Sidney Kibrick, the much-loved child actor from Our Gang, has died at the age of 97, his family has confirmed. He was the last surviving cast member from the 1930s film shorts.
Kibrick became known nationwide as “Woim” through the black-and-white comedy shorts of the 1930s. Sadly, he has now passed away. His daughter, Jane, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Sidney died on January 3 in a hospital in Northridge, California.
Born in Minneapolis in 1928, Kibrick moved with his family to Los Angeles when he was still young. He previously shared that he was discovered while out at the movies in California.
Kibrick appeared in a number of comedy short films originally titled Our Gang, created by Hal Roach. The series followed children from working-class neighborhoods in Los Angeles, and Kibrick’s character was called “Woim,” a Brooklyn-style pronunciation of the word “worm.”
The franchise first launched in 1922 and featured more than 41 child actors as regular cast members.
‘Our Gang’ star Sidney Kibrick dies at 97
Kibrick was only five years old when he began working as part of The Little Rascals/Our Gang cast. He appeared in roughly two dozen films between 1935 and 1939. In an interview with Boomer Magazine in 2023, Sidney said he earned $750 a week.
He also appeared in other films, including Just Around the Corner (1938) with Shirley Temple, and Jesse James (1939), starring Tyrone Power.
Although he was still a child, Kibrick explained that the schedule was demanding, with long hours every day.
“It was a grind making those shorts. We’d have two hours of schooling in the morning and then work anywhere from six to 16 hours until we finished,” he said. “There was a lot of work, no question about it, but our director Gordon Douglas was a terrific guy, and he was really able to get a lot out of each kid.”
By the time he was 15, after already spending 10 years in the industry, Kibrick chose to step away from fame. He said it took effort to persuade his parents to let him leave show business.
Left show business at 15
“My parents wanted me to continue, but finally my mother went along with my wishes,” he said.
In 1943, Kibrick made his final screen appearance in Keep ‘Em Slugging. Even after walking away from the spotlight, his connection to Our Gang stayed with him for life, and in 1981 he organized a reunion.
Though he left Hollywood behind, he continued receiving fan mail right up until his death.
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