George McFarland

She is not related to Spank. He left his wife, Gloria, and four children. Note: Folk-rock singer Elaine McFarlane is known as "Spanky" from her tenure in the group Spanky and Our Gang, which was named in honor of the film troupe. Among his last words, he is reported to have expressed thanks for the Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement which he expected to win at some future date. His brother Tommy, who was also named after their father (Thomas Emmett McFarland), passed away in 1982, and McFarland died of a heart attack on June 30, 1993 followed by his mother just 30 days later. O'Connor was still making public appearances well into 2003. Other biographies incorrectly report his middle name as being Emmett; however this was his father's middle name. After overcoming a drinking problem in the 1970s, he continued to make film and television appearances into the 1990s.

His middle names came from family names, Robert after his father and Phillips was his mother's maiden name (George was his father's brother's name). When the heyday of the film musical was over, O'Connor returned to the stage, and had a short-lived television series during the late 1960s. In later years some in his family affectionately would refer to him as just "Spank". During World War II, he was re-invented as a star of musical films. In January 1994, "Spanky" became the only Our Gang member to receive a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. However, he did have a separate Hollywood career in the late 1930s, in which he played such incongruous roles as Beau Geste. He played the role of an enterprising kid in the series and the de facto leader of the gang. His boyish looks did not allow him to take a romantic lead, except when appearing with a bigger star such as Ethel Merman (in Call Me Madam) or Bing Crosby (with whom he appeared in his first film at the age of eleven).

He was discovered at the age of three and soon became a regular and then most popular member of the children's comedy movie series Our Gang during the 1930s and 1940s. Yet it was as a comedy actor and a song-and-dance man that he became famous. His nickname "Spanky" is said to have arisen from repeated warnings by his mother not to misbehave. His father died of a heart attack only a few weeks later. Worth as many biographies report. As a toddler, he and his sister were involved in a road accident, which resulted in her death. McFarland was born in Dallas, Texas on October 2, 1928 - not in Ft. O'Connor was born into an Irish immigrant family of vaudeville entertainers.

George Robert Phillips McFarland (October 2, 1928 - June 30, 1993) was an American actor most famous for his childhood role as Spanky in the depression era children's comedy movie series Our Gang, also known as the Little Rascals. He is still best known for his performance in the movie musical Singing in the Rain. Donald O'Connor (August 28, 1925 - September 27, 2003) was a singer, dancer and actor who came to fame in a series of movies in which he co-starred with Francis, the talking mule. Out to Sea - 1997. Father Frost - 1996.

Bandit: Bandit's Silver Angel - 1994 (made for television). Toys - 1992. A Time to Remember - 1987. Alice in Wonderland - 1985 (made for television).

Alice in Wonderland - 1983 (made for television). Pandemonium - 1982. Ragtime - 1981. The Donald O'Connor Show - 1968 (television series).

That Funny Feeling - 1965. Le Meraviglie di Aladino - 1961. Cry for Happy - 1961. The Buster Keaton Story - 1957.

Anything Goes - 1956. Francis in the Navy - 1955. There's No Business Like Show Business - 1954. Francis Joins the WACS - 1954.

Walking My Baby Back Home - 1953. Francis Covers the Big Town - 1953. Call Me Madam - 1953. I Love Melvin - 1953.

Francis Goes to West Point - 1952. Singin' in the Rain - 1952. Francis Goes to the Races - 1951. Double Crossbones - 1951.

The Milkman - 1950. Curtain Call at Cactus Creek - 1950. Francis - 1950 - first of the "talking mule" movies. Yes Sir That's My Baby - 1949.

Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin - 1948. Are You with It? - 1948. Something in the Wind - 1947. Patrick the Great - 1945.

Bowery to Broadway - 1944. The Merry Monahans - 1944. This Is the Life - 1944. Chip Off the Old Block - 1944.

Top Man - 1943. Mister Big - 1943. It Comes Up Love - 1943. When Johnny Comes Marching Home - 1942.

Get Hep to Love - 1942. Give Out, Sisters - 1942. Private Buckaroo - 1942. What's Cookin'? - 1942.

Night Work - 1939. On Your Toes - 1939. Death of a Champion - 1939. Beau Geste - 1939.

Million Dollar Legs - 1939. Unmarried - 1939. Boy Trouble - 1939. Tom Sawyer, Detective - 1938.

Sons of the Legion - 1938. Sing You Sinners - 1938. Men with Wings - 1938. It Can't Last Forever - 1937.