Billy Laughlin
| Billy Laughlin | |
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| Born | William Robert Laughlin July 5, 1932 San Gabriel, California U.S. |
| Died | August 31, 1948 (aged 16) La Puente, California U.S. |
| Cause of death | Road accident |
| Occupation | Child actor |
| Years active | 1932-1944 |
William Robert "Billy" Laughlin (July 5, 1932 - August 31, 1948) was an American child actor. He is best known for playing the character Froggy in the Our Gang short films in its final stretch, from 1940 to 1944.
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[edit] Career
Born in San Gabriel, California, Laughlin rose to fame at the age of eight when he appeared in his first Our Gang film, The New Pupil. His character was known for his strange, guttural voice, which was reminiscent of a frog's croak. Laughlin's last Our Gang short film was the last film of the series in 1944 called Dancing Romeo. Contrary to popular belief, Laughlin did the voice himself without dubbing (in the 1994 film, the character's voice was dubbed by E.G. Daily).
When Our Gang stopped production in 1944, Laughlin appeared in Monogram's Johnny Doesn't Live Here Any More, then voluntarily moved away from show business and enjoyed relatively peaceful teenage years.
[edit] Death
Laughlin died on August 31, 1948, when a bus hit him from behind while he was delivering newspapers and riding a motor scooter in La Puente, California. He and his friend, who was also delivering newspapers, were killed instantly.[1] Laughlin lived the shortest life of the actors who appeared in the Our Gang films, dying at age 16.
[edit] References
- ^ Maltin, Leonard and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang, p. 277. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-517-58325-9
[edit] External links
- Billy Laughlin at the Internet Movie Database
- Billy Laughlin at AllRovi
- Billy Laughlin at Find a Grave
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This article about a United States film actor or actress born in the 1930s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
