Figure 1.--This is a studio portrait of Scotty in his own suit, not in a movie costume. I'm not sure just when the portrit was taken. |
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Scotty Beckett is best remembered for his appearances in the Our Gang comedy shorts. His appearances were, however, rather limited--only about 15 shows. Many Our Gang fans rank Scotty as the shoertest of all the kids. He was usually paired with his pal Spanky. He was born in Oakland, California during 1929. He was about 4 years old when he made the first Our Gang short. Along with a very young Spanky, the two were forever out-witting the big kids. His trade mark was a big cap worn sideways (never backwards) and much too large sloppy sweater. This was a few years before Porky and Buckwheat were paired as the little kids. Scotty actually returned to the Gang in 1939. He played Alfalfa's nerdy 'Cousin Wilbur' in two of the 1939 MGM shorts. He was then a well-establisherd Hollywood actor. He often played the main character
of the film as a child. Two of his major films were 'The Blue Bird' (1940) and "Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves" (1944). 'The Blue Bird' was a Shirley Temple vehicle. At the peak of his career in 1939, he appeared in about 10
films. Comics fans will remember him as Corky in "Gasoline Alley". He appeared in many feature roles. One of his more
interesting costume that he wore was a classic sailor suit with flat cap in 'Heaven Can Wait' (1943). He was about 13 years old, but play a younger boy. He also did a World War II film, 'Boy from Stalingrad' (1943). By the time he was 14, he could still do child parts as he looked so young, and had worked in about 75 different frature films and shorts. As an older teenager and early twenties he became something of a Hollywood heartthrob. He appeared in films with Cary Grant and Spencer Tracy. Perhaps his most memorable role was the young Al Jolson 'The Al Jolson Story' (1946). Scotty unfortunately would up like many child stars, living a sad life of depression, becoming adicted to drugs. He died in Hollywood in 1968.
He was born in Oakland, California during 1929.
Scotty Beckett is best remembered for his appearances in the Our Gang comedy shorts. His appearances were, however, rather limited--only
about 15 shows. Many Our Gang fans rank Scotty as the cutest of all the kids. He was usually paired with his pal Spanky. He was about 4 years old when he made the first Our Gang short. Along with a very young Spanky, the two were forever out-witting the big kids. His trade mark was a big cap worn sideways (never backwards) and much too large sloppy sweater. This was a few years before Porky and Buckwheat were paired as the little kids. Scotty Beckett and 'Spanky' Mac Farland had great timing for juvenile comics in the "Our Gang" series. Scotty left the series probably because bigger screen roles were available. His departure probably cleared the way for Alfalfa (Carl Switzer) to take a more prominent role. His tenure as a 'Gangster' was all too short. Scotty invariably appeared as described above, except for his return role as the delightful 'Cousin Wilbur'. Scotty actually returned to the Gang in 1939. He played Alfalfa's nerdy 'Cousin Wilbur' in two of the 1939 MGM shorts. He was then a well-establisherd Hollywood actor.
He often played the main character of the film as a child. As an older teenager
and early twenties he became something of a Hollywood heartthrob. He appeared in films with Cary Grant and Spencer Tracy. Two of his major films were 'The Blue Bird' (1940) and "Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves" (1944). 'The Blue Bird' was a Shirley Temple Vehicle". At the peak of his career in 1939, he appeared in about 10 films in that one year alone. This was possible because in many films Scotty only played in one part of the film, usually when the main character was a boy. The studios had children readyb as part of the contracy system. A good example is Love Affair (1939). Scotty appeared briefly in a short but charming scene with Irene Dunne.
Comics fan will remember him as Corky in 'Gasoline Alley'. He appeared in many feature roles. One of his more
interesting costume that he wore was a classic sailor suit with flat cap in 'Heaven Can Wait' (1943). He was about 13 years
old, but play a younger boy. He also did a World War II film, "Boy from Stalingrad" (1943). Perhaps his most memorable role was the young Al Jolson "The Al Jolson Story" (1946).
Scotty worked in Hollywood at a time when the Studios placed their stars under contract. A few child stars were luminaries like Shirley Temple or Freddy Batholomew had fils built around them. Others like Scotty and Billy Lee mostly payed the adult stars as children. Each studio had a few kids to play the roles of their adult stars as children.
By the time he was 14, he could still do child parts as he looked so young, and had worked in about 75 different feature films and shorts. I have not seen many of these films. Quite a number are not regularly shown on television, one reason why Scotty is not as well known as many other child stars of the 1930s. Many of his appearances are in fact not credited. Scotty was well known in the 1930s andc40s, but he was never the block bister star. I don't know of any child star, however, that played in more films than Scotty. He was one of the hardest working child stars in Hillywood. Unlike some of the bigger child stars he or better put his parents were willing to accept small roles and thus the studio hadca competent child star ready when ever a child was needed in a film. Scotty's first film credit was in 1933 and he was active all through his childhood.
Scotty unfortunately would up like
many child stars, living a sad life of depression, becoming adicted to drugs. Scotty's life was especially tragic, considering the promise he showed as a young actor. As a teenager, he began to use drugs and alcohol and his performance on screen and reliability off suffered. What info is available about his adult years indicates he had a bad temper, too. He couldn't hold a job, and his marriage failed. In his last days Scotty, only 38 and an alcoholic, was beaten up by some thugs, checked himself into a Hollywood hospital, and died not long after in 1968.
Seeing all these not-so-familiar titles reminds HBC of how many films are buried in vaults somewhere, and makes us wish they were brought out by Turner Classics, if
only for a late, late show. I am constantly amazed when I perform the American ritual of scanning the cable channels as to how much mindless drivell is cairred. AMC shows some great old films, but they tend to repeat the sames ones. Why can't some of these films be shown?
HBC has been impressed in the process of compiling the pages on child actors by the extent to which these children have touched the hearts of movie goers around the world. THis has been the case even decaded after these scharming childred appeared in their movie and TV roles. A good example is a message from Scotty Beckett Stacy Obregon. She writes, "I was browsing through your website and was very impressed with the page you did on Scotty Beckett. He was always and still is my all time favorite Little Rascal and child star of all time. He was so adorable and it's just so sad how tragic his life turned out in the end and ended so early. Your website was very interesting to read. Sadly many people today do not know who Scotty Beckett was and it is so refreshing to find somebody who still remembers what a talented actor he was. Thanks for doing such an awesome job. Keep up the great work."
An Australian reader writes, "It is so sad this former child actor Scotty Beckett was allowed to die so tragically aged only 38 in 1968 and would have been a good actor for TV shows aged in his late 60s during the 1990s and Hollywood leaves me cold how they let these former child stars die from drugs and such. Why can't they be retrained as perament writers or other work in television or films or made in to teachers in schools for their drama school or departments. What a waste of a fine young actor." -- Patrick
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