The original cast were Mary Kornman (the beautiful girl). And that as an adult, he managed to bag a franchise, Superman, before they were as in vogue as they are today. The composition of the troupe was checkered and represented typical children in the neighborhood. little rascals Our Gang, also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roachs Rascals, was a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor. That he had starred with frequent on-screen partner Wallace Beery in a film that still has chops today, The Champ. So it was no surprise to learn as a child that he had been nominated for an Academy Award.

His presence took over the small screen, overpowering Our Gang‘s shoddy, shakey, black-and-white footage. And it was easy to tell that Cooper was headed for stardom - his delivery and facial expressions, especially during a memorable Love Business scene in which he flirts with the much-older Miss Crabtree, were so much more mature than what we saw from any child star of his time, let alone his fellow Rascals. Even as a 20-something, I longed to play alongside Jackie, Chubby, and Farina. Though certainly outdated - if you check out shorts like Pups Is Pups, you’ll see plenty of racial undertones typical of the early 20th century, even though the series was respected in its time for being one of the most diverse Hollywood projects - the series’ gleeful nature, in spite of the Depression’s trying times, was contagious. Just look at his pout! It was no wonder he got cast in the role - how could anyone say no to Jackie’s face?Īnd strangely enough, even after aging more than a dozen years, I found I still enjoyed the Jackie years of Our Gang. He was relatable, adorable, and could convey emotion unlike any other rascal. It boasted the wise-beyond-his-years Stymie, the flighty-but-cute-as-a-button Dorothy, the is-it-possible-to-be-that-cuddly Wheezer, and the funny-as-Chris-Farley Chubby, but Jackie, as the series’ everyboy from 1929-1931 (he was Spanky before Spanky), stood out leagues further than the rest. Each short followed a mischievous gang pursuing some sort of troublesome plan - and while many are familiar with Spanky and Alfalfa’s shenanigans, I’ll always insist that Jackie Cooper’s gang was by far the best gang. Unlike in my childhood world, where most films and TV shows featured kids achieving great victories that involved fame and fortune, Our Gang was one of the few series in history who showed kids being, well, kids. One later addition to the cast was a street-tough named Mickey, played by actor Mickey Gubitosi, better known as Robert Blake. Perhaps it was because I was an old soul, or both my parents enjoyed catching re-runs of the series when they were youths, but I grew up on Our Gang, otherwise known as The Little Rascals. The 'Our Gang'/'Little Rascals' series remained in production until the early 1940s, but by the end many of the most popular actors had aged out of their roles.

The cast of the original little rascals