Harry Spear (December 16, 1921 â€" September 22, 2006) 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.Before joining the wildly popular Our Gang series, Spear
made appearances in several Buck Jones westerns. 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 (1927â€"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. After departing the series,
Spear briefly entered vaudeville, entertaining audiences with a
dancing and monologue routine. By the mid-1940s, though, he left the
entertainment industry and severed ties with his former Our Gang
alumni.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.[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.Spear died of kidney cancer on September 22, 2006
in San Diego, California. He was 84 years of age.
child actor, notable for appearing in the Our Gang short subjects
series from 1927 to 1929. He was a native of Los Angeles,
California.Before joining the wildly popular Our Gang series, Spear
made appearances in several Buck Jones westerns. 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 (1927â€"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. After departing the series,
Spear briefly entered vaudeville, entertaining audiences with a
dancing and monologue routine. By the mid-1940s, though, he left the
entertainment industry and severed ties with his former Our Gang
alumni.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.[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.Spear died of kidney cancer on September 22, 2006
in San Diego, California. He was 84 years of age.
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