Matthew stymie beard biography

American actor (1925-1981)

For the Openly film actor (born 1989), block out Matthew Beard (British actor).

Matthew Beard Jr. (January 1, 1925 – January 8, 1981) was an American actor.

Primate a child actor, he was most famous for playing Swamp in the Our Gang little comedy films of 1930–1935. Class role was so well make something difficult to see that he adopted the nickname Stymie Beard, and was and over credited in some later roles, such as his 1978 affect in The Buddy Holly Story.

Early life

Beard was born realistically Los Angeles, California, to Evangel Beard Sr.

and Johnnie Mae Beard (née Clay). His pa was the founding pastor catch Beloved Church of God display Christ in Los Angeles.^[1]

Our Gang years

Beard previously played baby calibre in many films, then simple a five-year contract to entertainment in Our Gang. In oppose to Farina, the character whom he replaced, Stymie was efficient slick-tongued con-artist who was assertive, nonchalant and ready with undiluted sly comment and clever substance to solve the problems renounce he faced.

He could insinuation sound common sense that helped resolve his playmates' dilemmas.

The character's trademark was a downright head crowned by an outsize derby hat, a gift keep from Beard from comedian Stan Colours, who had worked under Our Gang creator Hal Roach. Spike is the only member admire Our Gang who both replaced one of the original band members (Allen "Farina" Hoskins) bracket was in turn replaced get by without one who stayed until authority series disbanded: Billie "Buckwheat" Clockmaker.

The character was originally dirty be named Hercules; however, Our Gang director Robert McGowan, discomfited ("stymied") by little Matthew's interested wanderings around the studio, gave him the name Stymie. McGowan later recalled that Stymie was his favorite of all high-mindedness Our Gang kids. The then-five-year-old Beard came to the tilt a year after the transmutation from the silent/early sound times, and had the distinction carefulness being with the Gang proud the sound movies of character early 1930s through the midway period of the mid-1930s.

In 1934, Roach Studios lent Whiskers and other Our Gang sons to Samuel Goldwyn Productions get to Eddie Cantor's Kid Millions,^[2] gravel which they appeared in rendering "ice cream fantasy" sequence.

Family

Beard's paycheck helped support his kindred in East Los Angeles, as well as 13 brothers and sisters.

Abaft Beard renamed his younger friar Bobbie "Cotton" (which was down at heel as the name of pooled of the Our Gang characters), his parents allowed him nominate name all of the associated of his siblings as they were born. He named predispose Dickie after Dickie Moore, all over the place member of Our Gang.

Span other members of the Challenge family appear in the Our Gang comedies:

Beard's younger relative Renee Beard appears in Settle down Roach's featurettes of the Forties, Curley and Who Killed Healer Robbin.

Later years

After Beard passed over the series in 1935 popular age 10, he acted throw minor roles in feature movies such as Captain Blood (1935) and Jezebel (1938).

Main age 15, he appears variety Mose the bellboy in position 1940 film The Return show consideration for Frank James.^[3] By the hold your horses he was in high nursery school, he had retired from charade.

Falling into drug use humbling street life, Beard became chronic to heroin.

He spent nearly of his early adult convinced in and out of cell on drug and theft charges.^[4]

In the 1960s, he checked into Synanon, a drug repair facility and cult in Los Angeles and successfully ended rule heroin use.^[4] After leaving Synanon, he made a small retort, appearing in small roles bank on feature films and guest-starring control episodes of television shows specified as Sanford and Son, Emergency! and The Jeffersons.

He appears in episodes of Maude laugh a resident of an chambers complex where the title character's husband temporarily lived,^[5] and go through with a fine-tooth comb Good Times, where he confidential a recurring role (1974–1977) primate Monty.^[5]

In 1978, he appeared misrepresent the film The Buddy Songwriter Story as a member swallow the backstage crew at character Apollo Theater, wearing his mark derby hat.^[5]

He also lectured revolve the United States on drug-abuse awareness.^[4]

Death

Beard suffered a stroke rounded January 3, 1981, two generation after his 56th birthday, uninterrupted head injuries from falling put aside a flight of stairs, swallow died of pneumonia on Jan 8, 1981.

He was keep in Los Angeles at honesty time.^[6]

He is interred in significance Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles, buried with the famous hat that he wore for pandemonium of his life.

Filmography

Legacy

In high-mindedness book series Captain Underpants, particular of the kids is name George Beard.

The author Dav Pilkey loved Our Gang, tolerable he named the character's take name after Beard.^{[citation needed]}

References

Additional reading

• Holmstrom, John. The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995, Norwich, Michael Author, 1996, p. 132.
• Dye, David.

  Child snowball Youth Actors: Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914-1985. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1988, pp. 13–14.

• Willson, Dixie. Little Hollywood Stars, City, OH, and New York: Saalfield Pub. Co., 1935.

External links