Harry Spear
Encyclopedia
Harry Spear was a former American
child actor
, notable for appearing in the Our Gang
short subjects series from 1927 to 1929. He was a native of Los Angeles, California
.
westerns.
Spear made his first appearance in the Our Gang series at the age of five in the film Chicken Feed
. He was a popular member of the gang during the late silent era (1927–1929), often donning an oversized bowler hat
. At the dawn of the sound era, newcomer Jackie Cooper
took over the role as the leader/tough guy in the gang, replacing Spear. Spear's final Our Gang film would be Bouncing Babies
.
After departing the series, Spear briefly entered vaudeville
, entertaining audiences with a dancing and monologue routine. By the mid-1940s, though, he left the entertainment industry and severed ties with his former Our Gang alumni.
at the time, Spear (who went by his legal name of Harry Bonner) continually denied being the "Harry Spear" of Our Gang fame for unknown reasons, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. From US Naval records, it was found that Harry Spear served as a Chief Petty Officer in the US Navy during World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
Spear died of kidney cancer
on September 22, 2006 in San Diego, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
child actor
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
, notable for appearing in the Our Gang
Our Gang
Our Gang, also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach's Rascals, was a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and the adventures they had together. Created by comedy producer Hal Roach, the series is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively...
short subjects series from 1927 to 1929. He was a native of Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
Our Gang
Before joining the wildly popular Our Gang series, Spear made appearances in several Buck JonesBuck Jones
Buck Jones was an American motion picture star of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, best known for his work starring in many popular western movies...
westerns.
Spear made his first appearance in the Our Gang series at the age of five in the film Chicken Feed
Chicken Feed
Chicken Feed is a 1927 short silent comedy film directed by Robert A. McGowan. It was the 66th Our Gang short subject released.-Cast:* Allen Hoskins - Farina* Jannie Hoskins - Mango* Joe Cobb - Joe* Jackie Condon - Jackie* Jay R. Smith - Jay...
. He was a popular member of the gang during the late silent era (1927–1929), often donning an oversized bowler hat
Bowler hat
The bowler hat, also known as a coke hat, derby , billycock or bombin, is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown originally created in 1849 for the English soldier and politician Edward Coke, the younger brother of the 2nd Earl of Leicester...
. At the dawn of the sound era, newcomer Jackie Cooper
Jackie Cooper
Jackie Cooper was an American actor, television director, producer and executive. He was a child actor who managed to make the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first child actor to receive an Academy Award nomination...
took over the role as the leader/tough guy in the gang, replacing Spear. Spear's final Our Gang film would be Bouncing Babies
Bouncing Babies
Bouncing Babies is a 1929 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. Produced by Hal Roach and released to theaters by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it was the 92nd Our Gang short to be released.- Plot :...
.
After departing the series, Spear briefly entered vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
, entertaining audiences with a dancing and monologue routine. By the mid-1940s, though, he left the entertainment industry and severed ties with his former Our Gang alumni.
Lost Rascal
Spear's whereabouts after the 1940s pretty much remained a mystery for over half a century. However, several diligent Our Gang fans attempted to track down Spear in 1995. Residing in San Diego, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
at the time, Spear (who went by his legal name of Harry Bonner) continually denied being the "Harry Spear" of Our Gang fame for unknown reasons, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. From US Naval records, it was found that Harry Spear served as a Chief Petty Officer in the US Navy during World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
Spear died of kidney cancer
Kidney cancer
Kidney cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the cells in the kidney.The two most common types of kidney cancer are renal cell carcinoma and urothelial cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis...
on September 22, 2006 in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
.