Bobby Hutchins
Bobby Hutchins | |
---|---|
Born | Robert E. Hutchins March 29, 1925 Tacoma, Washington, U.S. |
Died | May 17, 1945 Merced, California, U.S. | (aged 20)
Occupation | Child actor |
Years active | 1927–1933 |
Military career | |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Army Air Corps |
Years of service | 1943–1945 |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Robert E. Hutchins (March 29, 1925 – May 17, 1945) was an American
Early life
Bobby Hutchins was born to James and Olga (Constance) Hutchins in Washington. His father was a native of Kentucky and his mother a native of Washington State.[1]
Career
Wheezer appeared in 58 Our Gang films during his six years in the series. For much of his run, "Wheezer" was portrayed as the perennial tag-along little brother, put off by the older children but always eager to be part of the action.
Hutchins' first film in
One of the enduring mysteries of the series is why Hutchins suddenly and drastically fell out of favour with creator/producer
Thereafter, however, Hutchins's role was greatly diminished. In 1932's first short,
Other members of the Our Gang troupe remember very little about Hutchins. Jackie Cooper said, "You'd go to play with Wheezer and his father would pull him away. Very competitive. I didn't get a satisfactory answer from my mother or grandmother as to why, but he was to be left alone."[2] Other cast members reported that Hutchins was abused by his parents to keep him from outgrowing Our Gang.[3] Hutchins's younger brother Dickie appeared in the short Forgotten Babies.
After Our Gang
After outgrowing the series, Hutchins and his family eventually moved back to Tacoma, where he entered
Death
Hutchins was killed in a mid-air collision on May 17, 1945, while trying to land a North American AT-6D-NT Texan, serial number 42-86536, of the 3026th Base Unit, when it struck an AT-6C-15-NT Texan, 42-49068, of the same unit at Merced Army Air Field in Merced, California, later known as Castle Air Force Base,[4] during a training exercise. The other pilot, Edward F. Hamel, survived. Hutchins's mother, Olga Hagerson Hutchins, had been scheduled to travel to the airfield for his graduation from flying school, which would have occurred the week after he died.[5]
References
- ^ 1930 United States Federal Census, California District 127, p. 38.(subscription required)
- ISBN 0-425-07483-8
- ISBN 0-517-58325-9
- ^ "May 1945 USAAF Stateside Accident Reports". Aviationarchaeology.com. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
- ^ The Modesto Bee, May 18, 1945.
External links
- Bobby Hutchins at IMDb
- Bobby Hutchins at the TCM Movie Database
- Bobby Hutchins at AllMovie
- Bobby Hutchins at Find a Grave