Harry Spear
| Harry Spear | |
|---|---|
 Harry Spear 1927.jpg Spear in 1927 | |
| Born | Harry Sherman Bonner December 16, 1921 Los Angeles, California |
| 💀Died | September 22, 2006 (aged 84) San Diego, CaliforniaSeptember 22, 2006 (aged 84) |
| Other names | Ginger Freckles[1] Hard-Boiled Harry |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| 📆 Years active | 1927–1963 |
| 👩 Spouse(s) | Thelma Spear (m 1957-2006) |
Harry Sherman Bonner (December 16, 1921 – September 22, 2006),[2] 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[edit]
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[edit]
Before joining the wildly popular Our Gang series, Spear made appearances in several Educational Pictures comedies as Ginger.
Spear made his first appearance in the Our Gang series at the age of five in the film Chicken Feed. 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.[4] After departing the series, Spear briefly entered vaudeville, entertaining audiences with a dancing and monologue routine.[4] By the mid-1940s, though, he had left the entertainment industry and severed ties with his former Our Gang alumni.
Lost Rascal[edit]
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.[5][unreliable source?] 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.
Death[edit]
Spear died of kidney cancer on September 22, 2006, in San Diego, California. He was 84 years of age.
Personal life[edit]
Spear was managed by his grandmother Bertha Spear, who was also his legal guardian.[4] 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. His last film as Chimney Sweeper in Mary Poppins
References[edit]
- ↑ "Harry Spear, Our Gang | Fashion, Fedora, Style". Pinterest. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
- ↑ Harry S. Bonner, Social Security Death Index, SSN 557-26-4992
- ↑ "FamilySearch.org". ancestors.familysearch.org. Retrieved 2023-05-27.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 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 Search this book on
.
- ↑ The Strange Tale of Harry Spear
External links[edit]
- Harry Spear on IMDb
- Harry Spear at AllMovie
- The Strange Tale of Harry Spear
- Harry Spear at Find a GraveLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 23: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
| Films |
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|---|---|
| Television |
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| Preceded by Scooter Lowry |
Our Gang 1927–1929 |
Succeeded by Jackie Cooper |
- American male child actors
- American male silent film actors
- Deaths from kidney cancer
- Deaths from cancer in California
- 1921 births
- 2006 deaths
- American male comedy actors
- Hal Roach Studios actors
- Our Gang
- United States Navy personnel of World War II
- United States Navy personnel of the Korean War
- United States Navy personnel of the Vietnam War
