Little Rascals
TELETOON (ended 1944)
Cast & Crew
EDIT
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Jackie Cooper
Jackie (1929 to 1931)
Jackie Cooper was one of the members of original "Little Rascals" during the 1930's. He is also a retired Naval Reserve Officer. -
Jack Davis
Jack (1922 to 1923)
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Stymie Beard
Stymie (1930-1935)
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Eugene Lee
Porky (1935 to 1939)
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Robert Blake
(originally Mickey Gubitosi) as Mickey (1939 to 1944)
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John Collum
Uh-huh (1933)
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Eugene Jackson
Gene or Pineapple (1925)
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George "Spanky" McFarland
Spanky (1932 to 1942)
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Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer
Alfalfa (1935 to 1940)
Carl Switzer was born in Paris, Illinois in 1927. He would later become known as "Alfalfa", a character he played on the Hal Roach produced television program, Our Gang. Carl died on January 21, 1959, the victim of a murderer's bullet as he and another man argued over a lost hunting dog. In 1935 Carl was added to the already successful Our Gang comedies when he was only seven years old. Although he appeared in nearly 75 of the comedy shorts over the next five years he didn't receive a single dime from the show. At the time Our Gang was filmed, television was still in its infancy, and many considered it to be a temporary novelty. No one even considered the concept of royalties and syndication. As a result, everyone knew Switzer, but he never profited from his fame. Switzer was the tall, skinny, freckle-faced kid with the uncontrollable cow-lick and the equally uncontrollable singing voice. One of Alfalfa's most memorable Our Gang performances was his spectacularly off-key rendition of I'm in the Mood for Love which appeared in the episode The Pitch Singer in 1936. As he grew older, he wound up in a series of odd jobs: tour guide, shoeshine boy, and bartender. He had to make a living while he stayed involved in Hollywood. After his Our Gang days ended in 1940, Switzer appeared in small, often uncredited parts in nearly sixty films, including My Favorite Blonde (1942), The Human Comedy (1943), Going My Way (1944), It's a Wonderful Life (1946), State of the Union (1948), Pat and Mike (1952). Switzer even played a slave in Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments (1956). By 1958, at the age of 32, Switzer seemed to be back on the Hollywood fast track. He had landed a plum comic relief role in the Marlon Brando film, The Defiant Ones. But until its release, he still had to earn a living. Switzer had several run-ins with the law during the 1950s. He was once arrested for cutting down trees in Sequoia National Forest and, in 1958, he was shot by an unknown assailant in front of a bar in the San Fernando Valley. Between acting jobs, Switzer worked as a bartender, and although the pursuit never really worked out, he masterminded a part-time bear hunting scheme. His customers included, among others, Roy Rogers and Henry Fonda. Before one of his hunting expeditions, Switzer borrowed a hunting dog from a friend, Moses "Bud" Stiltz. The dog ran away, and Switzer offered a $50 reward for its return. A few days later, a man found the dog, and brought it to the bar where Switzer worked as a bartender. Switzer paid the man, along with giving him $15 worth of free drinks. Several days later, after a night of drinking, Switzer drunkenly decided that Stiltz owed him the $50 he had spent to get the dog back. So he went to Stiltz' home in Mission Hills to retrieve the money. On January 21, 1959, a drunken Switzer and his pal Jack Piott headed over to Stiltz's home in Mission Hills to get his money. They banged on the front door. When the door opened, Switzer flashed a fake police badge and loudly yelled through the open door at Stiltz to let him in. Once inside, Stiltz and Switzer got into a heated argument. Switzer informed Stiltz that he wanted his money. Stiltz told him he was crazy and to get the hell out of his house at which point all massive holy hell apparently broke loose. Stiltz claims Switzer then hit him over the head with a large lamp (some say it was clock), causing Stiltz to retreat to his room, battered and bleeding from a cut over the eye. Stiltz emerged with a pistol, which Switzer immediately grabbed out of Stiltz's hand. A shot was fired but neither man was hit. The gunshot caused Stiltz's fiancee and her three children (who were huddled with her in the bedroom) to flee to a neighbor's house. Switzer then forced Stiltz into a closet and shut the door. Even though Stiltz had gotten his hands on the gun, Switzer drew a hunting knife on Stiltz and yelled that he was going to kill his opponent. He charged the man and Stiltz fired, hitting Switzer in the abdomen. He died on the way to the hospital, at the age of 31. (During the trial it was revealed that the hunting knife was actually a jacknife and it was found under his body with no blade exposed by the crime scene investigators.) Carl was buried at Hollywood Memorial Park. Other celebrities buried there are Mel Blanc, Cecil B. DeMille, Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Rudolph Valentino. His marker bears his name, a profile drawing of Petey (the Our Gang dog), two Masonic symbols and the inscription "Beloved father, son and brother".moreless -
Johnny Downs
Johnny (1925 to 1927)
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Scotty Beckett
Scotty (1934 to 1935)
Scott Beckett is most recognizable as the smart aleck, back talking, adorable member of the original Little Rascals. He entered acting at the young age of three when signed for the Our Gang theatrical serials, in which he was featured in 15 shorts and one movie. After Our Gang, Beckett enjoyed lots of work in feature films including Dante's Inferno, Anthony Adverse, The Charge Of The Light Brigade, Marie Antoinette, Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves, and The Jolson Story. In the 1950s, Beckett would add television to his roster including a co-staring role on the pioneering space serial Rocky Jones, Space Ranger. But Beckett would loose that job mid-season after a run-in with the law and trouble continued to dog him even after he left show business. After suffering a severe beating, Beckett sought help at a medical facility. Two days later he was found dead after taking an overdose of sleeping pills at the age of 38.moreless -
Jackie Condon
Jackie (1922 to 1928)
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Bobby Hutchins
Wheezer (1927 to 1933)
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Mary Kornman
Mary (1922 to 1926)
Mary was the daughter of Gene Kornman and ??.
Her sister Mildred also was part of the Our Gang cast.
Mary was first married to Leo Tover, and then later to Ralph B. McCutcheon.
She was buried at the Linn Grove Cemetery in Greeley, Weld county, Colorado.moreless
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Billy Laughlin
Froggy (1940 to 1944)
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Jay R. Smith
Jay R. (1925 to 1928)
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Harry Spear
Harry (1927 to 1929)
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Ernie Morrison
Ernie or Sunshine Sammy (1922 to 1924)
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Jean Darling
Jean (1926 to 1929)
JEAN started appearing in movies when she was just 6 months old. Over a 3 year span, she was in 35 "OUR GANG" features. She went on a VAUDEVILLE tour with the "OUR GANG" show during the 1930's She began to study singing and was given a scholarship by the NEW YORK MUNICIPAL OPERA ASSOCIATION. She turned down an offer to play along side MICKEY ROONE in an MGM "ANDY HARDY" movie. Instead she went on BROADWAY making her debut in "COUNT ME IN" in 1942. She was best known for her role of CARRIE PIPPENRIDGE in the original BROADWAY production of "CAROUSEL." She appeared in 850 consecutive performances, setting a record for a singer. She made several appearnaces for soldiers during WWII. This helped her get parts for radio and on TV in the 40's and 50's. She married REUBEN BOWEN who was KAGER THE MAGICIAN. She has lived in Ireland since 1974 where she writes mystery novels and has published over 50 short stories in "ELLERY QUEEN" and "HITCHCOCK" magazines. She reads "AUNT POPPY" stories she wrote on RTE radio and TV. She has also written radio plays and done journalistic work.moreless -
Tommy Bond
Tommy (1933 to 1934) - later as Butch (1937 to 1940)
Spouse: Pauline Francis Goebel (19 April 1953-24 September 2005) (his death) 1 child. -
Billie Thomas
Buckwheat (1934 to 1944)
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Norman Chaney
Chubby (1929 to 1931)
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Joe Cobb
Joe (1922 to 1929)
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Dorothy DeBorba
Dorothy (1930 to 1933)
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Allen Hoskins
Farina (1922 to 1931)
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Wally Albright
Wally (1934)
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Mickey Daniels
Mickey (1922 to 1926)
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Peggy Cartwright
Peggy (1922)
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Andy Samuel
Andy (1922 to 1924)
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Jannie Hoskins
Mango (1925 to 1927)
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