Stymie Beard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Matthew Beard
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Beard as "Stymie" in School's Out
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Matthew Beard Jr.
January 1, 1925 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Died | January 8, 1981 (aged 56) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles |
| Occupation | Actor, child actor |
| Years active | 1927–1981 |
Matthew Beard Jr. (born January 1, 1925 – died January 8, 1981) was an American actor. He was best known for playing the character Stymie in the Our Gang short films. He was a child actor from 1930 to 1935. His role was so famous that people started calling him Stymie Beard. He even used this name in some later movies, like The Buddy Holly Story in 1978.
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Early Life of Matthew Beard
Matthew Beard Jr. was born near Los Angeles, California. His father, Matthew Beard, was a pastor. His mother was Johnnie Mae Beard.
Starring in Our Gang
Before joining Our Gang, Matthew Beard played baby roles in many movies. Then, he signed a five-year contract to be in the Our Gang series.
His character, Stymie, was very different from the character he replaced, Farina. Stymie was a clever and confident kid. He always had smart ideas and quick comments to solve problems. Stymie often gave good, sensible advice that helped his friends.
Stymie's special look was a bald head with a big derby hat. This hat was a gift from comedian Stan Laurel. Laurel had worked with Hal Roach, who created Our Gang. Stymie is the only Our Gang member who replaced an original cast member (Allen "Farina" Hoskins) and was later replaced by someone who stayed until the show ended (Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas).
The director of Our Gang, Robert F. McGowan, gave Matthew the name Stymie. McGowan often felt "stymied" (frustrated) because little Matthew would wander around the studio. The character was first going to be named Hercules. McGowan later said that Stymie was his favorite of all the Our Gang kids. Matthew Beard joined the show when he was five years old. He was part of the gang during the early sound movies of the 1930s.
In 1934, Matthew Beard also appeared in the movie Kid Millions with Eddie Cantor. He and other Our Gang kids were in a fun "ice cream fantasy" scene.
Matthew Beard's Family Life
Matthew's acting pay helped support his large family in East Los Angeles. He had 13 brothers and sisters! After Matthew renamed his younger brother Bobbie "Cotton" (which became a character in Our Gang), his parents let him name all his other siblings. He named one sister Dickie after Dickie Moore, another Our Gang member.
Four other members of the Beard family also appeared in Our Gang comedies:
- His younger sister, Betty Jane Beard, was in the gang before Stymie. She played Farina's little brother Hector in Moan & Groan, Inc. and When the Wind Blows, even though she was a girl.
- His younger sister, Carlena Beard, played Stymie's younger sister in Shiver My Timbers, Readin' and Writin', and For Pete's Sake!.
- His younger brother, Bobbie Beard, appeared in six Our Gang shorts from 1932 to 1934 as Stymie's younger brother "Cotton."
- His mother, Johnnie Mae Beard, had small roles as Stymie's mother in Big Ears and Free Wheeling.
Matthew's younger brother, Renee Beard, also appeared in Hal Roach's movies Curley and Who Killed Doc Robbin in the 1940s.
Later Acting Career
After leaving Our Gang in 1935 at age 10, Matthew Beard had small roles in other movies. These included Captain Blood (1935) and Jezebel (1938). When he was 15, he played Mose the bellboy in the 1940 film The Return of Frank James. He stopped acting when he was in high school.
In the 1960s, he started acting again. He appeared in small roles in movies and TV shows. He was a guest star on shows like Sanford and Son, Emergency!, and The Jeffersons. He also had a regular role as Monty on Good Times from 1974 to 1977.
In 1978, he was in the movie The Buddy Holly Story. He played a crew member backstage at the Apollo Theatre, wearing his famous bowler hat.
Death
Matthew Beard had a stroke on January 3, 1981, just two days after his 56th birthday. He fell and hurt his head, then sadly died of pneumonia on January 8, 1981. He was living in Los Angeles at the time.
He is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles. He was buried with the famous derby hat he wore throughout his life.
Legacy
The popular book series Captain Underpants has a character named George Beard. The author, Dav Pilkey, loved Our Gang. He named George's last name after Matthew Beard.
Images for kids
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Beard as "Stymie" in School's Out
See also
In Spanish: Matthew Beard (actor estadounidense) para niños
