The Our Gang Curse: Tragic Deaths of the Little Rascals

Curses. Nothing strikes our curiosity more than when tragedy strikes several people who all have a common connection. Soon we speculate as to the reason why such a dark cloud descended upon them.  Is it karma? Is it a curse?

Curses that surface from the entertainment industry are much more common, simply because the public is engulfed in entertainment every day. One “curse” that is particularly disturbing is that of Hal Roach’s Our Gang series. Personally, I remember watching the show as a child and I enjoy them just as much as an adult. The talent of the young actors of that time made the Our Gang series fiercely popular which resulted in 221 films that were made in a span of 22 years from 1922-1944.

Throughout that time, 176 children starred in the series. Some actors, such as Spanky, Alfalfa, and Darla became the cornerstones of the series, while many other characters came and went. Banking on the popularity of Our Gang, many thought their careers would flourish, and, as many child actors realize, breaking into films as an adult, is much more difficult.

These are the stories of some of the actors of the Our Gang series and their unfortunate ends that have led many to call it The Our Gang Curse.

Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer

Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer – Switzer found bit parts as an adult actor which included the movie It’s a Wonderful Life. Failing to make any substantial money as an adult actor, Switzer took many odd jobs to make a living such as a bartender, dog trainer, and hunting guide. Switzer was shot and killed at the age of 31 while involved in a fight with his business partner over $50. His death was ruled justifiable homicide because his partner acted in self defense.

Harold Switzer

Harold Switzer – Harold is Carl’s older brother and also appeared in the Our Gang series. He committed suicide in April 1967 after murdering his girlfriend.

William "Buckwheat" Thomas

William “Buckwheat” Thomas – Thomas became a film technician for Technicolor Corporation. A neighbor, concerned when he didn’t see Thomas for several days, entered his home and found him dead. Thomas died of a heart attack at the young age of 49.

Robert "Wheezer" Hitchens

Robert “Wheezer” Hitchens – Hitchens became a cadet in the Army Air Corps. A few days shy of his 20^th birthday, he crashed while landing his plane during a training exercise and was killed.

Matthew "Stymie" Beard

Matthew “Stymie” Beard- Beard dropped out of high school and soon found himself in and out of prison for the next several years. Beard wrestled with a heroin addiction for 20 years and reportedly became clean in the 1970’s. Developing pneumonia following a stroke claimed his life in 1981 at the age of 56.

Darla Hood

Darla Hood – Hood contracted acute hepatitis during minor surgery. She died suddenly of heart failure due to the hepatitis in 1979 at the age of 47.

Norman "Chubby" Chaney

Norman “Chubby” Chaney – Chaney suffered from a glandular problem that resulted in him gaining more than 300 pounds by the age of 17. He underwent surgery that corrected the problem and brought his weight down to approximately 130 pounds. The surgery proved to be too late. Chaney never regained his health and died in 1936 at 18 years of age.

Scotty Beckett

Scotty Beckett –A history of violence, drug and alcohol abuse, trouble with the law, and two failed marriages plagued Beckett’s adult life. He checked himself into a Hollywood nursing home in 1968 when  an unknown person or persons physically assaulted him. Beckett died two days later. A suicide note and an empty bottle of pills were found by investigators, but the coroner never stated whether it was the beating or the pills that ended his life. He was only 38 years old.

William "Froggy" Laughlin

William “Froggy” Laughlin – Laughlin’s life ended at the tender age of 16 when a truck struck the back of his motor scooter while he was delivering newspapers.

Richard "Mickey" Daniels

Richard “Mickey” Daniels – Daniels, estranged from his wife and children, died alone at the age of 55 in a San Diego hotel room in 1970 of cirrhosis of the liver. At the time of this death, Daniels was labeled a John Doe due to lack of identification. His family identified his remains 21 years later and Daniels is now buried in an unmarked grave.

Bobby Blake

Bobby Blake (Mickey Gubitosi) – Blake may be best known for starring in the 70s show Barretta as an adult. Blake found trouble when he met Bonnie Lee Bakely in the 1990s. Bakely, an alleged con artist, wanted to have a child with a famous actor and apparently hooked Blake. Bakely gave birth to their daughter in 2000 and five months later Blake and Bakley married. A year later, on May 4, 2001, after having dinner at a restaurant, Bakely was shot and killed while waiting for Blake in their car. Blake, arrested for the murder, was found not guilty in March 2005. Many believe Blake got away with murder. He says, because of his legal trouble, he is now destitute.

Robert "Bonedust" Young

Robert “Bonedust” Young – In 1951, Young fell asleep in bed while smoking a cigarette which led to the fire that claimed his life. Young was 33.

Jay "Pinky" Smith

Jay “Pinky” Smith – Smith bought a paint store upon returning home from serving in World War II and was able to retire to the islands of Hawaii. Smith soon found his way to Las Vegas and befriended a homeless man. In 2002, at the age of 87, Smith’s body was found in the desert outside Las Vegas. The homeless man stabbed Smith to death and then dumped his body.

Dorothy Dandrige

Dorothy Dandridge – Dandridge starred in the “Teacher’s Pet” episode of Our Gang. She went on to become a famous actress and singer, but she cut her life short in 1965, when she committed suicide by overdosing on drugs. Her death came after losing all of her money in a phony investment scheme.

Kendell "Breezy Brisbane" McComas

Kendell “Breezy Brisbane” McComas- McComas became an electrical engineer and worked at the U.S. Naval Weapons Center in China Lake California. He committed suicide in 1981 at the age of 64, two weeks before being forced into retirement.

Darwood "Waldo" Kaye

Darwood “Waldo” Kaye – Kaye, a Pastor, died in 2002 at the age of 72 when he was struck and killed while walking on a sidewalk.

Pete the Pup

Pete the Pup – An unknown assailant poisoned the first dog that played Pete in 1930.

Several other Our Gang cast members lost the fight to cancer:

Johnny Downs – Age 81

Mary Kornman – Age 58

Jackie Condon – Age 59

Harry Spear – Age 84

Allen “Farina” Hoskins – Age 59

Many Our Gang cast members were never touched by the “curse” and others passed away of natural causes. Whether their demise resulted from their own hand, their bad choices, forces beyond their control, or their carelessness, it is unsettling that a group of children who brought so much joy to so many, had such tragic events touch their lives.

Do you believe in the Our Gang Curse?

Kerri L. Schultz

On this Day - Devon's Devil Footprints

The hillsides of Devon, England are the playground of the Devil, or so some people believe. February 8 , 1855, citizen’s awoke to find single tracks of cloven hooves decorating the hillsides newly fallen snow. Panic arose in the town quickly when the tracks couldn’t be identified. They weren’t simply spanning across fields, hoof prints were found on houses, roofs, haystacks and other odd places where it would be almost impossible for a hoofed animal to walk on.

The tracks spanned almost 100 miles and were reported as being 4 inches long, 3 inches across and 8 to 16 inches. Rumors of sightings of a devil-like figure roaming around the area fueled the panic that among Devon’s inhabitants. People found comfort in arming themselves, and groups hunted the creature with no success.

Ironic and Unusual Physical Deaths

Prior to incarnating on earth, it is believed that our soul creates a contract detailing what lessons we will focus on learning while on the physical plane. These contracts also include contracts with other people, geographic location, who will be our family, etc. Built into this contract, of course, is free will, and it is believed that in each contract we build in 5 exit points or events where we can choose to leave our physical bodies and cross over to the other side. I do believe this concept, however, I personally also believe the God’s will also plays a part.

Jamaican Boy's Haunting Caught on Tape?

This story was originally reported in 2010, but it is nevertheless, startling and intriguing. An 11 year old Jamaican boy was being tormented by ghost or a Duppy as it is called in Jamaica and some disturbances were caught on video. Unlike some videos claiming paranormal activity that typically appear on a television show, this video was actually reported by the area’s local news.

The boy is claiming that he is being tormented by a classmate who passed away. Some are claiming that it is an evil spirit or even djinn that may be responsible. Viewing the news footage, as you can see below, it is quite unsettling what is happening to the boy. In one portion of the video, the young man is sitting on a chair being interviewed by the news crew when the chair suddenly is pulled back. The open doorway behind the chair makes this event questionable. Is it possible that something was rigged behind him?

Stigmata: A Blessing or Sign of Mental Illness

All of us are in search of authentic proof that life continues after death and that ghosts, spirits, and angels, to name a few, actually exist. Religions of the world teach that we must have faith and believe that we continue once our physical body dies. The Catholic faith also teaches us to have this faith; however, there is a phenomenon that occurs for a rare few that brings the mystical into reality. This condition is known as the stigmata.

The stigmata is the appearance of the wounds that Jesus suffered during his passion of the cross. Jesus’ was nailed to the cross when he was crucified and it created a hole in both hands and both feet. Another wound was created in his side when a soldier pierced his to see if he was still alive. Those who claim to have the stigmata, have these same wounds Jesus suffered and for extended periods of time. Stigmata wounds never heal and are often reported to smell of a sweet fragrance. Accompanying this condition is the ability to go long periods of time with little or now food or water. It is taught in the Catholic faith that the stigmata is a blessing bestowed on the most holy and devout.

St. Francis of Assisi was the first Catholic saint that is reported to have had the stigmata. Several other saints have also had the stigmata, but St. Padre Pio is the most recent saint to exhibit the wounds. St. Padre Pio, was a miraculous healer and exhibited the stigmata for fifty years until his death in 1968. Both St. Francis and St. Padre Pio were subjected to tests and observation to validate their authenticity.

St. Padre Pio

Modern scientific research on the phenomenon believes that the stigmata was not mystical at all, but a result of possible dissociative identity disorders. These types of disorders have a link between self starvation, dissociative mental states, and self mutilation.

It’s very possible the stigmata was the result of nothing more than mental disorder. But to countless Catholics, it is physical proof that life not only exists after this world, but that the Divine is truly working within our reality.

Kerri L. Schultz

Evangeline Adams ~Astrologer Who Proved Her Powers in Court

Every once and a while the same headline will creeps into the news “Challenge to any Psychic to Prove their Powers.” The first such challenge was actually made by Harry Houdini in 1925 who offered any psychic $50,000 dollars to prove their powers under test conditions. Following his death, his wife offered $10,000 to any psychic or layperson who could make contact with Harry. Neither prize was collected.

Incorruptibility – Divine Souls that Don’t Decompose

St. Bernadette

Incorruptibility is a belief of the Roman Catholic Church that God intervenes to keep the bodies of those humans who are deemed saints from decomposing. The criteria for being recognized as a saint are three miracles. The miracles would be reported by a person who prayed to the would be saint and asked them to intercede on their behalf. One of these miracles included incorruptibility, but that is no longer the case. The Roman Catholic Church still recognizes, however, a corpse that does not decompose is a divine act of God.

Toys "R" Us Toy Demonstrations by a Ghost

Many believe that only buildings can be haunted and that the likely cause is a person’s death on the premises. There are a great percentage of hauntings that can be categorized under these circumstances, but it is also possible that a person can be attached to the land. This leads us to the unfortunate and heartbreaking story of Johnny Johnson.

Johnny Johnson (or Yonny Yohanson) was a young Scandinavian immigrant who was studying for the ministry in the late 1800s. One summer he took a job working on the farm of wealthy landowner Martin Murphy, Jr. in Sunnyvale California. It is said that at some point during his employment with Murphy he contracted encephalitis, which caused brain damage. Johnson never completed his ministry study and stayed on as a hired hand due to his mental impairment.

Their Final Words

Have you ever thought what would be your last words if you knew you were dying? A person’s last actions and words before leaving their physical body have often intrigued me, as it gives a small window into their final thoughts. Here are some interesting and unusual last words:

P.T. Barnum, circus entrepreneur

“How were the receipts today at Madison Square Garden?

L. Frank Baum 

“Now I can cross the Shifting Sands.”

The Shifting Sands is a desert surrounding the Land of Oz in his book The Wizard of Oz.

Todd Beamer, passenger on United Flight 93, September 11, 2001

“Are you guys ready? Let’s roll.” 

Last recorded words from his cell phone as he and other passengers stormed the cockpit to retake the plane from hijackers. The plane crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

John Belushi – comedian

“Just don’t leave me alone.”

Charlie Chaplin, comedian

“Why not? It belongs to him.” 

In response to a priest  reading him the last rites and saying “may the Lord have mercy on your soul.”

Joan Crawford, actress

“Dammit…Don’t you dare ask God to help me.”

Said to housekeeper who was praying aloud.

Bing Crosby, singer and actor

“That was a great game of golf, fellers.”

Said after playing 18 holes of golf. His doctor previously advised him to only play 9. 20 minutes after ending the game, Crosby died of a heart attack.

Joe DiMaggio, baseball player, former husband of Marilyn Monroe 

“I’ll finally get to see Marilyn.”

Chris Farley, comedian

“Please don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me.” 

Said to a prostitute who spent the weekend with him.

Thomas J. Grasso, convicted murderer

“I did not get my Spaghetti-O’s, I got spaghetti. I want the press to know this.”

Executed by lethal injection in Oklahoma

Bob Hope, actor 

“Surprise me.”

Response to his wife who asked where he wanted to be buried.

Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter 

“Don’t worry, they usually don’t swim backwards.”

Said as he was swimming with the Stingrays in the Great Barrier Reef. One did swim backward and pierced his chest with its tail. He died of blood loss.

Frida Kahlo, artist

“I hope the exit is joyful and hope never to return.”

Chris McCandless, American wanderer

“I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!” 

Written on the back of his book Education of a Wandering man. McCandless died of starvation in the Alaskan wilderness. 

Vic Morrow, actor

“I should have asked for a stunt double.”

Spoken on the set of Twilight Zone the movie before filming a dangerous scene with a helicopter. The helicopter lost control, crashed, and decapitated Morrow and killed two child actors.

Elvis Presley, singer

“Okay, I won’t.”

Response to his fiancée Ginger Alden when she told him not to fall asleep in the bathroom.

Eleanor Roosevelt, former first lady 

“Utter Nonsense.”

Response to nurse who told her she would die when the reason God put her on this earth was fulfilled.

Edward H. Ruloff, convicted murderer

“I’d like to be in hell in time for dinner.”

Jimmy Stewart, actor

“I’m going to be with Gloria now.”

Spoken about his late wife.

Timothy Treadwell, bear mauling victim

“Get out of here. I’m getting killed.”

Said to his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard as he was being mauled to death by a bear. Huguenard was also killed.

Kerri L. Schultz