Since the early 1930s, when Hollywood film producer Hal Roach began to make his last series of the "Our Gang Comedies," Darla, Alfalfa, Spanky and Buckwheat have been household names. They were the last bunch of moppets - the most exposed and memorable child stars of all the "gangs." ("Our Gang Comedies" were distributed to movie theaters until they were sold in 1951 to King World Distributors for TV release as "The Little Rascals.") Darla in particular won the hearts of young boys, the envy of young girls and the affection of parents - the baby face, the cherub cheeks, the pronounced dimples and big brown eyes.
Darla's role, as femme fatale of the "Gang," generated the "fickle-lady-plays-boy-against-boy" plots with boyfriends Alfalfa (known for his stand-up sprig of hair and off-key serenades), bully Butch and rich kid Waldo. Singing and dancing with the stage presence of a pro, she was charismatic, cute, prodigious.
Darla Hood (her real name) was a child star in every sense of the phrase, beginning her career in 1935 at age 3 and continuing with "Our Gang" until she was 11.
Now 46, she is married to Jose Granson, a music publisher and agent, and lives in North Hollywood. She has three children, a daughter, 26, a son, 18, and another daughter, 15, also named Darla.
She still pursues a show business career, "but now it's just a hobby," she says. "Since I got married and had my first child, my family has come first." She does occasional commercials, both on camera and voiceovers, and still sings - in her own nightclub act and for dubbing sessions on motion pictures. Some recent credits include dubbing for "Towering Inferno" and "Airport," singing the Chicken of the Sea commercial, doing special cartoon voices for Hanna Barbera and acting in several TV soap operas. She also does the talk show circuit, and she's writing a book about her days as a "Little Rascal," entitled "That Old Gang of Mine."
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"People still recognize me," she says almost apologetically. "That 'Our Gang' character has almost been a strike against me since I left the show when I was 11. It's been tough for me to continue my career. Some people resent child stars. Others, especially casting directors and agents, don't care what you've done in the past. It's what you can do now. There is so much talent out there. Sometimes people just want to talk with me out of curiosity when I go for a job. They're interested in learning all about my life, but end up not hiring me. Only once have my past credentials helped me get an acting or singing job."
Relaxing on a couch in her home, she reflected on her past, occasionally glancing at her old publicity pictures on the wall: "My mother taught me to sing and dance before I could even walk or talk well. We lived in Leedy, Okla., and I was an only child. My father was president of a bank there. My mother just loved music. She would take me to Oklahoma City for singing and dancing lessons when I was 3.
"My dancing teacher was like an aunt to me and wanted to take me with her to New York, while getting some choreography ideas. Mom let me go for the experience. We stayed at the Edison Hotel in New York and a big band was playing there. My teacher coaxed the bandleader to let me lead the band and sing and dance to a tune. It was like one of those Hollywood stories you read about, you know, the discovery bit. But it really happened."
She was "discovered" by Hal Roach's casting director, Joe Rivkin, who happened to be on a nationwide tour looking for a leading little lady for the "Our Gang" show and who happened to be in the audience. Before she knew it, she was screen tested in New York and on her way to California with her mother to meet Hal Roach.
Once in California, she and her mother lived in an apartment in West Hollywood. Her father, skeptical about the whole situation, remained in Oklahoma until he saw that Darla's contract option would be picked up. "After a year of acting in 'Our Gang,' it was obvious that I was in for keeps. My father left his bank president's job in Oklahoma, joined me and Mom in California only to find out that he had to start over with a bank here."
Her first film was "Our Gang Follies." "I wasn't even aware that I was making movies; it was so much fun on those elaborate sets and the parties at Christmas...with Santa, a big tree and presents for all the cast. Hal Roach was really good to us. I became part of the regulars - the contract players - Spanky (George McFarland), Alfalfa (Carl Sweitzer) and Buckwheat (William Thomas). Mickey Gubitosi (Robert Blake) joined us later. He was one of my favorites - even tempered and easy-going."
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Later on in the "Our Gang" series, Darla began to realize what was going on in her life - the fan mail, requests for autographs. Being pals around the MGM lot with Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley Temple and other child stars of the '30s and '40s seemed perfectly normal for her, since she had been in front of a camera since age 3. "I invited Liz Taylor to my 12th birthday party," she recalls, "but her mom wouldn't let her come. She thought that Liz would catch a cold from the other kids."
She was also mingling with the biggest names in Hollywood at that time. She made "Bohemian Girl" with Laurel and Hardy. "I just thought they were the kindest men. I didn't even realize who they were; I was so little. Some of the gang and I used to watch the filming of 'The Wizard of Oz.' I liked Judy Garland, but she was so protected. I saw her on Clark Gable's lap a few times. If I'd only realized!"
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In 1942, the last show was produced and the actors were confronted with public school and a new life. They had a rough time adjusting. Darla's mother arranged for her to get an agent, William Morris. But Darla's acting and singing stints were sparse. She was turned down for several movie roles. That disappointed her and she says she gradually lost interest in acting.
"I had to go to public school and I hated it," she said. "I had never been around so many kids before."
In high school she formed her own singing group, performing for school functions. Darla regained her interest in show business during her senior year in high school. Her individual singing talents, backed by other performers, were employed by producer-comic Ken Murray for his famous "Blackouts" and Darla went East to New York for three years.
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She came back to Los Angeles when she was 21 and got a job singing in a club. Jimmy McHugh, composer of "Don't Blame Me" and "Sunny Side of the Street," hired her for his act. She met her current husband, Jose Granson, when he heard her sing at McHugh's club. Granson had a publishing company and a record company. "He wanted to manage my career. I agreed that I would work with him. Pretty soon, we were married. I recorded a lot, but never had a hit. I was never into rock and, during the '50s, that was a sin.
"I also did some B and C movie roles. In 1961, my husband made an album of a lot of crazy sounds that I could make and peddled it to ad agencies and studios. That led to doing voices for cartoons and dubbing for films. I'm still active in those areas. I keep up my singing and acting endeavors, too. I still am hoping something fantastic in show business will happen again."
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Garner is a Los Angeles writer.