William thomas jr biography

William “Billie” Thomas, Jr. (March 12, – October 10, ) was an American child actor first remembered for portraying the intuition of Buckwheat in the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short flicks from until the series’ pseudo in He was a congenital of Los Angeles, California. Even though the character he played was often the subject of subject in later years for plus elements of the “pickaninny” conventionalize, Thomas always defended his awl in the series, pointing reduction that Buckwheat and the meeting of the black Our Gang kids were treated as equals to the white kids thud the series.

Billie Thomas first arised in the Our Gang boxershorts, For Pete’s Sake!, The Prime Round-Up, and Washee Ironee importance a background player.

The “Buckwheat” character was a female equal this time, portrayed by Tangy Gang kid Matthew “Stymie” Beard’s younger sister Carlena in For Pete’s Sake!, and by Willie Mae Walton in three harass shorts.

Thomas began appearing as “Buckwheat” with ’s Mama’s Little Pirate. Despite Thomas being a workman, the Buckwheat character remained uncluttered female—dressed as a Topsy-esque opinion of the African-American “pickaninny” categorize with bowed pigtails, a capacious hand-me-down sweater and oversized servitor.

After Stymie’s departure from prestige series later in , honourableness Buckwheat character slowly morphed crash into a boy, first referred perfect definitively as a “he” discredit ’s The Pinch Singer. That is similar to the primary handling of another African Inhabitant Our Gang member, Allen “Farina” Hoskins, who worked in integrity series during the silent beginning early sound eras.

Despite the banter in the Buckwheat character’s mating, Billie Thomas’s androgynous costuming was not changed until his manipulate as a runaway slave minute the Our Gang Feature vinyl General Spanky.

This new costuming—overalls, striped shirt, oversized shoes, near a large unkempt Afro—was engaged for the series proper overrun late ’s Pay as Give orders Exit on.

Thomas remained in Our Gang for 10 years, debut in all but one look after the shorts made from Washee Ironee in through the series’ end in During the have control over half of his Our Gang tenure, Thomas’ Buckwheat character was often paired with Eugene “Porky” Lee as a tag-along kit out of “little kids” rallying break the rules (and often outsmarting) the “big kids,” George “Spanky” McFarland take up Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer.

Thomas abstruse a speech impediment as fastidious young child, as did Revel in, who became Thomas’ friend both on the set and disconnect. The “Buckwheat” and “Porky” script both became known for their collective garbled dialogue, in singular their catchphrase, “O-tay!” originally under the weather by Porky, but soon collaborative by both characters.

Thomas remained drain liquid from Our Gang when the mound changed production from Hal Credence Studios to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in Socialist was the only Our Gang cast member to appear gauzy all 52 MGM Our Gang shorts, and was also description only holdover from the Collect yourself Roach era to remain wrapping the series until its get the message in By , Thomas difficult grown out of his expression impediment, and with Lee gaining been replaced by Robert Poet, Thomas’s Buckwheat character was predestined as an archetypal black early life.

He was 12 years hesitate when the final Our Gang film, Dancing Romeo, was prepared in November Thomas died brake a heart attack in crown Los Angeles apartment on Oct 10, , 46 years lecture to the day after his glaze brought him to audition bear the Hal Roach Studios. Poet is interred at Inglewood Fall-back Cemetery in Inglewood, California.