Original little rascals characters names
One of the downfalls of children in the entertainment industry is the awkward transition from being a “cute little kiddle” to becoming a teenager. She was a marvelous asset to a truly unique ensemble of child actors. Any song Darla tried, she gave new meaning to. Switzer, who died in 1959, is also buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.ĭarla had it all: she had a canny ability to act, had a delightful speaking voice, and could wow them with her singing. Over the next six years, she appeared in fifty Gang comedies, mostly as the love interest to Alfalfa, played by Carl Switzer. The Our Gang Follies of 1936 was already deep in production, but Roach’s new find was hastily written into the musical revue, singing “I’ll Never Say Never Again, Again.” This delightful introduction was enough to solidify Darla’s new role: Our Gang leading lady. The result? Darla was whisked to Hollywood, where she was signed by Hal Roach to a seven-year contract, starting at $75 a week. Recognizing the possibilities, Rivkin arranged for an immediate screen test in Manhattan. The entire crowd instantly fell in love with her, including a man named Joe Rivkin, who was the casting director for a major production house in Hollywood - Hal Roach Studios. One night, at the Hotel Edison in Times Square, the bandleader invited the little dynamo to actually conduct the orchestra and sing. They thought so highly of Darla that they brought her along on a trip to New York City. Darla’s looks made her a performance natural: her teachers recognized this early on.
Her father, James Claude Hood, was a banker, but it was her mother, Ruby Elizabeth, who encouraged their little girl to take singing and dancing lessons in nearby Oklahoma City. This gorgeous little girl grew into a multi-faceted, and diversely talented, adult performer - and her story began in the country’s heartland.ĭarla Jean Hood was born on November 4, 1931, in Leedey, Oklahoma. But, how many of them have been children? Only a handful - and one of the most enduring young actresses, whose talents will forever be remembered, is Darla Hood, the brunette beauty who contributed to the great success of the Our Gang films of the 1930s and 1940s. Now, here's a "very special episode" of untold truth, focusing on "Diff'rent Strokes," which once ruled the world.In the history of film, there have been scores of leading ladies who have charmed and captivated audiences worldwide. As Arnold, Coleman won the hearts of millions with his mugging and infectious "Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Willis?" catchphrase. While family issues, race relations, and economic disparity were part of the DNA of "Diff'rent Strokes," what made it popular was that it was a fun and funny sitcom, thanks in large part to wildly charismatic, preternaturally-talented child actor Gary Coleman. The premise: After his African-American housekeeper dies, wealthy white businessman Philip Drummond (Conrad Bain) takes in her two boys, Arnold and Willis Jackson (Todd Bridges), and raises them as his own in a fancy Manhattan apartment, expanding the family that consists of just him and his teenage daughter, Kimberly (Dana Plato).
#Original little rascals characters names tv
"Diff'rent Strokes" was also quietly provocative, as it was a show about a nontraditional permutation of the family unit rarely seen on TV at the time. A sticky-sweet network sitcom the whole family could enjoy, "Diff'rent Strokes" was a smash hit for NBC (before a late-run move to ABC) for almost a decade, airing from 1978 to 1986.