George McFarland | |
|---|---|
 McFarland as "Spanky" in Our Gang Follies of 1938 | |
| Born | (1928-10-02)October 2, 1928 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | June 30, 1993(1993-06-30) (aged 64)[3][4] Grapevine, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation | Child actor |
| Years active | 1931–1944 |
| Spouse | [5] |
| Children | 3 |
George Robert Philips McFarland (October 2, 1928 – June 30, 1993)[6] was an American actor most famous for starring as a child asSpanky inHal Roach'sOur Gang series of short-subject comedies of the 1930s and 1940s. TheOur Gang shorts were later syndicated to television asThe Little Rascals.
In addition to his work inOur Gang and its feature-film spin-offGeneral Spanky (1936), McFarland regularly appeared in co-starring or supporting juvenile roles in feature films produced by other studios throughout the 1930s. These includedKentucky Kernels (1934) with Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey,The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1936) withSylvia Sidney andFred MacMurray, andPeck's Bad Boy with the Circus (1938). Leaving acting as a teenager, McFarland had several varying careers as an adult before finding success as a sales executive. He spent the final decades of his life as a public speaker reflecting on his child-acting career.[7]
McFarland was born inDallas, Texas, on October 2, 1928, to Virginia Winifred (née Phillips) and Robert Emmett McFarland.[8][9] He had three siblings: Thomas ("Tommy", who appeared in a fewOur Gang episodes as "Dynamite"), Amanda, and Roderick ("Rod"). He attended Lancaster High School inLancaster, Texas.
Before joining theOur Gang comedies, "Sonny", as he was called by his family, modeled children's clothing for a Dallas department store and was also seen around the Dallas area on highwaybillboards and in print advertisements forWonder Bread. This established Sonny early on in the local public's eye as an adorable child model and provided experience before cameras.
In January 1931, in response to a trade magazine advertisement fromHal Roach Studios inCulver City,California, requesting photographs of "cute kids", Spanky's Aunt Dottie (Virginia's sister) sent pictures from Sonny's portfolio. An invitation for a screen test arrived that spring, leading to his acting career.[10] Portions of Spanky's screen test are included in a 1932Our Gang entry,Spanky.
The nickname "Spanky" is erroneously said to have arisen from warnings by his mother not to misbehave during one of the initial discussions withHal Roach in his office. McFarland contradicted the tale, saying that the name was given by a Los Angeles newspaper reporter. Use of the "Spanky" name by McFarland for subsequent business or personal activities was expressly granted to McFarland in one of his studio contracts. In later years some family members would affectionately refer to him as "Spank".[10]
Upon being discovered at age three, he instantly became a key member of theOur Gang children's comedy movie series and one of Hollywood's stars. His earliest films show him as an outspoken toddler, grumpily going along with the rest of the gang. His scene-stealing abilities brought him more attention, and by 1935 he was thede facto leader of the gang, often paired withCarl "Alfalfa" Switzer, and always the enterprising "idea man".[10] Switzer's character became as much of a scene-stealer as the young McFarland was, and the two boys' fathers fought constantly over screen time and star billing for their children.[11]
Spanky McFarland's only starring feature-film role was in the 1936 Hal Roach filmGeneral Spanky, an unsuccessful attempt to move theOur Gang series into features. He also appeared as a juvenile performer in many non-Roach feature films, including theWheeler & Woolsey comedyKentucky Kernels, the earlyTechnicolor featureThe Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1936), and twoFritz Lang features of the 1940s.
Following the 1938Our Gang shortCame the Brawn, McFarland "retired" fromOur Gang, beginning a personal appearance tour.[12] In mid-1938, Hal Roach sold theOur Gang unit toMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer, who began casting for a new "team leader" character in Spanky's vein and ended up rehiring McFarland himself. He remained in the MGMOur Gang productions until his final appearance in the seriesUnexpected Riches in 1942, at age fourteen.[10]
In 1952, at age 24, McFarland joined theU.S. Air Force. Upon his return to civilian life, indeliblytypecast in the public's mind as "Spanky" fromOur Gang, he found himself unable to find work in show business. He took less glamorous jobs, including work at a soft drink plant, a hamburger stand, and a popsicle factory. In the mid-1950s, when theOur Gang comedies were syndicated on television asThe Little Rascals, McFarland hosted an afternoon children's show,The Spanky Show, onKOTV television inTulsa, Oklahoma. The show included a studio audience and appearances by other celebrities such asJames Arness.Little Rascals shorts were also shown.[10] Station executives prevented McFarland from developing and expanding the show's format, and by 1960 McFarland had quit the show.[citation needed]
After that stint, he continued at odd jobs: selling wine, operating a restaurant and night club, and selling appliances, electronics, and furniture. He was selling forPhilco-Ford Corporation, where he advanced to national sales training director. During this time, McFarland continued to make personal appearances and cameo roles in films and television, including an appearance onThe Mike Douglas Show withDarla Hood andWilliam "Buckwheat" Thomas. As general manager, McFarland helped launch the classic movie channelThe Nostalgia Channel in 1985.[13] During the 1990s, after his self-described "semi-retirement", Spanky lent his name and celebrity to help raise money for charities, primarily by participating in golf tournaments. Spanky also had his own namesake charity golf classic for 16 years, held inMarion,Indiana.[10] He also traveled the country doing speaking engagements and lectures about his movie roles and his days in theOur Gang. His final television appearance was in 1993, playing himself in thecold open of theCheers episode "Woody Gets An Election".[14]
In January 1994, McFarland posthumously joined fellow alumnusJackie Cooper to become one of only twoOur Gang members to receive a star onHollywood's Walk of Fame.
McFarland died of "a heart attack or an aneurysm" at his home; his remains were cremated shortly thereafter.[15] Acenotaph for McFarland to be placed at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, Texas, has been approved, but according to the cemetery's website, has yet to be installed.[16]
The 1960ssunshine pop rock groupSpanky and Our Gang named themselves after McFarland's character because singerElaine "Spanky" McFarlane's last name was similar to his. However, this is disputed by biographer Bruce Eder, who has said her fellow musician Arnie Lanza gave her the nickname "Spanky," based on what he saw as her resemblance to George McFarland who played "Spanky" in the Our Gang comedies.[17]
In 1990, McFarland filed a $100,000 lawsuit against a bar owner inSt. Paul, Minnesota. McFarland claimed that "Spanky's" bar on East 7th Street used his name and face for thirteen years without permission. The lawsuit also called for McFarland to receive all of the internal merchandise and equipment featuring his likeness. The case was eventually settled, and the owner changed the name to Checker's Bar.[18]
McFarland appeared as "Spanky" in 95Our Gang films between 1932 and 1942. He also appeared in:
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