Mary Ann Jackson
Encyclopedia
Mary Ann Jackson was an American
former child actress who appeared in the Our Gang
short subjects series from 1928 to 1931. She was a native of Los Angeles, California
.
and DW Griffith in full-length features.
Jackson made her film debut in a 1925 Ruth Taylor
short, Dangerous Curves. Her first big break came with the role of Baby Smith in the comedy short series The Smiths, which starred Billy Gilbert
. She made her feature debut in 1927's Smith's Pony.
cast in 1928, at the tail end of the silent era. Often used as the second female lead or the spunky older sister of "Wheezer" (Bobby Hutchins), Mary Ann's snappy delivery came in handy during the series' somewhat rocky transition to sound. With her bob hairstyle and freckles, tomboyish Mary Ann was a vast departure from the winsome miniature heroines who would populate the series before and after her tenure.
In 1933, longtime Our Gang director Robert McGowan wrote in an Los Angeles Times
feature that they normally preferred to cast children who had no previous acting experience, but Jackson was a rare exception: "Mary Ann proved a real find and was my ideal little gang leading lady. She wasn't pretty, but she was intelligent and willing and had just a touch of pathos in her makeup. She proved a rare find for me."
Jackson left the series in 1931 and appeared in a few two-reel Mickey McGuire comedies; some attempts were made to ease her into features, but, as she said in 1990: "I wasn’t a girlie girl type. I didn’t fit the mold so I was discarded like a piece of rubbish."
Jackson felt that children distorting themselves for a part in a short or feature was "sick", and at age 8, she walked away from Hollywood. She told her mother: "This is not for me. I don't want the responsibility or the rejection. I'm not an actress, I'm not talented, leave me alone, let me get on with my life!"
in downtown Los Angeles, and made only a few brief forays into acting. In 1941, she doubled for Edith Fellows
.
Mary Ann Jackson married at age twenty, but was widowed. She married again, and spent many years with her second husband and her two children in the San Fernando Valley
. Later in life, Mary Ann (dressed in '50s' attire) and her sister Peaches would stop by Santa Monica
bars and drink vodka martinis.
Upon recounting her Our Gang years, she laughed at the many women who laid false claim to being Mary Ann Jackson. They often cited their Louise Brooks
style bangs, which she loathed and had chopped off as soon as she left her acting career.
In 1990, she was delighted and amused to learn that during their stint with Our Gang, Jackie Cooper
had been "desperately in love with her". She did have fond regard for her days at the Hal Roach Studios and was impressed with her large fan following. Asked to recall her thoughts on the gang, she responded, "Everything I have to say about [Hal] Roach
and the gang is 'nice'. There's not one bad thing I can think of. It was just fun and fun and fun."
at her home on December 17, 2003. Her sister Peaches died just months before her, on February 23, 2002 at her home in Hawaii
.
Jackson was cremated. Her ashes are in possession of her family. She is survived by her husband and two daughters.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former child actress who appeared 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 1928 to 1931. She 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...
.
Career
Mary Ann Jackson's film career began under the shadow of her actor relatives, mother Charlotte Jackson (1891-1992) and older sister, "Peaches" Jackson (1913-2002). Peaches had a fairly prolific stint as a child actress, working with such stars as Rudolph ValentinoRudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino was an Italian actor, and early pop icon. A sex symbol of the 1920s, Valentino was known as the "Latin Lover". He starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle and Son of the Sheik...
and DW Griffith in full-length features.
Jackson made her film debut in a 1925 Ruth Taylor
Ruth Taylor (actress)
Ruth Taylor was an American actress in silent films and early talkies. Her son is the writer Buck Henry.-Early years:Born Ruth Alice Taylor to Norman and Ivah Taylor in Grand Rapids, Michigan...
short, Dangerous Curves. Her first big break came with the role of Baby Smith in the comedy short series The Smiths, which starred Billy Gilbert
Billy Gilbert
Billy Gilbert was an American comedian and actor known for his comic sneeze routines. He appeared in over 200 feature films, short subjects and television shows starting in 1929. He is not to be confused with silent film actor Billy Gilbert Billy Gilbert (September 12, 1894 – September 23,...
. She made her feature debut in 1927's Smith's Pony.
Our Gang
Jackson joined the Our GangOur 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...
cast in 1928, at the tail end of the silent era. Often used as the second female lead or the spunky older sister of "Wheezer" (Bobby Hutchins), Mary Ann's snappy delivery came in handy during the series' somewhat rocky transition to sound. With her bob hairstyle and freckles, tomboyish Mary Ann was a vast departure from the winsome miniature heroines who would populate the series before and after her tenure.
In 1933, longtime Our Gang director Robert McGowan wrote in an Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
feature that they normally preferred to cast children who had no previous acting experience, but Jackson was a rare exception: "Mary Ann proved a real find and was my ideal little gang leading lady. She wasn't pretty, but she was intelligent and willing and had just a touch of pathos in her makeup. She proved a rare find for me."
Jackson left the series in 1931 and appeared in a few two-reel Mickey McGuire comedies; some attempts were made to ease her into features, but, as she said in 1990: "I wasn’t a girlie girl type. I didn’t fit the mold so I was discarded like a piece of rubbish."
Jackson felt that children distorting themselves for a part in a short or feature was "sick", and at age 8, she walked away from Hollywood. She told her mother: "This is not for me. I don't want the responsibility or the rejection. I'm not an actress, I'm not talented, leave me alone, let me get on with my life!"
Later life
Jackson eventually took a job at the May CompanyMay Company California
May Company California was a chain of department stores operating in the Southern California and Nevada, previously with headquarters in North Hollywood, California. It was a subsidiary of May Department Stores and merged with May's other Southern California subsidiary, J. W...
in downtown Los Angeles, and made only a few brief forays into acting. In 1941, she doubled for Edith Fellows
Edith Fellows
Edith Marilyn Fellows was an American actress who began her professional career at age 6.-Personal life:When she was a year old, she and her father and grandmother moved to Charlotte, North Carolina...
.
Mary Ann Jackson married at age twenty, but was widowed. She married again, and spent many years with her second husband and her two children in the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
. Later in life, Mary Ann (dressed in '50s' attire) and her sister Peaches would stop by Santa Monica
Santa Mônica
Santa Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
bars and drink vodka martinis.
Upon recounting her Our Gang years, she laughed at the many women who laid false claim to being Mary Ann Jackson. They often cited their Louise Brooks
Louise Brooks
Mary Louise Brooks , generally known by her stage name Louise Brooks, was an American dancer, model, showgirl and silent film actress, noted for popularizing the bobbed haircut. Brooks is best known for her three feature roles including two G. W...
style bangs, which she loathed and had chopped off as soon as she left her acting career.
In 1990, she was delighted and amused to learn that during their stint with Our Gang, 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...
had been "desperately in love with her". She did have fond regard for her days at the Hal Roach Studios and was impressed with her large fan following. Asked to recall her thoughts on the gang, she responded, "Everything I have to say about [Hal] Roach
Hal Roach
Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach, Sr. was an American film and television producer and director, and from the 1910s to the 1990s.- Early life and career :Hal Roach was born in Elmira, New York...
and the gang is 'nice'. There's not one bad thing I can think of. It was just fun and fun and fun."
Death
Mary Ann Jackson died of a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at her home on December 17, 2003. Her sister Peaches died just months before her, on February 23, 2002 at her home in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
Jackson was cremated. Her ashes are in possession of her family. She is survived by her husband and two daughters.