Post by wheezer on Apr 9, 2016 10:45:22 GMT -5
I'm a big fan of Wheezer. There's really no surprise there. However, it doesn't take a supreme fan of Our Gang to understand that little Wheezer's life was practically shrouded in mystery from the other kids.
Robert E. Hutchins was born March 29th, 1925, in Tacoma, Washington. He was born to James Hutchins and Olga (Constance) Roe/Hutchins. Ancestry says that his mother was named Constance O. (Olga, I'm assuming) Roe. James Arthur Hutchins worked as an artist's manager, according to the 1930 United States Federal Census. According to the Tacoma's Little Rascal article that has had various errors, James worked as a grocer before he relocated.
I can't find any information on how he became a part of the Our Gang cast in 1927, but let's just understand the fact that he got there, somehow. He got the nickname Wheezer because of how much running around he did on set, which left him out of breath, and so he'd wheeze until he got it back. If I'm wrong, phooey. Let me know.
Jackie Cooper recalls, "You'd go to play with Wheezer, and his father would pull him away, very competitive. I didn't get a satisfactory answer from my mother or grandmother as to why, but he was to be left alone. I guess his father was trying to make him a star or something. Obviously it never happened as it did for Spanky or some of the other kids."
While I cannot verify this information, I believe this falls under the same truth as another member of this forum posted on a previous thread. Quoted from an anonymous user on datalounge.
"The kids who worked with Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins on The Little Rascals set at Hal Roach Studios knew there was something different and wrong about the way he was being raised. His watchful father prevented him from talking to the other kids off camera.
Bobby's father had a plan to keep the child star small and employable by underfeeding him. He didn't want Bobby and his siblings to learn that normal kids got a lot more to eat than they did. NO one ever attempted to intervene on the children's behalf.
What made it worse was that the plan backfired. Although he was incredibly photogenic and he delivered some fine moments on screen, "Wheezer" was not a particularly resourceful child actor. His natural charm sustained his career as the kid brother from ages two to five. But by age six and seven when he grew to leading boy status, he looked and acted like the slow-witted, malnourished child he was.
Stronger and sharper boys his age were given the better parts while Wheezer spent the last year of his contract standing in the background with little to do. He made one non-Rascals short at age eight and his film career ended. He died at age twenty in 1945 crashing his fighter plane in the last half hour of basic training.
Bobby Hutchins' abuse was the sort that Christina Crawford claimed was rife in Hollywood. Average society considered it intrusive to question other people's parental methods in those days. People in Hollywood who raised kids as actors or PR props could get away with all sorts of abuse. The code of silence was strict with real reason."
Should this be true, it's very unfortunate, but at least it did get better. When Wheezer out-grew the series, his mother and father divorced, and he, along with his brother James, moved back to Washington with his mother. According to the 1940 United States Federal Census, their household contained Rangdi Roe -- who was the mother of Constance -- Russell L. Hagerson, Constance O. Hagerson, Robert E. Hutchins, and James R. Hutchins. Their ages were 76, 41 37, 15, and 9, respectively.
According to the census, Wheezer only completed up to eighth grade. That contrasts information I've read -- such as the information listed on Wheezer's findagrave, which says that after completing high school, he enrolled to become an aviation cadet in 1943 -- however, I'm not having much luck on confirming one side or another. Currently, the militaryspot website states that you must either be in high school, or have a high school diploma, or a GED. Should the eighth grade information be true, then he would be only in elementary school, and should the quoted information about Wheezer being slow-witted and malnourished be true, then I really doubt he would have been smart enough to pass GED tests. Maybe I'm just leading myself astray with all of this. It's very much so a possibility that the requirements were different, back then. I haven't been able to find anything, though. Wikipedia also has it listed that he completed high school, however it's unsourced. The census says he did home housework, meanwhile James (Dickie) was in school. Something in my brain tells me to trust the census more than an unsourced Wikipedia article. If he was fifteen, of course he hadn't finished high school, yet! I really must've exhausted myself finding all this information.
Regardless of how he became one, Wheezer did become an air cadet, and perished in Merced, California, May 17th, 1945. Quoted from the California Death Index:
"He was killed in a mid-air collision while trying to land a North American AT-6D-NT Texan, of the 3026th Base Unit, when it struck an AT-6C-15-NT Texan, 42-49068, of the same unit, at Merced Army Air Field Base in California."
The Modesto Bee stated that the other pilot received only minor damage, and landed safely. Wikipedia has Edward F. Hamel listed as the other pilot, but it is unsourced.
Quoted from user tonym:
"Robert Weezer Hutchins never served overseas and never won a medal for heroism. The floral arrangement on the left in the photo depicts the Army Air Corps Wings and Propeller device that is worn on the uniform. The floral arrangement on the right depicts the Army Air Corps insignia. These floral arrangements DO NOT represent military decorations. The photo caption is in serious error. Cadet Hutchins--he achieved no rank higher than Aviation Cadet--was killed in a mid-air collision while training to become an rated Army Air Forces pilot. He was in the final phase of AAF flight training and was flying a North American AT-6D airplane. I have the official accident report and I wrote about the accident in Volume III of my book FATAL ARMY AIR FORCES AVIATION ACCIDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES 1941-1945. The reason that Weezer was the only one killed is because he was the only guy in his airplane. The other airplane landed safely. The accident, which occurred on 17 May 1945, was Weezer's fault."
Quoted from Wheezer's findagrave:
"Remembering Wheezer in 1990, "Our Gang" producer Hal Roach remarked, 'That was a kid with great charm, and wide appeal'."
All this information, and I haven't a clue what his middle name was.
So, here is my attempt to piece together more parts of Wheezer's life. There's still a lot more information to be found, sourced, and so on, but I believe this to be a good start. Also, photos.
On the end is Wheezer and his father. Seeing this now, after all that I've written, makes me squirm.
Wheezer's funeral. Thanks to rhapsody for tracking down this photo, alongside the Tacoma public library for hosting it.
The (slightly unsettling) photo of Wheezer as a young man.
Though supposedly the photo caption is incorrect, this very well could answer my questions about how little Robert Hutchins found his way to Our Gang. Some other parts are incorrect, as well. Wheezer appeared in 58(?) films, and he lived in Brookdale, Pierce, Washington. Parkdale is in Pierce County, but I don't know much about specific American Geography. I feel like the series wasn't called "Spanky and Our Gang", either.
The 22nd marks James A., and beneath him is Constance O., and Robert E. This is the 1930 census.
Wheezer's household starts at 24.
The Modesto Bee article that listed Wheezer's accident. Merced Aviation Cadet Is Killed In Crash is what you're looking for, if you're unable to find it.
Robert E. Hutchins was born March 29th, 1925, in Tacoma, Washington. He was born to James Hutchins and Olga (Constance) Roe/Hutchins. Ancestry says that his mother was named Constance O. (Olga, I'm assuming) Roe. James Arthur Hutchins worked as an artist's manager, according to the 1930 United States Federal Census. According to the Tacoma's Little Rascal article that has had various errors, James worked as a grocer before he relocated.
I can't find any information on how he became a part of the Our Gang cast in 1927, but let's just understand the fact that he got there, somehow. He got the nickname Wheezer because of how much running around he did on set, which left him out of breath, and so he'd wheeze until he got it back. If I'm wrong, phooey. Let me know.
Jackie Cooper recalls, "You'd go to play with Wheezer, and his father would pull him away, very competitive. I didn't get a satisfactory answer from my mother or grandmother as to why, but he was to be left alone. I guess his father was trying to make him a star or something. Obviously it never happened as it did for Spanky or some of the other kids."
While I cannot verify this information, I believe this falls under the same truth as another member of this forum posted on a previous thread. Quoted from an anonymous user on datalounge.
"The kids who worked with Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins on The Little Rascals set at Hal Roach Studios knew there was something different and wrong about the way he was being raised. His watchful father prevented him from talking to the other kids off camera.
Bobby's father had a plan to keep the child star small and employable by underfeeding him. He didn't want Bobby and his siblings to learn that normal kids got a lot more to eat than they did. NO one ever attempted to intervene on the children's behalf.
What made it worse was that the plan backfired. Although he was incredibly photogenic and he delivered some fine moments on screen, "Wheezer" was not a particularly resourceful child actor. His natural charm sustained his career as the kid brother from ages two to five. But by age six and seven when he grew to leading boy status, he looked and acted like the slow-witted, malnourished child he was.
Stronger and sharper boys his age were given the better parts while Wheezer spent the last year of his contract standing in the background with little to do. He made one non-Rascals short at age eight and his film career ended. He died at age twenty in 1945 crashing his fighter plane in the last half hour of basic training.
Bobby Hutchins' abuse was the sort that Christina Crawford claimed was rife in Hollywood. Average society considered it intrusive to question other people's parental methods in those days. People in Hollywood who raised kids as actors or PR props could get away with all sorts of abuse. The code of silence was strict with real reason."
Should this be true, it's very unfortunate, but at least it did get better. When Wheezer out-grew the series, his mother and father divorced, and he, along with his brother James, moved back to Washington with his mother. According to the 1940 United States Federal Census, their household contained Rangdi Roe -- who was the mother of Constance -- Russell L. Hagerson, Constance O. Hagerson, Robert E. Hutchins, and James R. Hutchins. Their ages were 76, 41 37, 15, and 9, respectively.
Regardless of how he became one, Wheezer did become an air cadet, and perished in Merced, California, May 17th, 1945. Quoted from the California Death Index:
"He was killed in a mid-air collision while trying to land a North American AT-6D-NT Texan, of the 3026th Base Unit, when it struck an AT-6C-15-NT Texan, 42-49068, of the same unit, at Merced Army Air Field Base in California."
The Modesto Bee stated that the other pilot received only minor damage, and landed safely. Wikipedia has Edward F. Hamel listed as the other pilot, but it is unsourced.
Quoted from user tonym:
"Robert Weezer Hutchins never served overseas and never won a medal for heroism. The floral arrangement on the left in the photo depicts the Army Air Corps Wings and Propeller device that is worn on the uniform. The floral arrangement on the right depicts the Army Air Corps insignia. These floral arrangements DO NOT represent military decorations. The photo caption is in serious error. Cadet Hutchins--he achieved no rank higher than Aviation Cadet--was killed in a mid-air collision while training to become an rated Army Air Forces pilot. He was in the final phase of AAF flight training and was flying a North American AT-6D airplane. I have the official accident report and I wrote about the accident in Volume III of my book FATAL ARMY AIR FORCES AVIATION ACCIDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES 1941-1945. The reason that Weezer was the only one killed is because he was the only guy in his airplane. The other airplane landed safely. The accident, which occurred on 17 May 1945, was Weezer's fault."
Quoted from Wheezer's findagrave:
"Remembering Wheezer in 1990, "Our Gang" producer Hal Roach remarked, 'That was a kid with great charm, and wide appeal'."
All this information, and I haven't a clue what his middle name was.
So, here is my attempt to piece together more parts of Wheezer's life. There's still a lot more information to be found, sourced, and so on, but I believe this to be a good start. Also, photos.
On the end is Wheezer and his father. Seeing this now, after all that I've written, makes me squirm.
Wheezer's funeral. Thanks to rhapsody for tracking down this photo, alongside the Tacoma public library for hosting it.
The (slightly unsettling) photo of Wheezer as a young man.
Though supposedly the photo caption is incorrect, this very well could answer my questions about how little Robert Hutchins found his way to Our Gang. Some other parts are incorrect, as well. Wheezer appeared in 58(?) films, and he lived in Brookdale, Pierce, Washington. Parkdale is in Pierce County, but I don't know much about specific American Geography. I feel like the series wasn't called "Spanky and Our Gang", either.
The 22nd marks James A., and beneath him is Constance O., and Robert E. This is the 1930 census.
Wheezer's household starts at 24.
The Modesto Bee article that listed Wheezer's accident. Merced Aviation Cadet Is Killed In Crash is what you're looking for, if you're unable to find it.
