McFarland, George Robert Phillips

▪ 1994

      ("SPANKY"), U.S. actor (b. Oct. 2, 1928, Dallas, Texas—d. June 30, 1993, Grapevine, Texas), was the precocious rotund child star who voiced authority while portraying Spanky, the beanie-sporting leader of "Our Gang," a highly successful series of two-reel comedies featuring the antics of Spanky, Buckwheat, Stymie, Froggy, Butch, Alfalfa, and Petey the dog. McFarland started modeling when he was three and was starring in a Wonder Bread film advertisement when he was discovered by Hal Roach, who cast him to lead the gang. McFarland's career as Spanky lasted 11 years, and he also appeared in 14 feature-length films, notably General Spanky (1936), Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1936), and The Woman in the Window (1944), his last. When he realized that his advancing age had diminished his juvenile appeal, McFarland retired from films at the age of 16. The "Our Gang" series, which reached the height of its popularity in the 1930s, was later renamed "The Little Rascals" and shown on television. McFarland, who had worked as a salesman, as a spokesperson for Justin Boot Co., and as a restaurateur, gained renewed popularity with his now-grown fans. He made cameo appearances in the films Moonrunners (1975) and The Aurora Encounter (1986), and he appeared on television as a talk-show guest and on an episode of "Cheers" in April 1993.

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