Spanky Escaped The Curse
When his mother answered an ad looking for cute kids, George Robert Phillips McFarland started his acting career. Before that, he was modeling for kids’ clothing for a department store in Dallas and had appeared on Wonder Bread billboards. He was named “Spanky” because he was constantly being scolded by his mother for grabbing things. “Spanky, don’t touch,” she would say. When the show came to an end, George had trouble finding work in the show business. He joined the Air Force and served for many years. Eventually, he became a successful businessman in Dallas. He’s one of the few cast members who passed away from natural causes. He died of a heart attack in 1993 at the age of 64.
Spanky Escaped The Curse
Billie ‘Buckwheat’ Thomas Died
While his death was relatively natural, he died fairly young. Thomas appeared as a background character in Our Gang in 1934. His very first appearance as Buckwheat had him dressed as a female character. He ended up staying on the show for a solid decade, having one of the longest tenures of any of Our Gang actors. After he left the show, Thomas joined the army before making his way back to show business. During that time, most of his work was done off-camera as a lab and film technician. He died of a heart attack in his L.A. apartment in 1980 at age 49.
Billie ‘Buckwheat’ Thomas Died
