Jean Darling, one of the last four remaining surviving cast members from the Silent-Era Our Gang series who then went on to appear in the original Broadway production of "Carousel," passed away this past Friday at Rodgau, Germany at age 93.
As a four-year-old, Miss Darling was cast in Hal Roach's Our Gang comedies and appeared in 52 films between 1927 and 1929 (46 of them silent, six of them talkies).
The Santa Monica, California native was born Dorothy Jean LeVake on August 23, 1922. As Jean said in a 2009 interview, her parents split a few months after birth because her father didn't want her mother to put her into the movies.
Jean's mother legally had her named changed when she was five months old.
After leaving the Our Gang series, she would continue to appear in motion pictures.
After turning down an offer to appear alongside Mickey Rooney in one of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Andy Hardy movies, she made her Broadway debut in the 1942 musical "Count Me In."
In 1945, Jean originated the role of Carrie Pipperidge in "Carousel" and appeared in over 850 performances.
In the 1980s, after having settled down in Dublin, Jean appeared as Aunty Poppy on Irish radio and television and read kids' stories.
With Jean's passing, Lassie Lou Ahern (age 95) , Mildred Kornman (90), and Dorothy Morrison (96) are now the only remaining member of Our Gang's Silent Era cast still with us.
No comments:
Post a Comment