Elmer Camden Lowry (December 19, 1919 – 1 May 1989) was an American child actor and vaudevillian. He appeared in several '' Our Gang'' short films as Skooter. His character,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

-born Skooter, was fond of

Charles G. Dawes Charles Gates Dawes (August 27, 1865 – April 23, 1951) was an American banker, general, diplomat, composer, and Republican politician who was the 30th vice president of the United States from 1925 to 1929 under Calvin Coolidge. He was a co-reci ...

, known for his freckles, hat, and personality. He was dubbed "the original tough guy", due to his mean, harsh "bad boy" persona in the ''Our Gang'' films, at times referred as villainous. Known for his talented dancing, singing, and impersonations, Lowry was most well known for that during his vaudeville days.

Early life

Lowry was born in the borough of

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

on December 19, 1919, to Willard S. and Anna L. Lowry. At the age of five, he started in vaudeville. He later moved to Hempstead after his parents divorced. Originally nicknamed Skippy, his nickname became Scooter since "he was always scooting around".

Acting career

Lowry got his start in '' Our Gang'' after he won a dance contest promoted by Gus Edwards. The award was a thousand US dollars, two tickets to Hollywood and a year's contract with Hal Roach Studios. He was the first Gang member to be from New York. He made his first appearance in the film ''

Thundering Fleas ''Thundering Fleas'' is a 1926 ''Our Gang'' film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 51st ''Our Gang'' short subject released. Cast The Gang * Joe Cobb as Joe * Jackie Condon as Jackie * Mickey Daniels as Mickey * Johnny Downs as John ...

''. At 7 years old, Lowry was often mistakenly called the youngest member of the gang, with him being mistakenly called 4 years old. Lowry's character, young tough kid Skooter, was a popular character of the Gang. He mostly appeared donning an undersized, white

bucket hat A bucket hat (variations of which include the fisherman's hat, Irish country hat and session hat) is a hat with a narrow, downward-sloping brim. Typically, the hat is made from heavy-duty cotton fabric such as denim or canvas, or heavy wool s ...

. He appeared in a total of 13 Our Gang films. One time, Lowry interrupted an important conversation that ''Our Gang'' creator

Hal Roach Harry Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr. Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director, and screenwriter, ...

was talking in, in which Lowry wanted to join. By the time he left, Lowry was paid $180.00, thrice the amount of his previous salary, $60.00. He was replaced by

Harry Spear Harry Sherman Bonner (December 16, 1921 – September 22, 2006),Harry S. Bonner, Social Security Death Index, SSN 557-26-4992 also known as Harry Spear, was an American child actor and vaudevillian. He was notable for appearing in the ''Our Gang'' ...

as the tough kid in the gang. His final film was '' Chinatown Charlie'' as Oswald.

Vaudeville

1920s

After '' Our Gang'', he became a vaudevillian and made acts with his former '' Our Gang'' alumni. His first act was with former ''Our Gang'' alumnus

Mary Kornman Mary Kornman (born Mary Agnes Evans, December 27, 1915 – June 1, 1973) was an American child actress who was the leading female star of the ''Our Gang'' series during the Pathé silent era. ''Our Gang'' She was born as Mary Agnes Evans, the ...

. They were later joined by

Johnny Downs John Morey Downs (October 10, 1913 – June 6, 1994) was an American child actor, singer, and dancer. He began his career as a child actor, most notably playing Johnny in the ''Our Gang'' short series from 1923 to 1926. He remained active ...

.(27 August 1929)
Mary, Johnny and Scooter on Parade
''Indianapolis Times'' The three visited St. Joseph children's hospital in 1928, where the kids in the hospital became admirers of the gang, specifically the three. Lowry was not disturbed until a couple of nurses patted his head, which embarrassed him and almost took away his stage presence. They met

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...

mayor James E. Dunne in 1928, with Lowry expressing his wish that Al Smith would win the presidential election. Around this time, Lowry made acts with

Joe Cobb Joe Frank Cobb (November 7, 1916 – May 21, 2002) was an American child actor, most notable for appearing as the original "fat boy" in the ''Our Gang'' comedies from 1922 to 1929. Early life and career Born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, on Novemb ...

1930s

In 1930, Lowry, among others, toured in the RKO Palace. He also was presented in a skit called ''Doin' Tough'', in which episodes of ''Our Gang'' between 1926 and 1927 are shown, and after a while, Lowry comes on doing acts. After, Lowry made "solo" acts. In 1932, Lowry made a guest appearance in the Pittsburgh Press Seckatary Hawkins Club on 8 o'clock for half an hour over KQV. He was still touring by 1934.

Adult years

From his draft records, it was found that Scooter served in the U.S. military. Between 1936 and 1950, Lowry was arrested for driving without a license, in which in two, he only served five days in prison. Lowry was hit by a truck in 1937, so he had to be hospitalized due to chin, teeth, and right elbow injuries. In 1938, 18 year old Lowry was unfortunately involved in an accident which injured retired builder Edward C. Merritt and his wife, in which Merritt couldn't control his vehicle. In 1950, he faced court after calling the police claiming that his wife, Shirley, was trying to kill herself, even though she wasn't. He went to jail after being charged with

disorderly conduct Disorderly conduct is a crime in most jurisdictions in the United States, the People's Republic of China, and Taiwan. Typically, "disorderly conduct" makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to " disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain are ...

. After this, his whereabouts became mostly unknown, with the only hints being that he worked at a restaurant.

Death

He resided in Miami Beach, Florida, with his mother, Anna. Anna died in 1972. Lowry's dead body was found on May 1, 1989 in Miami Beach, Florida by local police. An ID proved that it was Lowry, with name and date of birth.

Personal life

He had a sister, Lillian, who resided in Lakeland. He married Shirley Helen Baker (1925-1987) in 1944.

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lowry, Elmer 1919 births 1989 deaths 20th-century American male actors American child singers American male child actors American male film actors Hal Roach Studios actors Male actors from Brooklyn American people of Irish descent Our Gang Vaudeville performers