He was the kid in the oversized beanie and the floppy pants who basically ran the neighborhood. If you grew up watching black-and-white reruns or caught the colorized versions on Sunday mornings, George McFarland—better known as Spanky—was likely the face of your childhood. But there is a massive disconnect between the chubby toddler we see on screen and the reality of Little Rascals Spanky now, or rather, the legacy he left behind after the cameras stopped rolling.
People always want to know what happened to the child stars of the 1930s. There’s this morbid curiosity about the "Our Gang" curse, a tabloid-fueled idea that everyone in the cast met a tragic end. While some stories are genuinely heartbreaking, Spanky’s life was a different breed of fascinating. He wasn't a victim of a curse. He was a guy who figured out how to live a normal life after being one of the most famous people on the planet before he could even tie his own shoes.
The Burglary of a Childhood
George McFarland didn't ask to be Spanky. He was discovered in a Dallas department store ad, and by age three, he was under contract with Hal Roach. Think about that. Most of us were struggling with potty training at three. George was hitting marks and delivering comedic timing that grown men in vaudeville couldn't master.
He earned his nickname because his mother supposedly warned him not to misbehave, or he’d get a "spanking." It stuck. By the time he was five, he was the de facto leader of the gang. He was the "ideas man." But Hollywood in the 1930s was a meat grinder for kids. The transition from the silent era to "talkies" killed many careers, but Spanky’s voice—that raspy, confident tone—made him a superstar.
The money was good for the time, sure. But the laws protecting child actors (like the Coogan Act) were in their infancy. Much of what George earned went to supporting his family and paying the bills during the Great Depression. When he finally left the series in 1942, he was a teenager. He was "washed up" at fourteen.
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Life After the Beanie: The "Now" That People Miss
When people search for Little Rascals Spanky now, they are often looking for a tragedy that isn't there. After a brief, failed attempt to keep acting as an adult—including a small role in Day of the Nightmare—McFarland did something radical. He quit.
He didn't hang around stage doors. He didn't spiral into the stereotypical child star abyss of the mid-century. Instead, he joined the United States Air Force.
Can you imagine being a recruit in the 1950s and realizing your commanding officer or the guy in the next bunk is Spanky? He didn't lead with it. He wanted to be George. After the military, he worked a string of "regular" jobs that would shock anyone used to the glitz of Hollywood. He sold soft drinks. He worked at a hamburger stand. He eventually found a long-term career as a sales training executive for Philco-Ford and later Magic Chef.
- He lived in Keller, Texas, for a large chunk of his later life.
- He became an avid golfer, often appearing at celebrity tournaments not as a desperate former star, but as a guy who genuinely enjoyed the game.
- He hosted a short-lived afternoon kids' show in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the late 1950s called The Spanky Show, where he’d introduce the very shorts he starred in years prior.
Debunking the "Our Gang" Curse
Honestly, the "curse" talk is mostly nonsense. Yes, Alfalfa (Carl Switzer) was shot in a dispute over $50 and a hunting dog. Yes, Scotty Beckett had a rough go of it. But McFarland lived until the age of 64. He wasn't a ghost of his former self. He was a businessman who happened to have a very weird resume.
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In 1993, shortly before he passed away, he actually made a cameo on Cheers. He played himself. It was a poignant moment because it showed he was in on the joke. He knew the world saw him as that little kid, and he was okay with it. He didn't harbor the bitterness that many of his co-stars did. He once famously said that he had no regrets about the "Rascals" years, but he was glad they were over because he liked the life he built afterward better.
The reality of his "now" ended on June 30, 1993. He suffered a sudden heart attack and died in Grapevine, Texas. He was the first member of the Little Rascals to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame—posthumously, in 1994. It’s a bit of a shame he didn't see it happen, but his wife, Doris, was there to represent the man who had long since outgrown the beanie.
Why We Are Still Obsessed
The staying power of the Little Rascals is wild. We’re talking about shorts filmed nearly a hundred years ago. Why does Spanky still matter?
It’s the authenticity. Hal Roach’s genius was letting kids be kids. They weren't polished. They were dirty, they were loud, and they were often broke. Spanky represented the every-man (or every-boy). He was the leader of the scrappy underdogs. In a world of over-rehearsed Disney stars, looking back at McFarland's natural reactions is refreshing.
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If you’re looking for the "Now" of the Little Rascals, you have to look at the influence. Every ensemble kid comedy, from The Goonies to Stranger Things, owes its DNA to the dynamic Spanky established with Alfalfa, Buckwheat, and Darla.
Actionable Legacy: How to Engage with Spanky's Work Today
If you want to truly understand the impact of George McFarland beyond the trivia, you have to go to the source material. Don't just rely on the 1994 remake (though it has its charms).
- Watch the "Classic 80": Most film historians agree the peak of the series happened between 1929 and 1938. Look for the shorts directed by Robert McGowan. This is where Spanky’s comedic timing is most visible.
- Visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame: If you're in L.A., find his star at 7095 Hollywood Blvd. It’s a reminder that even if he left the industry, the industry couldn't forget him.
- Check out "The Little Rascals: The Classic Animated Series": If you have kids, see how they react to the 1980s cartoon version. Even in animation, the character of Spanky maintains that "bossy but lovable" persona that McFarland created.
- Support Film Preservation: Many of the original Our Gang negatives were in terrible shape. Supporting organizations like The Film Foundation helps ensure that McFarland’s work isn't lost to vinegar syndrome or digital decay.
George McFarland proved that you can survive early fame. He didn't need the spotlight to be happy. He found fulfillment in sales, in his family, and in a quiet life in Texas. That’s the real story of Little Rascals Spanky now—not a tragedy, but a successful transition from a cinematic icon to a real-world man.