The studio had kept both Laurel and Hardy under separate contracts to better control their careers, but Stan finally negotiated and the new project never reached predevelopment. As Spanky, George frequently adopted most of their mannerisms as Ollie's "slow burn" and Stannie's "double take. George's popularity did not continue after Our Gang. He returned to school in Texas and had a normal life, later joining the Air Force but left on a hardship discharge.
He worked in a variety of jobs from a soft drink factory to popsicle-maker, eventually becoming a salesman and later a sales executive. He was also the area manager for the commercial contract division of Philco-Ford Television, but the Fifties ushered him into brand new popularity when the Little Rascals became big stars on TV to whole new kids seeing the shorts for the first time.
In , he hosted a show running the shorts while wearing the beanie and shorts again. He never denied his past; he traveled the country on the college circuit, was reunited with his co-stars on talk shows through the Seventies and even exposed a few Spanky imposters over the years. His co-star, Darla Jean Hood had encountered at least five separate men claiming to be Spanky over the years.
As a grown man, not many people recognized George. A confessed loner at about five-foot-five, he was described as "personable, engaging and candid" by Leonard Maltin; if one looks into his soulful brown eyes, they might find that Spanky twinkle still there, a stroke of the Hal Roach magic still existing in the man.
In , while presenting a special Oscar to Hal Roach , and at the following Governor's Ball, George met pop-legend Michael Jackson, who confessed to being one of his biggest fans. Michael's family once lived in the exact same Queens Road house that George's family once lived in Los Angeles.
While George never became rich from the series, his greatest joy was meeting his fans talk about his love for the shorts. One of his last personal appearances before he passed on was a cameo as himself on the TV-Series "Cheers" against John Ratzenberger as the unbearable postman "Cliff Clavin" on April 22, Episode: "Woody Gets An Election" , in a sort of worse case scenario of one of these encounters.
Short Spanky as Spanky. Hide Show Soundtrack 7 credits. Susanna" - uncredited. Hide Show Thanks 1 credit. Hide Show Self 13 credits. Self - Contestant. Hide Show Archive footage 16 credits. I Thought I'd Die! Spanky uncredited. Edit Personal Details Other Works: s Appeared as himself in a theatrical trailer to publicize theaters giving away Speeder bicycles. Publicity Listings: 2 Articles See more ».
Spouse: Paula Jeanne Wilkinson See more ». Edit Did You Know? Personal Quote: [said often, when sure of his lines] Okay, Toots. See more ». Trivia: Final onscreen appearance was as himself in the cold open of the "Cheers" episode "Woody Gets an Election" , season 11, episode Trademark: Catchphrases: "Okey-dokey! He said "Okey-dokey", much more often than "Okey-doke". On a camping trip, Spanky and Scotty are the only ones to be smart enough to hitchhike to the camping site and bring food.
After Scotty moves on, Spanky becomes friends with Alfalfa Switzer , who he met while his mother was dragging him into a local talent show, a memory he is not fond of at all. While Spanky is not against having his younger brother Porky tagging along, he is definitely against babysitting his baby sister, Baby Patsy and even Darla 's brother, Junior.
He also seems to have an older brother who later enters the army in Helping Hands , which could be Brisbane since Dickie would only have been eighteen at the time.
In the short, the brother's name is Bill, but this could be another name for Brisbane. In his youth, Spanky had a lot of spirit, often killing the bugs in the McComas house and discovering his father's stash of hidden cash. He's been a member of several clubs that never lasted very long. His mother wanted him to be an an entertainer, and Spanky wisely realized he wanted none of it, but he turned noble enough to try and win the cash when a cute girl needed it.
Despite his aversion to talent shows, Spanky is a born entertainer with a bit of the mannerisms of Oliver Hardy , as seen when he gets irked by Alfalfa's ego, but he seems more involved in the behind-the-scenes aspects of the business as a producer and director, finding other kids with talent, as evident in his cellar shows. Doted over by his grandmother, he can be seen singing on corners, earning spending money on the golf course or throwing complicated stage shows in the cellar of his home, harkening back to the plays Breezy did in the barn on his father's property back when Spanky was killing bugs with a hammer.
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