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Ex-'Little Rascals' Star Found Stabbed To Death
AP via WKMG ^
| October 22, 2002
Posted on 10/22/2002 1:11:05 PM PDT by Shermy
LAS VEGAS -- An 87-year-old man found stabbed to death in the desert has been identified as a former child actor in the "Our Gang" film series.
The body of Jay R. Smith was found Oct. 5 near Interstate 15, about 25 miles north of Las Vegas, police said. He died from multiple stab wounds, the Clark County coroner's office said.
As a freckle-faced boy, Smith was in three dozen of the "Our Gang" short comedies from 1925-29, most of them silent. The series, better known to TV audiences as "The Little Rascals," ran from the 1920s to the early 1940s, and the casts of children changed over the years.
In many of the films, Smith's roles were relatively minor.
According to the book "The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang," Smith did have a prominent role in the 1928 short "Rainy Days." Baby-sitting, young Jay finds his small charges have drawn all over the walls of his home. He tries to cover up the drawings with new wallpaper, and the homemade wallpaper paste creates a spectacular mess. But Jay smiles proudly at his returning mother, saying, "Notice anything, Mom?"
Among the other films he appeared in were "Love My Dog," "Bring Home the Turkey," "Crazy House," "Thundering Fleas" and "Fair and Muddy." Smith's brother Donnie also appeared in a few Our Gang films, according to the book.
"None of us took it seriously while it was happening," Smith once said. "But looking back, it was a very pleasant time in my life, and as I grow older, it gets more valuable."
As an adult, Smith owned a paint store. He also served in the Army in World War II.
Police said a homeless man who had been staying in a shed next to Smith's home and doing odd jobs for him was being sought for questioning in the death. Detectives reported that money was withdrawn from Smith's bank account last week.
TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News
KEYWORDS: littlerascals; robertblake
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To: Pokey78
>>Chubby to Miss Crabtree: "Don't call me Chubby.
Call me Chubbsie Ubbsie!"<<
LOL--I forgot about that!
To: Slyfox
Gawd! He still looks the same!
62
posted on
10/22/2002 3:29:46 PM PDT
by
Pharmboy
To: SerpentDove; Pokey78
Sep' it was, "Don't call me Norman...."
"Oh, I was just passin' by 'n thought I'd drop in."
"Yeah? Well, keep goin' till ya' get to the river, and then drop in."
63
posted on
10/22/2002 3:35:19 PM PDT
by
onedoug
To: hot august night
If you grew up in the NYC area in the 60s you would have had the pleasure of three hours of undilluted Jean Shepard Monday through Friday on WOR radio. Flick, Schwartz, the whole gang come to life.
I went to see the film the day it opened on Second Ave. The matinee was 75% full with mostly older folk. The lights dimmed. The screen lit up and Jean's voice sank us all into a warm, smiling trip down memory lane...it was indeed magical.
64
posted on
10/22/2002 3:40:47 PM PDT
by
wtc911
To: fight_truth_decay
65
posted on
10/22/2002 3:40:57 PM PDT
by
onedoug
To: Shermy
My favorite character on Little Rascals was Butch. Just saw him on a commercial not too long ago. He looked about a 100, but at least he hasn't been stabbed or accused of murder.
To: Mike Darancette
"It may have choked Artie but it ain't go'na choke Stymie!"
My favorite line!
To: Slyfox
There are a couple of people who aren't on here that I know of. But I don't know how long they were on there. One of them was(many of you may remember him): John Beradino, who played on "General Hospital", as "Dr. Steve Hardy". He apparently was about 12, and played a newspaper delivery boy on the "Our Gang" series.
The other person was an English teacher I had many years ago. And I didn't even know that she had been a child actress, until somebody told me after I left Jr. High! She must have told someone, a student/s that she had been on the film series at one time. This list covered many child cast members, but not all.
Another interesting fact about her was that back before Hal Roach died, there was a film series in Ogden, Utah on the "Little Rascals", or "Our Gang" series. The occasion was that they were trying to rescue an old theater from destruction. Hal Roach was invited to it. But there were a couple of the former cast members who were there with him. And Mrs. Rounds(the teacher's name) was one of them. It was in the local newspaper.
That's another fact that confirmed what I'd heard about her being in it. Now she may have only been in it a short time, and may have taken over for another child.
68
posted on
10/22/2002 5:19:19 PM PDT
by
dsutah
To: Shermy
To: Shermy
So many of these kids met such tragic ends.
To: onedoug
Sep' it was, "Don't call me Norman...." You are correct. It's got to be over 20 years since I last saw that one. hehe
71
posted on
10/22/2002 5:38:17 PM PDT
by
Pokey78
To: xrp
holy crap, looks like Alfalfa was a Freemason also!My Gosh!!!!!!!
It is a conspiracy.
72
posted on
10/22/2002 5:41:37 PM PDT
by
Mordoch
To: Reaganwuzthebest
Can't find Butch's buddy, 'Woim'.
73
posted on
10/22/2002 5:42:33 PM PDT
by
Pokey78
To: Reaganwuzthebest
Burt Convy with (L-R) Butch, Spankey, & Worm (Woim).
74
posted on
10/22/2002 5:45:37 PM PDT
by
Pokey78
To: Pokey78
75
posted on
10/22/2002 5:46:36 PM PDT
by
Pokey78
To: Slyfox
Name-drop alert: My best friend/adopted sister lived in the lower of a duplex with Studs Turkel in Chicago, and knew them very well.
76
posted on
10/22/2002 5:52:26 PM PDT
by
Quietly
To: Pokey78
Yeah butch was funny, and so were the twins who would do everything at the same time.
To: Gumlegs
Yeah, sorry about that. Ed Cobb was the producer/songwriter for the Standells and the Chocolate Watchband (he was also in a singing group, the Four Freshmen or something like that).
I have a photo signed by Joe Cobb from the older shorts. It has Joe in a field together with (I believe) Farina. They've both got their dukes up. Behind Joe is a sign that says "Democrat side", behind Farina is a sign that says "Republican side". I couldn't find this shot online.
I met Dorthy/Echo 2 years ago and she's still sharp. She has no bad recollections from making the films.
78
posted on
10/22/2002 8:33:51 PM PDT
by
weegee
To: Shermy
Don't go to bed with no price on your head.
79
posted on
10/22/2002 8:44:02 PM PDT
by
Tribune7
To: dsutah
The Leonard Maltin book is a good resource. It has background information about the production of the films, a complete synopsis of all the shorts, the difference between Little Rascals and Our Gang, and biographical information on the cast. It even has a chapter about the false Rascals; it has been a long tradition that hoaxers openly claimed to be members of the Little Rascals (even claimed to be famous ones).
There was a man in the 1960s who claimed to be Porky and wrote a book as if he was. He was an actor and had even produced later stage presentations of Dracula with Bela Lugosi but he was never a Rascal.
Some people had smaller roles. The woman who modelled for animators as Tinker Bell was in a couple of the shorts (never in a major role, I think that she was in a chorus line in one episode).
80
posted on
10/22/2002 8:44:20 PM PDT
by
weegee
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