‘The Little Rascals’ Facts And What Happened To The Cast
Our Gang, better known by some as The Little Rascals, was a series of film shorts produced from 1922 to 1944. The shorts centered on the adventures of a group of children. The program was groundbreaking because it featured both races connecting as equals.
The Little Rascals featured a total of 41 child actors. While you’d think the show could kick off some big careers, many of the stars wound up quitting show business early on, others suffered hard times, but a select few ended up with a successful career. See what happened to the cast of The Little Rascals.
Some Believe The Cast Was Doomed From The Start
While The Little Rascals was produced nearly a century ago, characters such as Alfalfa, Spanky, and Buckwheat are still household names. Despite their huge success as children, the majority of the actors struggled to find acting jobs as they got older due to typecasting. In later years, there were even rumors of a curse spurred by an E! True Hollywood Story.
Many of the stars died before the age of 65 and some were even significantly younger than that. While a select few of their lives ended ominously, there’s no evidence that their shared experiences led to early deaths.
Billy “Buckwheat Thomas” Was Still A Toddler When He Landed The Role
Born in 1931, William Thomas Jr. played Buckwheat and was a background actor in The Little Rascals shorts starting at age three in 1934. Initially, Buckwheat was a girl who was played by Matthew “Stymie” Beard’s little sister, Carlena.
At first, Thomas Jr. also dressed as a girl with pigtails, a giant sweater, and big boots. He also had a speech impediment. In later years, the portrayal was seen as offensive towards African-Americans. After The Little Rascals, Thomas joined the Army and worked behind the scenes on film sets. He died of a heart attack in 1980. He was 49.
Darla Hood As “Darla”
Darla Hood started singing and dancing when she was just a small child. When she was three, she traveled from Oklahoma to New York City to earn the role of Darla. From there she was brought to Culver City, California, to appear in the Our Gang movies.
Her character was very spirited, and Alfalfa, Butch, and Waldo swooned over her. Darla’s rendition of the song “I’m in the Mood for Love” is a fan-favorite moment from The Little Rascals.
Matthew “Stymie” Appeared In Shows After The Rascals
Matthew Beard Jr. played a character named Hercules until he was renamed Stymie because he “stymied” the show’s director with his curiosity. Stymie was bald and wore a large derby hat gifted to him by comedian Stan Laurel. He left the show at age 10 and retired from show business a few years later.
He developed an addiction but got clean and appeared on shows such as The Jeffersons and Good Times. He also starred in The Buddy Holly Story and stayed sober for the rest of his life. He died at age 56 in 1981 after falling down some stairs, having a stroke, and contracting pneumonia.
Petey The Dog Met A Gruesome End
Petey’s real name was Pal the Wonder Dog. He was an American Pit Bull Terrier who got his start in the Buster Brown series playing Tige during the ’20s. Maksymilian Faktorowicz, the founder of cosmetics company Max Factor in Los Angeles, initially put the famous circle around Pal’s right eye.
When Pal was hired for The Little Rascals, producer Hal Roach made the decision to leave the circle, creating one of TV’s most iconic dogs in the process. Unfortunately, Pal died of poisoning in 1930. Pal’s offspring took over the role, but the eye circle was placed over the left eye instead. The pup lived until the age of 16.
Billy “Froggy” Laughlin Was Just A Teen When He Was Hit By A Truck
William Robert Laughlin joined The Little Rascals at the age of eight in 1940. His character, Froggy, had an odd voice that sounded just like a frog’s croak. When the show ended, Laughlin quit acting so he could enjoy being a kid for a little while.
In 1948, he was delivering newspapers on the back of a scooter near his home in La Puente, California when he was hit by a truck. His friend was driving the scooter, which Laughlin’s parents had given to Billy just two weeks prior. He was only 16 when he died, much younger than his fellow The Little Rascals costars.
George “Spanky” McFarland
George Robert Phillips McFarland was reportedly nicknamed Spanky by his mom because he had a penchant for putting his hands on things he wasn’t supposed to touch. McFarland later denied this and said the name was given to him by a newspaper reporter.
He was born in 1928 in Dallas, was a children’s clothing model before turning to acting. In The Little Rascals, he played the president of the “He-Man Women Hater’s Club.”
Eugene “Porky” Lee Was Only On The Show For A Short Time
Texas-native Eugene Lee was nicknamed “Porky” and played Spanky’s younger brother on the series after Hal Roach noticed how much the eighteen-month-old toddler resembled George McFarland.
Unfortunately, at the age of five, he hit a big growth spurt and grew really fast, quickly reaching the same height as McFarland, who was five years older. Lee, who had appeared in 42 of the Our Gang comedies, was then replaced by Robert Blake.
Mickey Gubitosi, AKA Robert Blake, Became Infamous Later In Life
Michael James Gubitosi, aka Robert Blake, started playing Mickey in The Little Rascals after replacing Porky. He was Spanky’s best friend and eventual leader of the group. His early career also involved a role in the Red Ryder films. When he got older he played various Native American and Latino characters, despite being Italian.
Blake spent some time in the Army before returning to show business. He’s most known for his Emmy Award-winning role of undercover cop Tony Baretta in the show Baretta from 1975 to 1978.
After The Show, Darla Created A Nightclub Act But Died In Her Forties
After leaving The Little Rascals, Darla Hood joined a vocal group and acted a few more years including in The Bat, seen here. She created a nightclub act at the Coconut Grove in LA, the Copacabana in New York, and the Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
In 1979 she was putting together a Little Rascals reunion in Los Angeles when she was hospitalized for an appendectomy. She died of heart failure after the procedure, at the age of 47.
Carl Switzer As Alfalfa
Carl Dean Switzer was on a tour of Hal Roach Studios in California where The Little Rascals was filmed when he and his brother Harold’s antics impressed Roach, who decided to hire them then and there.
Switzer left the show in 1940 and had difficulty finding acting jobs because he was typecast. He did appear in some B-movies and landed some bit parts. Fun fact: although Alfalfa was known for his off-tune warbling, Switzer was actually a good singer.
Ernie Morrison Was Supposed To Be The Top Star
Initially, Roach planned his shorts to center around Ernie Morrison’s character, Sunshine Sammy. However, his ethnicity was a problem for theater owners who feared people wouldn’t be happy with a series featuring an African-American star. Roach decided to open up his concept and include other children.
Morrison was the first African-American actor to be signed to a long-term contract. He left the series in 1924 to work in vaudeville, where his skills were featured alongside up-and-coming acts as Abbott and Costello and Jack Benny. Morrison served in World War II and left show business to make parts for aircraft. He died of cancer in 1989 at age 77.
Mary Ann Jackson Despised Her Hairstyle
Mary Ann Jackson came from an acting family and got her start in showbiz early on, with a role in a 1925 short titled Dangerous Curves Behind. She also played “Baby Smith” in a comedy series called The Smiths.
Jackson, pictured on the far right, appeared in The Little Rascals from 1928 to 1931. She was known for her signature bob, witty delivery, and tomboyish attitude. She often played Wheezer’s older sister.
Dorothy DeBorba, Known For Her Ringlets, Didn’t Love Working On The Show
Dorothy DeBorba, known for her curls and hair bows made by her mother, made an impression on Hal Roach for being able to cry on cue. She played Jackie Cooper’s younger sister and had a penchant for mimicking other character’s lines. She was mischievous and later recalled having a great time working on the series.
That trademark hairstyle she wore took her mother two hours every night! Of being on the show, she once said, “It wasn’t really much fun, working every day and going to school besides.”
Allen “Farina” Hoskins Was Blacklisted After Leaving The Series & Serving In WWII
Allen Hoskins played Farina in the series and was the show’s most popular character. He’s one of history’s first African-American child stars, and he made $350 a week working on the series, more than any of his costars. Still, there was some criticism for his character’s stereotypical portrayal of black people.
Hoskins later served in World War II and abandoned acting shortly afterward. He was later blacklisted because as a teen, he attended dances sponsored by the Young Communist League and the Socialist Workers Party. He then helped handicapped workers find jobs. He died of cancer in 1980 at age 60.
Hal Roach Started As An Extra In Silent Films
Born on January 14, 1892, Our Gang producer/director Harold “Hal” Roach was expelled from school at age 16. He then ventured to Alaska because his father believed that “traveling would help him grow up.”
He visited Los Angeles for vacation and met some showbiz people who had connections, and quickly had himself a job as an extra in a silent movie. After inheriting some money, he then began producing short films in 1915.
Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer Was Fatally Shot In His 30s
After The Little Rascals, Switzer did not find much success as an actor. He became a dog breeder and a hunting guide, and some of his famous hunting companions included James Stewart, Henry Fonda, Roy Rogers, and Dale Evans.
In 1959, Switzer, 32, was shot to death over a financial dispute. The shooting was ruled to be an act of self-defense. He died the same day as filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille, and his death was just a footnote in the newspapers as a result.
Jackie Cooper
Jackie Cooper’s grandmother was an actress who brought him along to tryouts in the hopes he would bring her more attention. When he was just three years old, he landed his first role.
Cooper’s most notable Our Gang shorts centered on his crush on his teacher Miss Crabtree. He appeared in “Love Business,” “Teacher’s Pet,” and “School’s Out,” among others. In 1931, Hal Roach sold his contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and he went on to have a successful career.
Scotty Beckett’s Life Took A Downward Spiral After His Acting Gigs Dried Up
Scotty Beckett played Spanky’s best friend and partner in crime. He wore a crooked baseball cap and an oversized sweater. After a short stint, he left the series for movie roles, making a brief return in 1939, as Alfalfa’s cousin, Wilbur. He ended up appearing in films alongside many stars, including Spencer Tracy, Errol Flynn, and Greta Garbo.
In the ’50s he joined Rocky Jones, Space Ranger but was fired after he was arrested on a concealed weapons charge and for writing a bad check. He was later arrested for various other crimes, including impaired driving and possession. He died at age 38, the cause presumed to be an overdose.
Mickey Rooney Was Almost A ‘Rascal’
Actor Mickey Rooney originally went to Hollywood (from Brooklyn, New York) to audition for a role in Our Gang. However, his mother refused to sign the contract because of a salary dispute.
Rooney was fine, however! He went on to appear in more than 300 films including Boys Town, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Black Stallion, The Human Comedy, the Andy Hardy franchise, National Velvet, Pete’s Dragon, and many more. He died in 2014 at the age of 93.
“Spanky” Later Appeared In A Cheers Episode
McFarland was with Our Gang productions until he was fourteen, making his final appearance in 1942’s “Unexpected Riches.”
He later joined the Air Force and also worked at a Popsicle factory, hamburger joint, and soft drink plant. His last appearance on TV was a cameo during a 1993 episode of Cheers. He died of a heart attack that same year at age 64. The following year he was granted a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Robert Blake Went On Trial For The Death Of His Second Wife
Blake met his second wife, Bonnie Lee Bakley, in 1999. He was her tenth husband, and she famously dated Marlon Brando’s son while she was in a relationship with Blake. In 2001, she was shot in Blake’s vehicle outside of a restaurant. Blake claimed he was not present when the shooting took place.
In 2005, Blake was found not guilty. However, he was found liable in civil court for her wrongful death and ordered to pay $30 million. He wound up filing for bankruptcy and has stayed largely out of the spotlight for the last several years. He passed away in 2023.
The Idea For The Little Rascals Came From An Unexpected Place
Producer/creator Hal Roach reportedly developed The Little Rascals shorts in the early 1920s. He had just finished a terrible audition with a child actress when he noticed some kids arguing in a lumberyard next door. The children were fighting over a large stick, which was in possession of the smallest kid.
The other kids were trying to coax the boy to give the stick to the biggest child. Roach observed the action for about 15 minutes and then came up with an idea to create short films about kids just being kids.
Roach Also Worked With Laurel And Hardy
Although they had worked together before, the now-iconic comedians Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were not an official “team” until they appeared together in the short film Putting Pants on Philip in 1927. This was their first movie with Hal Roach’s studio, where they remained until 1940.
Of working with the men, Roach once said, “You could always cut to a close-up of either one, and their reaction was good for another laugh.” Pictured here from left to right are Laurel, Hardy, Ethyl the chimp, and Roach.
