Stymie Beard: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|American actor (1925-1981)}} |
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{{For|the English film actor (born 1989)|Matthew Beard (British actor)}} |
{{For|the English film actor (born 1989)|Matthew Beard (British actor)}} |
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<noinclude>{{User:RMCD bot/subject notice|1=Stymie Beard|2=Talk:Matthew Beard (American actor)#Requested move 8 February 2021 }} |
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{{More citations needed|date=December 2009}} |
{{More citations needed|date=December 2009}} |
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{{infobox person |
{{infobox person |
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|death_place= Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
|death_place= Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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|resting_place = [[Evergreen Cemetery (Los Angeles)|Evergreen Cemetery]], Los Angeles |
|resting_place = [[Evergreen Cemetery (Los Angeles)|Evergreen Cemetery]], Los Angeles |
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|occupation= |
|occupation= Actor, child actor |
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|yearsactive= 1927–1981}} |
|yearsactive= 1927–1981}} |
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[[File:Schools-out-our-gang-1930.jpg|thumb|270px| |
[[File:Schools-out-our-gang-1930.jpg|thumb|270px|Beard, [[Pete the Pup]], and [[Bobby Hutchins]] in ''[[School's Out (1930 film)|School's Out]]'' (1930)]] |
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'''Matthew Beard Jr.''' (January 1, 1925 – January 8, 1981) was an American |
'''Matthew Beard Jr.''' (January 1, 1925 – January 8, 1981) was an American actor. As a child actor, he was most famous for playing Stymie in the ''[[Our Gang]]'' short comedy films of 1930–1935. The role was so well known that he adopted the name '''Stymie Beard''', and was so credited in some later roles, such as his 1978 appearance in ''[[The Buddy Holly Story]]''. |
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==Early life== |
==Early life== |
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⚫ | Beard was born near [[Los Angeles]], [[California]] to Matthew Beard Sr. and Johnnie Mae Beard (née Clay). His father was the founding pastor of Beloved Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles.<ref>Supporting Actors in Motion Pictures: Volume II, Roger L. Gordon, Dorrance Publishing Co., 2018, p. 25</ref> |
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⚫ | |||
==''Our Gang'' years== |
==''Our Gang'' years== |
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{{Moresources|section|date=June 2023}} |
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⚫ | |||
Beard previously played baby parts in many films, then signed a five-year contract to play in ''Our Gang''. In contrast to [[Allen Hoskins|Farina]], the character he replaced, Stymie was a slick-tongued con-artist who was self-assured, nonchalant, and ready with a sly comment and clever ideas to solve the problems he faced. He could offer sound common sense that helped resolve his playmates' dilemmas. |
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⚫ | The character's trademark was a bald head crowned by an oversize [[Bowler hat|derby hat]], a gift to Beard from comedian [[Stan Laurel]], who had worked under ''Our Gang'' creator [[Hal Roach]]. Stymie is the only member of ''Our Gang'' who both replaced one of the original gang members ([[Allen Hoskins|Allen "Farina" Hoskins]]) and was in turn replaced by one who stayed until the series disbanded: [[Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas]]. |
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⚫ | The character was originally to be named Hercules; however, ''Our Gang'' director [[Robert F. McGowan|Robert McGowan]], frustrated ("stymied") by little Matthew's curious wanderings around the studio, gave him the name Stymie. McGowan later recalled that Stymie was his favorite of all the ''Our Gang'' kids. The then-five-year-old Beard came to the series a year after the transition from the silent/early sound era, and had the distinction of being with the Gang from the sound movies of the early 1930s through the transitional period of the mid-1930s. |
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In 1934, Roach Studios loaned Beard and other Our Gang kids to [[Samuel Goldwyn Productions]] for [[Eddie Cantor]]'s ''[[Kid Millions]]'',<ref>[https://entertainment.ha.com/itm/movie-tv-memorabilia/documents/hal-roach-studios-loan-out-agreement-for-matthew-stymie-beard/a/7022-46708.s "Hal Roach Studios Loan Out Agreement for Matthew "Stymie" Beard....", Heritage Auctions, 2010]</ref> where they appeared in the "ice cream fantasy" sequence. |
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⚫ | The |
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==Family== |
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Beard's paycheck |
Beard's paycheck helped support his family in [[East Los Angeles (region)|East Los Angeles]], including 13 brothers and sisters. After Beard renamed his younger brother Bobbie "Cotton" (which was used as the name of one of the ''Our Gang'' characters), his parents allowed him to name all of the rest of his siblings as they were born. He named one Dickie after [[Dickie Moore (actor)|Dickie Moore]], another member of ''Our Gang''. Four other members of the Beard family appeared in the ''Our Gang'' comedies: |
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*His younger sister Betty Jane Beard preceded Stymie in the gang, playing Farina's little brother Hector in ''[[Moan & Groan, Inc.]]'' and ''[[When the Wind Blows (1930 film)|When the Wind Blows]]'' (even though she was a girl). |
* His younger sister Betty Jane Beard preceded Stymie in the gang, playing Farina's little brother Hector in ''[[Moan & Groan, Inc.]]'' and ''[[When the Wind Blows (1930 film)|When the Wind Blows]]'' (even though she was a girl). |
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*His younger sister Carlena Beard appeared as Stymie's younger sister in ''[[Shiver My Timbers]]'', ''[[Readin' and Writin']]'', and ''[[For Pete's Sake!]]'' She did not appear in ''The First Round-Up''. Willie Mae Taylor played "Buckwheat", a role which would eventually be converted to a male character and given to Billie Thomas. |
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*His younger |
* His younger sister Carlena Beard appeared as Stymie's younger sister in ''[[Shiver My Timbers]]'', ''[[Readin' and Writin']]'', and ''[[For Pete's Sake!]]''. |
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* His younger brother [[Bobbie Beard]] appeared in six ''Our Gang'' shorts from 1932 to 1934 as Stymie's younger brother Cotton. |
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*His mother |
* His mother Johnnie Mae Beard had a cameo as Stymie's mother in ''[[Big Ears (film)|Big Ears]]'' and ''[[Free Wheeling]]''. |
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Beard's younger brother Renee Beard |
Beard's younger brother, Renee Beard, appeared in [[Hal Roach]]'s featurettes of the 1940s, ''[[Curley (1947 film)|Curley]]'' and ''[[Who Killed Doc Robbin]]''. |
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==Later years== |
==Later years== |
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After Beard left the series in 1935 at the age of |
After Beard left the series in 1935 at the age of 10, he acted in minor roles in feature films such as ''[[Captain Blood (1935 film)|Captain Blood]]'' (1935) and ''[[Jezebel (1938 film)|Jezebel]]'' (1938). At age 15, he appeared as [[Mose]] the bellboy in the 1940 ''[[The Return of Frank James]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032983/fullcredits|title=The Return of Frank James (1940)|publisher=|via=www.imdb.com}}</ref> By the time he was in high school, he had retired from acting. |
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Falling into drug use and street life, Beard became addicted to |
Falling into drug use and street life, Beard became addicted to heroin. He spent most of his early adult life in and out of jail on drug and theft charges.<ref name=imdb_bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdc.com/name/nm0063915/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191211235934/http://www.imdc.com/name/nm0063915/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2019-12-11|title=Matthew 'Stymie' Beard - Biography - IMDb<!-- Bot generated title -->|publisher=}}</ref> |
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In the 1960s, he checked himself into [[Synanon]], a drug rehabilitation facility in |
In the 1960s, he checked himself into [[Synanon]], a drug rehabilitation facility and cult in Los Angeles and successfully ended his heroin use.<ref name=imdb_bio/> After leaving Synanon, he made a small comeback, appearing in small roles in feature films and guest-starring in episodes of television shows such as ''[[Sanford and Son]]'', ''[[Emergency!]]'', and ''[[The Jeffersons]]''. He appeared in episodes of ''[[Maude (TV series)|Maude]]'' as a resident of an apartment complex where the title character's husband temporarily lived,<ref name=imdb_rolls>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0063915/|title=Matthew 'Stymie' Beard|website=IMDb}}</ref> and on ''[[Good Times]]'', where he had a recurring role (1974–1977) as Monty.<ref name=imdb_rolls/> |
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In 1978, he appeared in the film ''[[The Buddy Holly Story]]'' as a member of the backstage crew at the Apollo Theatre, wearing his trademark bowler hat.<ref name=imdb_rolls/> |
In 1978, he appeared in the film ''[[The Buddy Holly Story]]'' as a member of the backstage crew at the Apollo Theatre, wearing his trademark bowler hat.<ref name=imdb_rolls/> |
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He also lectured around the United States on drug-abuse awareness.<ref name=imdb_bio/> |
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==Death== |
==Death== |
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Beard suffered a |
Beard suffered a stroke on January 3, 1981, two days after his 56th birthday, sustained head injuries from falling down a flight of stairs, and died of pneumonia on January 8, 1981. He was living in Los Angeles at the time.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Death of child actor Matthew 'Stymie' Beard, Jr... - RareNewspapers.com|url=https://www.rarenewspapers.com/view/654544|access-date=2021-02-06|website=www.rarenewspapers.com}}</ref> |
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He is interred in the [[Evergreen Cemetery (Los Angeles)|Evergreen Cemetery]] |
He is interred in the [[Evergreen Cemetery (Los Angeles)|Evergreen Cemetery]] in Los Angeles, buried with the famous derby he wore all his life. |
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==Filmography== |
==Filmography== |
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|1939|| ''[[Way Down South (film)|Way Down South]]'' || Gumbo || |
|1939|| ''[[Way Down South (film)|Way Down South]]'' || Gumbo || |
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|- |
|- |
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|1939|| ''[[Swanee River (film)|Swanee River]]'' || |
|1939|| ''[[Swanee River (1939 film)|Swanee River]]'' || Black Boy || Uncredited |
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|- |
|- |
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|1940|| ''[[The Return of Frank James]]'' || Mose || |
|1940|| ''[[The Return of Frank James]]'' || Mose || |
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|1974|| ''[[Truck Turner]]'' || Jail Guard || |
|1974|| ''[[Truck Turner]]'' || Jail Guard || |
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|1974|| ''[[Good Times]]'' || Monty || |
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|1976|| ''[[Emergency!]]'' || Bar Owner || |
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|1977|| ''Disco 9000'' || Harold Jackson || |
|1977|| ''Disco 9000'' || Harold Jackson || |
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==Legacy== |
==Legacy== |
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⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
== References == |
== References == |
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<references /> |
<references /> |
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== |
==Additional reading== |
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* Holmstrom, John. ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995'', Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 132. |
* Holmstrom, John. ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995'', Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 132. |
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* Dye, David. ''Child and Youth Actors: Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914-1985''. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1988, pp. 13–14. |
* Dye, David. ''Child and Youth Actors: Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914-1985''. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1988, pp. 13–14. |
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[[Category:1925 births]] |
[[Category:1925 births]] |
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[[Category:1981 deaths]] |
[[Category:1981 deaths]] |
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⚫ | |||
[[Category:American male child actors]] |
[[Category:American male child actors]] |
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[[Category:African-American male child actors]] |
[[Category:African-American male child actors]] |
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[[Category:American male television actors]] |
[[Category:American male television actors]] |
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[[Category:Deaths from pneumonia]] |
[[Category:Deaths from pneumonia in California]] |
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[[Category:Hal Roach Studios actors]] |
[[Category:Hal Roach Studios actors]] |
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[[Category:20th-century American male actors]] |
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]] |
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[[Category:Burials at Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles]] |
[[Category:Burials at Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles]] |
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[[Category:American male comedy actors]] |
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[[Category:Our Gang]] |
[[Category:Our Gang]] |
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[[Category:Infectious disease deaths in California]] |
Latest revision as of 21:45, 19 October 2024
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2009) |
Matthew Beard | |
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Born | Matthew Beard Jr. January 1, 1925 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Died | January 8, 1981 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 56)
Resting place | Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles |
Occupation(s) | Actor, child actor |
Years active | 1927–1981 |
Matthew Beard Jr. (January 1, 1925 – January 8, 1981) was an American actor. As a child actor, he was most famous for playing Stymie in the Our Gang short comedy films of 1930–1935. The role was so well known that he adopted the name Stymie Beard, and was so credited in some later roles, such as his 1978 appearance in The Buddy Holly Story.
Early life
[edit]Beard was born near Los Angeles, California to Matthew Beard Sr. and Johnnie Mae Beard (née Clay). His father was the founding pastor of Beloved Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles.[1]
Our Gang years
[edit]This section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2023) |
Beard previously played baby parts in many films, then signed a five-year contract to play in Our Gang. In contrast to Farina, the character he replaced, Stymie was a slick-tongued con-artist who was self-assured, nonchalant, and ready with a sly comment and clever ideas to solve the problems he faced. He could offer sound common sense that helped resolve his playmates' dilemmas.
The character's trademark was a bald head crowned by an oversize derby hat, a gift to Beard from comedian Stan Laurel, who had worked under Our Gang creator Hal Roach. Stymie is the only member of Our Gang who both replaced one of the original gang members (Allen "Farina" Hoskins) and was in turn replaced by one who stayed until the series disbanded: Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas.
The character was originally to be named Hercules; however, Our Gang director Robert McGowan, frustrated ("stymied") by little Matthew's curious wanderings around the studio, gave him the name Stymie. McGowan later recalled that Stymie was his favorite of all the Our Gang kids. The then-five-year-old Beard came to the series a year after the transition from the silent/early sound era, and had the distinction of being with the Gang from the sound movies of the early 1930s through the transitional period of the mid-1930s.
In 1934, Roach Studios loaned Beard and other Our Gang kids to Samuel Goldwyn Productions for Eddie Cantor's Kid Millions,[2] where they appeared in the "ice cream fantasy" sequence.
Family
[edit]Beard's paycheck helped support his family in East Los Angeles, including 13 brothers and sisters. After Beard renamed his younger brother Bobbie "Cotton" (which was used as the name of one of the Our Gang characters), his parents allowed him to name all of the rest of his siblings as they were born. He named one Dickie after Dickie Moore, another member of Our Gang. Four other members of the Beard family appeared in the Our Gang comedies:
- His younger sister Betty Jane Beard preceded Stymie in the gang, playing 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 appeared as 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 a cameo as Stymie's mother in Big Ears and Free Wheeling.
Beard's younger brother, Renee Beard, appeared in Hal Roach's featurettes of the 1940s, Curley and Who Killed Doc Robbin.
Later years
[edit]After Beard left the series in 1935 at the age of 10, he acted in minor roles in feature films such as Captain Blood (1935) and Jezebel (1938). At age 15, he appeared as Mose the bellboy in the 1940 The Return of Frank James.[3] By the time he was in high school, he had retired from acting.
Falling into drug use and street life, Beard became addicted to heroin. He spent most of his early adult life in and out of jail on drug and theft charges.[4]
In the 1960s, he checked himself into Synanon, a drug rehabilitation facility and cult in Los Angeles and successfully ended his heroin use.[4] After leaving Synanon, he made a small comeback, appearing in small roles in feature films and guest-starring in episodes of television shows such as Sanford and Son, Emergency!, and The Jeffersons. He appeared in episodes of Maude as a resident of an apartment complex where the title character's husband temporarily lived,[5] and on Good Times, where he had a recurring role (1974–1977) as Monty.[5]
In 1978, he appeared in the film The Buddy Holly Story as a member of the backstage crew at the Apollo Theatre, wearing his trademark bowler hat.[5]
He also lectured around the United States on drug-abuse awareness.[4]
Death
[edit]Beard suffered a stroke on January 3, 1981, two days after his 56th birthday, sustained head injuries from falling down a flight of stairs, and died of pneumonia on January 8, 1981. He was living in Los Angeles at the time.[6]
He is interred in the Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles, buried with the famous derby he wore all his life.
Filmography
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1927 | My Best Girl | Child | Uncredited |
1927 | Uncle Tom's Cabin | Child | Uncredited |
1929 | Hearts in Dixie | Child | Uncredited |
1929 | Show Boat | Child | Uncredited |
1929 | Hallelujah | Child | Uncredited |
1930 | Mamba | Native Boy | Uncredited |
1934 | Kid Millions | Little Boy in Ice Cream Number | Uncredited |
1935 | Captain Blood | Governor's Attendant | Uncredited |
1935 | The Littlest Rebel | Black Boy | Uncredited |
1936 | The Prisoner of Shark Island | Boy Seeking Dr. Mudd | Uncredited |
1936 | Grand Jury | Marshmallow | Uncredited |
1936 | Rainbow on the River | Lilybell Jones | Uncredited |
1937 | Penrod and Sam | Buzz | Uncredited |
1937 | Slave Ship | Black Boy on Pier | Uncredited |
1938 | Jezebel | Ti Bat | |
1938 | The Beloved Brat | Pinkie White | |
1938 | Two-Gun Man from Harlem | Jimmy Thompson | |
1938 | Kentucky | Black Child | Uncredited |
1939 | The Great Man Votes | Davy's Friend | Uncredited |
1939 | Outside These Walls | Penny | Uncredited |
1939 | Way Down South | Gumbo | |
1939 | Swanee River | Black Boy | Uncredited |
1940 | The Return of Frank James | Mose | |
1941 | Belle Starr | Young Jake | Uncredited |
1942 | Broken Strings | Dickey Morley | |
1943 | Stormy Weather | Stagehand | Uncredited |
1944 | The Bridge of San Luis Rey | Pancho | Uncredited |
1945 | Fallen Angel | Shoeshine Boy | Uncredited |
1947 | Dead Reckoning | Bellboy | Uncredited |
1947 | The Burning Cross | Shoe Shine Boy | Uncredited |
1953 | The Vanquished | Dr. Colfax's Stableboy | Uncredited |
1974 | Truck Turner | Jail Guard | |
1974 | Good Times | Monty | |
1976 | Emergency! | Bar Owner | |
1977 | Disco 9000 | Harold Jackson | |
1978 | The Buddy Holly Story | Luther | |
1980 | Pray TV | Willie Washington, Usher |
Legacy
[edit]The book series Captain Underpants has one of the kids named George Beard. The author Dav Pilkey loved Our Gang, so he named the said character's last name after Beard.
References
[edit]- ^ Supporting Actors in Motion Pictures: Volume II, Roger L. Gordon, Dorrance Publishing Co., 2018, p. 25
- ^ "Hal Roach Studios Loan Out Agreement for Matthew "Stymie" Beard....", Heritage Auctions, 2010
- ^ "The Return of Frank James (1940)" – via www.imdb.com.
- ^ a b c "Matthew 'Stymie' Beard - Biography - IMDb". Archived from the original on 2019-12-11.
- ^ a b c "Matthew 'Stymie' Beard". IMDb.
- ^ "Death of child actor Matthew 'Stymie' Beard, Jr... - RareNewspapers.com". www.rarenewspapers.com. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
Additional reading
[edit]- Holmstrom, John. The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995, Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 132.
- Dye, David. Child and Youth Actors: Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914-1985. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1988, pp. 13–14.
- Willson, Dixie. Little Hollywood Stars, Akron, OH, and New York: Saalfield Pub. Co., 1935.
External links
[edit]- Matthew Beard at IMDb
- Matthew Beard at the TCM Movie Database
- ‹The template AllMovie name is being considered for deletion.› Matthew Beard at AllMovie
- Matthew Beard at Find a Grave