Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Sep 25, 2005, 1:49 AM
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Tommy Bond, 79, was Butch on "Our Gang"
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Thomas Ross "Tommy" Bond, who portrayed Butch the bully in the Our Gang comedy shorts -- and who starred as "Owl Jolson" in the 1936 Merrie Melodie I Love To Singa -- has died at 79.
Bond died Saturday afternoon at Northridge Hospital, near Los Angeles, from complications of heart disease, manager Frank Marks said.
Born on September 16, 1926 in Dallas, Bond had several voice roles in mid-1930s Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, all directed by Fred "Tex" Avery. He also played cub photographer Jimmy Olsen in the 1948 movie serial Superman, also known as The Adventures of Superman.
He was a voice actor in the 1935 Looney Tune Gold Diggers of '49, Avery's first cartoon for Warner Bros.
Bond voiced Abner, the Hicksville hotel bellhop, in the 1936 Art Deco Merrie Melodie Page Miss Glory. He was in the voice cast of the Valentine's Day-themed Don't Look Now (1936) and A Sunbonnet Blue (1937).
He appeared in 27 Our Gang shorts, starting with Spanky (1932) and ending with Bubbling Troubles, produced by MGM.
Bond's movie debut came at age 5, when he was leaving a movie house with his mother and a Hal Roach studios talent scout approached him. The scout "asked him if he'd be interested in acting, (said) he had a great face, and he could set up an appointment with Hal Roach in L.A.," Marks said.
He was driven to Los Angeles by his grandmother: "It was all dirt roads from Dallas to L.A," Marks said.
At first signed to play an Our Gang member named Tommy, he appeared in several shorts but was dropped from the cast after a year. Later, he returned as Butch, the nemesis of Alfalfa (Carl Switzer), before becoming too old.
He portrayed Joey Pepper in several movies in the "Five Little Peppers" series in 1939 and 1940.
In 1947, Bond and Switzer reunited in a pair of movies, Gas House Kids Go West and Gas House Kids in Hollywood. Bond played "Chimp," while Switzer was still known as "Alfalfa."
In 1950, Bond reprised his Jimmy Olsen role in Atom Man vs. Superman, a serial which was a sequel to 1948's Superman. However, he turned down the role when the TV series Adventures of Superman, starring George Reeves, was launched in 1952.
During the Second World War, he served stateside as a Navy pilot. After an uncredited role as a student in 1951's Bedtime for Bonzo (he really did attend college), he left the movies.
Bond became a TV director and producer. He was an assistant director at Channel 11 in Los Angeles. He moved to the San Joaquin Valley with his family in 1972 to escape pollution and traffic. He worked in production at Channel 30 in Fresno until his retirement in 1991.
Bond and Ron Genini wrote Darn Right It's Butch, published by Morgin Press in 1994.
His wife since 1953, the former Pauline Francis Goebel, was a former Miss California. She turned down the role of Miss Kitty on Gunsmoke.
His son, Thomas R. Bond, is a producer and owner of the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company. He hosted the home video The Rascals -- The Silent Years, made by American Mutoscope and Biograph in 2001.
Tommy Bond is survived by his wife, his son and a grandson. Services were pending.
 
(This post was edited by eminovitz on Sep 25, 2005, 1:53 AM)
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Director / Contributor
Posted:
Sep 25, 2005, 7:59 AM
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Re: Tommy Bond, 79, was Butch on "Our Gang"
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I'm sure Spanky and Alfalfa didn't want to defeat Butch THAT way. [unsure]
Thanks for sharing your talent with us, Tommy.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi0dqcR-Otk
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Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Sep 25, 2005, 10:51 AM
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Re: Tommy Bond, 79, was Butch on "Our Gang"
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Tommy Bond wasn't really a bully, of course. In fact, he and Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer were good friends off-screen.
He, Dr. Jackie Lynn Taylor and Mathew "Stymie" Beard co-hosted The Little Rascals Theater, which was on TV markets in the 1970s.
"I love to sing-a
"About the moon-a and the June-a and the spring-a,..."
(This post was edited by eminovitz on Sep 25, 2005, 10:51 AM)
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Directing Animator / Contributor
Posted:
Sep 25, 2005, 2:17 PM
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Re: Tommy Bond, 79, was Butch on "Our Gang"
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In Hanna-Barbera's "Little Rascals" cartoon series from 1982 to 1984, BJ Ward was the voice of the cartoon Butch.
The voices for the Hanna-Barbera "Rascals" cartoon:
Spanky: Scott Menville
Alfalfa/Woim: Julie Dees
Darla: Patty Mahoney
Buckwheat: Shavar Ross
Butch/Porky/Waldo: BJ Ward
Pete: Frank Welker
Officer Ed: Peter Cullen
Ol' Butch had a memorable scowl on his face whenever he got angry. As "Tommy" as part of the Our Gang, Tommy Bond sported a blonde curly hair style. As Butch, his hair looked to be dyed darker.
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"Don't chew gum on camera. Don't whistle. You may kiss Bob Barker but please don't kill him." -announcer Johnny Olson briefing the audience of potential contestants for "The Price is Right"
(This post was edited by artytoons on Sep 25, 2005, 2:20 PM)
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Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Sep 25, 2005, 2:54 PM
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Re: Tommy Bond, 79, was Butch on "Our Gang"
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Darla Hood (Cookie, 1935; Darla, 1935-38) voiced the Princess in Gulliver's Travels Beyond the Moon (aka Space Gulliver), the English dub of the Toei anime movie Gariba No Uchu Ryoko (1965).
George McFarland (Spanky, 1932-38) was in the voice cast of the 1938 Merrie Melodie Katnip Kollege -- possibly as the speaking voice of Johnny.
In the 1994 feature film The Little Rascals, Butch was played by Sam Saletta.
(This post was edited by eminovitz on Sep 25, 2005, 2:54 PM)
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Animator
Posted:
Sep 26, 2005, 1:31 AM
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Re: Tommy Bond, 79, was Butch on "Our Gang"
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Darla Hood (Cookie, 1935; Darla, 1935-38) voiced the Princess in Gulliver's Travels Beyond the Moon (aka Space Gulliver), the English dub of the Toei anime movie Gariba No Uchu Ryoko (1965). George McFarland (Spanky, 1932-38) was in the voice cast of the 1938 Merrie Melodie Katnip Kollege -- possibly as the speaking voice of Johnny.
Wow, so Spanky was in a Warner cartoon too, and Darla was (I asume) Warner's character Cookie?
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Okay, so you're Brad Pitt..--Shania Twain (that's her in my avatar---I can't put a title underneath it! :))
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Directing Animator
Posted:
Sep 26, 2005, 7:37 PM
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Re: Tommy Bond, 79, was Butch on "Our Gang"
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George McFarland (Spanky, 1932-38) was in the voice cast of the 1938 Merrie Melodie Katnip Kollege -- possibly as the speaking voice of Johnny. I really hate to question your omnipotent knowledge, Ethan; but wasn't "Johnny" one of the two main characters (the dweeb with the pork-pie hat and glasses) in that cartoon? Whoever voiced the character sounds like a young adult or a teenager. George McFarland was still a child, and I doubt that he could alter his voice enough to sound that much older. Darla Hood also voiced the character of Darla's mother in an earlier animated TV special (circa 1980) about the Little Rascals. Ironically, Darla had a crush on George "Spanky" McFarland in real life and not Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer (who died tragically in the late 1950's from a gunshot wound received in an altercation over a poker game). Just for general clarification (in case the question is ever raised by someone reading this thread), the original title of Hal Roach's series was Our Gang. The series was produced by Hal Roach Studios and distributed by MGM from the mid 1920's until the late 1930's; when Roach sold the rights to the series to MGM. In the early 1950's all the pre-1938 "Our Gang" shorts were sold as a package to television stations through distributor King World Productions, and were re-christened "The Little Rascals" because MGM owned the rights to the title "Our Gang". The shorts produced by MGM from 1938 until the series' demise in 1944 retained the "Our Gang" moniker and are still shown on TV with the original titles and the MGM logos intact. The earlier Hal Roach-produced shorts were shorn of their titles and replaced with dull-looking white lettering on grey backgrounds (after all, most TV's in the early 1950's were black and white). The rights to the pre-1938 "Our Gang" shorts appear to be now owned by Hallmark Entertainment; although I have also seen DVD compilations of vintage Laurel and Hardy from "The Hal Roach Studios Collection" on the Blackhawk Films label that also contained early "Our Gang" shorts as well. Spanky, Darla, and Alfalfa (but not Butch) were also featured in a Jello Pudding Pops commercial in the 1980's. I believe this was before The Little Rascals Movie came out. Alfalfa may have been scared of Butch in the comedy shorts, but his cousin, Wilbur, could really kick ass! Sorry... just reminiscing! 
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"I'd like to cover you with furs and automobiles!"
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Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Sep 26, 2005, 7:54 PM
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Re: Tommy Bond, 79, was Butch on "Our Gang"
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Sorry, zavkram, I'm not as omnipotent as I'd like to be!
Yes, Johnny was one of the two main characters. His singing voice was done by Johnny "Scat" Davis, but George McFarland was also in the voice cast. McFarland supplying Johnny's speaking voice is merely conjecture... by yours truly.
Alfalfa and Spanky got along reasonably well in real life, but their dads couldn't stand each other! They were "stage-door dads" who each thought his son should be the star of Our Gang.
(This post was edited by eminovitz on Sep 26, 2005, 7:54 PM)
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Directing Animator
Posted:
Sep 26, 2005, 8:39 PM
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Re: Tommy Bond, 79, was Butch on "Our Gang"
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Well... you'll always be omnipotent to me, Ethan! 
In Leonard Maltin's book on the Our Gang/Little Rascals series, Carl Switzer is described as being something of an egotistical braggart who, spurred on by his dad, often held up shooting with his demanding behavior. No wonder Darla favored Spanky over him!
She might also have been intrigued by his nickname! 
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"I'd like to cover you with furs and automobiles!"
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Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Oct 21, 2005, 2:49 PM
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Re: Tommy Bond, 79, was Butch on "Our Gang"
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Gordon Lee died Sunday in a Minneapolis nursing home after battling lung and brain cancer... he played Spanky's kid brother Porky. He was 71.
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Directing Animator / Contributor
Posted:
Oct 21, 2005, 2:53 PM
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Re: Tommy Bond, 79, was Butch on "Our Gang"
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Porky didn't say too much. He usually hung around with Buckwheat.
Gordon Lee sued Hanna-Barbera Productions for using his likeness as Porky in the "Little Rascals" cartoon show without his permission. They settled the case out of court. I wonder if that may be a reason that the H-B "Little Rascals" cartoon show has not been shown on any tv channel since its original ABC Saturday AM telecasts from 1982 to 1984.
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"Don't chew gum on camera. Don't whistle. You may kiss Bob Barker but please don't kill him." -announcer Johnny Olson briefing the audience of potential contestants for "The Price is Right"
(This post was edited by artytoons on Oct 21, 2005, 3:02 PM)
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Inbetweener
Posted:
Dec 23, 2006, 8:37 PM
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Re: Tommy Bond, 79, was Butch on "Our Gang"
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Dear Eminovitz,
There were three..not
two"Gas House Kids"Movies.
"The Gas House Kids",
The Gas House Kids Go West"
and"The Gas House Kids In
Hollywood".
I don't know the name of
Tom's character in the series?
But?
I Do know that Carl("Alfalfa)
Switzer's character's name was
"Alfie"..Not "Afalfa".
Thanks For Remembering
"The Gas House Kids"Films and
Tom and "Alfalfa'/"Alfie",
4CK.
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Inbetweener
Posted:
Mar 3, 2007, 4:17 AM
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Re: Tommy Bond, 79, was Butch on "Our Gang"
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Dear Emonvitz,
Dr.Taylor,Mr.Bond and
Mr.Beard were not the only
former"Little Rascals"to host
their own kids tv shows?
Spanky McFarland mc'd
"The Spanky Show"on KOTV
(The CBS TV Affilate in Tulsa,
Ok)from 1955 to 1960.
The show did well but soon
fell victim to creative interference
from station management and poor
Spanky was forced to quit the show.
Johnny Downs hosted"The Johnny
Jet Show"in The Fresno,Cal.,viewing
area during the early 1950's.
Jean Darling did a memorable
guest appearance with "Officer Joe'
Bolton on WPIX TV Ch.11 NYC's
"Clubhouse Gang!"on Saturday evening
May 14,1955.
Many years later she would host
"Aunt Poppy's Poppyrama"(Not to be
confused with WABD/WNEW/WNYW TV
Ch.5 NYC's"Wonderama!")on The BBC
Radio Network.
And Spanky would serve as the
guest host of "Lunch With Soupy Sales"
and he also did a guest appearance on
Chubby Jackson's"Little Rascals Show"
on WBKB TV Ch.7 in Chicago,Ill.
(Grieg Stewart(Chubby)Jackson
was not Norman (Chubby)Chaney
of "The Little Rascals).
4CK
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Inbetweener
Posted:
May 1, 2008, 7:14 AM
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Re: Tommy Bond, 79, was Butch on "Our Gang"
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Dear Eminovitz,
I've seen"Gulliver's Travels Beyond The
Moon!".
And Darla was not only the voice of
"The Princess"of"Hope Star"..she also did the
voice of"The Little Cupid"in one dream sequence
with "Ricky"(voiced by the son of the film's
songwriter..Mr.Milton De Lug)and the characters
of"Pudge The talking dog"and "The Col."(The talking
toy soldier).
4CK.
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