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Post by myhomeo on Dec 26, 2015 13:11:35 GMT -5
Probably most of you have already heard this. I just found out about it.
For years, I've believed the story little George MacFarland got the name Spanky from his mother warning him what he'd get if he misbehaved on the set. However, I've just discovered an alternative story which suggests 'Spanky' was an, even at the time, archaic slang term for a bright, precocious kid.
So, opinions one way or another?
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Post by mtw12055 on Dec 26, 2015 19:20:11 GMT -5
Don't know about Spanky, but I really want to know how the "Bonedust" nickname came about. Ditto for "Breezy Brisbane" (though I'm pretty sure those were actually intended to be two separate character names).
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Post by tboneator64 on Dec 26, 2015 23:21:38 GMT -5
Probably most of you have already heard this. I just found out about it. For years, I've believed the story little George MacFarland got the name Spanky from his mother warning him what he'd get if he misbehaved on the set. However, I've just discovered an alternative story which suggests 'Spanky' was an, even at the time, archaic slang term for a bright, precocious kid. So, opinions one way or another? According to babynamespedia.com, the meaning of the name Spanky is 'one who is outspoken or stubborn'. Just for fun, i also looked up Bonedust, which are ground or pulverized bones, used as a fertilizer. Bobby "Bonedust" Young's unique "Answers" Book in SCHOOL'S OUT (1930) springs to mind! CHEERS! |
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Post by wheezer on Dec 27, 2015 22:07:38 GMT -5
"McFarland's nickname "Spanky" is erroneously said to have arisen from warnings by his mother not to misbehave during one of the initial discussions with Hal Roach in his office. As the story goes, he had a habit of reaching out and grabbing things, and on doing so his mother Virginia would say, "Spanky, spanky, mustn't touch!" While this story has considerable folksy appeal, Spanky himself refuted the tale, saying that the name was given by a Los Angeles newspaper reporter. Use of the "Spanky" name by McFarland for subsequent business or personal activities was expressly granted to McFarland in one of his studio contracts. In later years some in his family would affectionately refer to him as "Spank." Copied from an ebay listing, which may not be the most accurate, but does give some insight.
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Post by mtw12055 on Dec 27, 2015 23:21:56 GMT -5
Let's see how many nickname origins we know -
"Sunshine Sammy" came from the fact that Ernie Morrison was such a happy, smiling kid. That, and unlike the kid hired for a certain film role before him, Ernie was cooperative and never cried once.
"Farina" apparently came about because a studio executive felt that Allen Hoskins was chubby and agreeable as the same-named breakfast mush. Bill Thomas evidently got the "Buckwheat" nickname because he reminded the Roach staff of Al Hoskins.
Eugene Jackson was named "Pineapple" because of his crazy afro resembling the top of the same-named fruit.
While never actually called this on camera, Dorothy DeBorba's "Echo" nickname (and character) stemmed from the fact that she had all of her costars' dialogue memorized, and was prone to repeating them.
Matthew Beard apparently became "Stymie" because he tended to be in the way of things, particularly whenever shots were being set up. Bob McGowan said something to the effect of, "I love this kid, but he leaves me stymied."
The nicknames given to the chubbier Rascals (Norman Chaney, Eugene Lee, Harold Wertz, etc.) are pretty obvious. Ditto for Billy Laughlin, and I guess Tommy Bond. "Woim" is evidently a Brooklynesque way of saying "Worm." Some later adaptations of the Rascals would refer to Sid Kibrick's character as "Worm."
A press item said that there was originally a debate over whether to call Carl Switzer "Alfalfa" or "Hayseed" (both names being references to Switzer being a farm boy). Spanky McFarland overheard the debate, and mentioned liking the name "Alfalfa." Given that this was a press item, it's very likely made up.
Darla's real name was actually "Dorla." A studio executive misspelled it, and it stuck.
I wonder if "Waldo" was a reference to Ralph Waldo Emerson.
I don't know what Bobby Young had to do with crushed bones. I remember his "Bonedust" character was always either not very bright, or incredibly clumsy, always finding himself in some sort of phsyical comedy trouble (losing his pants, burning his rear end, getting water dumped on him).
Nor do I know what Kendall McComas had to do with Australia. Both "Bonedust" and "Brisbane" sound very much like H.M. Walker nicknames. Walker always came up with strange character names. In the earliest shorts, he used "Booker T. Bacon" and "Roosevelt Pershing Smith," among others.
Then there were the nicknames for the lesser-known kids - "Muggsy," "Powder-Puff," "Pleurisy," "Cotton," "Marmalade," "Sing Joy," "Big Shot," "Happy," "Coolidge and Tunney," "Tisket and Tasket..."
Muggsy sounds like the nickname a Brooklyn-born guy would have. Shirley Coates' character certainly wasn't that, but she was depicted as the not-so-pretty type.
Powder-Puff could be an off-color (no pun intended) joke referring to the kid's skin color. Sing Joy was also likely meant to be on the racial humor side.
Funny that Mickey Laughlin was called "Happy." Most of the time, he looked anything but.
Of course, "Coolidge" was a US President, and "Tunney" a heavyweight champ. "Tisket" and "Tasket" has to be a reference to the old nursery rhyme, which was being made more famous by Ella Fitzgerald at the time.
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Post by wheezer on Dec 27, 2015 23:51:05 GMT -5
Darla's real name was actually "Dorla." A studio executive misspelled it, and it stuck. To be honest, I find it really interesting that her name was misspelled on her contract, and then just stuck like that. |
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Post by tboneator64 on Dec 28, 2015 11:12:48 GMT -5
Darla's real name was actually "Dorla." A studio executive misspelled it, and it stuck. To be honest, I find it really interesting that her name was misspelled on her contract, and then just stuck like that. This reminds me of something I read a number of years ago about Buddy Holly, the 1950's Rock & Roll performer. His surname, which was actually spelled "Holley", was misspelled "Holly" on his first recording contract. My guess is, in both above instances, it was decided that rather than try and correct an error that would more than likely just get repeated anyway, it would be easier to just leave the name spellings, as is. Both "Darla" and "Holly" also appear aesthetically more pleasing! On the other hand, "Pleurisy" had to be just about the worst nickname to spring from the long running 'Our Gang' series, if not among the worst in all of cinema! In my opinion, file that one under the "What in the hell we're they thinking?" department! CHEERS!  |
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Post by mtw12055 on Jan 4, 2016 19:18:15 GMT -5
On the other hand, "Pleurisy" had to be just about the worst nickname to spring from the long running 'Our Gang' series, if not among the worst in all of cinema! In my opinion, file that one under the "What in the hell we're they thinking?" department! Aw, that's nothin'! You ought to hear some of the names the producers of the rival 'Our Gang' series came up with. 'The McDougall Alley Kids' had a Joe Cobb-knock-off named "Tiny Tim" and a wannabe "Farina" named "Oatmeal" (!) They also had an Asian kid named "Free Gin" (I'm guessing that's a Prohibition joke). But my personal favorite is from First Natinoal's short-lived 'Hey Fellas!' series. "Jingo Jones" was the series' answer to "Farina." In one of the shorts ("Fireflies"), Jingo's full name is revealed to be "Birmingham Washington Wilkes Booth Lincoln!" |
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Post by tboneator64 on Jan 5, 2016 3:13:23 GMT -5
On the other hand, "Pleurisy" had to be just about the worst nickname to spring from the long running 'Our Gang' series, if not among the worst in all of cinema! In my opinion, file that one under the "What in the hell we're they thinking?" department! Aw, that's nothin'! You ought to hear some of the names the producers of the rival 'Our Gang' series came up with. 'The McDougall Alley Kids' had a Joe Cobb-knock-off named "Tiny Tim" and a wannabe "Farina" named "Oatmeal" (!) They also had an Asian kid named "Free Gin" (I'm guessing that's a Prohibition joke). But my personal favorite is from First Natinoal's short-lived 'Hey Fellas!' series. "Jingo Jones" was the series' answer to "Farina." In one of the shorts ("Fireflies"), Jingo's full name is revealed to be "Birmingham Washington Wilkes Booth Lincoln!" It's simply my opinion that being named after a disease trumps just about all else! Then of course, there's the dog in the final produced 'Our Gang' MGM short TALE OF A DOG, that was named "Smallpox"! |
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Post by mtw12055 on Jan 5, 2016 19:12:55 GMT -5
It's simply my opinion that being named after a disease trumps just about all else! Then of course, there's the dog in the final produced 'Our Gang' MGM short TALE OF A DOG, that was named "Smallpox"! You know, I vaguely remember a character in one of the rival series having "Eczema" as part of their name. I'll have to dig through my collection of 'Our Gang' knock-offs. And yes, for some strange reason I do have a collection of 'Our Gang' knock-offs. |
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Post by tboneator64 on Jan 6, 2016 3:32:54 GMT -5
It's simply my opinion that being named after a disease trumps just about all else! Then of course, there's the dog in the final produced 'Our Gang' MGM short TALE OF A DOG, that was named "Smallpox"! You know, I vaguely remember a character in one of the rival series having "Eczema" as part of their name. I'll have to dig through my collection of 'Our Gang' knock-offs. And yes, for some strange reason I do have a collection of 'Our Gang' knock-offs. I wonder whether between all of the "Kids" series, there were enough of them named after diseases to make up an entire gang? If so, perhaps they could have been called the "ILL GANG"?  CHEERS! |
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Post by farina on Jan 9, 2016 4:08:01 GMT -5
You know, I vaguely remember a character in one of the rival series having "Eczema" as part of their name. I'll have to dig through my collection of 'Our Gang' knock-offs. And yes, for some strange reason I do have a collection of 'Our Gang' knock-offs. I wonder whether between all of the "Kids" series, there were enough of them named after diseases to make up an entire gang? If so, perhaps they could have been called the "ILL GANG"? CHEERS! What a horrible name for a kid character to have. Next thing you know we'll hear of one named Emphysema, |
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Post by tboneator64 on Jan 9, 2016 7:17:59 GMT -5
I wonder whether between all of the "Kids" series, there were enough of them named after diseases to make up an entire gang? If so, perhaps they could have been called the "ILL GANG"? CHEERS! What a horrible name for a kid character to have. Next thing you know we'll hear of one named Emphysema, I think Emphysema appeared in OLYMPIC GAMES! The above is actually not true, and I agree that Eczema and nicknames of that ilk are just plain terrible! There's funny sounding names, but some of these were just in really bad taste, in my opinion!  |
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Post by mtw12055 on Jan 9, 2016 14:41:34 GMT -5
Interestingly, there was an entire Our Gang short dedicated to this topic - the MGM-era "Tale of a Dog," where Mickey, Froggy, and Janet stupidly believe that Buckwheat and Big Shot have Smallpox.
"My, oh my! That sure is good news!"
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Post by tboneator64 on Jan 9, 2016 15:09:58 GMT -5
Interestingly, there was an entire Our Gang short dedicated to this topic - the MGM-era "Tale of a Dog," where Mickey, Froggy, and Janet stupidly believe that Buckwheat and Big Shot have Smallpox. "My, oh my! That sure is good news!" At least in that instance, it was amply (If not comedically!) demonstrated why naming anyone (Or any animal!) after a disease is never a good idea! Despite the dreariness level of the series by this time, I'd have liked for it to continue until the end of the Second World War, if purely for historical reasons! I honestly feel the awareness that Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas would've likely had to be replaced for the 1944-45 cinematic season, might have been a slight additional factor in the termination of the 'Our Gang' series! CHEERS! |
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