Bobbie Beard

Last updated
Bobbie "Cotton" Beard
Born(1930-08-02)August 2, 1930
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died October 16, 1999(1999-10-16) (aged 69)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation Actor
Years active 1931–1934

Bobbie Beard (August 2, 1930 – October 16, 1999) was an American child actor, best known for portraying "Cotton" in several Our Gang short films from 1932 to 1934. He was a native of Los Angeles, California. His older brother was Matthew "Stymie" Beard, one of the series' most popular and best-remembered characters. [1]

The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage or in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began their acting career as a child. To avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor. Closely associated is teenage actor or teen actor, an actor who reached popularity as a teenager.

<i>Our Gang</i> film series

Our Gang is a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by comedy producer Hal Roach, the series was produced from 1922 to 1944 and is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively natural way. Roach and original director Robert F. McGowan worked to film the unaffected, raw nuances apparent in regular children rather than have them imitate adult acting styles. The series broke new ground by portraying white and black boys and girls interacting as equals.

A short film is any motion picture not long enough to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits". In the United States, short films were generally termed short subjects from the 1920s into the 1970s when confined to two 35mm reels or less, and featurettes for a film of three or four reels. "Short" was an abbreviation for either term.

Contents

Our Gang years

As older brother Stymie was the main breadwinner for the Beard family, his success with the Our Gang series opened the door for his siblings. Bobbie Beard appeared as Stymie's younger brother in Hi'-Neighbor! , Forgotten Babies , Fish Hooky , A Lad an' a Lamp and Birthday Blues . His most memorable appearance was in A Lad an' a Lamp, in which Spanky McFarland keeps wishing that Cotton could be a monkey. Despite his notable presence in several films, Beard never spoke a word.

<i>Hi-Neighbor!</i> 1934 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Gus Meins

Hi'-Neighbor! is a 1934 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Gus Meins. Produced by Hal Roach and released to theaters by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it was the 126th Our Gang short to be released and Meins' first series entry as director.

<i>Forgotten Babies</i> 1933 film by Robert F. McGowan

Forgotten Babies is a 1933 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan.

<i>Fish Hooky</i> 1933 film by Robert F. McGowan

Fish Hooky is a 1933 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 120th Our Gang short that was released.

Later years and death

After departing Our Gang, Beard became an auction dealer in the Los Angeles area. In later years, Beard worked at the Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles and became good friends with Groucho Marx. He later served in the Korean War, and spent his final years working for the Los Angeles School Board. [2]

Hillcrest Country Club (Los Angeles)

Hillcrest Country Club is a Jewish country club located in the Cheviot Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States.

Groucho Marx American comedian

Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx was an American comedian, writer, stage, film, radio, and television star. A master of quick wit, he is widely considered one of America's greatest comedians.

Korean War 1950–1953 war between North Korea and South Korea

The Korean War was a war between North Korea and South Korea. The war began on 25 June 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea following a series of clashes along the border.

Beard died on October 16, 1999. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 gideonseniors1959.com
  2. ↑ Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang, p. 260. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. ISBN   0-517-58325-9


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