- Content: 
OUR GANG Child Star Celebrates 100th Anniversary of Hal Roach’s Comedy Collection
By Movieguide® Contributor
Sidney Kibrick left Hollywood when he was just 11 years old, but his work on OUR GANG continues to be remembered today!
The Hollywood Museum recently opened an exhibit devoted to OUR GANG and its creator, Hal Roach.
“Hal Roach’s comedy shorts, OUR GANG or OUR GANG COMEDIES, has developed an unprecedented rapport with children as well as adults for over a century,” Donelle Dadigan, founder and president of The Hollywood Museum, told Fox News Digital in a statement.
The OUR GANG shorts were later made into a TV show, where it was retitled as THE LITTLE RASCALS.
Kibrick, who played Woim,” recently talked about what it’s like to celebrate the show’s 100th anniversary.
“I think people can relate to little kids acting out and doing all kinds of interesting things at an early age. I bonded with so many of the kids over the years,” Kibrick shared. “After show business, I went on to become a successful builder. I built a development in Palm Springs. In 1981, I decided to have a reunion, and so many folks from OUR GANG came together. Thousands of people came to that event. Leonard Maltin was the master of ceremonies that weekend. It was just amazing to see how many people still remembered and loved the show.”
Kibrick got his role on OUR GANG when Roach saw him in a movie with Shirley Temple.
“Hal Roach, who owned the OUR GANG comedies, saw me working with Shirley Temple,” Kibrick explained. “He immediately signed me up. I was under contract for Hal Roach from 1933 until 1941. Myself and Butch [Tommy Bond] were the two tough kids who picked on Alfalfa [Carl Switzer] and Darla [Darla Hood]. My character’s name was Woim or ‘The Woim.’ That was pretty much the basis of the show. And it went on for years.”
“We had two hours of schooling before we would go to work,” he shared. “And work would be anywhere from six, eight hours until 16. They would not stop shooting until they accomplished what they wanted to do that day. So there was a lot of work involved. But we all had a lot of fun doing it.”
Kibrick ended up quitting Hollywood when he was 11 years old.
“I really had enough. I had a good experience and made some lifelong friends, but I wanted to have a normal life again,” he said. “I convinced my parents that I didn’t want to do it anymore and that was it.”
He continued, “I don’t miss it because I’m still getting tons of fan mail, even to this day. It’s amazing how much fan mail I get. It keeps me busy, and I feel like I’m still a part of Hollywood because of it. My fans now are not the little kids that used to send me letters. These are adults and their children, even their grandchildren, that still enjoy OUR GANG and LITTLE RASCALS.”
When asked how he wanted his work on OUR GANG to be remembered, Kibrick replied, “I think people, even today, could identify with being a child and being mischievous when life was simple. It was fun, and it made people laugh. From ages five to 11, I was living the studio life. Those are memories I will never forget. It was a wonderful experience. I had fun.”
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
- Content: +1Share:
- Content: +2