Spanky 1980
Monday, August 6th, 2007
My association with George “Spanky” McFarland began on July 31, 1980 when I snuck up behind him to eavesdrop on his interview in Culver City. Later that night, he appeared at the Our Gang reunion, but for some reason I didn’t get his autograph in my book at that time. Having flown in from Texas for the convention, Spanky was at the convention for its entire duration so I was able to get his signature later on – as I recall I got my book signed in the hospitality suite later that night. Read the rest of this entry »
The following is the conclusion to the journal of events from my October 2005 Hollywood vacation – the second half of my second day. Mostly this deals with the Hollywood Collectors Show that I attended on October 1. You will note a similar 
As an adult, he was featured as an extra in a number of my favorite TV series: Sanford and Son, Newhart, and Picket Fences, for example. As a child, he starred as Isaiah in the Academy Award winning 1931 feature Cimarron. But, most importantly, Eugene Jackson starred in six of the silent Our Gang films in 1924-25. As the third major black actor in the series, he was brought in to play the big brother to “Farina” after “Sunshine Sammy” Morrison had graduated from the series. He was christened as “Pineapple” because of his afro which seemed to stand on end, resembling the tropical fruit. 
It’s always a distinct pleasure to meet a newly-discovered indentifiable performer from the Our Gang series. Although admittedly only playing a minor role in the Little Rascals, Hugh Chapman is my latest example this. He appeared in three of the Hal Roach one-reelers in 1937: The Pigskin Palooka, Glove Taps, and Mail and Female. He subsequently made a return to the Our Gang in 1939 after the series had been sold to M-G-M, appearing in Time Out for Lessons and Clown Princes. 
This is a continuation of the memoir I wrote shortly after my October 2005 Hollywood trip, which began