You may not recognize her from the image above, (and you may not even recognize her from her childhood head shot), but this actress was one of my favorite to watch in the famous "OUR GANG" shorts.
Shirley Jean Rickert appeared alongside Jackie Cooper and the pre-Alfalfa gang in several Our Gang shorts in 1931. She appeared in ONLY five of the OUR GANG shorts but for the next 78 years, and right up until her obituary in today's Los Angeles Times, she was known as "Shirley Jean Rickert, child star of Our Gang comedies."
She was 82 years old and passed away on Feb 6th according to her daughter Melody.
After those child acting days passed she became known in the Burlesque circuit as Gilda- the crowning glory. I always loved her strange pale pale white blonde curls back in the early years...and her cute pursed bow lip expressions. Darling.
Farewell cutie pie- tell the rest of the rascals hello for us.
Aw, she looked just like a baby doll when she was little!
Posted by: Katie | February 13, 2009 at 08:41 AM
I wanted to look like her when I was little so badly...
Posted by: Rainy | February 15, 2009 at 06:26 PM