Leonard Landy 1980
Thursday, October 4th, 2007
I know for a fact that I had no idea who Leonard Landy was when I captured his autograph in my little blue book on July 31, 1980 at the Our Gang reunion meet-and-greet during the Sons of the Desert Hollywood ’80 convention. Looking at his signature in my book for a year or so after the fact caused me to scratch my head and wonder who exactly this was. In fact, Maltin and Bann’s Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals was unable to identify his character in the cast listing of the films – so his name meant little to me. It was only in the appendix to the book did he receive a byline indicating that a man has identified the character of ‘Leonard’ as his cousin Leonard Landy. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s encounters like the one that I had with Olive Brasno that make me believe in fate. Had I not been browsing Bob’s book The Munchkins of Oz by Steve Cox during my 1995 visit to California, and had I not then fortuitously met that same Steve Cox at the Hollywood Collectors Show that very same week, and finally had I not had a trip to Florida planned several weeks later, it is likely that I would have never crossed paths with Olive. As it was, I had the opportunity of a lifetime to meet an actress that I had long admired. 
Jackie Davis was another one of the original members of the silent Our Gang. Appearing in nineteen of the movies as the first tough kid of the Rascals, Jack’s older sister Mildred eventually would marry silent screen legend Harold Lloyd. Lloyd thought that it would better for Jack to get a good education and sent him off to military school. The education paid off and Jack Davis, known as John H. Davis, M.D. at the time that he made an appearance at the Our Gang reunion in 1980, became quite a success. 
Even if I had never seen a silent Our Gang film at that point, I could never forget the infectious smile and genuine friendliness that radiated from Ernest “Sunshine Sammy” Morrison when I first encountered him at the Our Gang reunion autograph session at Hollywood ’80. One of the kindest and most sincere men who I have ever met, Sunshine Sammy holds the distinction of being the first black actor ever signed to a long-term movie contract. His producer Hal Roach signed him to his own comedy series in 1919, which led to his eventual starring in the Our Gang series. 
I had had some cake the night before at The Smoke House courtesy of my friends, but other than that, I pretty much forgot that Sunday, October 2, 2005 was even my birthday. The day was packed with things to do so there wasn’t time to think of such things. We kicked off the morning with a nice hearty breakfast at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel & Convention Center where we had stayed the night. We had a great buffet, but best of all, we dined with two former Our Gang members Patsy Barry and Joy Wurgaft Lane, whose husbands treated us.