When was little rascals on tv

The series moved into sound just prior to the Great Depression. In , Roach sold the series to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The sell is generally regarded by fans as the series' Seasonal Rot period. The child cast changed almost annually until the series ended in It is said that Hal Roach got the idea for the comedies that revealed the world as seen from a child's point of view when he heard through his office window a conversation among some children in a lot next door arguing over discarded scraps of wood they were trying to split up for salvage.

In , Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , which had purchased the series from Roach in , sold the films back to him but retained the rights to the Our Gang name.

Thus, when Roach packaged the films for television syndication in the mid-'50s, the series was retitled The Little Rascals , leading to a certain amount of Title Confusion over the years. A revolving cast of child stars came and went throughout the course of the series. Part of the reason why the series is remembered even to this day is that it showed black and white children playing together as equals, which was more or less unheard of for films of its day.

In the decades since Our Gang ceased production, hundreds of imposters claiming to be former Rascals have attempted to dupe an unwitting public. One of the earliest was a man named Jack Bothwell , who claimed to have portrayed a nonexistent character named "Freckles.

According to TV writer Mark Evanier , the hoaxer continued his Rascals ruse for years, making personal appearances and doing the talk show circuit until his death in Bothwell's passing did nothing to abate his lies, as major news outlets eulogized the "former child star.

The most famous and oddest Our Gang imposter was Bill English pictured above. McFarland confronted a virtually incoherent English on the tabloid news show A Current Affair , but the hoaxer refused to back away from his claims. Billy Laughlin was a late addition to Our Gang.

Nicknamed " Froggy " for his comically guttural and raspy voice, he joined the troupe in for 29 of the MGM shorts. Laughlin, with his blond bowl cut and "Coke bottle" glasses, provided the late-era Rascals shorts with some of their few truly funny moments.

Where stalwarts Spanky and Alfalfa struggled to bring the laughs as they neared obviously uncomfortable adolescence, Froggy simply had to open his mouth for instant comedic gold.

Uncredited in the role, Laughlin uses his natural voice for the first and only time on film. In August , Laughlin was killed when the motorized scooter he was riding with a friend collided with an oncoming truck. He was only 16 years old. After leaving Our Gang at 13, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer struggled to recapture the success and fame the Hal Roach comedies had brought him.

At first, Switzer's show business career seemed bright, but it peaked in with a part in the comedy There's One Born Every Minute. Only bit parts and low-budget serials followed. However, by this time, Switzer was earning his living far from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Working as a bartender, a fishing and big game hunting guide, and a dog breeder, Switzer's former fame was little more than a bitter memory. By the end of the decade, his luck was running out.

In , an unidentified gunman shot Switzer in the arm. A motive for the shooting was never determined. What is certain is that Switzer's notoriously volatile temper had earned him no friends. Switzer allegedly drew a knife, and Stiltz shot him. The former Our Gang star died of massive internal bleeding at the age of The incident was ruled a justifiable homicide.

Darla Jean Hood was Our Gang 's undisputed sweetheart. With her apple cheeks and angelic voice, she kept Alfalfa and the gang at constant odds as they vied for her attention.

Hood continued to work in entertainment after her time in Our Gang was over. In the s, she formed a vocal group that performed background music for many popular Hollywood productions. Later, Hood made occasional guest appearances on TV, wrote songs, had a successful nightclub act, and worked as a voice-over artist. Active in the Our Gang fan community, Hood was in the process of organizing a Little Rascals reunion when she fell ill with appendicitis.

Following a routine appendectomy, Hood died suddenly of congestive heart failure on June 13, , at the age of An autopsy determined that a tainted blood transfusion had infected her with acute hepatitis, which caused her death. Wheezer, Alfalfa, Darla, and Froggy were not the only Rascals to die tragic, early deaths. Norman "Chubby" Chaney passed at 21 after an operation to correct a glandular defect.

Scotty Beckett descended into drug abuse and died under mysterious circumstances after suffering a brutal beating. Mickey Daniels became a chronic alcoholic and died homeless. With such a large proportion of former Our Gang actors dying young, rumors continue to swirl about an alleged "curse.

Although the untimely deaths of so many of the Little Rascals is indeed tragic, there's no evidence that the cast is somehow cursed. Statistically, the numbers just don't point to anything anomalous.

As the debunkers at Snopes point out, given the number of cast members, the Little Rascals have had, on average, exceptionally long life spans. By William J. Rascal imposters ABC News. Shop your favorite shows in the MeTV Store. Shop Now. Did you know? See More. There were short films starring 41 child actors.

Chubby, Stymie and Buckwheat won contests to join the cast. Image: The Everett Collection. Morrison inked a deal with Roach in , three years before Our Gang began. Makeup legend Max Factor added the ring around the eye of Pete the Pup.

Pete's ring moved from his right eye to his left after the original dog died. The theme song was not introduced until the st Our Gang short. George "Spanky" McFarland's final role was a cameo on 'Cheers.

Pogo creator Walt Kelly produced Our Gang comic books Kelly is a legendary cartoonist and animator, having worked on Disney classics like Fantasia and having created the comic strip Pogo. There was just one Our Gang feature film made, set in the Civil War.

Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Cancel Delete. Sign up with: Google Facebook Twitter Email. Upload a file: Or drag a file here to upload. Newest Oldest Top Comments. TommyRancid 11 months ago. When are you going to start showing these? Enough with the 3 Stooges already!