UPDATED 1/10/2023
The Little Rascals, which debuted on television in 1955, introduced a band of ragtag children to the world. They were born from the 1922-1938 ‘Our Gang’ shorts from MGM. Producer/creator Hal Roach re-bundled 79 of the shorts to make The Little Rascals TV series, which is still broadcast today. The kids from The Little Rascals each had their own distinct personality and image that earned them their nicknames.
Who doesn’t remember the shock of freckles on Alfalfa’s nose and the lock of hair that stood up on his head? Rounding out the popular Our Gang favorites were Spanky, Buckwheat, Stymie, and of course Petey, the dog. Get ready to dive into TV history and take a then-and-now look at the original Little Rascals.
Their legend continued on the big screen in the 1994 Universal release, The Little Rascals, which was a feature film loosely based on interpretations of those classic Our Gang shorts. Directed by Penelope Spheeris, the celebrity cameos — led by the Olsen Twins, Whoopi Goldberg, Mel Brooks, Reba McEntire, Daryl Hannah, Raven-Symoné, and Donald Trump — really stole the show.
As to where Hal Roach came up with the concept for Our Gang, Do You Remember turned to film historian Leonard Maltin, who also wrote the book The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang.
“He was very proud of that series,” says Maltin in that exclusive interview. “He tended to tell the same handful of anecdotes whenever he was interviewed, and there was one he always told — and it could be true, it could be apocryphal, it could be a mild exaggeration of the truth, but it doesn’t sound improbable. But he says he was looking out his office window one day and watched some kids fighting over a stick they were going to use for a game they were going to play. And he realized after a while that he’d been looking at them for a long, long time and that they had captured his attention. He always said that was the spark that inspired the idea of having a series starring kids. And as I said, that doesn’t sound too outlandish.”
If you’ve ever wondered what happened personally and professionally to the actors from The Little Rascals, the wait is over. Here are The (original) Little Rascals then and now.
RELATED: Here’s What Happened to Spanky from ‘The Little Rascals’ as Told by a Close Friend
1. Billie ‘Buckwheat’ Thomas
Dorothy DeBorba joined the cast of Our Gang in 1930 in “Pups is Pups.” She is best remembered for her elaborate hairstyles and bows on the series. Additionally, there’s her mischievous nature and her ability to mimic other characters’ lines in a humorous way, which gave her the nickname “Echo.”
She left the series in 1933 after making 24 pictures. Dorothy graduated high school and became a clerk. She had two children and later died of emphysema in 2010.
12. Carl ‘Alfalfa’ Switzer
Carl Dean Switzer was born on Aug. 7, 1927, in Paris, Illinois. He and his brother, Harold, became famous in their hometown for their musical talents. In 1934, the Switzers traveled to California to visit family and, as fate would have it, went on a sightseeing tour to Hal Roach Studios, where the Our Gang shorts were filmed.
After the tour, 8-year-old Harold and 6-year-old Carl went for a meal at the Our Gang cafe and began an impromptu performance. Roach just happened to be there and was so impressed that he signed them both on the spot. Carl was dubbed “Alfalfa” and, over the course of the films, he became best friends with Spanky and, of course, was always pursuing Darla.
After leaving the series in 1940, he was the victim of typecasting and struggled to find roles. He appeared in bit parts and B movies as an adult, including the classic It’s a Wonderful Life(1946). During the making of what would be his final film, The Defiant Ones (1958), he told a newspaper, “I look just like I did when I was a kid. It’s hard for a child actor to start working again. I’ve never played a part over 19. I’m always a teenager and there haven’t been many jobs until recently. I’ll see how this turns out. If this doesn’t do it for me, nothing will.”
In the end, he left show business and became a dog breeder and hunting guide. As he explained in 1953, “Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t quit Hollywood. I’m a guy who likes to eat and I found I couldn’t do it without working. I would have stayed in Hollywood if I could have gotten picture jobs.”
In January 1958, it was reported that while he was getting into his car in Studio City, someone fired a bullet at him, which crashed through the window and hit him in the right arm. Ironically, this would end up being a “preview” of what would ultimately be in store for him. In January 1959, Switzer met an untimely end as he was fatally shot during a fight over $50 and a hunting dog. He was only 31.
13. Norman ‘Chubsy-Ubsy’ Chaney
One of the saddest lives among all the members of Our Gang was undoubtedly Norman Chaney, who was better known as Chubsy-Ubsy. He was born October 18, 1914 in Cambridge, Maryland. As the shorts moved from silent films into the sound era, cast member Joe Cobb had aged out and Hal Roach, with director Robert F. McGowan, were looking for a heavy-set replacement. At the time, Norman was 3’11” and weighed 113 pounds.
Appearing under the “official” name of Chubby, he starred in a total of 19 short films over the course of two years, but his time in the cast was cut short by the fact that he was continually putting on more weight despite his attempts not to do so. His contract was not renewed in 1931, so he and his family moved back to Baltimore. There he attended public school and attempted a life of normalcy. Sadly, though, that life was short-lived. As it turned out, he was suffering from a glandular ailment which resulted in his weight reaching 300 pounds while he stopped growing at 4’7″. He did undergo surgery, after which he dropped down to 140 pounds and then 110, but the end result was disastrous.
On May 29, 1936, when he was only 21, Norman died of myocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart muscle. For much more on Norman, please check out our profile of him.
All of us at DYR sincerely hope you enjoyed this walk down memory lane to check out the original cast of The Little Rascals!
To learn much more about George “Spanky” McFarland as told by a close friend, please click here.
ALSO:
‘The Little Rascals: Carl ‘Alfalfa’ Switzer Was the Target of a Shooting a Year Before His Murder’
‘The Little Rascals’: By 1959, Much of ‘Our Gang’ Was Running into Tough — Sometimes Deadly — Times
‘The Little Rascals’: Norman Chaney, Who Preferred ‘Chubsy-Ubsy,’ Had a Short and Sad Life
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