Everything about Jean Darling totally explained
Jean Darling (b.
August 23,
1922,
Santa Monica, California) is a former
American child actress who was a regular in the
Our Gang short subjects series from
1927 to
1929.
In
1926 at the age of four, Dorothy Jean LeVake got her big break when she passed her screen test and was accepted for a part in the
Hal Roach Our Gang series. By that stage her name had been changed to
Jean Darling. Jean appeared in 35 "Our Gang" films during this period. She is also the last surviving cast member of the
silent era version.
Jean continued to appear in films after leaving the gang, including an appearance in
Laurel & Hardy's
1934 adaptation of
Babes in Toyland and as the young Jane in
Jane Eyre (1934).
A round of stage and radio shows followed. Stage shows involved up to seven shows a day. It was punishing schedule for a fourteen-year-old. And that wasn't taking into account her educational studies. Jean began to study singing, and in
1940 she was given a scholarship by the New York Municipal Opera Association. She turned down an offer to play alongside
Mickey Rooney in one of the
MGM "
Andy Hardy" movies.
Instead, she went on
Broadway, making her debut in the musical "Count Me In" in
1942. Jean's stage career hit a real high when she landed the role of Carrie Pipperidge in the original Broadway production of
Carousel in
1945. She appeared in 850 consecutive performances, setting a record for a singer.
Her role as Carrie helped her with parts for radio and TV in the
1950s and Jean hosted her own television show for
NBC in
New York City, ‘A Date With Jean Darling’. Her daily TV show for women, ‘The Singing Knit-Witch’, was aired on
KHJ-TV in
Hollywood.
Personal life
Jean married Reuben Bowen (whose stage name was
Kajer the Magician). They had one son, Roy.
Since
1974 Jean has been living in
Dublin,
Ireland, where she's written mystery stories and has had over 50 short stories published in the
Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and
Whispers.
As "Aunty Poppy", she reads stories, which she wrote herself, on
RTÉ radio and TV. She has also written plays for radio and has worked as a journalist.
Darling is one of the few living
Our Gangers from the original series. Other surviving members are
Jackie Cooper,
Dorothy DeBorba,
Dickie Moore,
Shirley Jean Rickert,
Mickey Gubitosi (Robert Blake),
Jerry Tucker and
Jackie Lynn Taylor.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Jean Darling'.
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