Norman Chaney
Norman Chaney | |
---|---|
Film actor | |
Years active | 1929–1931 |
Norman Myers Chaney (October 18, 1914 – May 29, 1936) was an American child actor, notable for appearing in 19 Our Gang comedies as "Chubby" from 1929 to 1931.[1][2][3][4]
Early life and career
Chaney was born on October 18, 1914 (though Richard Bann and Leonard Maltin's book "The Little Rascals: Life & Times of Our Gang stated he was born in 1918) in Cambridge, Maryland, and became a member of Our Gang at the dawn of the sound era. He relied on an affable personality, a flair for funny dialogue, and a priceless frown of frustration that seemed to swallow up his whole moon face. In the fall of 1928, Our Gang producer Hal Roach and director Robert F. McGowan began to look for an overweight child actor to replace Joe Cobb in the popular film series. Cobb was twelve years old, and the series was about to transition to sound. Roach and McGowan held a nationwide contest to find a replacement for Cobb. Chaney won this contest in early 1929 and was offered a two-year contract. "He adapted gracefully, and we all liked him, he was a nice fellow," said McGowan of Chaney.[4] His stay with the series was brief, but he made a memorable impression on generations of fans. He was taught the expression of the "slow burn" by the comedian Edgar Kennedy.
At the time, Chaney was only 3' 11" and weighed about 113 pounds (119 cm and 51 kg respectively). He was nicknamed "Chubby" for the series and made his debut in the second sound entry,
By spring 1931, Chaney was getting taller and increasingly heavier. He finished out the 1930–31 season without being offered another contract. Both Chaney and his parents decided he would not pursue acting following his final Our Gang short,
Later years and death
After leaving the series, Chaney returned to his native Baltimore and attended
Chaney became seriously ill from the stress on his body that the rapid weight loss caused and he died from myocarditis on May 29, 1936, at age 21, according to his death certificate. At the time of his death, Chaney weighed 110 lb (50 kg). He was the first of the regular Our Gang alumni to die.
Chaney was buried in Baltimore Cemetery in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. His
Filmography
- Railroadin' (1929)
- Lazy Days (1929)
- Boxing Gloves (1929)
- Bouncing Babies (1929)
- Moan and Groan, Inc. (1929)
- Shivering Shakespeare (1930)
- The First Seven Years (1930)
- When the Wind Blows (1930)
- Bear Shooters (1930)
- A Tough Winter (1930)
- Pups Is Pups (1930)
- Teacher's Pet (1930)
- School's Out (1930)
- Helping Grandma (1931)
- Love Business (1931)
- Little Daddy (1931)
- The Stolen Jools (1931)
- Bargain Day (1931)
- Fly My Kite (1931)
References
- ^ photobucket.com Retrieved 1 July 2010
- ^ ancestry.com Retrieved 1 July 2010
- ^ ancestry.com Retrieved 1 July 2010
- ^ ISBN 0-517-58325-9
- ^ Rosen, Jill. "Grave finally arrives for Norman 'Chubby' Chaney," The Baltimore Sun, Wednesday, November 7, 2012.
- ^ Duncan, Ian. "Norman 'Chubby' Chaney gets a headstone, 76 years later," The Baltimore Sun, Saturday, November 10, 2012.
Bibliography
- John Holmstrom, The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995, Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 85.
External links
- Norman Chaney at IMDb
- Norman Chaney at AllMovie
- Norman Chaney at Find a Grave