Darla Hood, an Oklahoma-born girl, has achieved the unique distinction of becoming leading lady on a national television program in New York at age 19. She is one reason for the success of CBS-TV's outstanding new "Ken Murray Show," broadcast alternate Saturdays over WKY-TV.
Darla comes from Leedey, and although she left there at the age of three to start her professional career, she has returned to her home often. Her last visit to Leedey and Oklahoma City was in 1948.
Her relatives in Oklahoma include her maternal grandmother, Mrs. Nora Hood of Erick; an uncle, Dr. F. R. Hood, heart specialist of 300 NW 19; an uncle, R. W. Hood of Crescent, and another uncle, Ralph T. "Sandy" Hood of Guthrie.
Darla Hood is beginning her third "career" as comedian-showman Ken Murray's versatile leading lady. At the age of 12, she retired from the screen after co-starring for nine years as the girl sweetheart in the famed "Our Gang" comedies. Her second career followed graduation from high-school when she organized a harmony quintet that sang in the movies, on stage and in recordings. Now, as an accomplished singer, dancer and actress, she has reached a new milestone as the feminine lead in a major television show.
Darla was born Nov. 4, 1930. Her father, J. C. Hood, who was a Leedey banker, is now assistant manager of the West Los Angeles branch of the Bank of America. Her mother started Miss Hood singing and dancing at the age of two. Each week, she brought her tiny daughter 150 miles here to study with Kathryn Duffy, now associated with the New York stage.
When Darla was three, Miss Duffy took her to New York, a trip that led to her professional career. Miss Duffy heard that Hal Roach, the Hollywood producer, was auditioning children there for his "Our Gang" comedies. She took Miss Hood for a screen test. Roach promptly signed the Oklahoma tot to a seven-year contract.
She was whisked to the film capital to play herself in the lovable kiddie productions, along with such characters as Spanky, Alfalfa and Buckwheat. After four years with Roach, she moved with the "Our Gang" troupe to the MGM lot to continue the series for the next five years. She also appeared in several other shorts and feature films and toured the U.S. with the "Our Gang" cast. After nearly 100 pictures, she retired when she outgrew her role.
Her schooling began on the Hal Roach lot at the age of six. She attended the MGM studio school and then the Bancroft junior highschool and Long's Professional school. In June 1948, she graduated from Hollywood's Fairfax highschool, an Ephebian honor student. While in highschool, she studied opera at night, sang in the choir of Hollywood's First Methodist church, and attended the American Operatic laboratory.
When she was 15 she met Bob Decker, a young singer who is now her husband, at a barn dance given by the church choir. With several other choristers they formed a quintet called Darla and the Enchanters, which grew into a full sized professional unit. The group sang the background music in such films as "Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven," "A Letter to Three Wives," "Mother Is a Frehsman," "The Street With No Name" and "Apartment for Peggy." They made recordings with Benny Carter and Stan Brown, appeared in a stage revue and were with Ken Murray's "Blackouts" in Hollywood for nine months.
On CBS-TV's "Ken Murray Show," Miss Hood opens the hilarities in a telephone song, is featured in a "Girl of the Week" song sketch and in the Enchanters singing group, and has parts in other comedy and dramatic numbers.
Miss Hood is five feet two inches tall, weighs 111 pounds, and has chestnut hair, large brown eyes and a pert little nose that gives her a pixie-like charm. She likes to knit, cook, write poems and read screen fan magazines and, for outdoor recreation, to roller skate.