Jean Darling

birth name: Dorothy Jean LaVake
soon changed to: Dorothy Jean Darling
professional name: Jean Darling
born Aug. 23, 1922, in Santa Monica, CA
died Sep. 4, 2015, in Rödermark, Germany, of cancer

Special note: Jean's name was legally changed shortly after her parents' separation, which happened when she was five months old. Her mother was originally Dorothy Darling Hamilton, and changed her own name to Dorothy Hamilton Darling.

Also of note: In her memoirs, Jean briefly mentions being broke at some point in her life, and making ends meet by getting a 9-to-5 job at a florist's shop. She also mentions going blind for two years, during which she gave singing lessons, along with her accompanist, John Code. Exactly when either of these things happened is currently a mystery.

1923

• Feb. or Mar. 1923: According to her memoirs, Jean was registered with Central Casting, and then did her first film work at the age of six months. Her mother was given a small role in a Sam Harris production on Broadway, which also afforded Jean with a "carry-on" part. This would have been shortly before she learned to walk. Apparently, there was also a second play that followed this with Jean in it.

1924

• Mid-1924: Shortly before her second birthday, "Baby Jean" danced at Lions and Kiwanis Club meetings as one of her dance instructor's Tapping Troubadours. "My specialty was a Dutch dance performed in full costume, including heavy wooden shoes."

1926

• Circa 1926: Jean describes her mother being offered a part in a Broadway show by Sam Harris, after having done two previously "with me in tow." She turned this down in favor of Hollywood, feeling that Jean was "getting nowhere by being carried on stage or freelancing in movies."
• Late 1926: Jean was spotted by the wife of Roach assistant general manager L.A. French. Jean reports that this happened in a candy store, while Maltin & Bann state that she was spotted "on the street." Mrs. French recommended that Jean try out for the Our Gang series, for which tests were being conducted that very day to find a new cast member.
• Oct. 6, 1926: Jean started with the Our Gang series as a day player.

1927

• Jan. 15, 1927: From the Los Angeles Record regarding the most likely successor to Mary Kornman in the Our Gang series: "The most likely prospect today is Jean Darling, now in stock at Hal Roach's, who will be given small parts in several 'Our Gang' comedies in order to see what she can do. If she fits into the roles which 'Our Gang' stories make possible, she will be made the 'leading lady' of the Gang."
• Feb. 15, 1927: From Louella Parsons in her syndicated column: "'Our Gang' comedies has a new leading lady, a dimpled darling, age 4 years, blonde and with all the temperament of a Pola Negri or a Lya De Putti. They were ten months locating Jean Darling. Yes, that is her name. After Mary Kornman and Mickey resigned to go on vaudeville time, there was no one else to help Farina put over his stuff, and that, you will admit, is a tragedy." On February 27th, The Sunday Times-Signal of Zanesville, OH, reported that Jean had "been placed in stock for the next three months, and is practically certain of being retained as heroine." The same day, The Detroit Free Press reported that "she shows all signs of bossing 'Our Gang'."
• Mar. 5, 1927: The Sunday Oregonian reported that Jean was 41 inches tall and weighed 41 pounds. "The little girl came to Hollywood with her mother, Mrs. R. P. Darling, six months ago, bearing a letter from the manager of the New York Hippodrome. But she was too young, Director Robert McGowan said, to intelligently play a role. So Mrs. Darling got work for herself at the studio, and waited. Recently, Jean was given a bit in 'Bring Home the Bacon' and did her part so well, she was placed under contract and for the next few pictures will have minor roles. Then it is expected the urchin will receive the designation for which she has waited - leading lady. Since the departure of Mary Kornman to do a vaudeville tour with Mickey Daniels, a long array of little girls has appeared in the hope of succeeding her. Now, apparently, the vacancy is filled."
• Mar. 18, 1927: The Venice Evening Vanguard (CA) published an article about Jean, which can be accessed by clicking here.
• Apr. 1, 1927: From the Los Angeles Times: "Hollywood screen kiddies will stage their benefit performance Sunday afternoon (the 3rd) at the Hollywood Playhouse to raise funds to build their new clubhouse." Jean was among the child performers listed. The next day, the Hollywood Daily Citizen specified that Jean was on a list of kids set to be introduced from the stage.
• Apr. 3, 1927: From The Sunday Enterprise of Beaumont out of Hollywood: "A motion picture actress should not be spanked. That is the rank opinion of Jean Darling, 4-year-old 'leading woman' of the obstreperous troupe of youngsters known to film fans as 'Our Gang.' Jean's mother, Mrs. R. P. Darling, does not entirely agree. She thinks little girls who play in the pictures should be treated just like other children, lest they become spoiled. Jean's grandfather, Frank C. Hamilton, was a New York theatre man."
• Apr. 3, 1927: From the Los Angeles Times: "Jean Darling, recently placed on a coveted pedestal of filmdom as the little leading lady of 'Our Gang,' has won the unqualified support, encouragement and praise of the six or seven youngsters who have frolicked their way to fame in Hal Roach's comedies of childhood. Jean has been nicknamed 'Bossie.' Bossie is 4 years of age, blond and dainty. Too young for school, she nevertheless knows her ABC's and can count to fifty. But her mother has stopped right there and won't teach her anymore of book knowledge until the proper age. In a formal installation party, the kids of the Gang - Farina, Joe Cobb, Jackie Condon, Jay Smith, Mango and Scooter Lowry - kept Jean from sitting for one whole day by putting tacks everywhere and calling her attention to them every time she looked at a chair with longing eyes. At the end of the day, they collected the tacks and placed them in her hands. They were rubber tacks - soft imitations which wouldn't harm a butterfly's wings. Jean was properly initiated. 'That,' said Joe Cobb, 'makes you an official belonger'."
• Apr. 6, 1927: From The South Brooklyn Home Talk-Weekly News: "Jean Darling, aged four years, has been officially placed in stock for the role of 'leading lady' in 'Our Gang' Pathecomedies at the Hal Roach studios. She will frolic with Farina, Joe Frank Cobb, Jackie Condon, Jay Smith and 'Scooter' Lowry for the next three months, with an almost certain prospect of being retained as the heroine of 'Our Gang' comedies . . . Jean is an unusually pretty blonde child with big blue eyes and a world of the sweetness in personality which made Mary Kornman famous. Being only four, she has seven or eight years of possible service in the 'Gang' ahead of her . . . For six months her mother, Mrs. R. P. Darling, has had her eye on the 'Gang' as the proper place for Jean to grow up into fame. Mrs. Darling secured a letter from the manager of the New York Hippodrome which opened the gates of the Hal Roach studios for an interview. Mrs. Darling left New York for Culver City, going direct to the Roach Studios. But Jean was too young, too untrained, and for four or five months, she could do nothing. Mrs. Darling, under the name of Dorothy Darling, worked in pictures herself in order to remain in California, and never despaired of some opportunity for her rarely beautiful child. One day, the wife of a Roach studio executive saw Jean on the street in Culver City and took her again to Robert McGowan, director of the 'Gang,' and Warren Doane, general manager. She was given a bit in 'Bring Home the Bacon,' a current 'Our Gang' picture."
• Apr. 8, 1927: From Motion Picture News: "Jean Darling, the new leading lady of the 'Gang,' who bears the screen name of 'Bossie,' is said by Directors Anthony Mack and Charles Oelze to be a real find."
• Apr. 18, 1927: Jean was put under long-term contract at $35 a week.
• May 28, 1927: The Sunday Oregonian of Portland reported that Jean "has been at home suffering with fever."
• Late May to Early June 1947: The Our Gang kids worked in "The Smile Wins," a film that doesn't seem to include Jean. However, a photo was taken of the kids while in costume for this film. Jean is included and wearing the type of outfit she would typically wear onscreen. It's possible that she worked in the film, but didn't wind up in the finished product.
• June 18, 1927: From the Los Angeles Record: "Hal Roach today did something which he has been fighting for a long time. He let the noted group of kid players better known as 'Our Gang' sign a vaudeville contract for several weeks. Ever since the youngsters made good in the movies, offers have been coming in for their appearance upon the stage, and Roach would never permit it except at benefit performances. Now the old tradition is broken and the kids open at the San Francisco Orpheum on July 2, under the management of Harry Weber. A special act written by George Waggner is in the stages of rehearsing now with a complete cast of the 'baby stars,' including Farina, Aroma, Joe Cobb, J. R. Smith, Jean Darling, Jackie Condon and Harry Spears(sic). Roach said early this morning that he permitted the vaudeville engagement because his studio will start its annual vacation on July 2 and this would be a good time for them to do a turn or so before the footlights. It is said that a record price has been paid for the ususual act."
• June 27, 1927: Jean's salary was raised to $45 a week.
• June 28, 1927: From The San Francisco Call and Post: "Beginning at the Saturday matinee, the entire group of 'Our Gang' kiddies, otherwise known as Hal Roach's Rascals, make their debut on the speaking stage in a comedy playlet, Acting Out. Harry Weber, the well known producer, is the person responsible for this event, and he is bringing these kiddies, including Joe Cobb, Farina, Jean Darling, Jackie Condon, Ray(sic) R. Smith, Mango and Harry Spear, to San Francisco to make their first appearance on the speaking stage."
• July 1, 1927: Motion Picture News reported that Jean had returned to the studio after a one-month illness. This is described in Jean's memoirs as scarlet fever, which she came down with during "Olympic Games." This would presumably explain why she's missing from available prints of that film, as well as the follow-up, "The Glorious Fourth," although she claims that her absence was for six weeks. However, she also states that Farina was afflicted with the same illness and that production on the series was shut down for the duration. This, however, doesn't jibe with the shooting dates of the films, both of which very strongly feature Farina. However, The South Brooklyn Home Talk-Weekly News of May 11, 1927, reported that Farina did come down with scarlet fever, resulting in a four week delay leading up to the shooting of "Tired Business Men," but this also doesn't jibe with the shooting dates.
• July 1, 1927: From The San Francisco Examiner: "A reception is to be tendered 'Our Gang' Kiddies when they arrive in town this morning on the Lark from Los Angeles to fulfill an engagement of one week only at the Orpheum beginning tomorrow afternoon. Each section of San Francisco will be represented by six or seven of 'kiddie groups' from South of Market gang, North Beach, Chinatown, the Potrero, Ocean View, Sunset, Richmond and Fillmore. They will greet Joe Cobb, Farina, Jean Darling, Jackie Condon, Jay Smith, Mango and Harry Spear when they step off the train from Los Angeles. City officials and theatrical representatives will be on hand to greet them. 'Our Gang' Kiddies have arranged to hold a reception on the stage of the Orpheum after each matinee for all the youngsters attending the performances." The San Francisco Chronicle added the Mission, North of the Slot and Western Addition districts to the list. On July 10th, the Examiner published an article about this reception, a thinly-veiled advertisement focusing on the fleet of Studebaker and Erskine cars used to transport the kids from the train station to City Hall.
• July 1, 1927: From The San Francisco Call and Bulletin: "'Our Gang' Kiddies, who are Hal Roach's Rascals of screen comedy fame, who arrived in San Francisco this morning to fulfill an engagement of one week only at the Orpheum, beginning with the matinee tomorrow, will hold a reception on the stage after each matinee for the children attending the performance."
• July 2, 1927: The San Francisco Chronicle published an article about the Gang's visit to the city, which can be accessed by clicking here.
• July 2, 1927: The San Francisco Examiner published an article about the Gang's visit to the city, which can be accessed by clicking here.
• July 3, 1927: From the San Francisco Chronicle: "The biggest treat and the biggest party ever given for the orphans of San Francisco will be The Chronicle-Orpheum Theater party next Wednesday morning (the 6th) at 10:30. The treat will be the appearance of 'Our Gang,' that lively bunch of youngsters from the Hal Roach studios at Culver City. Every boy and girl knows this 'gang' they have seen in motion pictures this many moons, and when the orphans assemble at the Orpheum as The Chronicle's guests, it will be a regular get-together party of old friends. The entire personnel of 'Our Gang' will be on hand, and they will not only help entertain the orphans, but will mingle with the crowd and shake hands with everybody . . . The Market Street Railway has joined in the spirit of the occasion by planning to provide free street car tickets for conveying the guests to the Orpheum and to assign an inspector to supervise their travels with the most careful attention. Written invitations have been sent to each institution and judging from the acceptances, the Orpheum will fairly bulge with youngsters. In addition to the orphans, the junior salesmen of The Chronicle will also be guests, and can each bring a friend. The only grown-ups will be the attendants in charge of the orphans and the people in charge of the big party for the youngsters, with the big feature of the entertainment another bunch of youngsters. The official song for the occasion will be 'Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here'."
• July 4, 1927: The Bulletin of San Francisco published an article about the Gang's visit to the city, an excerpt of which can be accessed by clicking here.
• July 4, 1927: From The San Francisco Call and Post regarding Jean's part in the show: "Flaxen-haired Jean Darling is more than her name. She's princess of the gang, does a little dance and proves a real ingenue in the way she accepts flowers at the curtain call."
• July 4, 1927: From the San Francisco Chronicle: "To start the show, Cliff Work, manager of the Orpheum, has arranged to show one of the newest of the 'Our Gang' pictures produced at the Culver City film studios. As soon as the picture is finished, the curtain will go up and there, big as life, will be Joe Cobb, the fat boy of the gang; Farina, the pickaninny with the roly-poly eyes; Farina's sister, Mango; Jean Darling, Jackie Condon, Jay Smith and Robert McGowan, their director. Following introductions, the whole gang will go out in the audience for a chat with the children guests."
• July 4, 1927: From the San Francisco Chronicle: "Harry Weber, manager and director of the Rascals, calls attention to the fact that they can weep real tears in a tense dramatic moment. The moment arrives in a scene from 'Uncle Tom's Cabin,' when Jean as Little Eva lies on her death bed, and the rest gather round and implore her not to leave them. And it's perfectly true. They can all cry."
• July 4, 1927: From The San Francisco Examiner: "These youngsters put on a sort of revue, with musical comedy in it, a tabloid drama and a burlesque on 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'."
• July 5, 1927: The San Francisco Examiner published an article abuot the Gang's visit to the city, which can be accessed by clicking here.
• July 5, 1927: From The San Francisco Examiner: "Before leaving their Hal Roach Studios in Culver City for this four weeks theatrical trip, 'Our Gang' went into executive session, and elected Joe Cobb their treasurer, he having been reputed to boast of a bit of Scotch blood and being well known as a saving young person; Farina was nominated the reception committee, as everyone wants to shake hands with him, anyway; Jay Smith was made business manager, Jackie Condon stage manager, while Jean Darling and Mango, being the only representatives of the fair sex, were named the 'ofishul helpers'."
• July 7, 1927: From the San Francisco Chronicle: "'Ain't we got fun? Yes!' Children's voices in lusty chorus rang to the rafters in the Orpheum Theater yesterday morning as the youngsters at The Chronicle-Orpheum theater party expressed their joy and approval with three cheers and a tiger. On one side of the footlights were seven famous 'movie' kids and on the other 700 San Francisco orphan youngsters brought in from the various homes, nurseries and orphanages for the party at which they were guests and the stage children hosts. While 'Our Gang' romped through its stage antics with the spontaneous abandon of kids at a party, their little guests registered delight with laughter and shrieks and whistles and applause. And to cap the climax of the joy when the show was over, the audience was invited to the stage to shake hands with the very children they had watched so many times upon the silver screen. 'Aw, gee, I shook hands with Farina,' gleefully recounted one orphan lad to a pal who had been too timid to venture to the unaccustomed side of the footlights. 'He rolled his funny eyes at me and he gave me a little kick on the shin with one of his big shoes.' 'Aw, that's nothing!' interrupted another. 'Leonore sat on Joe Cobb's knee. You know, Joe the fat boy. And all the gang yelled, "Joe's got a girl".' Farina's little sister Aroma, a small replica of himself, little Jean Darling, golden-haired fairy child, Jackie Condon, a repetition of the Coogan legend; Jay Smith and Harry Spear all did their bit in the gang's jolly program of stunts. Jean starred as Little Eva and Farina as Uncle Tom in a modern travesty in three scenes on Uncle Tom's Cabin'."
• July 7, 1927: From The Oakland Post-Enquirer regarding Our Gang's upcoming visit: "They all will be in Oakland Saturday morning at 11 o'clock. The Post-Enquirer is arranging a great, rousing reception and every girl and boy in the metropolitan area is invited to be on the job. The reception will begin officially at 9:30 when the child artists arrive at Seventh and Broadway and are greeted by Mayor John L. Davie and other city dignitaries. Under an honorary police escort, the 'Gang' will then ride to the 'Post-Enquirer' building."
• July 9, 1927: The Gang began a week's engagement at the Orpheum Theatre in Oakland, CA. As they did across the bay in San Francisco, the Gang held a reception on the stage for all of the kids attending the matinee.
• July 9, 1927: The Oakland Post-Enquirer (CA) devoted an entire page to articles about the Gang's visit to their city, which can be accessed by clicking here.
• July 10, 1927: The Oakland Tribune reported that the Our Gang kids would soon make a personal appearance in that city to perform for some orphans.
• July 12, 1927: From the Oakland Tribune: "Rooms of the Press Club of Oakland will be turned into a filmdom rendezvous tomorrow at luncheon when the organization is to be host to Hal Roach's 'Our Gang' . . . Joe Cobb will head the aggregation. Joe, everyone knows, is that rotund youngster who cuts up so many capers that even the rest of the 'gang' cannot keep straight faces. Then there is Farina, the ebony boy of rags and tags. With them will be Farina's sister, Mango, Jay Smith, Jean Darling and Jackie Condon. James Cobb, dad of Joe, will be a guest as will Charles Olzey(sic), assistant film director, and Jack Wall, representing Harry Weber, producer of the act for Hal Roach. Luncheon will begin at 12:15, according to President Luther W. Rood, and members have been urged to be present at that hour in order that the little funmakers may get back to their Orpheum matinee act."
• July 12, 1927: From The San Francisco Examiner: "'Our Gang,' Hal Roach's beloved rascals, and the best known group of kiddies on the stage, will appear at the Golden Gate in person next week. Farina, Joe Cobb, Harry Spear, Jackie Condon, Jean Darling, Jay R. Smith and Mango, the whole gang, whose funny antics in the 'Our Gang' comedies have made you laugh, will be on hand. For five weeks the kiddies have a vacation from the movie lot and Hal Roach and their director, Robert McGowan, decided it would be a great idea to let the gang take a whirl at vaudeville. For the past two weeks their engagements have broken records and the Golden Gate is the third week of the five that they are permitted to play. The third part of the gang's act and the part that proves so popular to children is a reception on the stage following every matinee except Sunday when the children in the audience are permitted to come upon the stage and meet the gang."
• July 13, 1927: The Oakland Tribune published an article about Our Gang, which can be accessed by clicking here.
• July 15, 1927: From The San Francisco Examiner regarding Our Gang: "They come to town again tomorrow, appearing on the new Golden Gate bill . . . They will put on a sort of revue, a tabloid burlesque of 'Uncle Tom's Cabin,' and hold a stage reception for young persons of their own age after each matinee, with the exception of Sunday."
• July 18, 1927: From The San Francisco Call and Post: "Jean Darling smiles her lovely smile at all the newsies on the corners, and you can bet that the dreams of several young Lotharios are visited by a bit of blonde loveliness as they toss on the beds at home. Jean is the leading lady of the troupe and, like her older sisters of the stage, displays a little temperament from time to time."
• July 20, 1927: From the San Francisco Chronicle: "Jean Darling, leading woman, and Joe Cobb, the genial fat boy of Hal Roach's movie troupe, disporting themselves daily at the Golden Gate Theater, paid a visit to The Chronicle yesterday. They are bright and happy looking children, interested in their acting and interested, too, in the lessons that form a part of their daily routine. Jean, 4 years old, bright and mischievous, intends to stay in the movies indefinitely. She said as much yesterday. 'I'm going to be a leading woman always, until I'm 50 years old. Then, I guess, I'll be too old,' she confided."
• July 22, 1927: From the Los Angeles Illustrated Daily News: "'Our Gang,' with Farina, Joe Cobb and other funmakers in Hal Roach comedies, will top the new bill which comes to the Orpheum Sunday (the 24th). 'Our Gang' will appear in person for the first time in Los Angeles in a specially written offering entitled 'Acting Out.'...'Our Gang' will not only offer their act, but will hold a reception after each matinee for the children in the audience."
• July 22, 1927: From the Oakland Tribune: "'Our Gang' will be represented at the Orpheum again tomorrow when 'Mickey' Daniels and 'Peggy' Eames arrive to share the spotlight with Henry Santrey and his band. Master Daniels was at one time the freckled comedian of the Hal Roach outfit and Miss Eames the leading lady. As a matter of fact, we have been told that she is still the leading lady, although the mother of Jean Darling spent considerable time in the anteroom adjoining this cubicle prepared to offer proof to the contrary and in favor of the tow-headed Jean."
• July 22, 1927: From the Los Angeles Times: "The 'Our Gang Kiddies' went to the Orpheum in San Francisco and Oakland and broke every record for attendance in both theaters, a report says."
• July 23, 1927: The Our Gang kids performed at a Saturday matinee at the California theater in Salinas.
• July 24, 1927: The Gang began a one-week engagement at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. As The Los Angeles Record of the 21st reported: "Every youngster in Los Angeles has seen the 'Our Gang Comedy Kiddies' on the screen and has probably wished many times that he could meet them. Now this wish is to be granted, for next week when the famous Hal Roach aggregation of youthful funmakers makes its bow in person at the Orpheum, it will hold a reception every afternoon immediately following the last act in the foyer of the Orpheum. Every child attending will have a chance to shake hands with Farina, Joe Cobb and the other 'kids' of the 'Gang.'"
• July 24, 1927: From The News-Democrat of Paducah, KY: "Unless you are a blonde in Hollywood, you might as well toss away the mirror and sit down to peel the dinner potatoes. The only alternative is to be a brunette, Or a red-head. Even Our Gang demands its perfect blonde for leading lady. And gets it. Miss Jean Darling, age four, dimpled and cherubic, has the hearts of the Gang in her fat baby hands. She'll be a great success when she gets through wiggling, says Hal Roach. It may be funny when you're training a motion picture camera on her, but try and get a reposeful portrait. Just a young St. Vitus who can't stand still a minute. Maybe she'll be the second Gilda Gray."
• July 25, 1927: From the Los Angeles Times: "There are seven happy 'kids' in town this morning! And there are seven happier dogs! Our Gang and its canine friends were reunited yesterday morning at Central Station. The Gang has been away, appearing in vaudeville, and its paramount worry has been that 'Ducky,' 'Spot,' 'Woolly' and the other dogs were not being fed properly, but yesterday, when the collection of dogs met the gang at the depot, it was sure everything was all right. The Gang has been quite successful on its vaudeville tour. The Gang's appearance at the Orpheum here this week concludes the tour. It includes Joe Cobb, Farina, Jean Darling, Jackie Condon, Aroma, Harry Speers(sic) and Jay Smith."
• Oct. 1927: The Our Gang unit filmed "Spook Spoofing," which didn't include Jean in the cast. However, she does appear in at least one photo taken on location for this film.
• Dec. 1927: Filming began on "Barnum & Ringling, Inc." It was at this time that Jean's hair was refashioned into the familiar curls that we usually see in the publicity photos.
• Dec. 19, 1927: Jean's salary was raised to $50 a week.
• 1927/1928: Around this time, the Our Gang kids, as well as Laurel & Hardy, were sent to the TeeVee studio to do an experimental broadcast.

57. Bring Home The Turkey (small part)

Jan. 16, 1927 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-15 - Our Gang series

Filmed Sep. 29 to Oct. 15, 1926. ©Jan. 14, 1927.

Are Brunettes Safe? (extra)

Feb. 6, 1927 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. B-16 - Charley Chase series

Filmed Oct. 25 to Nov. 4, 1926. ©Jan. 14, 1927. Jean claimed to have been in two or three Chase comedies, but this is the only one I've been able to verify with the payroll ledgers.

55. Seeing The World (extra)

Feb. 13, 1927 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-13 - Our Gang series

Filmed Oct. 29 to Nov. 15, 1926. European footage shot July and Aug. 1926. ©Jan. 14, 1927.

58. Ten Years Old (extra)

Mar. 13, 1927 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-16 - Our Gang series

Filmed Nov. 24 to Dec. 14, 1926. ©Feb. 14, 1927.

60. Tired Business Men (supporting role: Bossy)

May 22, 1927 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-18 - Our Gang series

Also listed for May 15, 1927, and May 21, 1927. Filmed Jan. 18 to Feb. 3, 1927. ©Apr. 11, 1927.

61. Baby Brother (small part)

June 26, 1927 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-19 - Our Gang series

Filmed Feb. 17 to Mar. 14, 1927. ©May 18, 1927.

63. Olympic Games (unconfirmed small part)

Sep. 11, 1927 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-21 - Our Gang series

Also listed for Sep. 10, 1927. Filmed Apr. 22 to May 6, 1927. ©July 8, 1927. Jean doesn't appear in the available version, but several publicity photos reveal that she worked in the film.

67. Yale Vs. Harvard (small part)

Sep. 24, 1927 - Roach/MGM - 2 reels - prod. G-1 - Our Gang series

Filmed June 13 to 24, 1927. ©Aug. 17, 1927.

68. The Old Wallop (supporting role)

Oct. 22, 1927 - Roach/MGM - 2 reels - prod. G-2 - Our Gang series

Filmed Aug. 8 to 20, 1927. ©Oct. 22, 1927.

62. Chicken Feed (supporting role)

Nov. 6, 1927 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-20 - Our Gang series

Filmed Mar. 28 to Apr. 15, 1927. ©June 9, 1927.

69. Heebee Jeebees (supporting role)

Nov. 19, 1927 - Roach/MGM - 2 reels - prod. G-3 - Our Gang series

Also listed for Nov. 29, 1927. Filmed Aug. 29 to Sep. 13, and Sep. 30, 1927. ©Nov. 1, 1927.

70. Dog Heaven (supporting role)

Dec. 17, 1927 - Roach/MGM - 2 reels - prod. G-4 - Our Gang series

Filmed Sep. 15 to Oct. 13, 1927, with retakes Nov. 1, 1927. ©Nov. 26, 1929.

1928

• Mar. 24, 1928: More than 60 of Hollywood's screen children attended the "Screen Kiddies Premiere" of Charlie Chaplin's "The Circus" at Grauman's Chinese Theater. Among those invited were the nine kids and one dog from the 'Our Gang' series.
• Summer 1928: The Our Gang kids were visited at the studio by Frances Juliet Douglas of The Piqua Daily Call (OH), who described her meeting with them in an article dated August 29th. They were taking publicity stills in preparation for their upcoming cross-country tour. She doesn't say much about Jean, other than saying that the "curly haired 'vamp' smiled serenely."
• Mid-July to Early Aug. 1928: The Our Gang kids worked in "Election Day," a film in which Jean does not appear. However, she did appear in at least two publicity photos taken at the ranch during filming.
• Aug. 14, 1928: The Our Gang kids departed Los Angeles on the California Limited for a personal appearance tour, which was scheduled to take them to Chicago, Detroit, New York, Newark, Boston, St. Louis and other cities, all on the Balaban & Katz Loop. This turned out to be not quite true, though, as they never made it to Newark or Boston. On their way east, they briefly stopped at various locations to greet their fans. One of these was a 3 p.m. stop on this day at San Bernardino.
• Aug. 14, 1928: The Gang's train passed through Needles, CA, at 10:15 p.m. As The Needles Nugget of August 17th put it: "These famous young folks have many ardent friends and admirers in our town and some of them tried to catch a glimpse of the celebrities while the train stopped, but the 'Gang' had already retired."
• Aug. 15, 1928: The Gang's train stopped in Albuquerque, NM. The Albuquerque Journal of the following day reported the following: "A crowd of several hundred people, adults and children, was on hand at the Santa Fe station to greet the little actors. While here the young stars renewed their acquaintance with Ershel Redd, an Albuquerque boy who took part with them in two comedies at the studio at Culver City, Calif., last spring. Young Redd lives at 206 South Broadway...Mayor Clyde Tingley introduced 'Our Gang' and (director of publicity) Mr. (Ray) Coffin to the fans from the platform of the train...After the youngsters had been introduced and Mr. Coffin had made a short talk about them, they were urged to take a little exercise on the brickwalk, but the suggestion didn't meet with the approval of 'Fatty.' 'Naw, I want to eat,' he objected and made his way toward the diner, where he waited to be served."
• Aug. 16, 1928: The Gang's train passed through Hutchinson, KS. As The Hutchinson News reported the previous day: "What ho! 'Our Gang' is going through tomorrow...They will be through at 4:30 sharp on the Santa Fe California Limited, headed for Detroit...Surely one of them will condescend to step out on the observation platform and give the kiddies of Hutchinson a wave. At any rate Roy Coffin, Hal Roach's publicity man, who is accompanying them, will be sure to be there - publicity men always are."
• Aug. 16, 1928: The Gang's train passed through Emporia, KS, at 7:20 p.m. As The Emporia Daily Gazette reported the following day: (The Our Gang kids) "made a personal appearance Thursday night before a full house at the Santa Fe station, with the rear platform of the California Limited for a stage. Fully half an hour before the train was due, Emporia movie fans of all ages began to line up under the station pillars, and by the time the huge engine roared by, the crowd had become a swarming mob of 3,000 admirers, anxious to meet informally the youthful stars...The gang evidently was expecting to meet their Emporia friends for when the train stopped, they were on the observation platform ready to be introduced...As the fans moved to the platform, the Gang smiled approvingly at the cheers and handclaps they received...The introductions were made by Ray Coffin...who presented each in turn." The article describes Mary Ann as "the peroxide blonde," obviously confusing her with Jean. About Jean, it says that her "dimples stood out more than ever at mention of her name," but this was probably in reference to Mary Ann.
• Aug. 16, 1928: The Gang's train stopped at the Union Station in Kansas City, MO, at 10:30 p.m. for half an hour. The Kansas City Post of the previous day reported the following: "I have a wire from their publicity director this morning. 'Will shoot kids immediately on arrival up to lobby of the station and they are yours to do as you will for the next thirty minutes.' A platform will be standing at the curb of the station plaza. The Gang will hop up there and will be plainly seen by the crowd. The platform will be lighted and the Gang will do its stuff in the way of meeting their gang of fans in Kansas City. Motion pictures of the crowd and the gang, and photographs of both will be taken. The motion pictures will be shown at Loew's Midland." On the 16th, the Kansas City Journal had this to say: "Harry Kessel, popular community song leader and representative of the Feist Publishing company, will be master of ceremonies at the Union station at 10:30 o'clock tonight when Our Gang arrives from Hollywood for a half hour's visit with Kansas City fans. He will lead the crowd in singing Hail, Hail, Our Gang's All Here and popular songs of the day. He also will introduce each of the Hal Roach gangsters. Dick O'Kane will accompany on the piano, which will be on the station plaza platform constructed for the gang." The following day, the Kansas City Journal published an article about the visit, which can be accessed by clicking here.
• Aug. 17, 1928: From the Kansas City Post: "Chicago, quiet little city on the shores of Lake Michigan, today was all set to quell a riot when a certain Santa Fe train from Kansas City arrived there at noon. A Chicago newspaper, according to a message received by The Post today, had been 'reliably informed' a mob had attacked the train upon its arrival here at 10:30 o'clock last night and the Santa Fe officials had found it necessary to call out police reserves to break up the riot. The newspaper was quite serious. Moreover, the Chicago newspaper informed The Post that in view of last night's 'riot' in Kansas City, the railroad officials were taking no chances and had requested police protection for the train upon its arrival there today...It was a well ordered reception the little movie stars were accorded here last night by 'their public' - possibly the greatest reception ever given any movie star here - and the police were there to aid in keeping order and protecting the thousands of small Kansas Cityans who were on hand to greet Our Gang. Exaggerated reports of last night's enthusiastic reception here probably were forwarded to Chicago by unknowing passengers on the train."
• Aug. 17, 1928: The Gang's train arrived in Chicago, where they would perform for one week at the Chicago Theater starting the next day. On the 18th, the Chicago Daily Tribune reported the following: "All of 'Our Gang' of the movies, who arrived yesterday on the Santa Fe for an appearance at the Chicago theater, were special guests at a party in the Hotel Sherman bungalow yesterday...Mary Ann Jackson, Jean Darling, and Wheezer, the younger gang members, stayed close beside their chaperones." On August 19th, this same paper corrected themselves, stating that the party took place at the Morrison Hotel.
• Aug. 18, 1928: The Our Gang kids began performing at the Chicago Theater. The Forest Park Review that day explained that the kids "will come down upon the Chicago theater for their first and only appearance, their manager, Hal Roach, having notified Balaban & Katz, that the proximity of school days in Hollywood would make engagements at the Tivoli and Uptown theaters impossible."
• Aug. 20, 1928: From the Chicago Daily Tribune regarding the Gang's stage show: "This will probably be a record week at the Chicago, what with all the mammas and papas in town bringing their kids to see the 'Our Gang' kids. And it's no wonder, for Hal Roach's famous youngsters are as funny and lovable in this personal appearance as they have been on the screen. It's refreshing to learn that working under Kleig lights has not spoiled these children and that the studio atmosphere, instead of taking the bloom off of their childish charm, has been conducive to preserving it. They are appealingly natural and unself-conscious, which is more than can be said for the infant prodigies of the stage. Here's hoping their tour across the country will be a merry and successful one."
• Aug. 24, 1928: From The St. Joseph News-Press (IL): "By special arrangement with Hal Roach and M. G. M., Publix Theaters Corporation are presenting the original members of Our Gang comedies. The popular kids...are making personal appearances in the de luxe picture houses of both Publix and Loew key city theaters. Our Gang is now appearing in Chicago theaters. The attraction has drawn considerable crowds in all the theaters they have played so far."
• Aug. 25, 1928: The Gang arrived in Detroit in the morning, and did their first performances at the Michigan Theater that day.
• Aug. 26, 1928: From The Detroit Free Press: "The Our Gang Kids have been looking over some of the sketches in the WCX-Our Gang contest, and they were so pleased with them that they have asked The Free Press to extend the time limit for 12 hours so that the last minute entrants will also have a chance. So the contest will close at 12 o'clock tomorrow instead of midnight tonight. Your drawing of Pete, the famous dog mascot of the Our Gang Kids must be in the editors hands before noon Monday (the 27th), if it is to be considered for ticket prizes to see the Our Gang Comedy Kids show at the Michigan this week. The Our Gang Kids will judge the sketches, you know, at the WCX studio Monday afternoon during Skeezix Time at 5:30 o'clock, and you'll hear them over the air."
• Aug. 26, 1928: The Sunday Star of Washington, DC, published a photo of Jean with the following caption: "Jean Darling, blonde beauty of 'Our Gang,' and her champion collie, 'Goldfield Pal.' The dog won first prize in a recent Hollywood show."
• Aug. 27, 1928: From The Detroit Free Press in an article about the zoo that had just opened in Detroit: "The children comprising the 'Our Gang' troupe of movie actors are to be special guests of the zoo management today at 10:30. The elephant and the camel will be ready for them to ride and the other animals have been instructed to show their best behavior for the occasion."
• Aug. 27, 1928: The Our Gang kids put in a personal appearance at the Franklin street settlement in Detroit. This according to The Detroit Free Press of September 2nd.
• Aug. 27, 1928: From The Detroit Free Press: "The Our Gang Comedy Kids and their famous mascot Pete will announce the winners of the WCX-Our Gang contest over WCX during the Skeezix Hour this evening at 5:30. Tune in! Fatty, Farina, Freckles, Wheezer, Jean Darling, Mary Ann Jackson and Pete - the whole gang - who are appearing on the Michigan stage this week, will be there. Because an extra show has been added to the theater bill the 'kids' will greet the radio audience first direct from the Michigan stage, where microphones will be installed to pick up their part of the theater's program. Later, appearing with Chief Neal Tomy in the special radio studio back stage, they will announce the contest winners." This contest was open to kids 15 and under. Skeezix Time was a local program in Detroit based on the character from the popular comic strip Gasoline Alley. The following day, The Detroit Free Press reported the following about the contest: "Jean Darling, Mary Ann Jackson, Wheezer, Fatty, Freckles, Farina and 'Pete' himself, announced the awards over WCX at Skeezix Time last night. They were gathered with 'Chief' Tomy, Dorothy and Loraine in the studio above the stage at the Michigan theater, where they are appearing before record crowds this week. Skeezix Time was transferred to the theater because Our Gang was scheduled for a stage appearance at 5:30 o'clock. After the opening songs the stage microphones were turned on and the radio audience heard the members introduced to the visible crowd which packed every nook and corner of the theater. Then the scene was shifted back to the studio for the birthday party and to await the coming of the gang. It was the kiddies' first appearance before the 'mike' and Fatty was a bit suspicious. It had to be explained to him before he was willing to say a word. It was a great occasion for the gang as well as for the thousands of their small friends who listened in." The birthday party mentioned in this article was a regular feature on the radio show.
• Aug. 27, 1928: From The Detroit Free Press regarding the Gang's stage show: "Our Gang, those inimitable comedy kids who are here in person, are sure to be a tremendous drawing card, this week. They are the most natural acting and vivacious youngsters imaginable and the fun and play they get out of their appearance on the stage shows how little all their popularity has spoiled them. 'Fatty' and 'Freckles' and 'Pete' the dog, and all the rest of the gang are even more appealing in real life than on the screen."
• Aug. 28, 1928 From The Detroit Free Press: "All Saturday and Sunday records of the Michigan theater were shattered last week-end! The Our Gang comedy kids, in their first stage appearance east of Hollywood, are proving themselves the most sensational theatrical attraction in the last ten years, according to local showmen. The Michigan theater filled up at noon Saturday (the 25th) and remained filled until close to midnight. Then it repeated that record Sunday. The records established by Mae Murray, Paul Whiteman, Vincent Lopez, John Philip Sousa, Gertrude Ederle were exceeded so far that it is probable the Our Gangsters will forever be the Michigan's greatest attraction. Extra shows are being planned for around 5 p.m. each day during the week. In Chicago the children appeared at 35 shows during the week - five each day - and set an almost unbelievable record for attendance."
• Sep. 1, 1928: The Gang arrived in Cleveland, and did their first performances at the State Theater that day. The kids also got to view a special screening of the locally made Our Gang film featuring their Cleveland lookalikes.
• Sep. 1, 1928: Radio listings for Detroit's WBMH indicated that they were broadcasting a program called "Our Gang" from 9:00 to 9:30pm and again from 11:15pm to midnight. The Gang was no longer in Detroit by this evening, so if these programs had anything to do with them, then they must have been pre-recorded.
• Sep. 1, 1928: The Cleveland Press published an article about Our Gang, which can be accessed by clicking here.
• Sep. 2, 1928: The Cleveland Plain Dealer published an article about Our Gang, which can be accessed by clicking here.
• Sep. 2, 1928: From the Muskogee Daily Phoenix (OK)g: "'Our Gang' is touring the country and making personal appearances in the large cities. They travel in a specially equipped Pullman coach with sound-proof walls, unbreakable furniture and all kinds of shock absorbers. This is their first glimpse of the country outside of California."
• Sep. 5, 1928: From International News Service out of Cleveland: "'Our Gang,' Hal Roach's well known group of child movie performers, may have to discontinue their performances in vaudeville here, else the theatre management will be prosecuted for violation of the Ohio child labor laws. Miss Lauretta P. Bean, of the state industrial commission, has sworn out an affidavit charging George Drummond, theatre manager, with violating the law which prohibits children under 14 years from appearing on the stage, it became known today. The juvenile troupe arrived here Sunday from Hollywood and had been booked to play the rest of the week." Slight correction: the Gang had arrived on Saturday. The Associated Press reported Bean as saying that Drummond had "agreed to appear for arraignment before a justice of the peace today."
• Sep. 7, 1928: The Gang spent their last night in Cleveland. A few days later, on September 11th, the Cleveland Plain Dealer published the following anecdote from Eleanor Clarage: "And speaking of Maurice Spitalny...the writer and several of her friends had tried all last week to get into the State to see Hal Roach's gang in the flesh, but all to no avail. Lines stood out almost to 14th Street every time we went near the theater, and at last we gave it up as a bad job. Then, Friday night (the 7th), a few of us wandered into the Statler for dinner and got a table over in a quiet corner, next to a table evidently decorated for a dinner party, with floral centerpiece, fancy melons ready at each plate and so on. We wondered idly what kind of a party it was going to be, and before we had the words out of our mouths, Mr. and Mrs. Russell Keith were coming into the dining room with 'Our Gang' and their mamas in tow, with a curious crowd pushing around the doorway stretching their necks to get a better look at them. This, after we had been turned away from the theater all week! Fate is sometimes almost too good to one." She then describes her impressions of each kid, with this to say about Jean: "Little blonde Jean Darling, her make-up still on and looking unchildlike as a result, rolled her eyes up at the musicians, the waiters and nearby diners. Obviously, she has already learned the trick of charming those she meets."
• Sep. 8, 1928: The Gang returned to Chicago, this time to perform at the Norshore Theater for six days. The previous day, the Cook County Herald of Arlington Heights, IL, reported the following: "Hal Roach's comedy rascals, having broken every existing record for attendance at the Chicago theater, have been prevailed upon by Balaban & Katz to return to Chicago for an engagement at the Norshore theater starting Saturday, Sept. 8. The 'Gang' was scheduled for just one week in each city but by schedules it was found possible to return for six days between their Cleveland and New York appearances. The demands of North Shore theatergoers who failed to see the child stars during their recent engagement were so insistent that Balaban & Katz have decided to present them at the Norshore theater, due to its excellent transportation facilities...To accommodate the throngs who failed to see the 'Gang' at the Chicago theater, Balaban & Katz have announced special matinee performances at the Norshore theater daily during the six day engagement. The program offered by the child-stars will be the same as that presented downtown."
• Sep. 14, 1928: From the Cleveland Plain Dealer: "George Dumond, manager of Loew's State Theater, yesterday was fined $25 and costs in each for four cases charging him with violation of the child labor laws in connection with the appearance here of Hal Roach's 'Our Gang.' Justice of the Peace Myron J. Penty dropped two similar additional cases pending against Dumond on his appearance yesterday."
• Sep. 15, 1928: From the Daily News of New York: "There'll be great commotion at Grand Central terminal today! Won't there, though! 'Our Gang' arrives. Seven members, counting Pete, the dog who has the black ring around his eye. They are traveling in movie splendor, all dressed up in their Saturday and Sunday clothes. Pete, Fatty Joe Cobb, Freckles Harry Spear, Jean Darling, Mary Ann Jackson, Wheezer and last, but certainly not least Master Alan Hoskins, known throughout the world as Farina. Hal Roach, who started 'Our Gang' on its road to fame just ten years ago, will be at the station to meet the Twentieth Century. Also, Maj. Edward Bowes, managing director of the Capitol theatre, where the youngsters will make their first personal appearance this afternoon. The starlets together with their mammas, daddies, or whichever grown up members of their respective families are accompanying them, will journey from the train straight to the suites at the Park Central hotel and get washed up and ready for their Capitol engagement. Miss Fern Carter, Our Gang's teacher, accompanies them as well. We're assured that the parent committee will keep their charges away from night clubs and escort them back to the coast at the end of next week all set to resume work on their next season's output of two-reelers."
• Sep. 19, 1928: From the Standard Union of Brooklyn regarding the Gang's appearance at the Capitol: "At least as amusing as 'The Cameraman' for the brief time they're on stage are Hal Roach's pint-size gangsters...They have a war episode to go through, and they do so with great good will, looking no bigger than grasshoppers. They are most unaffected kids. Yesterday afternoon down in a locker room under the stage Miss Jennie Madden, the wardrobe mistress, gave them a party. Ice cream and small cakes. They enjoyed it wholeheartedly...They'll be in Brooklyn next week, incidentally, at Loew's Metropolitan." The Standard Union of September 24th also mentioned the party under the stage, but reported that Jean had to skip it because she wasn't feeling well.
• Sep. 19, 1928: The Brooklyn Daily Times published a column by Elsie Jean, which apparently was aimed at kids. She tells her readers that all of the Our Gang kids had joined her Happy Times Club, which also included many local children among its members. On September 21st, she announced that 50 Happy Timers would be chosen to be guests of the Our Gang kids the following Tuesday (the 25th) at the Metropolitan Theatre in Brooklyn.
• Sep. 21, 1928: The Gang visited the New York city hall. As The Washington Herald described it the following day: "Joe Cobb, the fat boy, was dolled up to represent Herbert Hoover, while Harry Spear impersonated Governor Smith. Jean Darling adopted the role of Texas Guinan, while Marie(sic) Jackson carried padlocks in her role of Mrs. Mabel Willebrandt. The gang, now playing at local theaters, were received by Mayor Walker, who shook hands all around." Sidenote: Herbert Hoover and Al Smith, incidentally, were the two major party presidential candidates in the current election, which was ultimately won by Hoover.
• Sep. 23, 1928: The Gang talked over the radio from station WEAF, introduced by Maj. Edward Bowes, managing director of the Capitol. This was an NBC musical series called Major Bowes' Family, which regularly broadcasted from the Capitol Theatre.
• Sep. 24, 1928: The Brooklyn Citizen published an article on the Gang's arrival in Brooklyn, which can be accessed by clicking here.
• Sep. 24, 1928: From the Standard Union of Brooklyn: "The youngsters have finished a busy week, what with being guests of the Mayor at City Hall, and with doing their turns and sightseeing, but they don't have all the luck some of the youngest fans may imagine, for despite their ability to duck school on the screen, they're taking their lessons, grand tour or no grand tour...Their term opened Sept. 11, the official beginning of the school year in California."
• Sep. 24, 1928 From the Cleveland Plain Dealer: "From the Union Trust Teller the following is clipped: 'The Main Street Meditator of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, after devoting a couple of paragraphs to the youngsters who took Cleveland and the State Theater by storm, concludes with the frantic query: "And oh, dear, dear - do they have the good sense to put their money in the bank while it's still rolling in?" To a certain extent, we can satisfy her worries along this line by telling her that during their stay here in Cleveland, 'Our Gang' visited our juniors' department, and savings accounts were opened for each one of them..."
• Sep. 24, 1928: The Boston Globe (MA) published an article on the Gang's school lessons while on the movie lot, stating that these lessons were continuing during their personal appearance tour. It mentions that Jean and Harry were just beginning school at this time.
• Sep. 25, 1928: From The Brooklyn Citizen: "Adult interest in 'Our Gang' is as great as the kids'. This was demonstrated at Loew's Metropolitan last night when the shouts of their elders drowned those of the youngsters accompanying them. The familiar faces stood in reality stronger than they do in the pictures. There was the same action seen, but it appeared more realistic as the little fellows hopped about the stage. Joe Carr(sic) was there, fat and saucy. Farina, too, and Mary Ann Jackson, and above all Pete, the dog. 'Our Gang' gave four performances yesterday to capacity houses, and were tired little rascals when they returned to their quarters in Leverich Towers."
• Sep. 26, 1928: The Brooklyn Citizen reported that the Gang were guests of honor the previous night at the Hotel Leverich Towers. The article describes the Gang's act this way: "They presented a war play, in which Heavyweight Joe is the spy, Farina is the valiant soldier, who fights a terrible sword duel with Joe, the spy; Beautiful Jean is the Red Cross nurse, Mary Ann is another spy, Harry Spear is a soldier, Wheezer is the general of the army who comes riding in on a hobby horse, which is his prancing white steed and Pete, the dog, is also a soldier."
• Sep. 26, 1928: The Brooklyn Daily Times published an article about the Gang, which can be accessed by clicking here.
• Sep. 27, 1928: The Standard Union of Brooklyn published an article about the Gang, which can be accessed by clicking here.
• Sep. 29, 1928: The St. Louis Star reported on the Gang's upcoming engagement at Loew's State Theater, mentioning that they "shattered every record at the Capitol Theater in New York."
• Sep. 30, 1928: From the Sunday News of New York: "Hal Roach's 'Our Gang' kiddies will visit thirty-one Loew theatres tomorrow, Tuesday, and Wednesday, making ten personal appearances a day." The Kansas City American of October 11th elaborated by saying: "Little time is allotted for their individual house howtow, just long enough to be whisked in for an introduction from the stage or pit and out." Ultimately, the Gang was scheduled to visit 32 theaters.
• Oct. 1, 1928: The Gang began three days of whirlwind activity, making personal appearances at 32 different theaters. On this day, they made eleven stops, all in Manhattan and all Loew's theatres. They were scheduled to be at the Sheridan at 1:00 p.m., the Greeley Square at 1:45 p.m., the Lincoln at 2:30 p.m., the 83rd Street at 3:15 p.m., the 7th Ave. at 4:00 p.m., and the Victoria at 4:30 p.m. After this was a 3-and-a-half hour break for dinner. Then they appeared at the Canal at 8:00 p.m., the Delancey at 8:30 p.m., the Avenue B at 9:15 p.m., the Commodore also at 9:15 p.m. (these times were approximations), and the American at 10:00 p.m.
• Oct. 2, 1928: From United Press out of Brooklyn: "Ray Coffin, manager of members of the 'Our Gang' comedies, making a personal appearance at a theatre here, was arrested here because the 'gang' 'worked' Sunday (Sep. 30th). Shortly after they left the stage, after their Sunday performance, Coffin was handed a summons charging him with violation of a penal law which requires a permit for the appearance of children under 16. When they appeared again at night he was handed another."
• Oct. 2, 1928: The Gang moved their whirlwind tour to the Loew's theaters of the Bronx, this time making appearances at nine of them. They were scheduled to be at the Victory at 1:00 p.m., the Burland at 1:45 p.m., the Spooner at 2:30 p.m., the Elsmere at 3:15 p.m., and the Burnside at 4:00 p.m. After this, they took a four-hour break for dinner. Then they moved on to the National at 8:00 p.m., the Boulevard at 8:45 p.m., the Grand at 9:30 p.m., and the Fairmount at 10:00 p.m.
• Oct. 3, 1928: The Gang finished off their whirlwind tour of New York City theaters, this time visiting 12 Loew's theaters in Brooklyn and Queens. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle of October 1st and the Standard Union of October 2nd each filled in the following details. Their schedule initially had them as luncheon guests of Major Benjamin H. Namm, president of the Namm's department store. This took place in the Mirror Room on the third floor. At noon, they were to make a personal appearance in the toy department of the store. As the Standard Union reported, "The gang has been touring the theatres throughout the East, but their appearance at Namm's marks their first appearance off the stage." (A perusal of this page, though, shows that this isn't quite true.) Their tour of theaters was to begin in Brooklyn with the Brevoort at 1:00 p.m., followed by the Bedford at 1:30 p.m., the Kameo at 2:15 p.m., the Broadway at 3:00 p.m., the Gates at 3:30 p.m., the Premier at 4:15 p.m., and the Palace at 4:30 p.m. After this, they took a three-and-a-half break for dinner, and then proceeded to Queens, appearing at the Willard in Woodhaven at 8:00 p.m., the Hillside in Jamaica at 8:45 p.m., the Prospect in Flushing at 9:30 p.m., the Plaza in Corona at 10:00 p.m., and the Woodside in Woodside at 10:30 p.m.
• Oct. 3, 1928: The Standard Union of Brooklyn published an article on Ray Coffin, who had been arrested for having the kids work on a Sunday. It can be accessed by clicking here.
• Oct. 5, 1928: From the Standard Union of Brooklyn: "Hal Roach's 'Our Gang' bade Brooklyn farewell yesterday and departed for St. Louis, where Fat Joe Cobb, Jean Darling, Mary Ann Jackson, 'Wheezer,' Harry Spear and Farina, will hold for a week before going to Kansas City. They more than enjoyed Brooklyn."
• Oct. 6, 1928: The Gang began their engagement at Loew's State Theater in St. Louis.
• Oct. 6, 1928: From The Afro-American of Baltimore regarding the Gang's act: "Efforts of members of 'Our Gang' to get their speeches across the footlights effectively, are not so successful, except that of 'Fatty' Cobb. Part of their act consisted of depicting the way they would enact a bit of war drama after the same story had been thrown upon the screen."
• Oct. 7, 1928: The St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat reported on a promotion called Candy Week. In connection with this, the Candy Club would be distributing 5000 boxes of candy to the inhabitants of various children's and old people's homes in St. Louis. Entertainment at several of these parties would be provided by the Our Gang kids.
• Oct. 8, 1928: From the St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat regarding the Gang's act at the State: "The children are as delightful off the screen as they are on. One nice thing about these kiddies, they are all kid. And, wisely, their manager sends them clamoring out on the stage like the bunch of healthy, tumbling youngsters that they are. They aren't made to struggle with jokes beyond their comprehension nor contort their little bodies in ridiculous dances. They come out one by one and make funny kid bows and enact one of their comedy scenes as they do on the sets in the Hal Roach studio. Even Pete, the dog, isn't held to any set schedule. He comes out and wuff, wuffs a bit and calls it a day."
• Oct. 12, 1928: The Gang made a personal appearance in the Junior Section of Boyd's department store in St. Louis at 5 p.m.
• Oct. 13, 1928: The Gang arrived in Kansas City and began their engagement at Loew's Midland Theater.
• Oct. 13, 1928: The Kansas City Journal-Post published an article about the Gang, which can be accessed by clicking here.
• Oct. 18, 1928: From the Kansas City Journal-Post: "The Our Gang comedy kids are for the Charities drive. They visited Mercy hospital yesterday and now they know why Kansas City has a charities drive. They found Bobbie in a wheel chair and Ralph's little feet all bandaged. So they held out their hands to the big hearted people of Kansas City."
• Oct. 18, 1928: From The Emporia Daily Gazette (KS): "The 'Our Gang' comedy cast will pass through Emporia Saturday afternoon (the 20th) on No. 23, westbound California limited. The train will arrive in Emporia at 1:40 o'clock and will remain for five minutes. Many Emporia kids are expected to be at the station when these youthful movie stars arrive. Emporians gave the 'Our Gang' troupe a great ovation when they passed through two months ago going east."
• Oct. 21, 1928: The Gang's train made a stop in Albuquerque, NM. According to the Albuquerque Journal of the following day: "'Our Gang' came through Albuquerque shortly before noon Sunday (the 21st) en route to the west coast after a successful trip in the east, where they made vaudeville appearances in some of the leading theaters...The Gang filed into the Alvarado coffee shop for their noonday luncheon and were the center of attraction." Elsewhere in the same paper: "The members had previously announced their coming as Monday (the 22nd) and few persons were on the station platform to give them a greeting. Junior Redd, 206 South Broadway, a former member of the gang, was at the station to renew his acquaintanceship with the juvenile actors."
• Oct. 22, 1928: The Gang's train went through San Bernardino. According to the San Bernardino Daily Sun from the previous day, it was scheduled to stop for 10 minutes at 12:40 in the afternoon. Presumably they made it back home later in the day.

65. Playin' Hookey (small part)

Jan. 1, 1928 - Roach/Pathé - 2 reels - prod. K-24 - Our Gang series

Filmed June 27 to 29, and Aug. 1 to 6, 1927. ©Feb. 6, 1928.

72. Rainy Days (supporting role)

Feb. 11, 1928 - Roach/MGM - 2 reels - prod. G-6 - Our Gang series

Filmed Nov. 4 to Dec. 28, 1927. ©Feb. 11, 1928, and Sep. 4, 1929.

74. Barnum & Ringling, Inc. (featured role: Jean)

Apr. 7, 1928 - Roach/MGM - 2 reels - prod. G-8 - Our Gang series

Filmed Dec. 21, 1927, to Jan. 9, 1928. ©Apr. 7, 1928. Released with a synchronized soundtrack.

75. Fair And Muddy (supporting role)

May 5, 1928 - Roach/MGM - 2 reels - prod. G-9 - Our Gang series

Filmed Jan. 16 to Feb. 8, 1928. ©May 5, 1928.

76. Crazy House (featured role: Jean)

June 2, 1928 - Roach/MGM - 2 reels - prod. G-10 - Our Gang series

Filmed Feb. 10 to 24, 1928. ©May 16, 1928.

MGM News (appearance)

Aug. 26, 1928 - MGM - 1 reel - newsreel

This was reviewed the following day, so I'm going with the copyright date that comes closest. Featured is footage of the Our Gang troupe during their cross-country tour.

77. Growing Pains (small part)

Sep. 22, 1928 - Roach/MGM - 2 reels - prod. G-11 - Our Gang series

Filmed Feb. 27 to Mar. 15, 1928. ©Sep. 22, 1928.

78. The Ol' Gray Hoss (supporting role)

Oct. 20, 1928 - Roach/MGM - 2 reels - prod. G-12 - Our Gang series

Filmed May 7 to 26, 1928, with retakes Aug. 16, 1928. ©Oct. 20, 1928. Released with a synchronized soundtrack.

79. School Begins (supporting role: Jean)

Nov. 17, 1928 - Roach/MGM - 2 reels - prod. G-13 - Our Gang series

Premiered Sep. 16, 1928. Filmed June 7 to 28, 1928. ©Nov. 17, 1928. Released with a synchronized soundtrack.

80. The Spanking Age (supporting role)

Dec. 15, 1928 - Roach/MGM - 2 reels - prod. G-14 - Our Gang series

Filmed July 2 to 14, 1928. ©Dec. 15, 1928. Released with a synchronized soundtrack.

1929

• Jan. 28, 1929: Jean's salary was raised to $60 a week.
• Apr. 6, 1929: The Associated Press reported that Jean was not yet in school, but this contradicts reports from the previous year which stated that she had just started. Also contradicting this was the April 15th Los Angeles Record, which stated she was in first grade.
• 1929: Jean and her fellow Gangsters were featured in a picture book called A Story Of Our Gang, written by Eleanor Lewis Packer.
• July 13, 1929: Jean's final week of work in the Our Gang series ended on this date.
• July 27, 1929: Jean's contract came to an end the week ending on this date.
• Sep. 15, 1929: The Scripps-Howard newspaper syndicate published an article on Chubby Chaney, with this to say about Jean: "'She screams and kicks all the time,' he charges. And ruefully, he admits that she has kicked him more times than he cares to tell. And if you ask him why she kicked him he shrugs his fat shoulders, shakes his head so that his fat jaws shimmy and says, 'I don't know. She just kicks everybody.' "

Hollywood - The Movieland Of The World (appearance)

c. early 1929 - California Scenics - 2 reels - travelogue film

Jean and the rest of the Gang are shown posing for photos on the set of "Rainy Days." This footage was shot in Dec. 1927, though other footage in the travelogue was shot as late as Nov. 1928. Raw footage taken for this film, including being-the-scenes footage of the making of "Rainy Days," can be found on YouTube.

82. Noisy Noises (small part)

Feb. 9, 1929 - Roach/MGM - 2 reels - prod. G-16 - Our Gang series

Filmed Oct. 29 to Nov. 10, 1928. ©Mar. 5, 1929. Released with a synchronized soundtrack.

83. The Holy Terror (supporting role)

Mar. 9, 1929 - Roach/MGM - 2 reels - prod. G-17 - Our Gang series

Filmed Nov. 19 to 28, 1928. ©July 11, 1929.

84. Wiggle Your Ears (featured role: Jean)

Apr. 6, 1929 - Roach/MGM - 2 reels - prod. G-18 - Our Gang series

Filmed Dec. 4 to 12, 1928. ©Mar. 5, 1929. Released with a synchronized soundtrack.

85. Fast Freight (supporting role)

May 4, 1929 - Roach/MGM - silent - 2 reels - prod. G-19 - Our Gang series

Filmed Dec. 10 to 27, and Dec. 29, 1928. ©Apr. 1, 1929.

89. Small Talk (supporting role: Jean)

May 18, 1929 - Roach/MGM - talkie - 3 reels - prod. G-23 - Our Gang series

Also listed for Apr. 18, 1929. Filmed Mar. 25 to Apr. 6, 1929. ©July 30, 1929.

86. Little Mother (small part)

June 1, 1929 - Roach/MGM - silent - 2 reels - prod. G-20 - Our Gang series

Filmed Feb. 4 to 13, 1929. ©June 3, 1929.

90. Railroadin' (supporting role)

June 15, 1929 - Roach/MGM - talkie - 2 reels - prod. G-24 - Our Gang series

Filmed Apr. 17 to 25, 1929. ©Dec. 9, 1929.

92. Lazy Days (small part: Jean)

Aug. 24, 1929 - Roach/MGM - talkie - 2 reels - prod. G-26 - Our Gang series

Also listed for Aug. 15, 1929, and Oct. 24, 1929. Filmed June 10 to 20, 1929. ©Aug. 26, 1929.

91. Boxing Gloves (supporting role: Jean)

Sep. 9, 1929 - Roach/MGM - talkie - 2 reels - prod. G-25 - Our Gang series

Filmed May 13 to 25, 1929. ©Sep. 9, 1929.

87. Cat, Dog & Co. (supporting role)

Sep. 14, 1929 - Roach/MGM - silent - 2 reels - prod. G-21 - Our Gang series

Filmed Feb. 20 to Mar. 2, 1929. ©Sep. 3, 1929. Released with a synchronized soundtrack.

93. Bouncing Babies (small part)

Oct. 12, 1929 - Roach/MGM - talkie - 2 reels - prod. G-27 - Our Gang series

Filmed July 5 to 15, 1929. ©Sep. 23, 1929.

88. Saturday's Lesson (supporting role)

Nov. 9, 1929 - Roach/MGM - silent - 2 reels - prod. G-22 - Our Gang series

Filmed Mar. 5 to 11, 1929. ©Sep. 9, 1929. Released with a synchronized soundtrack.

1930

• 1930: According the Jean's memoirs, Harry Weber offered to put Jean in an act with Scooter Lowry, Peggy Eames and Harry Spear, which would tour the RKO-Orpheum circuit, but her mother refused this and Jean ended up with a solo act. Maltin & Bann state that the four kids actually toured together, but the closest I can find is Scooter and Peggy touring together throughout most of 1931.
• 1930: After suffering stage fright in her tryout performance in Elizabeth, NJ, Jean performed 36 (or was it 30?) one-nighters in various New Jersey movie houses to get her used to being on stage alone. After this, she did another tryout and was given a 40-week contract with RKO Theaters.
• 1930: A four-minute "trailer" was made of film clips of Jean in her Our Gang days, and used to open her stage act. The final clip was the wedding scene from "Wiggle Your Ears." By use of a breakaway screen, Jean would then emerge in a wedding dress.
• 1930: Jean's vaudeville act was written by Irving Berlin, who provided her with a song called "If I'd Only Listened To You." She also sang "The Little Things In Life" and "Bye Bye Blues," and did impressions of Mae West and James Cagney.
• 1930: During rehearsals for the act, Jean attended the Professional Children's School in New York. While on tour, her school work was assigned to her as a correspondence course by the same school. After the tour, she went back to attending the actual school.
• Dec. 12, 1930: Jean's 12-minute solo act was on the road by this date.

Screen Snapshots Series 9, No. 22 (appearance)

July 1930 - Columbia - 1 reel - Screen Snapshots series

unspecified title (archival)

circa 1931 - Roach - Jean Darling trailer

This was a 4-minute compilation of film clips from Jean's Our Gang days used for her vaudeville act.

1931

• Feb. 28, 1931: While touring in vaudeville, Jean appeared on the Seckatary Hawkins radio hour, a local show that aired Saturday afternoons in Davenport, IA.
• 1931: RKO's 40-week circuit was downsized to 31 weeks due to the number of theaters that were closing during the Depression. Jean was then booked on a tour with the Independent Theater Circuit, which was located mostly in the middle of the country. In her first book, Jean mentions embarking on her second vaudeville tour in late 1932, but it seems more likely that she's referring to this 1931 transition from one circuit to the other. I could be wrong, but she seemed to have too many other things going on in late '32.
• 1931: During Jean's vaudeville tour, it was not unusual for local newpapers to print an entire page devoted to her, with her newstory center page and surrounded by her endorsements of various local businesses.
• 1931: During a week's layoff in Chicago, Jean's mother hit on the idea of having Jean disappear for a whole day, so that the evening papers could report the story of her apparent kidnapping, only to have Jean arrive back at the hotel, safe and sound, having spent the day shopping for a present to give to her mother. The plan backfired when Jean arrived back too early. It was still reported in the local paper, but didn't become the national headline story Jean's mother hoped it would be.
• Dec. 15, 1931: Jean left Sioux City on an airplane to Washington, DC, after having been made a member of the Crow Creek tribe, and rechristened Winon Waste (which means "Princess of the Prairie"). On December 23rd, while dressed in a tribal costume, complete with black wig, she met with President Herbert Hoover to speak on behalf of the tribe and its needs. According to her memoirs, Jean later met with President Roosevelt for the same reason.

1932

• Apr. 2, 1932: Jean performed in the auditorium of Gimbel's in Philadelphia. Kids in attendance could purchase, for one dollar, a new toy called "Jean Darling's Art Needlework Outfit," and get it autographed by Jean herself. This was a rare instance in which an Our Gang-related piece of merchandise was brought about with no involvement from Hal Roach.
• 1932: Bookings were becoming fewer and further between, and after being given some offers, such as performing in a circus or touring the UK, Jean's mother opted to turn these down and relocated herself and her famous daughter back to Culver City and the movie business.
• 1932: Upon returning to the West Coast, Jean was put into a series of six color "fairy tales" for Warner Brothers, playing supporting roles as queens, witches and hags. Jean remembered being "around ten years old" at the time. There is a bit of confusion over this, though, as she also describes this happening after the 1935/36 vaudeville tour.
• 1932: To live closer to the Warners studio, Jean and her mother moved to a court on Hollywood Boulevard, with a hedge that separated their bungalow from the one in which Bobby "Bonedust" Young lived. She attended Miss Lawlor's Professional Children's School with various other child celebrities.
• Oct. 17, 1932: CBS Radio debuted The H-Bar-O Rangers, a children's program which featured Jean as a character named "Polly Armstrong." She spent about a year in this series, which was broadcast daily from 5:45 to 6:00 from the KHJ station in Los Angeles. In her memoirs, she refers to it as H-Bar-O Bobby Benson. Other radio soaps she appeared in were The Three Musketeers, Hall Of Fame, Show Boat and an early version of The Lanny Ross Show.
• 1932: Also at KHJ, Jean began plugging Woodbury Soap on Bing Crosby's 15-minute weekday radio series, which began airing on June 13th. Jean reportedly had this gig for months.
• 1932: By this time, Jean was attending the Immaculate Heart of Mary Boarding School as a day student, in spite of being Protestant.

1933

• 1933: Jean was originally chosen to play the title role in the Paramount production of "Alice In Wonderland," to the extent that she was featured in publicity photos, but at the last minute, she was passed over in favor of Charlotte Henry.
• Circa 1933: Jean began appearing in plays put on by the Writer's Club, including The Father (in which she played Bertha), Dear Brutus (in which she played Margaret), and Ah Wilderness. It was one of these plays that led her to being offered the role in "Jane Eyre."
• Late 1933: ean was contacted by Hal Roach to play the title role in his production of "Peg O' My Heart." After costuming and publicity stills, this project was shelved in favor of "Babes In Toyland."

Only Yesterday (unconfirmed role)

Nov. 1, 1933 - Universal - 11 reels - feature

©Nov. 7, 1933. Starring Margaret Sullavan & John Boles.

1934

• Jan. 8, 1934: A news item from this date mentions a 20th anniversary party for Hal Roach Studios, which was to include Jean on its guest list.
• May 23, 1934: The Herald-News of Passaic, NJ, reported on the upcoming Benjamin F. Turner show on June 6th at the Playhouse in Passaic. Included among the celebrities were the Our Gang Comedy Four, which, if the photos are any indication, included Jean, along with Mary Ann Jackson, Harry Spear and Wheezer Hutchins. There are at least a couple of reasons to doubt their involvement, though. Not only was Harry nowhere near New Jersey at this time, but Jean in later life insisted that she always did a solo act after leaving the Gang.
• Fall 1934: During production of "Babes In Toyland," Jean posed for photographs with Johnny Downs to play up the mini-reunion of the former Our Gang kids.
• Dec. 19, 1934: In the Los Angeles Evening Citizen was an ad for the Jean Darling Sewing Outfit. Her sewing and embroidery kits continued to be sold at least until 1953.

Jane Eyre (supporting role: Jane Eyre as a child)

Aug. 15, 1934 - Monogram - 7 reels - feature

©July 14, 1934. Starring Virginia Bruce & Colin Clive.

Babes In Toyland (small part: Curly Locks)

Nov. 30, 1934 - Roach/MGM - 9 reels - prod. F-5 - Laurel & Hardy feature

Also listed for Dec. 14, 1934. Filmed Aug. 6 to 16, Aug. 27 and 28, and Sep. 24 to Oct. 17, 1934. ©Nov. 28, 1934. US reissue title: March Of The Wooden Soldiers. Jean was among the cast members singing "Never Mind, Bo Peep." She also remembered singing a chorus of "I Can't Do The Sum," a song that didn't wind up in the release print.

1935

• Circa 1935: Apparently during this year (as it preceded another vaudeville tour, and she was 13 at the time), Jean took and passed the high school exams, and after spending two months at the Professional Children's School (where she had returned after leaving Immaculate Heart Of Mary), was able to receive her diploma. This was to remove the burden of schoolwork while she was working in vaudeville. Two colleges offered her scholarships, but her mother wouldn't let her go, since it would keep her from doing her next tour.
• 1935: Probably during the latter half of this year, Jean started a new vaudeville act. She was still singing "Bye Bye Blues" and imitating Mae West and James Cagney. The trailer was still in use, but she would no longer emerge through a breakaway screen. Added to the act was "Bye Bye Blackbird" and impressions of Alice Faye and Maurice Chevalier. The song "Marta" was utilized as an encore, and "Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair" was her bow music.
• 1935: Maltin & Bann credit Jean with playing a mermaid in "Bride Of Frankenstein," but Jean denied this.
• 1935/1936: Over the holidays, Jean repeatedly watched "I Dream Too Much" to see Lily Pons singing "The Bell Song." This is what inspired her to take singing lessons.

1936

• May 27, 1936: Jean attended a joint breakfast of the Women's Breakfast Club and the Riverside Breakfast Club, which paid tribute to Will Rogers and other screen stars who had passed away. Jackie Condon was also present. KFWB would broadcast these club meetings from Riverside on Sunday mornings from 10:00 to noon in a program called The Breakfast Club (not to be confused with the national broadcast out of Chicago). Jean described herself as a "semi-permanent guest" on the show.
• June 21, 1936: Jean won first prize (for best figure and best features) in a beauty contest in Santa Monica, becoming "Miss California Co-ed." The article in The Los Angeles Times of June 22nd doesn't mention her age, but in at least two other newspapers, it was given as 16. She would have actually been a couple of months shy of her 14th birthday at this point.

Gold Diggers Of 1937 (small part: one of the singing girls)

prem. Dec. 26, 1936 - Warner Bros. - 12 reels - feature.

Released Dec. 28, 1936. ©Dec. 31, 1936. Starring Dick Powell, Joan Blondell, Victor Moore and Glenda Farrell.

Jean stated in her memoirs that she did two of these Gold Diggers films, but she only goes into detail with this one.

1937

• Late 1936/Early 1937: Jean was given a 2-week engagement in a San Diego nightclub to break in her new vaudeville act. After this, she went back on tour. No longer doing impersonations, her act would strictly be a singing one from now on. Among the songs were "Gianina Mia," "Estrellita" and "Bye Bye Blackbird." It was during this tour that Jean turned down a chance to go back to Hollywood and appear in an Andy Hardy film.
• 1937/1938: In her memoirs, Jean mentions working in a radio soap called Tom Sawyer, presumably for KHJ. Such a program existed from March 1937 (at the latest) to March 1938 (at the earliest).

1938

• Circa 1938: Jean and her mother moved to New York, where she was photographed by Murray Korman. She wound up touring Saturdays and Sundays on the Subway Circuit, which was a group of around 35 theaters that could all be reached on the subway. She was always booked on holidays, singing "Eili Eili" for High Holy Days, "Ave Maria" on Easter, and "A Little Bit Of Heaven" on St. Patrick's Day. She also worked the Commerford Circuit in Pennsylvania, and was booked by another agent for a week in Hershey.
• Circa 1938: It was also around this time that Jean plugged Jergen's Lotion on Walter Winchell's radio program.
• Circa 1938: Jean became a model with the John Robert Powers Model Agency. She posed for artists like Macclellan Barkley, Irving Nurick and Montgomery Flagg. Jean posed for several of Flagg's Saturday Evening Post covers.
• 1938: Jean also resumed her singing lessons at this time. There is some confusion about the details, however. Did she take lessons from Caesar Sturani starting around this time and continue for the next year, as described in her memoirs? Or did she start with Sturani after winning her scholarship in 1940 and continue with him for two years, as The Troy Messenger of Aug. 21, 1942, reports?
• 1938: New York also served as a base as Jean toured the neighboring states.

1939

• Late Dec. 1939: Probably directly after Christmas, Jean started two weeks of training with Clemente DiMachi in his studio at Carnegie Hall.

1940

• Jan. 9, 1940: Jean was awarded a scholarship by the New York Municipal Opera Association. And according to her memoirs, this led to singing lessons with Clemente DiMachi, though newspaper reports indicate that he was the one who prepared her for the performance that got her the scholarship. According to The Troy Messenger of August 21, 1942, Jean started her lessons with Caesar Sturani at this time (rather than in 1938 as Jean says) and these lessons lasted for two years (rather than one year as Jean says).
• Feb. 7, 1940: Jean appeared on WEAP's afternoon radio show Hollywood Newsgirl.
• Apr. 25, 1940: Jean took part in an operatic revue put on by the Municipal Opera Association at the Town Hall in Brooklyn. The program consisted of Mozart's "Bastien and Bastienne," as well as operatic arias from "Don Giovanni," "Lakme," "The Garden Of Mystery," "I Pagliacci" and "Aida."
• July 1940: Jean appeared on the cover of True Story magazine.
• Aug. 9, 1940: The Wilkes-Barre Record reported that Jean was part of a variety program at the Irving Theater. Jean performed "Donkey Serenade," "One Love" and "Will You Remember."
• Late 1940: Jean was touring vaudeville, as revealed in the October 12th issue of The Journal (Cincinnati) and the November 2nd issue of the Standard-Speaker (Hazleton). In the November 6th issue of the latter newspaper, Jean gave an interview, revealing her support of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the fact that she had sung a number of songs at a Democratic rally the previous week.

1941

• Circa 1941: Jean served as an atmosphere extra for several Soundies, including ones featuring Smith and Dale, Willie and Eugene Howard, Olsen and Johnson, and Cab Calloway. Her memoirs state that she sang a duet with Lanny Ross on the song "Moonlight And Roses," but I haven't been able to find any other reference to this.

There's Nothing Like The Smile Of The Irish (supporting role)

1941 - Soundies - 3 min. - Soundie Musical Movie

Starring Lanny Ross. Jean appears in the final shot.

1942

• Aug. 1942: Jean wrote a letter to Lee Shubert requesting an audition. Shubert's company owned several theaters across the country. A couple of days later, she sang "Lover, Come Back To Me" for him. The next day, she signed a longterm contract and was quickly cast as the ingenue lead in the musical Count Me In, which became her Broadway debut. The Belleville Daily Advocate of August 27th states that the show was likely to debut on September 21st. It made its Broadway debut on October 8th. It only ran for a short time, with the last performance taking place on November 21st. (The signing of the Shubert contract is according to the same August 27th publication, but it contradicts Jean's memoirs, where she states that it happened in 1940. However, with Count Me In debuting in 1942, that leaves quite a gap between the signing of the contract and Jean's Broadway debut.)
• 1942: Jean joined the USO Camp Shows and set out on a tour of Army Camps along with Harlan Dixon, Broso the Great and his wife, and Rex Ford. Perhaps in connection with these activities, she also worked at one of the Stage Door Canteens.
• 1942: After this, Jean returned to New York to rehearse "The Milky Way," the first show to tour the Service Commands. In order to do this, she had to drop both her Shubert and Municipal Opera Company contracts.

1943

• Feb. 5, 1943: The Cincinnati Enquirer of this year followed up on a previous story regarding the whereabouts of former Our Gang kids, by relating that Jean was currently working as an escort at the Wright Aeronautical Corporation in Cincinnati. The bogus nature of this story becomes abundantly clear when we read that "Jean Darling" was merely her professional name, and that her real name was Eileen DePratt.
• Feb. 18, 1943: The syndicated column "Star Dust" by Virginia Vale, reporting on the whereabouts of former Our Gang kids, states that Jean had become a very popular nightclub singer.

1944

• Mid-Jan. 1944: The musical Marianne opening in Washington, DC, and closed by the end of the month, never making it to Broadway. During its short run, the girl Jean was understudying walked out on the show and Jean got to take over the part.
• Feb. 14, 1944: Jean departed New York by plane to do a 21-week tour. She was part of the USO-Camp Shows Unit No. 209 and initially stopped in Casablanca, but also spent time in Algiers and Italy. The other stars in her unit were John Garfield, Eddie Foy, Olya Klem and Sheila Rodgers.
• Apr. or May 1944: The rest of Jean's unit returned home, but Jean returned to Italy as part of a new special unit that would entertain troops that were in the hospital. Since it was a new idea, it was called Hospital Unit 1.
• Mid-1944: In her memoirs, Jean states that she remained in Italy until late September, but on August 4th, The Star Press (of Muncie) reported that she was already home. It also says that she was gone for six months, though, which is a little too long.
• Sep. 13, 1944: A letter of commendation was written by Col. Leon T. David to Jean for her service with the USO-Camp Shows Unit No. 209. The tour is described in the letter as a "21-week tour of NATUOUSA", which means it would have ended in early-to-mid July. (NATOUSA, by the way, stands for North African Theater of Operations, United States Army.) But perhaps John Garfield's wish to be sent home ended things prematurely, leading Jean to become part of the hospital unit.
• Sep. 23, 1944: The Standard-Speaker of Hazelton, PA, revealed that Jean was currently touring vaudeville with the same selection of songs that she had sung in her USO act.
• Late 1944: Jean auditioned for the Theatre Guild production of "Sing Out Sweet Land," which was already being performed outside of New York. She got the part, but because the show wasn't much of a success, it was closed before it got to Broadway, and Jean never did perform in it.
• Late 1944: After this, Jean began taking voice lessons with a Mrs. Munday.

1945

• 1944/1945: Jean auditioned for a revival of "Liliom." She didn't get the part, but it led directly to her successful audition for Carousel.
• Early 1945: Jean won the role of Carrie Pipperidge in the Theater Guild production of Carousel. After a pre-Broadway run in New Haven and Boston, the show had its Broadway premiere on April 19th.
• 1945: Not long after the show was up and running, Jean began taking voice lessons from William Herman. In addition to doing the show, she also visited veteran's hospitals and took part in benefits organized by the Theater Guild.
• June 6, 1945: On the first anniversary of D-Day, Jean, along with Carousel co-star Eric Mattson took part in the Seventh War Loan rally in New York. Jean sang "When The Children Are Asleep."
• July 1945: Jean appeared on the Original New York Production 5-disc album of Carousel, singing "You're A Queer One, Julie Jordan" and "Mister Snow," both with Jan Clayton. She also sings "June Is Bustin' Out All Over" with Christine Johnson, "When The Children Are Asleep" with Eric Mattson, and "Blow High, Blow Low" and "This Was A Real Nice Clambake," both with Murvyn Vie and Eric Mattson.
• Sep. 24, 1945: Jean, along with Margo, Sono Osato, Luba Malina and David Brooks, attended a rally at Madison Square Garden that was interpreted as pro-Communist and anti-Catholic. The general theme of the speeches given by these five was one of support for the Spanish refugees and an advocation of the breaking of relations with the Franco government. Frank Fay, a member of Actors' Equity, of which the five were all members, tried to get the organization to investigate them, but this resulted in a vote of censure against Fay and exoneration of the five.

1946

• Jan. 22, 1946: Jean was the guest of honor in the March of Dimes Fashion Show at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, presented for the benefit of The National Foundation of Infantile Paralysis.
• Mar. 2, 1946: The Honolulu Star-Bulletin ran an ad for Model Smoking Tobacco, complete with a glamorous photo of Jean Darling. At the bottom, the caption reads: "Men: If you want a pin-up of beautiful Jean Darling, shown above, send your name and address on a post card to MODEL TOBACCO, care of AMERICAN FACTORS, Ltd., Honolulu. They's send you free a 7 3/8 x 9 7/8 full-color print."

1947

• Mar. 1947: After her 850th performance as Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel, Jean collapsed and wound up in the hospital with hepatitis. She was discharged in May. (It should be noted that the 850 performances is according to Jean's memoirs. The New York Daily News of March 31st reported it as 806 performances.) The show, without Jean, finally closed on May 24th.
• 1947: After this, Jean took part a revival of Knickerbocker Hotel (as Tina).
• Oct. 25, 1947: The Boston Globe revealed that Jean was appearing in an "all-new stage show" with Alan Carney, Ray Dorey and Hal Leroy.

1948

• Late March 1948: By this time, Jean was appearing in the show Hold It!, which also featured Johnny Downs.
• Apr. 3, 1948: Jean appeared as a guest on Boston Globe-WCOP Quizdown, broadcast 7:00-7:30 by WCOP from Needham High School.
• May 5 to June 12, 1948: Hold It! was playing on Broadway.
• July 3, 1948: There was also, at some point, an NBC network show out of New York called Have A Date With Jean Darling (aka A Date With Jean Darling), but the only reference I've found so far is a listing for a WNBT show called Jean Darling on this date.

Fashions On Parade episode (guest appearance)

May 7, 1948 - DuMont 30 min. - TV episode

This episode was broadcast locally several months before the series started airing over the DuMont network.

The Fourth Mrs. Phillips (lead role)

Aug. 8, 1948 - WPTZ - TV program

This was a stage comedy that was no doubt being broadcast on live television. WPTZ in Philadelphia was an NBC affiliate, so this may have been a network broadcast.

1949

• Mar. 15, 1949: The Daily News (New York) revealed that Pal Joey had been revived and had gone over well a week earlier at the Walton Community Center in the Bronx. Jean played the role of "Linda."
• May 3, 1949: The Mutual weekday radio series called The Lanny Ross Show began to also feature Jean Darling on its Tuesday and Thursday episodes.
• Circa 1949: At some point, Jean had an advice show on WNEW in Los Angeles, which she gradually took over as Agnes Ayres grew ill. Frank Sinatra guested on this show.
• Circa 1949: There was also an advice show that aired on WOR in the wee hours of the morning called Big Joe's Happiness Exchange. According to her memoirs, Jean occasionally appeared on this show along with Frank Sinatra. This show was airing on WOR by June of this year at the latest, but the star, Big Joe Rosenfield, left WOR in January of 1950.
• Circa 1949: Jean briefly worked in a radio program for WOR with Frank Sinatra. I'm not sure about the beginning and end dates for this series, but listings from December of this year include a WOR program called Frank Sinatra.
• Dec. 18, 1949: The Chicago Tribune carried a story about Communist infiltration into various areas of public life. Dragged into the conversation was Jean Darling, who had been among those who gave speeches at an anti-Franco rally at Madison Square Garden in 1945.

1950

• 1950: The Carousel 5-disc album was reissued using 7-inch records at 45 rpm.
• Oct. 1, 1950: The Chicago Tribune revealed that Jean was on the NBC program Break The Bank. The photo caption seems to imply that she was a regular on the show, but perhaps it was just for the one episode.

1951

• 1951: Jean starred in a KHJ-TV (Los Angeles) series called The Jean Darling Show. So far, I've only found listings for November 13th, 20th and 27th, so perhaps it was very short-lived. The program featured Jean singing and sewing. This may be the same program Jean refers to in her memoirs as The Singing Knitwitch. Jean also mentions that she designed knitware for a yarn company at some point. Jean also mentions doing a TV program with Ernie Kovacs sometime in the early 1950s, but the only thing I can find to corroborate this is the 1959 "Take A Good Look" appearance.
• Late 1951: Jean embarked on a long holiday tour to Alaska sponsored by the Hollywood Coordinating Committee. Also featured were Ray Milland and Akim Tamiroff. Jean sang "Come Back To Sorrento."

1952

• Early 1952: Jean's tour to Alaska came to an end.
• Circa 1952: Jean was featured on a CBS radio serial called Road Of Life, which Tampa Daily Times of December 30th of this year announced was returning to CBS in its 16th year of broadcasting. The series continued for several years, but it isn't clear just when Jean was a part of it. One notable point, though, is that during 1955, she was consistently reported to be in the serial "Hilltop House," with no mention of Road Of Life.

All Star Summer Revue episode (appearance)

Aug. 30, 1952 - NBC - 60 min. - TV episode

Jean appears with Bert Wheeler and sings "Serenade To A Lemonade." A kinescope survives of this sketch, running 8 to 9 minutes.

1953

• 1953: The Carousel 5-disc album of 7-inch records was reissued.

The I Don't Care Girl (small part: Lilyan Tashman)

prem. Jan. 14, 1953 - 20th Century-Fox - 78 min. - feature

©Jan. 5, 1953. Released Jan. 20, 1931. Starring Mitzi Gaynor, David Wayne & Oscar Levant. Filmed in Technicolor.

The Comeback Story episode (featured subject)

Nov. 27, 1953 - ABC - 30 min. - TV episode

This was a documentary series that focused each week on people who had overcome adversity. One source states that Jean's life was dramatized on this series, which perhaps means that we shouldn't assume that she was in it.

1954

• June 14, 1954: Jean married Reuben Bowen, known professionally as Kajar the Magician. She assisted him in his act. At some point, the two of them appeared in a Look magazine photo in which he's levitating her on the terrace of their apartment.

1955

• Apr. 23, 1955: The Republic of Columbus, IN, reported that Jean was currently playing the lead in a CBS radio serial called Hilltop House. This series had been in existence for a couple of decades, so it's pretty clear that Jean was in the cast for only a fraction of that time.
• Oct. 23, 1955: Jean's son, Roy Hamilton Bowen, was born. Jean: "Until he was eight, I didn't do anything except two commercials a year." This is in reference to her decision to be a part of her child's life during his formative years, though it seems that it's not entirely accurate.

American Inventory episode: The 13 Million (appearance)

Jan. 2, 1955 - Sloan/NBC 30 min. - TV episode

Clubhouse Gang (appearance)

May 14, 1955 - WPIX 11 - TV episode

This program featured Little Rascals films. The date of this episode is according to tvparty.com. This seems to contradict The Record (Hackensack, NJ) of May 21st, which interviewed Jean, and she confided that, not having a TV, she had not seen Clubhouse Gang, but that she was scheduled to soon guest on the show.

1956

• May 6, 1956: Tt was reported in several newspapers that Lenny Kent was dating former Our Gang kid "Baby Jean Darling," who was currently a stripper named Gilda. This was a rather unfortunate mixup, since it was Shirley Jean Rickert who did that for a living and went by that name.

1959

• Jan. 1959: This seems to be the month that Road Of Life was axed.

Tonight Starring Jack Paar episode (appearance)

Apr. 22, 1959 - NBC - 105 min. - TV episode

Take A Good Look episode (appearance)

Oct. 22, 1959 - Mansfield-Arnell/ABC - 30 min. - TV episode

Hosted by Ernie Kovacs. Jean appeared along with Farina Hoskins, Jay R. Smith, Jack Davis, Sherwood Bailey and Johnny Downs.

1960

• Circa 1960: A single was released on Gametime Records by Jeanne Darling with "Tell Me All About Yourself" on the A-side and "Waltz Of Romance" on the B-side. So was this Jean with a label misspelling, or was it somebody else? Well, a demonstration disc was made by Nola Recording Studios of "Waltz Of Romance," and Jean's name is spelled correctly on that. Another Jean Darling song that turned up on a Nola disc was "Money, Money." I asked Jean about it at the Our Gang Follies site, and she wrote, "It very well could be me as I often recorded in that studio to check on how I was progressing or just to listen to how I sounded in a new project. I used the studio until 62 or 63."

1964

• July 1964: Jean and her husband, Reuben Bowen aka Kajar the Magician, departed for South Africa to tour with a magic show called Magicadabra. Jean sang some songs and served as her husband's assistant in his magic act. This led to several tours that would take them all over the world over the next ten years.

1967

• Early 1967: Prior to Easter, Jean and her family moved to Dublin. A few years earlier, they had left South Africa for La Palmas, Canary Islands (where they lived for about a year and a half), and then moved to London and then Antwerp (for seven or eight or nine months). Basically, since they were on the road so much, they didn't spend much time living in these places, but rather, used each as a base of operations. Somewhere along the line, they toured the Caribbean, and at some other point in time, they played in Fiji.

1971

• 1971: Jean and her family returned to South Africa to live for another three years.

1972

• Circa 1972: Jean states in her memoirs that she was with her husband Reuben for 18 years, which means they must have separated (or perhaps divorced) during this year. She also says that the two of them were touring South Africa with their magic act during 1972 and 1973, though, so perhaps something needs a slight adjustment in the timeline.
• 1972-1973: Jean's son, Roy, bought her a gift of watercolors and paper, and she took up painting.

1974

• 1974: Jean settled in Dublin again and embarked on a writing career. Her son was with her, but not her husband, who died on Aug. 22, 1980.

In her memoirs, Jean lists several undated short stories which would have been written over the next twenty odd years. Stories published in Woman's Way magazine included The Poteen Problem, Always An Excuse, Doeskin Gloves, To Kiss A Ghost, The Ten Pence Drum, Bewitched, When The Kissing Began and The Last Job. She states that many more stories were published in the Annuals. The Ten Pence Drum was also published in Women's Choice magazine. She also wrote 29 different children's stories for Women's Way. Two other children's stories she wrote were Finny Finnegan, which included her own illustrations, and How Perkie Came To Perk's Fun Fair. She wrote the radio plays The Barren Tree, The Carousel, The Gambler, Comb My Hair and Love Buds for SABC and RTÉ Radio. Many of her short stories were adapted for radio on BBC World Service and Radio Telefís Éireann. She also wrote over 150 celebrity profiles for It magazine and Woman's Way Backstage.

1975

• Aug. 1975: One of Jean's short stories, Never To Be Lost Again, was published in this month's issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.

1977

• Mar. 1977: One of Jean's short stories, The Man Who Embezzled From Himself, was published in this month's issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.
• Sep. 1977: One of Jean's short stories, Sgt. Flanagan And The Conlon Brothers, was published in this month's issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.
• Oct. 1977: One of Jean's short stories, The Seventh Son, was published in this month's issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

1978

• Apr. 1978: Two of Jean's short stories, Private Ear and Little Girl Lost (the latter written under the name Cara Sell), were published in this month's issue of Mike Shayne's Mystery Magazine.
• May 1978: One of Jean's short stories, Angel Baby, was published in this month's issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.
• Dec. 1978: One of Jean's short stories, All You Need Is Luck, was published in this month's issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

1979

• Mar. 1979: One of Jean's short stories, Dying In Dublin, was published in this month's issue of Mike Shayne's Mystery Magazine.
• Sep. 1979: One of Jean's short stories, Farewell Performance, was published in this month's issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.
• Oct. 1979: One of Jean's short stories, The Ten Thousandth Visitor, was published in this month's issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.
• Dec. 1979: One of Jean's short stories, The Centaur And The Centerfold, was published in this month's issue of Executive Magazine.

1980

• Feb. 1980: Jean began writing stories for RTÉ radio and TV and reading them on the air in Aunty Poppy's Story Time, in which she appeared as "Aunty Poppy." This was a regular segment contained within the TV series Anything Goes.
• Apr. 1980: One of Jean's short stories Where There's A Will, There's A Way was published in this month's issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.
• Apr. 1980: One of Jean's short stories, Siege In Dublin, was published in this month's issue of Mike Shayne's Mystery Magazine.
• Aug. 1980: One of Jean's short stories, The Matchstick Hut, was published in this month's issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. This story was later reprinted in the book Distant Danger.
• 1980: Jean visited New York City for ten days during this year. It was her first time back in the U.S. in 16 years.

Early 1980's: After the debut of Aunty Poppy's Story Time on Irish television, various Aunty Poppy titles were published between 1980 and 2002. These included two separate items called Aunty Poppy's Story Time, one of which was available only on cassette, and the other of which was available both as a book and a cassette. Jean wrote, read, composed, sang and illustrated. There was also a cassette called Aunty Poppy's Farley's Fables. She also wrote (and told) over 450 Aunty Poppy stories on the RTÉ Radio 2 program Poparama.
1980's: At some point, Jean also wrote 11 stories for the BBC program Listen With Mother.
1980's: At some point, Jean also wrote Starsong for John Creedon's Show on RTÉ Radio 1.
1980's: Jean's memoirs also list three more items produced for RTÉ Radio 1 at some point over the next several years. One of these is listed as Matins - Just A Thought - Sunday Miscellany, but I can't tell if there's a story in that title written for a show that's also in the title, or what. The other two items are Kevin Hough's Theater Nights and Late Date With Val Joyce, both of which may simply be appearances on talk shows.

1981

• Jan. 1981: One of Jean's short stories, The Fifty Thousand Pound Joke, was published in this month's issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.
• Mar. 1981: One of Jean's short stories, Tell Me True, was published in this month's issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.
• June 1981: One of Jean's short stories, Billionaires Die Too, was published in this month's issue of Mike Shayne's Mystery Magazine.
• 1981: Jean's 1975 short story Never To Be Lost Again was reprinted in Doors To Mystery.

1982

• May 1982: One of Jean's short stories, Homer's Odyssey, was published in this month's issue of Mike Shayne's Mystery Magazine.
• Aug. 1982: One of Jean's short stories, Murder In Dublin, was published in this month's issue of Mike Shayne's Mystery Magazine.
• 1982: Jean's 1975 short story Never To Be Lost Again was reprinted in Ellery Queen's Book Of First Appearances.
• 1982: One of Jean's short stories, Chrysalis, was published in Fantasy Book.
• Dec. 1982: One of Jean's short stories, I Never Saw His Face, was published in this month's issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.
• 1982: Jean began publishing seasonal Aunty Poppy Stories in the RTÉ Guide. This lasted for over a decade.

1983

• Apr. 1983: One of Jean's short stories, Harry Houdini's Trousers, was published in this month's issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.
• May 1983: One of Jean's short stories, The Tinker's Legs, was published in this month's issue of Mike Shayne's Mystery Magazine.
• 1983: One of Jean's short stories, Bite Of The Pie, was published in Ellery Queen's Prime Crimes.

1984

• Feb. 1984: One of Jean's short stories, Two Peas In A Pod, was published in this month's issue of Mike Shayne's Mystery Magazine.
• May 1984: One of Jean's short stories, Two Of A Kind, was published in this month's issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.
• Sep. 1984: One of Jean's short stories, Carousel, was published in this month's issue of Mike Shayne's Mystery Magazine.
• Dec. 1984: One of Jean's short stories, Comb My Hair, Please Comb My Hair, was published in this month's issue of Whispers magazine, which Jean described in her memoirs as No. III in an anthology series. This particular anthology won the World's Fantasy Award.

Our Gang: Inside The Clubhouse (archival)

May 8, 1984 - Lang/Camellia City Telecasters - 93 mins. - TV documentary

Includes footage from "Boxing Gloves."

1985

• Aug. 1985: One of Jean's short stories, Revenge In Dublin, was published in this month's issue of Mike Shayne's Mystery Magazine.
• Dec. 1985: One of Jean's short stories, 1944 Diary, was published in this month's issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.

1986

• 1986: Jean's 1977 short story The Seventh Son was reprinted in Alfred Hitchcock's Anthology.

1987

• Summer 1987: Jean's short story The Perfect Gift was published in Night Cry.
• 1987: Jean's 1984 short story Comb My Hair, Please Comb My Hair was reprinted by Doubleday.

1988

• 1988: Jean's short story The Right Thing was published in Whispers magazine.

1989

• 1989: Jean's short story Cooking By Ouija Board was published in Plots And Plans.

1990

• 1990: The Original Cast Recording of Carousel was released on CD.

1991

• Feb. 1991: Jean's 1982 short story I Never Saw His Face was reprinted in this month's issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.

1994

• 1994: The last of the seasonal Aunty Poppy Stories for the RTÉ Guide was published.
• Aug. 5, 1994: A feature film called "The Little Rascals" was released, and included among the kids was a character named Jane, who appears to be an updated Jean Darling. She was played by Heather Karasek.

The Our Gang Story (use of photos)

1994 - Film Shows/GoodTimes - 120 min. - video documentary

1995

• 1995: Jean published her first book of memoirs during this year, A Peek At The Past.

1998

Hal Roach: The Lot Of Fun (archival)

June 27, 1998 - Film Preservation Associates/Kino Lorber - 133 min. - video documentary

Released on "Slapstick Encyclopedia Vol. 6."

2001

• 2001: An interview with Jean was published in the book Silent Stars Speak by Tony Villecco.
• July 26 to 29, 2001: Jean took part in the 5th annual Thelma Todd Celebration at Lawrence Heritage State Park in Massachusetts. Joining her were Jerry Tucker and Shirley Jean Rickert.

2002

• July 11 to 14, 2002: Jean attended the Sons of the Desert 19th International Convention in Nashville, and was featured with Dorothy DeBorba, Jay R. Smith and Jerry Tucker on the 12th.

2003

• June 8, 2003: A revised and expanded version of A Peek At The Past was published.

2004

• July 15 to 18, 2004: Jean attended the Sons of the Desert convention in Columbus, OH, and was featured with Mildred Kornman on the 17th.

2005

• Circa 2005: Jean began attending Italy's "Pordenone Silent Film Festival" each year, and continued to do so for about a decade. She regularly sang at these festivals, accompanied by Donald Sosin.

Die größten TV-Hits aller Zeiten - Die 25 beliebtesten Kinderserien (appearance)

Feb. 26, 2005 - I&U/RTL - 120 min. - TV special

Made in Germany.

2007

• 2007: Jean took part in The Third Annual Silent Comedy Festival in Bristol, England, and hosted A Date With Jean Darling in which she discussed her Our Gang past with David Wyatt.

2008

• 2008: Jean published her second book of memoirs, Buttercakes And Banana Oil.

Nova episode (appearance as guest of honor)

July 12, 2008 - Nederlandse Omroepstichting - 30 min. - TV episode

Made in the Netherlands.

2009

The Story Of Hal Roach And Our Gang (appearance)

Jan. 2, 2009 - b1 Media-Genius - 29 min. - video documentary

Included as a bonus feature on disc 8 of The Little Rascals: The Complete Collection.

Presto! Sons Of The Desert 16th International Convention 2008 (appearance)

Feb. 4, 2009 - McIntyre - 35 min. - video documentary

Made in the UK.

De rode loper episode (guest appearance)

Aug. 13, 2009 - TV series

Made in Belgium.

Jean's Golden Memories: An Interview With Jean Darling (appearance)

Sep. 1, 2009 - Riva - 37 min. - video interview

Made in the Netherlands. Jean received a "special thanks" in the credits.

Jane Eyre As A Child: An Interview With Jean Darling (appearance)

Sep. 1, 2009 - Riva - 18 min. - video interview

Made in the Netherlands. Jean received a "special thanks" in the credits.

2011

Dizzy Spells: Sons Of The Desert 9th European Convention 2009 (appearance)

Mar. 1, 2011 - McIntyre - 13 min. - video documentary

Made in the UK.

Laurel & Hardy: Die komische Liebesgeschichte von 'Dick & Doof' (appearance)

Dec. 28, 2011 - Exit - 92 min. - TV movie documetary

Made in Germany. UK and US title: Laurel & Hardy: Their Lives And Magic. Jean was also credited under "additional crew" for providing archival material.

2013

The Butler's Tale (featured role: Lady Cavendish - also contributing writer)

Nov. 6, 2013 - Riva - 15 min. - short

2014

Hollywoods Spaßfabrik - Als die Bilder Lachen lernten (archival)

May 29, 2014 - Exit Film-und Fernsehproduktion-ZDF/ARTE - 90 min. - TV documentary

Also released in English as Hal Roach - The Lot Of Fun: Where The Movies Learned To Laugh. Includes footage from "Barnum & Ringling, Inc.," "Fast Freight," "Cat, Dog & Co." and "Saturday's Lesson."

2015

• 2015: At the time of Jean's death, she had been living in a nursing home in Rödermark, Germany, after previously living in nearby Rodgau, where she had moved from Ireland to live near her son (some sources say she lived WITH him).

Jean Darling's payroll history

The following is a list of most of Jean's history at the Roach studio, with the amounts she was making from week to week. The dates given are Saturdays, the last day of each week at the studio. The only exceptions would be Saturdays that were also holidays, in which case the Friday date is used for those weeks.

• Oct. 9, 1926 - 30.00 charged to prod. K15 (Bring Home The Turkey)
   Starting as a day worker, Jean was given checks for $7.50 on Oct. 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th.
• Oct. 16, 1926 - 37.50 charged to prod. K15
   On Oct. 13th, Jean was given a check for $22.50, which covered $7.50 a day for Oct. 11th, 12th and 13th. On Oct. 15th, she was a given a check for $15 to cover $7.50 a day for Oct. 14th and 15th.

After this, it would be about two weeks before Jean returned to the studio.

• Nov. 6, 1926 - 15.00 - 10.00 charged to prod. B16 (Are Brunettes Safe?), 5.00 charged to prod. K13 (Seeing The World)
   Jean was given $5 checks on Nov. 2nd and 3rd for her work in B16, and another $5 check on Nov. 5th for her work in K13.

After this, it would be over a month before Jean worked at the studio again.

• Dec. 11, 1926 - 30.00 charged to prod. K16 (Ten Years Old)
   Jean was given a $7.50 check on Dec. 8th, and then a $22.50 check on Dec. 11th, which covered $7.50 a day for Dec. 9th, 10th and 11th.
• Dec. 18, 1926 - 200.00 charged to prod. K16
• Dec. 25, 1926 - 200.00 charged to prod. K17 (Love My Dog)
• Jan. 1, 1927 - 200.00 charged to prod. K17

The payroll ledger for 1927 has gone missing, which makes some of the details for these dates unavailable. There are, however, datebooks and payroll summaries that have survived, and these verify most of the information about Jean's salary that would be found in the ledger. The main exception is that, during the interim between films, it isn't clear which production the player's salary is being charged to. A bigger problem, though, is that Jean was still a day player in the early part of the year, so no information whatsoever is available prior to the week ending Apr. 23rd. However, we do know that she was absent from the studio for the last three weeks of 1926, and that while still a day player, she appeared in Tired Business Men, Baby Brother and Chicken Feed from late January to mid-April 1927.

• Apr. 23, 1927 - 35.00 charged to prod. K21 (Olympic Games)
   Jean was put under long-term contract starting this week. However, there's some doubt about her involvement in production K21.
• Apr. 30, 1927 - 35.00 charged to prod. K21
• May 7, 1927 - 35.00 charged to prod. K21
• May 14, 1927 - 35.00 charged to prod. K22 (The Glorious Fourth)
   Jean didn't appear in production K22.
• May 21, 1927 - 35.00 charged to prod. K22
• May 28, 1927 - 35.00 charged to prod. K23 (Playin' Hookey)
• June 4, 1927 - 35.00 charged to prod. K23
• June 11, 1927 - 35.00 charged to prod. K23
• June 18, 1927 - 35.00 charged to prod. G1 (Yale Vs. Harvard)
• June 25, 1927 - 35.00 charged to prod. G1
• July 2, 1927 - 45.00 charged to prod. K24 (The Smile Wins)
   It appears that Jean didn't work in production K24.

As distribution was shifting from Pathé to MGM, the Kid Co. transitioned into the Gang Co. During the weeks ending July 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th, the studio was closed. The datebooks indicate that Jean wasn't paid during this stretch, but the payroll summaries indicate that she was.

• Aug. 6, 1927 - 45.00 charged to prod. K24
• Aug. 13, 1927 - 45.00 charged to prod. G2 (The Old Wallop)
• Aug. 20, 1927 - 45.00 charged to prod. G2
• Aug. 27, 1927 - 45.00
• Sep. 3, 1927 - 45.00 charged to prod. G3 (Heebee Jeebees)
• Sep. 10, 1927 - 45.00 charged to prod. G3
• Sep. 17, 1927 - 45.00 charged to prod. G3 and G4 (Dog Heaven)
   It isn't clear whether Jean's salary was split in half between the two productions, or perhaps 1/3 for G3 and 2/3 for G4.
• Sep. 24, 1927 - 45.00 charged to prod. G4
• Oct. 1, 1927 - 45.00 charged to prod. G3 and G4
   It isn't clear whether Jean's salary was split 5/6 for G4 and 1/6 for G3, or 11/12 for G4 and 1/12 for G3.
• Oct. 8, 1927 - 45.00 charged to prod. G4
• Oct. 15, 1927 - 45.00 charged to prod. G4 and G5 (Spook-Spoofing)
   It appears that Jean's salary was probably split 5/12 for G4 and 7/12 for G5. She also didn't appear in production G5.
• Oct. 22, 1927 - 45.00 charged to prod. G5
• Oct. 29, 1927 - 45.00 charged to prod. G5
• Nov. 5, 1927 - 45.00 charged to prod. G4 and G6 (Rainy Days)
   It appears that Jean's salary was probably split 1/3 for G4 and 2/3 for G6.
• Nov. 12, 1927 - 45.00 charged to prod. G6
• Nov. 19, 1927 - 45.00 charged to prod. G6
• Nov. 26, 1927 - 45.00 charged to prod. G6
• Dec. 3, 1927 - 45.00 charged to prod. G6
• Dec. 10, 1927 - 45.00 charged to prod. G6
• Dec. 17, 1927 - 45.00 charged to prod. G6 and G7 (Edison, Marconi & Co.)
   It appears that Jean's salary was probably split 5/6 for G6 and 1/6 for G7. It isn't clear whether or not Jean worked in production G7.
• Dec. 24, 1927 - 50.00 charged to prod. G6, G7 and G8 Barnum & Ringling, Inc.)
   It appears that Jean's salary was probably split 14/36 for G6, 11/36 for G7 and 11/36 for G8.
• Dec. 31, 1927 - 50.00 charged to prod. G6, G7 and G8
   It appears that Jean's salary was probably split 1/6 for G6, 1/6 for G7 and 4/6 for G8.

With the start of 1928, we can return to the payroll ledgers for a more accurate picture of Jean's history.

• Jan. 7, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G8
• Jan. 14, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G8
• Jan. 21, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G9 (Fair And Muddy)
• Jan. 28, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G9
• Feb. 4, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G9
• Feb. 11, 1928 - 50.00 - 33.33 charged to prod. G9, 16.67 charged to prod. G10 (Crazy House)
• Feb. 18, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G10
• Feb. 25, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G10
• Mar. 3, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G11 (Growing Pains)
• Mar. 10, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G11
• Mar. 17, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G11
• Mar. 24, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G11

The studio was closed during the spring, resulting in Jean not being paid for five weeks.

• May 5, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G12 (The Ol' Gray Hoss)
• May 12, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G12
• May 19, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G12
• May 26, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G12
• June 2, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G12
• June 9, 1928 - 50.00 - 25.00 charged to prod. G12, 25.00 charged to prod. G13 (School Begins)
• June 16, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G13
• June 23, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G13
• June 30, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G13
• July 7, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G14 (The Spanking Age)
• July 14, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G14
• July 21, 1928 - 50.00 - 25.00 charged to prod. G14, 25.00 charged to prod. G15 (Election Day)
• July 28, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G15
• Aug. 4, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G15
• Aug. 11, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G15
• Aug. 18, 1928 - 50.00 charged to Gang Tour
   Jean and her fellow Gangsters spent a couple of months on a personal appearance tour.
• Aug. 25, 1928 - 50.00 charged to Gang Tour
• Sep. 1, 1928 - 50.00 charged to Gang Tour
   The payroll ledger doesn't list Jean for this week, but the payroll summary and the studio datebook indicate that she still got paid.
• Sep. 8, 1928 - 50.00 charged to Gang Tour
• Sep. 15, 1928 - 50.00 charged to Gang Tour
• Sep. 22, 1928 - 50.00 charged to Gang Tour
• Sep. 29, 1928 - 50.00 charged to Gang Tour
• Oct. 6, 1928 - 50.00 charged to Gang Tour
• Oct. 13, 1928 - 50.00 charged to Gang Tour
• Oct. 20, 1928 - 50.00 charged to Gang Tour
• Oct. 27, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G16 (Noisy Noises)
• Nov. 3, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G16
• Nov. 10, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G16
• Nov. 17, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G16
• Nov. 24, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G17 (The Holy Terror)
• Dec. 1, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G17
• Dec. 8, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G18 (Wiggle Your Ears)
• Dec. 15, 1928 - 50.00 - 12.50 charged to prod. G18, 37.50 charged to prod. G19 (Fast Freight)
• Dec. 22, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G19
• Dec. 29, 1928 - 50.00 charged to prod. G19

For the weeks ending Jan. 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th, the studio was closed and Jean didn't receive her salary. When she returned, she had received a raise.

• Feb. 2, 1929 - 60.00 charged to prod. G20 (Little Mother)
• Feb. 9, 1929 - 60.00 charged to prod. G20
• Feb. 16, 1929 - 60.00 charged to prod. G20
• Feb. 23, 1929 - 60.00 charged to prod. G21 (Cat, Dog & Co.)
• Mar. 2, 1929 - 60.00 charged to prod. G21
• Mar. 9, 1929 - 60.00 charged to prod. G22 (Saturday's Lesson)
• Mar. 16, 1929 - 60.00 charged to prod. G22
• Mar. 23, 1929 - 60.00 charged to prod. G22
• Mar. 30, 1929 - 60.00 charged to prod. G23 (Small Talk)
• Apr. 6, 1929 - 60.00 charged to prod. G23
• Apr. 13, 1929 - 60.00 charged to prod. G23
• Apr. 20, 1929 - 60.00 - 20.00 charged to prod. G23, 40.00 charged to prod. G24 (Railroadin')
• Apr. 27, 1929 - 60.00 charged to prod. G24
• May 4, 1929 - 60.00 charged to prod. G24
• May 11, 1929 - 60.00 charged to prod. G24
• May 18, 1929 - 60.00 charged to prod. G25 (Boxing Gloves)
• May 25, 1929 - 60.00 charged to prod. G25
• June 1, 1929 - 25.00 charged to prod. G25
   During this interim between films, Jean received a lower salary.
• June 8, 1929 - 25.00 charged to prod. G25
• June 15, 1929 - 60.00 charged to prod. G26 (Lazy Days)
• June 22, 1929 - 60.00 charged to prod. G26
• June 29, 1929 - 60.00 charged to prod. G26
• July 6, 1929 - 25.00 - 16.67 charged to prod. G26, 8.33 charged to prod. G27 (Bouncing Babies)
   It's apparent that Jean didn't work on production G27 for very long, considering her lowered salary in 3 out of 4 weeks.
• July 13, 1929 - 60.00 charged to prod. G27
• July 20, 1929 - 25.00 charged to prod. G27
• July 27, 1929 - 25.00 charged to prod. G27

See anything that needs changing? Contact me at BtheW@aol.com.

© Robert Demoss and Matthew Lydick.

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