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JACKIE & GANG IN 'HI NEIGHBOR'
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My story as a member of a Gang at 9 and a has-been
at 11 began back in 1934. After winning a beauty contest in Compton,
California, my mother was advised to take me to see Hal Roach. After my
audition (I was introduced to the Little Rascals on the set and we
played together for an hour or so), Mr. Roach said to my mother and me:
"We'd like Jackie to become part of the Gang even though she is a little tall
for her age. You see, she looks so much like our original little leading lady,
Mary Kornman, I just can't resist her. Jackie has the same expressions and
reactions as Mary; I know she will be just as engaging."
At the time, I
didn't fully understand what Mr. Roach was saying. I knew that there
hadn't been a regular little girl in the films for almost a year since
Dorothy DeBorba grew out of the Gang . Dorothy was the same age as
me but had grown too tall, too soon . Of course, later, I suffered the
same fate. I towered over Spanky who continued to grow wider
rather than taller.
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Early
in 1935, Mr. Roach met with my mother and me and explained why my stint
with the Gang was ending after just one year and five films —
too leggy, too tall! Nevertheless, all was not lost! Mr. Roach said
I would be perfect for some promotional work he had just approved; the studio
would feature me on Our Gang Pencil Sharpeners . . . KOLORCRAFT Doll/Paint
Sets . . . and an Our Gang Big/Little Picture Book of the films in which I
had appeared.
In addition, I would be the only girl promoting the 1935 Our Gang Coloring
Book and I would be used in talent contests created to replace other
Little Rascals who had outgrown Our Gang.
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After a long and fulfilling career in television, I was asked
to speak about my days with Our Gang for a Speaker's Bureau in Los
Angeles. My husband, Jack Fries, had just joined the CBS-owned
television station in Hollywood as a TV newsman so I said "yes". I called my
talk, I Found America Through The Our Gang Comedies; the
talk met with instant approval. Four years later, Jack and I
published the first of our two Our Gang books.
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Jack
and I also co-hosted and produced "The Little Rascals Family Theater"
on televison in San Diego . . .
Los Angeles . . . and Sacramento in California; Reno, Nevada; and Kansas City,
Missouri in the mid-1970's.
In the series, we would show Our Gang features, then talk about how the
films were made, special effects, where the Gang members were today,
and interview former Rascals as adults.
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In addition to Jack, I had two other co-hosts over the
years: Matthew 'Stymie' Beard and Tommy 'Butch' Bond plus
TV visits with Johnny Downs . . . Darla Hood . . . Leonard amd
Sidney 'Woim' Kibrick . . . Darwood Smith . . . and many others. Recently,
we edited our Little Rascals Family Theater TV shows down to four
Jackie Remembers Our Gang home videos which are available here on
our RascalandUSA.com website.
I am often asked: "Why, with all your other accomplishments, do you enjoy
reflecting on your days with Our Gang so much?" The answer is quite
simple: my association with the Gang was a wonderful and satisfying
experience full of pleasant memories and good friends. Our Gang is also
so much a part of AMERICANA — the good ol' days, if you must.
The Our Gang stories taught values . . . tolerance . . . good
self-esteem in spite of lack (remember, this was in the middle of the GREAT
DEPRESSION — but we didn't know enough to become depressed; people
then just kept on keeping on).
I believe the message
of Our Gang is still viable with today's younger generation. You see,
youth the world over has always been faced with the problem of emerging. It is
not really so different today from other generations. Our Gang members
were somehow symbolic of all youngsters of the 1920's through the '40's. Or
did it really stop there? Actually, the little movie moppets, in an
unsophisticated humorous way, still represent the youth of all generations,
eager to explore land emulate; to find themselves in the process of growing up.
So the old magic
becomes new again with each new and eager crop of youngsters. As legendary
entertainer Bob Hope so often said on his television programs, may I
say "Thanks for the Memories" to all the Little
Rascals of Our Gang, the directors, cameramen, script girls, etc. and, of
course, a special heartfelt 'Thank you!' to Mr. Hal Roach, truly - the Father
of Our Gang.
If you've enjoyed your visit to Jackie Lynn Taylor's
website, why not share your experience with others?
EMAIL A FRIEND about this adventure
into memory lane by clicking on the submission button below.
Thank you for your continuing
interest in Our Gang!
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