Harry Spear: Difference between revisions

Harry Spear
Harry Spear
	Spear in 1927
Born	Harry Sherman Bonner; December 16, 1921; Los Angeles, California
Died	September 22, 2006 (aged 84); San Diego, California
Other names	Ginger; Freckles; Hard-Boiled Harry
Occupation	Child actor
Years active	1927–1929
Spouse	Thelma Spear (m 1957-2006)

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Revision as of 21:19, 6 June 2023

Harry Sherman Bonner (December 16, 1921 – September 22, 2006),^[2] also known as Harry Spear, was an American child actor, notable for appearing in the Our Gang short subjects series from 1927 to 1929. He was a native of Los Angeles, California.

Early life

Born in December 16, 1921 on Los Angeles, California, Harry was born to Joseph Francis Bonner (1893-1961) and Louise Dorothy Spear (1901-1947)^[3]

Our Gang

Spear made his first appearance in the Our Gang series at the age of five in the film Chicken Feed.^[4] He was a popular member of the gang during the late silent era (1927–1929), often donning an oversized bowler hat. At the dawn of the sound era, newcomer Jackie Cooper took over the role as the leader/tough guy in the gang, replacing Spear. Spear's final Our Gang film would be Bouncing Babies.^[5]

Vaudeville

After departing the series, Spear briefly entered vaudeville, entertaining audiences with a dancing and monologue routine.^[6] Joining in 1930, Spear was dubbed Freckles.^[7] He was one of the young vaudeville stars that took dance instruction from Roy Randolph around September of that year.^[8] In Christmas 1933, twelve-year-old Spear would be offered a contract for a series similar to that of Horatio Alger, however, it was never completed.^[9] In the mid-1940s, though, he had left the entertainment industry and severed ties with his former Our Gang alumni.

Lost Rascal

Spear's whereabouts after the 1940s remained a mystery for over half a century. However, several diligent Our Gang fans attempted to track down Spear in 1995. Residing in San Diego, California at the time, Spear (who went by his legal name of Harry Bonner) continually denied being the "Harry Spear" of Our Gang fame for unknown reasons, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.^[10]^[11] From U.S. Naval records, it was found that Harry Spear served as a Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam War.^[12]

Death

Spear died of kidney cancer on September 22, 2006, in San Diego, California. He was 84 years of age.

Personal life

Spear was managed by his grandmother Bertha Spear, who was also his legal guardian.^[6] Some name confusion existed for a while because of a different actor named Harry Spear, who appeared in some bit roles in several movies in the 1960s.

References

^ "Harry Spear, Our Gang | Fashion, Fedora, Style". Pinterest. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
^ Harry S. Bonner, Social Security Death Index, SSN 557-26-4992
^ "Harry Sherman Bonner". FamilySearch. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
^ Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang, p. 60-61. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-517-58325-9
^ Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang, p. 88–89. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-517-58325-9
^ ^a ^b Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang, p. 253–254. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-517-58325-9
^ The Journal Times. Racine, Wisconsin: The Journal Times. April 19, 1930. p. 12.
^ Los Angeles Evening Express. Los Angeles, California: Los Angeles Evening Express. September 20, 1930. p. 20.
^ Nashville Banner. Nashville Banner. December 26, 1933. p. 15.
^ "The Terrible Catsafterme » Blog Archive » The Strange Tale of Harry Spear". Retrieved 2023-06-06.
^ "Harry Spear". The Little Rascals Proboards. November 1, 2006.
^ "Bonner, Harry Sherman, YNC | TWS". Together We served. Retrieved 2023-06-06.

External links

Preceded by Scooter Lowry	*Our Gang* 1927–1929	Succeeded by Jackie Cooper

[1] "Harry Spear, Our Gang | Fashion, Fedora, Style". Pinterest. Retrieved 2023-04-15.

[2] Harry S. Bonner, Social Security Death Index, SSN 557-26-4992

[3] "Harry Sherman Bonner". FamilySearch. Retrieved 2023-05-27.

[4] Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang, p. 60-61. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-517-58325-9

[5] Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang, p. 88–89. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-517-58325-9

[maltin-6] Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang, p. 253–254. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-517-58325-9

[7] The Journal Times. Racine, Wisconsin: The Journal Times. April 19, 1930. p. 12.

[8] Los Angeles Evening Express. Los Angeles, California: Los Angeles Evening Express. September 20, 1930. p. 20.

[9] Nashville Banner. Nashville Banner. December 26, 1933. p. 15.

[10] "The Terrible Catsafterme » Blog Archive » The Strange Tale of Harry Spear". Retrieved 2023-06-06.

[11] "Harry Spear". The Little Rascals Proboards. November 1, 2006.

[12] "Bonner, Harry Sherman, YNC | TWS". Together We served. Retrieved 2023-06-06.

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 == Early life ==
 Born in December 16, 1921 on [[Los Angeles|Los Angeles, California]], Harry was born to Joseph Francis Bonner (1893-1961) and Louise Dorothy Spear (1901-1947)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Harry Sherman Bonner |url=https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/9KGV-2BX/harry-sherman-bonner-1921-2006 |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=FamilySearch}}</ref>
-Before joining the wildly popular ''Our Gang'' series, Spear made appearances in several [[Educational Pictures]] comedies as ''Ginger''.
 == ''Our Gang'' ==

v t e Our Gang / The Little Rascals
Filmography Personnel
Films	Our Gang (1922) When the Wind Blows (1930) Hi'-Neighbor! (1934) For Pete's Sake! (1934) The First Round-Up (1934) Honky Donkey (1934) Mike Fright (1934) Washee Ironee (1934) Mama's Little Pirate (1934) Anniversary Trouble (1935) Beginner's Luck (1935) Teacher's Beau (1935) Sprucin' Up (1935) Little Papa (1935) Little Sinner (1935) Our Gang Follies of 1936 (1935) The Lucky Corner (1936) Second Childhood (1936) General Spanky (1936) Feed 'em and Weep (1938) The Little Rascals (1994) The Little Rascals Save the Day (2014)
Television	The Little Rascals Christmas Special (1979) The Little Rascals (1982–1984)
Category