One of the last surviving performers in Our Gang (aka The Little Rascals) and one of the last surviving actors from silent movies has died. Jean Darling had just turned 93 when she passed a few days ago in Germany. She had been living there the last few years after moving from Ireland, which had been her home since 1974.
Unlike a lot of child stars, Jean had a very active career after her initial stardom. She had film roles after Our Gang. She appeared on Broadway in several shows including the original production of Carousel. She worked in radio and had her own television programs in the fifties. And for many years after, she was a popular radio performer in Ireland and a prolific author of mystery stories for most of the popular mystery magazines.
Born Dorothy Jean LeVake, she first appeared in Hal Roach's kid gang comedies in 1927 when she was five but she'd been on the screen before that, reportedly making her film debut at the age of six months. She appeared in 46 silent Our Gang shorts and six talkies before going off to do other movie work, including roles for the Roach studios. (Among others, she was in the Laurel and Hardy feature, Babes in Toyland.)
We mourn her passing but we also mourn the passing of a couple of eras. It won't be long before every single person who ever appeared in silent movies is gone. I have heard film historians argue over the precise numbers but we have between twelve and eighteen silent film actors still alive, the youngest of whom is probably Our Gang's Dickie Moore, who is 89.
There are actually around 35 Our Gang performers still alive, though that number includes several who merely had bit parts in one or two of the shorts. I'm not sure which one had the most appearances…maybe Robert Blake (yes, that Robert Blake). He was in forty of the shorts. Most of those who are alive were in the sound Our Gang films which were made until 1944. Jean was one of the last four performers — all women — who appeared in the silent Our Gang shorts. And now there are three…