Jay R. Smith (August 29, 1915 – October 5, 2002) was an American child actor and comedian who had a brief career appearing the '' Our Gang'' film short series during the silent Pathé era, from 1925 to 1929. He racked up appearances in 36 shorts, where he was billed as the skinny freckle-faced character "Specks". Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). ''The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang'', p. 268-271. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. This series was syndicated to television as ''The Little Rascals''.

Career

Smith's first film in the '' Our Gang'' series was ''

Boys Will Be Joys ''Boys Will Be Joys'' is a 1925 American short silent comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 41st '' Our Gang'' short subject released. Cast The Gang * Joe Cobb as Joe * Jackie Condon as Jackie * Mickey Daniels as Mickey * Joh ...

'' in 1925. He rivalled the retiring

Mickey Daniels Richard Daniels Jr. (October 11, 1914 – August 20, 1970) known professionally as Mickey Daniels, was an American actor. Signed by Hal Roach in 1921, he was, along with Joe Cobb, Jackie Condon, Jackie Davis, Mary Kornman, and Ernie Morrison, ...

as the freckle-faced kid in the gang and continued until the silent era ended. He also appeared as himself in '' 45 Minutes from Hollywood'' (1926). Bowing to pressure from the studio, Smith appeared in the sixth ''Our Gang'' talkie titled '' Moan and Groan, Inc.'' (1929), his only talkie. He was dissatisfied with his performance in the film and feared he would not have a successful career in talkies, he quit acting overall. He came back to appear in The Boy Friends' episode ''Blood and Thunder'', where he was seen throwing water.

Personal life

Jay R. Smith, the son of a labourer, was one of 5 siblings. His younger brother, Donnie "Beezer" Smith, appeared in the ''Our Gang'' short film '' Cat, Dog & Co.''. According to an article in ''Variety'' in 1936, Smith was married to Gloria Narath, who provided the original voice of the

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

character

Minnie Mouse Minnie Mouse is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. As the longtime sweetheart of Mickey Mouse, she is an anthropomorphic mouse with white gloves, a bow, polka-dotted dress, white bloomers, and low-heeled shoes occasiona ...

, for Walt Disney Studios. He later married Mabel Florine Case, and they remained married until her death on February 1, 2002. After leaving acting, Smith, a native of

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, joined the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

. He served during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

before starting his own retail paint business and moving to

Kailua, Hawaii Kailua () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States. It lies in the Koolaupoko District of the island of Oahu on the windward coast at Kailua Bay. It is in the judicial district and the ahupua'a named Ko'ol ...

Murder

Smith, having retired from the retail paint business after 15 years, moved to

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

in the early 1990s. In October 2002, aged 87, he was reported missing by his daughter. His body was found on October 5, 2002, in the desert near Las Vegas. He had died of multiple stab wounds. 52-year-old Charles Wayne Crombie (known as Wayne), a homeless man whom Smith reportedly befriended, was convicted of the murder of Smith, stealing his belongings and Visa debit card, multiple counts of fraud, and stealing his motor vehicle. Crombie was sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison, which he was serving at the

Northern Nevada Correctional Center Northern Nevada Correctional Center (NNCC) and Stewart Conservation Camp (SCC) are part of a prison complex located in Carson City. The correctional center was established in 1964 and is managed by the Nevada Department of Corrections. The med ...

where he died on July 17, 2014, of which was described in press reports as a "chronic illness" at the age of 64.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Jay R. 1915 births 2002 deaths 20th-century American male actors 2002 murders in the United States American male child actors American male comedy actors Deaths by stabbing in Nevada Hal Roach Studios actors Male actors from Los Angeles Military personnel from California Our Gang People murdered in Nevada United States Navy personnel of World War II