood High School. Art major, UCLA. Model in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.
Actor A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935), If You Knew Susie (1948), TV roles in The Ruggles, The Lone Ranger, The Andy Griffith Show. Voice actor Clutch Cargo. Model for Tinker Bell in Disney’s Peter Pan (1953)
In OG, bully Butch’s sidekick. Actor, Jesse James (1939), Keep ‘Em Slugging (1943). Real estate developer, OG reunions.
Will turn 93 July 2, 2021.
Note: Both of the acting Hickman brothers, Darryl (b. 1931, turning 90 in 2021) and Dwayne (b, 1934, turning 87 in 2021) appear uncredited in different 1940s OG features. They both have long acting resumes and are still with us.
