From the comic supplement PUCK for 23 Feb 1936. Note that Pete the Pup is shown as one of the stars in the lineup above the strip, along with Spanky, Buckwheat, Darla, Alfalfa, and Porky..
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A Blog For Thelma Todd Thelma Todd was a star of silent movies and later the talkies. She is remembered as much today for her mysterious death as she is for her films. In this blog, we take a look at Thelma Todd, her movies, and various commentaries.
Showing posts with label Pete the Pup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pete the Pup. Show all posts
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Our Gang Comic Ad For Royal Gelatin
From the comic supplement PUCK for 23 Feb 1936. Note that Pete the Pup is shown as one of the stars in the lineup above the strip, along with Spanky, Buckwheat, Darla, Alfalfa, and Porky..
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Monday, September 7, 2015
Happy Labor Day
From the Hal Roach Studio on facebook:
Happy Labor Day. Try not to do too much heavy lifting today.
And a farewell to our darling Miss Darling*.
*Yesterday it was announced that Jean Darling ( the girl in front ) had died. We will miss her.
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Sunday, September 6, 2015
Pete The Pup With Spanky
From the Hal Roach Studio on facebook.
Our Gang's Spanky McFarland and Pete the Pup - 1932
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Sunday, April 5, 2015
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Edna Marion Poster
Edna Marion from earlier in her career, when she spelled her name differently. The dog in this poster appears to be Pete The Pup, who like Edna later appeared in films at the Roach studio.
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Monday, December 1, 2014
Pete The Pup
Pete the Pup photo from the Laurel and Hardy Archive on facebook.
"Steel Pier" souvenir
Atlantic City
30s
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Pete The Pup Photos
Pete the Pup with Miss Crabtree and the gang.
With Dickie Moore, 1933.
Meet the mike.
Pete meets Nipper, the RCA dog.
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With Dickie Moore, 1933.
Meet the mike.
Pete meets Nipper, the RCA dog.
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Wednesday, November 7, 2012
A Girl And Her Dog
Not the tail of the dog, but the dog of the tale. More than one, in fact.
There was Pete The Pup
The story that I remember was that this poor doggie was suffering from kleig eye and the kind-hearted Thelma was trying to comfort him. Lucky dog.
And White King:
Pete the Pup (September 6, 1929 - January 28, 1946) was an American Staffordshire Bull Terrier character in Hal Roach's Our Gang comedies (later known as The Little Rascals) during the 1920s and 1930s. Otherwise known as "Pete, the Dog With the Ring Around His Eye", or simply "Petey", he was well known for having a circled eye that was added on by Hollywood make-up artist Max Factor[1] and credited as an oddity in Ripley's Believe It or Not. The original Pete (sired by "Black Jack") was a Jack Russel Terrier named "Pal the Wonder Dog", and had a natural ring almost completely around his eye; dye was used to finish it off.
Pal first started out as "Tige" in the Buster Brown series in the 1920s. It was during this time that he obtained the circled eye, and when he was recruited to appear in the Our Gang comedies later that year, Hal Roach simply left it on, creating one of the most recognized dogs in film history. In the 1994 remake of The Little Rascals, the new Pete is an American Bulldog.
Trainer and owner Lt. Harry Lucenay used one of Pal's offspring as Pete in the series after Pal was poisoned and died in 1930.[3] This dog, named "Lucenay's Peter", was registered as an UKC American Pit Bull Terrier.[3] Lucenay's Peter was bred by A. A. Keller. The dog was UKC registered under the name Purple Ribbon Peter (22558). A few other dogs played Petey, but Lucenay's Peter was the best known. After being fired from the Our Gang series in 1932, Harry Lucenay retired Peter to Atlantic City, where he was photographed with children at the Steel Pier.
There was Pete The Pup
The story that I remember was that this poor doggie was suffering from kleig eye and the kind-hearted Thelma was trying to comfort him. Lucky dog.
And White King:
This time it was Thelma Todd that was in trouble. She was worried about the extortion notes she had been getting. But the man who had written them was later arrested.
Thelma Todd may not have been thinking of trouble when this picture was taken, but they ran it in the LA Times to accompany an article about her death, which took place not long afterwards. The film she had been working on with Patsy Kelly was ALL-AMERICAN TOOTHACHE.
Although this dog is usually called "White King", this caption calls it "Jiggs".
That's a pit bull, by the way, same as Pete the Pup. The picture was taken around the same time as the one where she was said to be worrid about the extortion notes.
And Gallant,
a cocker spaniel.
Gallant was seen in some publicity photos with Thelma Todd, but was seldom mentioned afterwards.
But I did find a little at a Laurel and Hardy site, from which I take this brief excerpt:
Hal Roach's secretary, Ruth Burch, remembered that Laughing
Gravy became one of many studio pets who had the run of her boss's office. Irma
Campanaro said Laughing Gravy "lived a long happy life, well into World War II.
People at the studio spoiled her, though, beginning with Mr. Roach. He loved all
dogs, although he was partial to hunting dogs, like black labradors. Another who
spoiled Laughing Gravy was Thelma Todd. She had her own little dogs, too. She
often brought her cocker spaniel named Gallant onto the sets, which was okay
because he never barked. But you would always see Thelma with little dogs like
Laughing Gravy sitting in her lap."
Laughing Gravy worked with the Thelma Todd unit too, appearing
in SHOW BUSINESS (1932), I'LL BE SUING YOU (1934) and TREASURE BLUES (1935). In
the concluding scenes of TREASURE BLUES, everyone dives overboard into the sea.
Last to take the plunge is Laughing Gravy, wearing a life preserver clearly
marked as the property of "Ruthie 2." Lois Laurel-Hawes speculates Ruthie "was
the dinghy for her father's yacht. The Ruth L. named for second wife Virginia
Ruth Rogers!"
* * *
So there's another dog in here to wag this tale, one I hadn't even thought of to start with. Laughing Gravy, best known for appearing with Laurel and Hardy in a movie of the same name.
With Spanky McFarland
Laughing Gravy also worked with Our Gang.
Laughing Gravy was also in one of Thelma Todd's last movies, THE BOHEMIAN GIRL, and would later be with Laurel and Hardy again in WAY OUT WEST. But there would never be another movie named for the little dog.
Although Laughing Gray had a film named for him, the most written about of these dogs seems to have been Pete the Pup.
Pete the Pup
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the Don Marquis character, see Pete the Pup (archy and mehitabel).
| Pete The Pup | |
|---|---|
 Pete the Pup, center, with Matthew "Stymie" Beard and Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins in the Our Gang comedy School's Out (1930) | |
| Born | September 6, 1929 Los Angeles, California |
| Died | January 28, 1946 (aged 16) Los Angeles, California |
History
When he was about six months old, Pal the Wonder Dog made a cameo appearance in the Harold Lloyd film The Freshman, in 1925.[2]Pal first started out as "Tige" in the Buster Brown series in the 1920s. It was during this time that he obtained the circled eye, and when he was recruited to appear in the Our Gang comedies later that year, Hal Roach simply left it on, creating one of the most recognized dogs in film history. In the 1994 remake of The Little Rascals, the new Pete is an American Bulldog.
Trainer and owner Lt. Harry Lucenay used one of Pal's offspring as Pete in the series after Pal was poisoned and died in 1930.[3] This dog, named "Lucenay's Peter", was registered as an UKC American Pit Bull Terrier.[3] Lucenay's Peter was bred by A. A. Keller. The dog was UKC registered under the name Purple Ribbon Peter (22558). A few other dogs played Petey, but Lucenay's Peter was the best known. After being fired from the Our Gang series in 1932, Harry Lucenay retired Peter to Atlantic City, where he was photographed with children at the Steel Pier.
Death
Roach used a number of unrelated Pit Bulls to portray Pete in Our Gang until 1938.[3] Lucenay's Peter continued on and died of old age on January 28, 1946 in Los Angeles, California at age 16, two years after the Our Gang series ended.[4]References
- Notes
- ^ Martin, Rick (2007). Circus Tricks for Your Dog: 25 Crowd-Pleasers That Will Make Your Dog a Star. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.. p. 97. ISBN 978-1-57990-816-4.
- ^ Commentary by Leonard Maltin, Richard Correll, and Richard W. Bann, from The Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection Giftset, Volume 2 - disc one
- ^ a b c Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang, p. 281-283. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-517-58325-9
- ^ Pete the Pup
External links
- Pal the Dog at the Internet Movie Database
- Pete the Pup at the Internet Movie Database
- Pal the Dog at AllRovi
- Pete the Pup at AllRovi
- Pete the Pup
- Pete's Place
Gallant Mentioned At Laurel And Hardy Central:
Gallant Mentioned In PITTSBURGH POST Article:
Laughing Gravy ( The Dog ):
LAUGHING GRAVY ( The Movie ):
Pete The Pup Poisoned Story Disputed:
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Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Hal Roach Studios Stationairy
Here is some Hal Roach Studios stationairy, featuring the likenesses of Laurel and Hardy, Zasu Pitts and Thelma Todd, Charley Chase, The Taxi Boys ( Ben Blue and Billy Gilbert, represented by a taxi ), and Our Gang.
Hal Roach Studios:
Laurel and Hardy
Zasu Pitts and Thelma Todd:
The Taxi Boys:
Our Gang:
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Jean Darling
Our Darling Jean was in "Our Gang" comedies produced by Hal Roach.
Jean Darling
Jean Darling (born August 23, 1922) is a former American child actress who was a regular in the Our Gang short subjects series from 1927 to 1929. She remains the last surviving cast member from the silent era.
. Darling appeared in 46 silents and 6 talkies with Our Gang" during this period.
She continued to appear in films after leaving the gang, including an appearance in Laurel & Hardy's adaptation of Babes in Toyland (uncredited) and as the young Jane in Jane Eyre, both in 1934. A round of stage and radio shows followed. Stage shows involved up to seven performances a day. It was a punishing schedule for a fourteen-year-old, and that was not taking into account her educational studies. Darling began to study singing, and in 1940 she was given a scholarship by the New York Municipal Opera Association. She turned down an offer to play alongside Mickey Rooney in one of the MGM Andy Hardy movies.[citation needed]
Instead, she went on Broadway, making her debut in the musical Count Me In in 1942. Darling's stage career hit a real high when she landed the role of Carrie Pipperidge in the original Broadway production of Carousel in 1945. She appeared in 850 consecutive performances.[1]
Her role as Carrie helped her with parts for radio and TV in the 1950s and Jean hosted her own television show for NBC in New York City, A Date with Jean Darling. Her daily TV show for women, The Singing Knit-Witch, was aired on KHJ-TV in Hollywood.
Reuben Bowen died of cancer August 22, 1980. She has remained a widow, having never remarried.
Jean has outlived every original Our Gang member.
As "Aunty Poppy", she reads stories, which she wrote herself, on RTÉ radio and TV. She has also written plays for radio and has worked as a journalist.
"When I was a little girl I knew Dickie Moore and Jackie Cooper. I was always sorry for them as they never got over the fact that their “childhood had been stolen” which is absolutely ridiculous.
From hangnails to stubbed toes and unwanted rain, all has been blamed on this --- a handy way to shirk responsibility for one’s actions. Sadly, many of the child “stars” have chosen to be “victims”.
Although Jackie has had a wonderful career he never was able to reach the height of acclaim he garnered as a child star. And it’s the trying to recapture this childhood adulation that is long gone with the stretching of the legs that sours memories.
From being a 6 months old freelance baby I worked in films, Vaudeville radio and stage plays --- have worked ALL my life from then till now and am pleased to report my childhood WAS NOT STOLEN --- just different and it has given me a wondrous archive of memories with which to write
my own books."
Our Gang in 1929: Joe Cobb, Allen "Farina" Hoskins, Harry Spear, Jean Darling, Mary Ann Jackson, Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins, and Pete the Pup.
Jean Darling on OUR GANG:
"Roach did 3 kid comedies in 1919.They were not successful because of being banned for allowing a black child to play with white ones. So, the idea was abandoned. Harold Lloyd, who was in partnership with Roach, objected to his producing kid comedies and stealing Sunshine Sammy,this led to their break up. Sadly these first films were lost when the film safe combusted in 28 or
29 and a great many of Lloyd's films and negatives were also lost. The film safe was a cinder block house on the lawn outside the executive offices.It had a safe door on one side. I have a photo of me backed by the safe in which you can see this door. You can imagine the flap when Lloyd, who was retrieving his old films, discovered this terrible loss
In 22 Roach had an idea, a black servent, maid or handy man would explain a
black child, this was a success and so OUR GANG was born."
"Just thought you might like to know that there was no racial anything on the Roach lot and as far as I was concerned Farina was just a bit darker than I was. His mother was wonderful and much loved by me because she cuddled me and listened to me as though what said was important unlike Mamma who was always more interested in how I looked and how well I minded Mr. McGowan.
The only one in Allen's family I didn't like was his sister and that had nothing to do with color --- she had sharp little teeth that were always sunk into the nearest person and usually that was me! To me all the flap about any kind of difference is nonsense. Either a person is nice or not
--- it is the heart that counts."
Jean Darling's furry little friends:
"Pete was supposedly killed by "someone" throwing some chopped beef filled with ground glass over the"fence". As Petey was never loose except on the set it has always seemed rather far fetched to me. Petey was the dearest sweetest dog in the world and when I was punished with a switch Mamma kept in her handbag, he would come over and comfort me.
Another animal who was my friend was Josephine, a little monkey. Tony her owner was an organ grinder who loved Josephine to bits. He was a happy jolly man. They often worked at fairs and on Hollywood Blvd. Josephine was in many Hal Roach movies besides the GANG."
Jean Darling had a little to say about Thelma Todd:
"When I knew Thelma her favourite song was BYE-BYE BLACKBIRD!
She used to pull my curls and say, you're so pretty --- don't grow up like me!"
And I never knew what Thelma meant until long after she died.
I thought she meant to be more careful with whom I dated. And not think being pretty was the most important thing.
In the beginning Thelma had depended on her looks and it wasn't until she was older that she became a good actress as well as beautiful. She was always saying how important it was to know your trade and it worried her that so much of her career was in rushing from one bit part to another."
Jean did her part to contribute to the war effort during the second World War:
"I was the first everhospital unit (alone). Special Services gave me travel orders to return to Naples
after Eddie Foy Jr, John Garfield and the rest of the unit opted to go home. We left the States
Feb. 14, 1944, we were supposed to be overseas for six months. they all went home in April.
As far as I was concerned it was nuts to perform for troops in the war zone, they had enough to
contend with. I asked to go back to Naples to sing in the hospitals where a pretty girl from home could do more good. It was a very sad time with Cassino and the Anzio Beach Head where more were wounded than the hospitals could deal with. I stayed on till Sept. going from ward
to ward and comforting those on stretchers that over flowed into the arena at Bagnoli, the stadium built for the Olympics.
I am mentioned in the obituary of James FC Hyde, Jr. a soldier I visited every day until he was sent home. He felt my visits were instrumental in saving his life. Jim went on to work for six Presidents.
If you are interested, find someone who has my book BUTTERCAKES AND BANANA OIL, my time overseas is written there."
Jean Darling went on to further success in many fields.
"Dear Benny
Just to let you know errors have been copied in your blog and I'm sure you
wish it to be correct.
The photo with Mary Pickford Is NOT me it is Shirley Jean Rickhert now
deceased.
She followed me in the GANG and left after 3 or 4 comedies.
My name was legally changed to my mother's middle name, Darling, when I was
5 months old, a few days after she and my father split.
My husband, Reuben Bowen aka Kajar the Magician, died of cancer August 22,
1980.
I have remained a widow, having never remarried.
I would appreciate your making these changes and I thank you for taking all
the trouble to blog me.
Bye for now,
Jean Darling"
I have made the corrections she wished. - Benny Drinnon
Our Gang club on yahoo:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OurGangFollies/
Jean Darling's site:
http://indigo.ie/~jdarling/
Jean Darling at Our Gang wikki:
http://ourgang.wikia.com/wiki/Jean_Darling_(actress)
Jean Darling documentary program
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/podcast/podcast_documentaryonone.xml
Jean Darling sings:
Jean Darling
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jean Darling | |
|---|---|
 Darling in the 1920s | |
| Born | August 23, 1922 Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1927-present |
| Spouse | Reuben Bowen (1954-present) |
| Website | |
| http://indigo.ie/~jdarling/ | |
Contents |
Career
Born as Dorothy Jean LeVake, Jean Darling's name was legally changed to Jean Darling when she was 5 months old, a few days after her mother and father split. She began in movies at six months old as a freelance baby. She got her break in 1926 when she passed her screen test and was accepted for a part in Hal Roach's OUR GANG series. Darling appeared in 46 silents and 6 talkies with Our Gang" during this period.. Darling appeared in 46 silents and 6 talkies with Our Gang" during this period.
She continued to appear in films after leaving the gang, including an appearance in Laurel & Hardy's adaptation of Babes in Toyland (uncredited) and as the young Jane in Jane Eyre, both in 1934. A round of stage and radio shows followed. Stage shows involved up to seven performances a day. It was a punishing schedule for a fourteen-year-old, and that was not taking into account her educational studies. Darling began to study singing, and in 1940 she was given a scholarship by the New York Municipal Opera Association. She turned down an offer to play alongside Mickey Rooney in one of the MGM Andy Hardy movies.[citation needed]
Instead, she went on Broadway, making her debut in the musical Count Me In in 1942. Darling's stage career hit a real high when she landed the role of Carrie Pipperidge in the original Broadway production of Carousel in 1945. She appeared in 850 consecutive performances.[1]
Her role as Carrie helped her with parts for radio and TV in the 1950s and Jean hosted her own television show for NBC in New York City, A Date with Jean Darling. Her daily TV show for women, The Singing Knit-Witch, was aired on KHJ-TV in Hollywood.
Personal life
Jean Darling married Reuben Bowen (aka Kajar the Magician); they had one son, Roy.Reuben Bowen died of cancer August 22, 1980. She has remained a widow, having never remarried.
Jean has outlived every original Our Gang member.
Later years
Since 1974, Darling has been living in Dublin, Ireland, where she has written mystery stories and has had over 50 short stories published in the Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and Whispers.As "Aunty Poppy", she reads stories, which she wrote herself, on RTÉ radio and TV. She has also written plays for radio and has worked as a journalist.
References
- ^ Green, Stanley. Encyclopedia of The Musical Theatre: An Updated Reference (1980). Da Capo Press. ISBN 0306801132. pp. 63–64.
External links
- Jean Darling at the Internet Movie Database
- Jean Darling at the Internet Broadway Database
- Jean Darling at AllRovi
- Her Website
And she's a member of the "Our Gang" group on yahoo today.
How do we know she's the real McCoy, or at least, the real Jean Darling?
"You've gotta be kidding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am me. How do I know?
My cat and dog both recognized me!!!!!!!!!"
-Jean Darling
I am me. How do I know?
My cat and dog both recognized me!!!!!!!!!"
-Jean Darling
"Yes I am the real Jean Darling!!
I pinched myself to make sure and it HURT!"
-Jean Darling
Jean Darling on other child stars who thought they had missed out on something as a result of their careers:I pinched myself to make sure and it HURT!"
-Jean Darling
"When I was a little girl I knew Dickie Moore and Jackie Cooper. I was always sorry for them as they never got over the fact that their “childhood had been stolen” which is absolutely ridiculous.
From hangnails to stubbed toes and unwanted rain, all has been blamed on this --- a handy way to shirk responsibility for one’s actions. Sadly, many of the child “stars” have chosen to be “victims”.
Although Jackie has had a wonderful career he never was able to reach the height of acclaim he garnered as a child star. And it’s the trying to recapture this childhood adulation that is long gone with the stretching of the legs that sours memories.
From being a 6 months old freelance baby I worked in films, Vaudeville radio and stage plays --- have worked ALL my life from then till now and am pleased to report my childhood WAS NOT STOLEN --- just different and it has given me a wondrous archive of memories with which to write
my own books."
Our Gang in 1929: Joe Cobb, Allen "Farina" Hoskins, Harry Spear, Jean Darling, Mary Ann Jackson, Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins, and Pete the Pup.
Jean Darling on OUR GANG:
"Roach did 3 kid comedies in 1919.They were not successful because of being banned for allowing a black child to play with white ones. So, the idea was abandoned. Harold Lloyd, who was in partnership with Roach, objected to his producing kid comedies and stealing Sunshine Sammy,this led to their break up. Sadly these first films were lost when the film safe combusted in 28 or
29 and a great many of Lloyd's films and negatives were also lost. The film safe was a cinder block house on the lawn outside the executive offices.It had a safe door on one side. I have a photo of me backed by the safe in which you can see this door. You can imagine the flap when Lloyd, who was retrieving his old films, discovered this terrible loss
In 22 Roach had an idea, a black servent, maid or handy man would explain a
black child, this was a success and so OUR GANG was born."
Our Gang, 1930
(L to R) Pete the pup, Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins, Jean Darling, Mary Ann Jackson, Allen "Farina" Hoskins, Harry Spear, Joe Cobb, Norman "Chubby" Chaney.
"Just thought you might like to know that there was no racial anything on the Roach lot and as far as I was concerned Farina was just a bit darker than I was. His mother was wonderful and much loved by me because she cuddled me and listened to me as though what said was important unlike Mamma who was always more interested in how I looked and how well I minded Mr. McGowan.
The only one in Allen's family I didn't like was his sister and that had nothing to do with color --- she had sharp little teeth that were always sunk into the nearest person and usually that was me! To me all the flap about any kind of difference is nonsense. Either a person is nice or not
--- it is the heart that counts."
Jean Darling's furry little friends:
Thelma Todd and Pete the Pup in publicity still.
"Pete was supposedly killed by "someone" throwing some chopped beef filled with ground glass over the"fence". As Petey was never loose except on the set it has always seemed rather far fetched to me. Petey was the dearest sweetest dog in the world and when I was punished with a switch Mamma kept in her handbag, he would come over and comfort me.
Another animal who was my friend was Josephine, a little monkey. Tony her owner was an organ grinder who loved Josephine to bits. He was a happy jolly man. They often worked at fairs and on Hollywood Blvd. Josephine was in many Hal Roach movies besides the GANG."
Josephine the monkey as Mickey Mouse in BABES IN TOYLAND
Jean Darling as "Curly Locks" in BABES IN TOYLAND.
Oliver Hardy with Jean Darling
Laurel and Hardy and the gang.
Jean Darling had a little to say about Thelma Todd:
"When I knew Thelma her favourite song was BYE-BYE BLACKBIRD!
She used to pull my curls and say, you're so pretty --- don't grow up like me!"
And I never knew what Thelma meant until long after she died.
I thought she meant to be more careful with whom I dated. And not think being pretty was the most important thing.
In the beginning Thelma had depended on her looks and it wasn't until she was older that she became a good actress as well as beautiful. She was always saying how important it was to know your trade and it worried her that so much of her career was in rushing from one bit part to another."
Jean did her part to contribute to the war effort during the second World War:
"I was the first everhospital unit (alone). Special Services gave me travel orders to return to Naples
after Eddie Foy Jr, John Garfield and the rest of the unit opted to go home. We left the States
Feb. 14, 1944, we were supposed to be overseas for six months. they all went home in April.
As far as I was concerned it was nuts to perform for troops in the war zone, they had enough to
contend with. I asked to go back to Naples to sing in the hospitals where a pretty girl from home could do more good. It was a very sad time with Cassino and the Anzio Beach Head where more were wounded than the hospitals could deal with. I stayed on till Sept. going from ward
to ward and comforting those on stretchers that over flowed into the arena at Bagnoli, the stadium built for the Olympics.
I am mentioned in the obituary of James FC Hyde, Jr. a soldier I visited every day until he was sent home. He felt my visits were instrumental in saving his life. Jim went on to work for six Presidents.
If you are interested, find someone who has my book BUTTERCAKES AND BANANA OIL, my time overseas is written there."
Jean Darling went on to further success in many fields.
Jean Darling in the Broadway hit CAROUSEL, 1945
Them horses ain't the only ones that's got legs, ya know!
We have seen before how other books about the movies have many mistakes in them. Jean Darling says the books about OUR GANG also have their share of mistakes:
"I think the nice Leonard ( Maltin ) let Bann do the GANG book. As Bann claimed to be the end-all know-all about the GANG, Leonard naturally let him take care of the information in the book.The
most charming facet of Dick Bann's character is that when you say that something in the book about you is wrong, he gets furious and insists that you don't know what you are talking about. In the second edition of the GANG BOOK called LITTLE RASCALS he still says I was in BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN and was in Vaudeville with Peggy Eames, Harry Spear and Scooter Lowery. Both are WRONG. And he also says that I am touring Ireland as an Irish character called Aunty Poppy. WRONG!!!!! I am Aunty Poppy, I chose the name because the California Poppy is my State flower. I wrote and read the stories on RTE radio and television for 8 years beginning in February 1980. As for touring, I road two miles to RTE on my motorcycle! When I told him about the errors he said he has proof that everything he writes is right! Just how ridiculous is that? Like I don't know how I lived my own life."
Somebody else in the Our Gang group said that the mistakes were repeated from other sources. That's often the way it is.
And here is a message from Jean Darling about my blog:
"Dear Benny
Just to let you know errors have been copied in your blog and I'm sure you
wish it to be correct.
The photo with Mary Pickford Is NOT me it is Shirley Jean Rickhert now
deceased.
She followed me in the GANG and left after 3 or 4 comedies.
My name was legally changed to my mother's middle name, Darling, when I was
5 months old, a few days after she and my father split.
My husband, Reuben Bowen aka Kajar the Magician, died of cancer August 22,
1980.
I have remained a widow, having never remarried.
I would appreciate your making these changes and I thank you for taking all
the trouble to blog me.
Bye for now,
Jean Darling"
I have made the corrections she wished. - Benny Drinnon
Our Gang club on yahoo:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OurGangFollies/
Jean Darling's site:
http://indigo.ie/~jdarling/
Jean Darling at Our Gang wikki:
http://ourgang.wikia.com/wiki/Jean_Darling_(actress)
Jean Darling documentary program
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/podcast/podcast_documentaryonone.xml
Jean Darling sings:
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