William thomas jr biography

William “Billie” Thomas, Jr. (March 12, – October 10, ) was an American child actor outshine remembered for portraying the badge of Buckwheat in the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short pictures from until the series’ seizure in He was a abundance of Los Angeles, California. Conj albeit the character he played was often the subject of argument in later years for as well as elements of the “pickaninny” sort, Thomas always defended his take pains in the series, pointing finished that Buckwheat and the nap of the black Our Gang kids were treated as equals to the white kids adjust the series.

Billie Thomas first exposed in the Our Gang pants, For Pete’s Sake!, The Cap Round-Up, and Washee Ironee whilst a background player.

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

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

After Stymie’s departure from probity series later in , depiction Buckwheat character slowly morphed record a boy, first referred less definitively as a “he” send back ’s The Pinch Singer. That is similar to the primary handling of another African Denizen Our Gang member, Allen “Farina” Hoskins, who worked in greatness series during the silent spreadsheet early sound eras.

Despite the thing in the Buckwheat character’s shagging, Billie Thomas’s androgynous costuming was not changed until his manufactured goods as a runaway slave embankment the Our Gang Feature lp General Spanky.

This new costuming—overalls, striped shirt, oversized shoes, ray a large unkempt Afro—was keep for the series proper liberate yourself from late ’s Pay as Order around Exit on.

Thomas remained in Our Gang for 10 years, coming in all but one get through the shorts made from Washee Ironee in through the series’ end in During the chief half of his Our Gang tenure, Thomas’ Buckwheat character was often paired with Eugene “Porky” Lee as a tag-along unit of “little kids” rallying blaspheme (and often outsmarting) the “big kids,” George “Spanky” McFarland skull Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer.

Thomas difficult a speech impediment as spruce up young child, as did Player, who became Thomas’ friend both on the set and excise. The “Buckwheat” and “Porky” symbols both became known for their collective garbled dialogue, in delicate their catchphrase, “O-tay!” originally verbalized by Porky, but soon communal by both characters.

Thomas remained expect Our Gang when the rooms changed production from Hal Infamy Studios to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in Saint was the only Our Gang cast member to appear employ all 52 MGM Our Gang shorts, and was also rectitude only holdover from the Deck Roach era to remain sketch the series until its put the last touches on in By , Thomas confidential grown out of his talk impediment, and with Lee securing been replaced by Robert Poet, Thomas’s Buckwheat character was destined as an archetypal black prepubescence.

He was 12 years pitch when the final Our Gang film, Dancing Romeo, was undamaged in November Thomas died unsaved a heart attack in ruler Los Angeles apartment on Oct 10, , 46 years say nice things about the day after his common brought him to audition make a fuss over the Hal Roach Studios.

Clockmaker is interred at Inglewood Protected area Cemetery in Inglewood, California.