The reason for the change in appearance was so he could portray, in the 1936 Our Gang feature film General Spanky, a five-year-old slave asking men on a riverboat and, subsequently, shoeshine boy Spanky, "You be my master?". ''O TAY'' catchphrase- Buckwheat from the Little Rascals. Billie Thomas first appeared in the 1934 Our Gang shorts For Pete's Sake!, The First Round-Up, and Washee Ironee as a background player. Our Gang, also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach’s Rascals, was a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and the adventures they had together. He was a native of Los Angeles, California. Thomas enlisted in the United States Army in 1954 at the age of 23, and was released from active military service in 1956 decorated with a National Defense Service Medal and a Good Conduct Medal. Having been 14 when WWII ended in 1945, +/-9 years before he actually joined the military, it is uncertain why his grave marker says "Reg US Army, World War II". After Stymie’s departure from the series later in 1935, the Buckwheat character slowly morphed into a boy, first referred to definitively as a “he” in 1936’s The Pinch Singer. Thomas had a speech impediment as a young child, as did Lee, who became Thomas's friend both on the set and off. The answer to this is Porky. The “Buckwheat” character was a female at this time, portrayed by Our Gang kid Matthew “Stymie” Beard’s younger sister Carlena in. "Buckwheat" "I started when I was three years old. He was a native of Los Angeles, California. Thomas remained in Our Gang for 10 years, appearing in all but one of the shorts made from Washee Ironee in 1934 through the series’ end in 1944. '20/20' Producer Resigns Over Buckwheat Interview. By 1940, Thomas had grown out of his speech impediment, and with Lee having been replaced by Robert Blake, Thomas's Buckwheat character was written as an archetypal black youth. He made Buckwheat into a stereotype that he wasn't, at the expense of the people in his family who are still alive. 191 likes. After returning to civilian life, Thomas faced a dilemma shared by many of his co-stars from Our Gang. See more ideas about gang, comedy short films, rascal. Despite Thomas being a male, the Buckwheat character remained a female—dressed as a Topsy-esque image of the African-American “pickaninny” stereotype with bowed pigtails, a large hand-me-down sweater and oversized boots. Condition: New… Thomas is interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California. He was a native of Los Angeles . William “Billie” Thomas, Jr. (March 12, 1931 – October 10, 1980) was an American child actor best remembered for portraying the character of Buckwheat in the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short films from 1934 until the series’ end in 1944. Thomas first appeared as a background character in Our Gang in 1934. Thomas died of a heart attack in his Los Angeles apartment on October 10, 1980, 46 years to the day after his mother brought him to audition at the Hal Roach Studios. "[1] However, Thomas still enjoyed the film industry at large, and had a successful career as a film lab technician with the Technicolor corporation. During the first half of his Our Gang tenure, Thomas’ Buckwheat character was often paired with Eugene “Porky” Lee as a tag-along team of “little kids” rallying against (and often outsmarting) the “big kids,” George “Spanky” McFarland and Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer. as a background player. ... Collectible Movie & TV Character Bobbleheads (1970-Now) Collectible Celebrity Bobbleheads (1970-Now) ... New Listing Harrahs Little Rascals Buckwheat Bobblehead … [1], Despite the change in the Buckwheat character's gender, Billie Thomas's androgynous costuming was not changed until his appearance in the 1936 film Pay as You Exit. This new costuming — overalls, striped shirt, oversized shoes, and a large unkempt Afro — was retained for the series until the end. This is similar to the initial handling of another African American Our Gang member, Allen “Farina” Hoskins, who worked in the series during the silent and early sound eras. Alfalfa is wooing Darla and his "He-Man-Woman-Hating" friends attempt to sabotage the relationship. He was a native of Los Angeles, California. Thomas remained in Our Gang when the series changed production from Hal Roach Studios to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1938. Thomas began appearing as “Buckwheat” with 1935’s Mama’s Little Pirate. CMG Worldwide represents hundreds of celebrities like Dorothy Lamour. This is similar to the initial handling of another African-American Our Gang member, Allen "Farina" Hoskins, who worked in the series during the silent and early sound eras. After Stymie’s departure from the series later in 1935, the Buckwheat character slowly morphed into a boy, first referred to definitively as a “he” in 1936’s, . During the first half of his. Thomas was the only, shorts, and was also the only holdover from the Hal Roach era to remain in the series until its end in 1944. He was a native of Los Angeles… (black person) a boy or a girl? 4 months ago. Mel Brooks portrays Mr. Welling, Whoopi Goldberg plays Buckwheat's mother, Daryl Hannah plays Miss Crabtree and Reba McIntire plays … The “Buckwheat” character was a female at this time, portrayed by Our Gang kid Matthew “Stymie” Beard’s younger sister Carlena in For Pete’s Sake!, and by Willie Mae Walton in three other shorts. Billie ‘Buckwheat’ Thomas in The Little Rascals (1955)/MGM While Buckwheat’s death may have been natural, he perished fairly young. Thomas was the only cast member to appear in all 52 of the MGM-produced entries and was the only holdover from the Hal Roach era to remain in the series until its end in 1944. Directed by Penelope Spheeris. Thomas remained in Our Gang when the series changed production from Hal Roach Studios to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1938. He was 12 years old when the final. After Stymie's departure from the series later in 1935, the Buckwheat character slowly morphed into a boy, first referred to definitively as a "he" in 1936's The Pinch Singer. L… Picture Information. Aug 6, 2020 - Buckwheat unused, bought in 2010 - - - - - - - - - - - - - Billie Thomas (March 12, 1931 – October 10, 1980) was an American child actor best remembered for portraying the character of Buckwheat in the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short films from 1934 until the series' end in 1944. William "Billie" Thomas Jr. (March 12, 1931 – October 10, 1980) was an American child actor best remembered for portraying the character of Buckwheat in the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short films from 1934 until the series' end in 1944. Buckwheat of The Little Rascals the culturegeist. The Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas Story. Alfalfa, the main character, started to like Darla, who is his schoolmate. member, Allen “Farina” Hoskins, who worked in the series during the silent and early sound eras. Among those honored, on July 31, were fellow Our Gangers George McFarland, Dorothy DeBorba, Tommy Bond, and Joe Cobb. "[11], In 1990, the ABC newsmagazine 20/20 aired a segment featuring a man named Bill English, then a grocery bagger in Arizona, who claimed to be the adult Buckwheat. The film is an adaptation of Hal Roach's Our Gang, a series of short films of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s (many of which were broadcast on television as The Little Rascals) which … Billie Thomas first appeared in the 1934 Our Gang shorts, For Pete’s Sake!, The First Round-Up, and Washee Ironee as a background player. The "Buckwheat" character was a female at this time, portrayed by Our Gang kid Matthew "Stymie" Beard's younger sister Carlena in For Pete's Sake!, and by Willie Mae Walton in three other shorts. See more ideas about rascal, childhood memories, old tv shows. William “Billie” Thomas, Jr. (March 12, 1931 – October 10, 1980) was an American child actor best remembered for portraying the character of Buckwheat in the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short films from 1934 until the series’ end in 1944. The "Buckwheat" and "Porky" characters both became known for their collective garbled dialogue, in particular their catchphrase, "O-tay!" The Official Website of William "Buckwheat" Thomas. William Thomas Jr. was born on March 12, 1931, in Los Angeles. . By 1940, Thomas had grown out of his speech impediment, and with Lee having been replaced by Robert Blake, Thomas’s Buckwheat character was written as an archetypal black youth. Several days were spent touring famous Hollywood attractions, and then the highlight of the gathering took place in the hotel ballroom. "Even the big stars had to chase around and audition; it seemed like a rat race to me, with no security. This is an American Film that came out in 1994. Despite the change in the Buckwheat character’s gender, Billie Thomas’s androgynous costuming was not changed until his appearance as a runaway slave in the 1936 Our Gang Feature film General Spanky. Top Searches Holiday Gifts. This edit will also create new pages on Comic Vine for: Beware, you are proposing to add brand new pages to the wiki along with your edits. [1][7][8], On October 10, 1980, ten weeks after his July 31 appearance at the Hilton, Thomas died of a heart attack in his Los Angeles apartment at the age of 49, forty-six years to the day after his mother brought him to audition at the Hal Roach Studios. Although the character he played was often the subject of controversy in later years for containing elements of the “pickaninny” stereotype, Thomas always defended his work in the series, pointing out that Buckwheat and the rest of the black. He was twelve years old when the final Our Gang film, Dancing Romeo, was completed in November 1943. 100% Cotton Brand New Item Buckwheat Our Gang Little Rascals Character Neon O-Tay Adult T-Shirt Tee Officially Licensed Color: Blue Material: 100% Cotton Trending. William “Billie” Thomas, Jr. (March 12, 1931 – October 10, 1980) was an American child actor best remembered for portraying the character of Buckwheat in the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short films from 1934 until the series’ end in 1944. A member of the Little Rascals from 1934-1944. Buckwheat was a wildly popular Eddie Murphy impression based on Billie Thomas' character of the same name in Hal Roach's "Our Gang" shorts of the 1930s and 40s (popularized on television as The Little Rascals). O TAY! Thomas was the only Our Gang cast member to appear in all 52 MGM Our Gang shorts, and was also the only holdover from the Hal Roach era to remain in the series until its end in 1944. [12], The next week, 20/20 acknowledged, on-air, that English's claim had been false and apologized for the interview. originally uttered by Porky, but soon used by both characters.[1]. Thomas began appearing as “Buckwheat” with 1935’s, . Thomas had a speech impediment as a young child, as did Lee, who became Thomas’ friend both on the set and off. The “Buckwheat” character was originally a female, portrayed by Matthew “Stymie” Beard’s younger sister, Carlena. the little rascals, originally known as Our Gang, have stirred up irresistible trouble ever since the short comedies debuted on silent film in 1922. Thomas died of a heart attack in his Los Angeles apartment on October 10, 1980, 46 years to the day after his mother brought him to audition at the Hal Roach Studios. Dec 2, 2015 - Explore Child Stars Photo Gallery's board "Our Gang--Farina, Stymie and Buckwheat", followed by 275 people on Pinterest. Thomas began appearing as "Buckwheat" with 1935's Mama's Little Pirate. Hand color tinted photo of Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Darla & Spanky, The Little Rascals Our Gang. 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