George Robert Philips McFarland (October 2, 1928 – June 30, 1993) was an American actor most famous for starring as a child as Spanky in

Hal Roach Harold 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, ...

's ''

Our Gang ''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, who also pr ...

'' series of short-subject comedies of the 1930s and 1940s. The ''Our Gang'' shorts were later syndicated to television as ''The Little Rascals''. In addition to his work in ''Our Gang'' and its feature-film spin-off '' General Spanky'' (1936), McFarland regularly appeared in co-starring or supporting juvenile roles in feature films produced by other studios throughout the 1930s. These included '' Kentucky Kernels'' (1934) with Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey, '' The Trail of the Lonesome Pine'' (1936) with

Sylvia Sidney Sylvia Sidney (born Sophia Kosow; August 8, 1910 – July 1, 1999) was an American stage, screen, and film actress whose career spanned 70 years. She rose to prominence in dozens of leading roles in the 1930s. She was nominated for the Academy ...

and

Fred MacMurray Frederick Martin MacMurray (August 30, 1908 – November 5, 1991) was an American actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films and a successful television series in a career that spanned nearly a half-century. His career as a major film le ...

, and '' Peck'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. Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). ''The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang'', p. 261-263. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press.

Early life

McFarland was born in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, on October 2, 1928, to Virginia Winifred (née Phillips) and Robert Emmett McFarland. He had three siblings: Thomas ("Tommy", who appeared in a few ''Our Gang'' episodes as "Dynamite"), Amanda, and Roderick ("Rod"). He attended Lancaster High School in

Lancaster, Texas Lancaster ( ) is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States. Its population was 41,275 according to the 2020 census. Founded in 1852 as a frontier post, Lancaster is one of Dallas County's earliest settlements. Today, it is a suburban communi ...

. Before joining the ''Our 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 highway

billboards A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large out-of-home advertising, outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboard ...

and in print advertisements for

Wonder Bread Wonder Bread is an American brand of sliced bread. Established in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1921, it was one of the first companies to sell sliced bread nationwide by 1930. The brand is currently owned by Flowers Foods in the United States. His ...

. This established Sonny early on in the local public's eye as an adorable child model and provided experience before cameras.

Career

''Our Gang''

In January 1931, in response to a trade magazine advertisement from

Hal Roach Studios Hal Roach Studios was an American motion picture and, through its TV production subsidiary, Hal Roach Television Corporation, television production studio. Known as ''The Laugh Factory to the World'', it was founded by producer Hal Roach and busin ...

Culver City Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. It is mostly surrounded by Los Angeles, but also shares a border with the unincorporated area of Ladera Heights to the ea ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, 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. Portions of Spanky's screen test are included in a 1932 ''Our 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 with

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". Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). ''The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang'', p. 118. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. Upon being discovered at age three, he instantly became a key member of the ''Our 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 the ''de facto'' leader of the gang, often paired with Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, and always the enterprising "idea man". 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. Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). ''The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang'', p. 178–180. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. Spanky McFarland's only starring feature-film role was in the 1936 Hal Roach film '' General Spanky'', an unsuccessful attempt to move the ''Our Gang'' series into features. He also appeared as a juvenile performer in many non-Roach feature films, including the Wheeler & Woolsey comedy '' Kentucky Kernels'', the early

Technicolor Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...

feature '' The Trail of the Lonesome Pine'' (1936), and two

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), better known as Fritz Lang (), was an Austrian-born film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety Obituari ...

features of the 1940s. Following the 1938 ''Our Gang'' short '' Came the Brawn'', McFarland "retired" from ''Our Gang'', beginning a personal appearance tour. In mid-1938, Hal Roach sold the ''Our Gang'' unit to

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

, who began casting for a new "team leader" character in Spanky's vein and ended up rehiring McFarland himself. He remained in the MGM ''Our Gang'' productions until his final appearance in the series '' Unexpected Riches'' in 1942, at age fourteen.

Later years

In 1952, at age 24, McFarland joined the U.S. Air Force. Upon his return to civilian life, indelibly typecast in the public's mind as "Spanky" from ''Our 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 the ''Our Gang'' comedies were syndicated on television as ''The Little Rascals'', McFarland hosted an afternoon children's show, ''The Spanky Show'', on KOTV television in

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa ( ) is the List of municipalities in Oklahoma, second-most-populous city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the List of United States cities by population, 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The po ...

. The show included a studio audience and appearances by other celebrities such as

James Arness James Arness (born James King Aurness; May 26, 1923 – June 3, 2011) was an American actor, best known for portraying Marshal Matt Dillon for 20 years in the series ''Gunsmoke''. He has the distinction of having played the role of Dillon in f ...

. ''Little Rascals'' shorts were also shown. Station executives prevented McFarland from developing and expanding the show's format, and by 1960 McFarland had quit the show. 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 for Philco-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 on ''

The Mike Douglas Show ''The Mike Douglas Show'' is an American daytime television talk show that was hosted by Mike Douglas. It began as a local program in Cleveland in 1961 before being carried on other stations owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting. The show went i ...

'' with

Darla Hood Darla Jean Hood (November 8, 1931 – June 13, 1979) was an American child actress, best known as the female lead in the ''Our Gang'' series from 1935 to 1941. As an adult, she performed as a singer in nightclubs and on television. ''Our ...

and William "Buckwheat" Thomas. As general manager, McFarland helped launch the classic movie channel The Nostalgia Channel in 1985. 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 in Marion,

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

. He also traveled the country doing speaking engagements and lectures about his movie roles and his days in the ''Our Gang''. His final television appearance was in 1993, playing himself in the

cold open A cold open (also called a teaser sequence) is a narrative technique used in television and films. It is the practice of jumping directly into a story at the beginning of the show before the title sequence or opening credits are shown. In North ...

of the ''

Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American television sitcom, created by Glen and Les Charles, Glen Charles & Les Charles and James Burrows, that aired on NBC for eleven seasons from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/C ...

'' episode "Woody Gets An Election". In January 1994, McFarland posthumously joined fellow alumnus

Jackie Cooper John Cooper Jr. (September 15, 1922 – May 3, 2011) was an American actor and director. He began his career performing in film as a child, and successfully transitioned to adult roles and directing in both film and television. At age nine, h ...

to become one of only two ''Our Gang'' members to receive a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

Death

McFarland died of "a heart attack or an aneurysm" at his home; his remains were cremated shortly thereafter. A

cenotaph A cenotaph is an empty grave, tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere or have been lost. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although t ...

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.

Namesake

The 1960s

sunshine pop Sunshine pop, originally called soft pop and soft rock, is a loosely defined form of pop music that was first associated with early soft rock producers and songwriters based in Los Angeles, California, during the mid-to late 1960s. Its recording ...

rock group

Spanky and Our Gang Spanky and Our Gang was an American 1960s sunshine pop band led by Spanky McFarlane, Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane. The band derives its name from Hal Roach's ''Our Gang'' comedies of the 1930s (known to modern audiences as ''The Little Rascals''), ...

named themselves after McFarland's character because singer Elaine "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. In 1990, McFarland filed a $100,000 lawsuit against a bar owner in

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 311,527, making it Minnesota's second-most populous city a ...

. 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.

Filmography

McFarland appeared as "Spanky" in 95 ''Our Gang'' films between 1932 and 1942. He also appeared in: * ''One Track Minds'' (1933, Short) as Spanky (uncredited) * '' Day of Reckoning'' (1933) as Johnny Day * ''

Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen ''Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen'' is a 1934 pre-Code American comedy-drama film, starring Dorothea Wieck, Alice Brady, and Baby LeRoy, written by Adela Rogers St. Johns and Jane Storm from a novel and story by Rupert Hughes, and directed by Ale ...

'' (1934) as Johnny Prentiss * ''The Cracked Iceman'' (1934, Short) as boy who says 'Just skip it' * '' Kentucky Kernels'' (1934) as Spanky * '' Here Comes the Band'' (1935) as Spanky Lowry * ''

O'Shaughnessy's Boy ''O'Shaughnessy's Boy'' is a 1935 film starring Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper and directed by Richard Boleslawski. The picture was partly set in a circus. The cinematographer was James Wong Howe. Plot summary The plot involves a one-armed li ...

'' (1935) as Joseph "Stubby" O'Shaughnessy (as a child) * '' The Trail of the Lonesome Pine'' (1936) as Buddie Tolliver * '' General Spanky'' (1936) as Spanfield George 'Spanky' Leonard * ''

Varsity Show The Varsity Show is one of the oldest traditions at Columbia University. Founded in 1893 as a fundraiser for the university's fledgling athletic teams, the Varsity Show now draws together the entire Columbia undergraduate community for a series of ...

'' (1937) as Hap * '' Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus'' (1938) as Pee Wee * '' Johnny Doughboy'' (1942) as Spanky * ''

I Escaped from the Gestapo ''I Escaped from the Gestapo'' is a 1943 film from King Brothers Productions, directed by Harold Young (director), Harold Young about a forger forced to work for Nazi spies. It stars Dean Jagger, Mary Brian and John Carradine. The film was also ...

'' (1943) as Billy * '' Seeing Hands'' (1943, Short) as the boy leading the initiation (uncredited) * ''Cowboy and the Senorita'' (1944) as the kid who trips Teddy Bear (uncredited) * '' The Woman in the Window'' (1944) as the boy scout who finds Mazard's body (uncredited) * ''Spanky's Clubhouse'' (1950) as host * ''The George Gobel Show'' (1955) as selfhttp://hometownbyhandlebar.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/spanky-comeback-6-7-55-dmn.jpg * ''The Aurora Encounter'' (1986) as the governor * ''King B: A Life in the Movies'' (1993) as himself * ''

'' (1993, Episode: " Woody Gets an Election") as himself (final appearance)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:McFarland, Spanky American male child actors 1928 births 1993 deaths 20th-century American male actors Hal Roach Studios actors Male actors from Texas Military personnel from Texas People from Grapevine, Texas United States Air Force airmen United States Air Force personnel of the Korean War