[10] In 2010, he wrote the book "Otay!" He was a native of Los Angeles. Eddie Murphy’s stint as a standout funny guy on Saturday Night Live (1981-84) led to a career as one of the most successful movie stars of the 1980s and 1990s.. On SNL, Eddie Murphy was known for playful impressions of rocker James Brown, children’s host Mister Rogers, and Billie “Buckwheat” Thomas of the old Our Gang show, with Murphy tweaking racial stereotypes as part of the act. Thomas had a speech impairment as a young child, as did Lee, who became Thomas's friend both on the set and off. Chubby — 300-pound Norman Chaney died at age 22 following an operation. Despite Thomas being a male, the Buckwheat character remained a female—dressed as a Topsy-esque image of the African-American "pickaninny" stereotype with bowed pigtails, a large hand-me-down sweater and oversized boots. (? “After the Army, I wasn't really interested in the hassle of performing," he explained shortly before his death in 1980. Thomas was survived by his son William Thomas Jr. In 1992, the younger Thomas created the Buckwheat Memorial Scholarship for students of California State Northridge University. He was 49. [1] Thomas is buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood.[9]. Let’s start to read as below. In 1950, Billy had a son whom he also named William Thomas Jr. William Thomas Jr. the younger went on to graduate from California State Northridge University in 1975, then in 1992, created the Buckwheat Memorial Scholarship for students at Northridge in his honor. He died on October 10, 1980 in Los Angeles. He was twelve years old when the final Our Gang film, Dancing Romeo, was completed in November 1943. Billie Thomas was an African-American child actor who was best-known for appearing in the "Our Gang" film series from 1934 to its end in 1944. Billie Thomas Girlfriend Boyfriend, Married, Spouse Wife Husband, Instagram Pics, Twitter New Post, Facebook Update, Youtube Video. [5] According to Julia Lee, author of Our Gang: A Racial History of The Little Rascals, Thomas and the others were "considered saviors in many ways" by the black community as the most popular black stars in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s. "[11], In 1990, the ABC newsmagazine 20/20 aired a segment featuring a man named Bill English, then a grocery bagger in Arizona, who claimed to be the adult Buckwheat. 27, 1931 Sep. 13, 1918 May 30, 1912 Jan. 29, 1980 Feb. 13, 1980 Mar. Born: 12-Mar-1931 Birthplace: Los Angeles, CA Died: 10-Oct-1980 Location of death: Los Angeles, CA Cause of death: Heart Failure Remains: Bur. William "Billie" Thomas Jr. (March 12, 1931 – October 10, 1980) was an American child actor best remembered for portraying the character of Buckwheat in the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short films from 1934 until the series' end in 1944. Mandy's information is not available now. Also Known As: Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas Died: October 10, 1980: Born: March 12, 1931: Cause of Death: Birth Place: Profession: Thomas was born in Los Angeles. Billie 'Buckwheat' Thomas was born on March 12, 1931 and died on October 10, 1980. William "Billie" Thomas Jr. (March 12, 1931 – October 10, 1980) was an American child actor best remembered for portraying the character of Buckwheat in the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short films from 1934 until the series' end in 1944. He was 49. On October 10, 1980, ten weeks after his July 31 appearance at the Hilton, Thomas died of a heart attack in his Los Angeles apartment at the age of 49, forty-six years to the day after his mother brought him to audition at the Hal Roach Studios. After Stymie's departure from the series later in 1935, the Buckwheat character slowly morphed into a boy, first referred to definitively as a "he" in 1936's The Pinch Singer. Thomas is buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood. The "Buckwheat" and "Porky" characters both became known for their collective garbled dialogue, in particular their catchphrase, "O-tay!" Billie 'Buckwheat' Thomas Death Billie passed away on October 10, 1980 at the age of 49 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Thomas was born in Los Angeles. [14], CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, "Spanky" McFarland discusses Buckwheat in a 1987 appearance, "The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang", "Scholarship Keeps Controversial Image in the Spotlight : Education: Despite criticism, the son of the actor who played Buckwheat sees grant as a way to preserve his father's legacy", His gang Spanky McFarland remembers his long stint as a `Little Rascal'. His Buckwheat character was affectionately spoofed by Eddie Murphy during the comedian's stint on TV's "Saturday Night Live" in the early 1980s. Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas; Thomas as '"Buckwheat"' in Our Gang Follies of 1938. An autopsy disclosed that Hood had contracted acute hepatitis from a blood transfusion given during the operation, leading to her death. Military service: US Army (Korean War) Wife: (div.) [3][4] However, the work of Thomas and the other black cast members as actors is credited with helping the cause of race relations by playing alongside white children as equals in a desegregated show during the height of the Jim Crow Era. Buckwheat — William Thomas died at age 49 of a heart attack. Billie 'Buckwheat' Thomas was born on March 12, 1931 in Los Angeles, California, USA as William Thomas Jr. , and by Willie Mae Walton in three other shorts. Billie 'Buckwheat' Thomas is a member of Actor Despite being confronted by McFarland on the television newsmagazine A Current Affair, English, who died four years later at the age of 60, refused to retreat from his claim, maintaining that he had originated the role of Buckwheat, with other actors playing the character only after he had left it. He is American and has had a career as a business person. Billie 'Buckwheat' Thomas's father, William, is still alive and kicking at the age of 31. Billie was 49 years old at the time of death. Actor. Gender:Male. Billie ‘Buckwheat’ Thomas died of a heart attack Billie ‘Buckwheat’ Thomas in The Little Rascals (1955)/MGM. By 1940, Thomas had grown out of his speech impairment, and with Lee having been replaced by Robert Blake, Thomas's Buckwheat character was written as an archetypal black youth. Coronavirus Update. Login to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. Billie's cause of death was heart attack. William "Billie" Thomas, Jr. (March 12, 1931 – October 10, 1980) was an American child actor best remembered for portraying the character of Buckwheat in the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short films from 1934 until the series' end in 1944. William "Billie" Thomas Jr. (March 12, 1931 – October 10, 1980) was an American child actor best remembered for portraying the character of Buckwheat in the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short films from 1934 until the series' end in 1944. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/porky-from-little-rascals-dies He made Buckwheat into a stereotype that he wasn't, at the expense of the people in his family who are still alive. [11] But Thomas's co-star George McFarland, who played "Spanky" in Little Rascals, made it clear that he hated Murphy's imitations. Jan 9, 2016 - William "Billie" Thomas, jr, aka "Buckwheat" of Little Rascals Billie 'Buckwheat' Thomas, Actor: Pay As You Exit. [1], At "Hollywood 80", the second annual meeting of The Sons of the Desert, from July 30 to August 3, 1980, more than 500 fans gathered at the Los Angeles Hilton Hotel. This is similar to the initial handling of another African-American Our Gang member, Allen "Farina" Hoskins, who worked in the series during the silent and early sound eras. During the first half of his Our Gang tenure, Thomas's Buckwheat character was often paired with Eugene "Porky" Lee as a tag-along team of "little kids" rallying against (and often outsmarting) the "big kids", George "Spanky" McFarland and Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer. "I didn't care for them a bit. After returning to civilian life, Thomas faced a dilemma shared by many of his co-stars from Our Gang. 28, 1980 May 14, 1980 86 48 61 67: pneumonia heart attack lung cancer alcohol, heart attack HCC--crem Peter Sellers Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas Steve McQueen "Buckwheat actor's son sues ABC over phony", The Sons of the Desert Convention/Our Gang Reunion, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Billie_%22Buckwheat%22_Thomas&oldid=1013921106, Turner Classic Movies person ID same as Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 24 March 2021, at 05:22. Location of death:Los Angeles, CA. [1] In his Classic Movie Guide write-up for the film, Leonard Maltin surmises that "Buckwheat's role as slave in search of a master may displease contemporary audiences. The "Buckwheat" character was a female at this time, portrayed by Our Gang kid Matthew "Stymie" Beard's younger sister Carlena in For Pete's Sake!, and by Willie Mae Walton in three other shorts. He was a native of Los Angeles. Mr. Murphy did a very poor imitation. But he continued to play the role as a girl. The fallout from this incident included the resignation of a 20/20 producer[13] and a negligence lawsuit filed by the son of William Thomas. "[2], Thomas remained in Our Gang for ten years, appearing in all but one of the shorts, Feed 'em and Weep (due to sickness when Philip Hurlic filled in for him), made from Washee Ironee in 1934 through the series' end in 1944. Contribute. When he was given a standing ovation at an "Our Gang" reunion in August of 1980, Thomas was moved to tears. When Thomas was brought out, he received a spontaneous standing ovation, and was moved to tears. Billie Thomas became “Buckwheat” in the 1935 episode called, Mama’s Little Pirate. Hood was busy organizing the 1980 Little Rascalsreunion for the Los Angeles Chapter of The Sons of the Desert when she underwent an appendectomy at Canoga Park Hospital, Canoga Park, California. She … While Buckwheat’s death may have been natural, he perished fairly young. He was a native of Los Angeles, California. Born:12-Mar-1931. William "Billie" Thomas, Jr. (March 12, 1931 – October 10, 1980) was an American child actor best remembered for portraying the character of Buckwheat in the Our Gang (Little Rascals) short films from 1934 until the series' end in 1944. But he continued to play the role as a girl. If you see something that doesn't look right on this page, please do inform us using the form below: © 2021 Dead or Kicking / All Rights Reserved. [12], The next week, 20/20 acknowledged, on-air, that English's claim had been false and apologized for the interview. Billie 'Buckwheat' Thomas is a member of the following lists: Our Gang, American child actors and United States Army soldiers.. He was a native of Los Angeles, California. Though offered many film and stage roles, he had no desire to return to Hollywood as an actor. Info: Played Buckwheat in the "Our Gang" movies: Date of Birth: 03/12/1931: Date of Death: 10/10/1980: Age at Death: 49: Cause of Death: - ?) Among those honored on July 31 were fellow Our Gangers George McFarland, Dorothy DeBorba, Tommy Bond, and Joe Cobb. He died on October 10, 1980 in Los Angeles.Spouse (1)? Having been 14 when WWII ended in 1945, 9 years before he actually joined the military, it is uncertain why his grave marker says "Reg US Army, World War II". Billie Thomas first appeared in the 1934 Our Gang shorts For Pete's Sake!, The First Round-Up, and Washee Ironee as a background player. Born: William Thomas, Jr. March 12, 1931 Los Angeles, California: Died: October 10, 1980 (aged 49) Los Angeles, California: Cause of death: Heart attack: Other names: Buckwheat: Occupation: Child actor: Years active: 1935-1944 He played Buckwheat in … Character: Buckwheat Thomas Birthday: March 12, 1931 Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California Date of Death: October 10, 1980 Place of Death: Los Angeles, California First Short: For Pete's Sake Last Short: Tale Of A Dog Number of Shorts: 92 History: William Thomas Jr. was the only son of William Thomas Sr., a janitor at the Wilton Apartment Building in Hollywood, California. Thomas remained in Our Gang when the series changed production from Hal Roach Studios to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1938. Two months later he died of a heart attack. He took his experience in film work as a spark to learn the trade of film editing and cutting. Billie's cause of death was heart attack. Thomas first appeared as a background character in Our Gang in 1934. 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