therealfuster Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 child actors...who do you pick? Watching "The Ragman" the other nite on TCM, made me have to pick Jackie Coogan as my favorite child actor who is adorable...and can act up a storm. Besides being adorable, he is an incorrigibly endearing thespian, and can make the tears well up in an observer, just with a few simple gestures. As some sound critic once noted, his scenes with Chaplin in "The Kid" are so naturalistic, and not forced at all, like some kid actors who seem prompted and over rehearsed. Jackie is just an adorable little child, and for me grew into an adorable larger, bald man who even as Uncle Fester in the Charles Addams world, retained that air of innocence and insouciance, which made him so lovable onscreen. I am a bit partial though, as I collect Jackie Coogan items, and being the worldwide star he was, received in many foreign nations as a celebrity and celebrated in art in dolls, both in celluloid and the more normal materials, in metal pencil boxes and peanut butter tins, Jackie was one of the first stars to be so commemorated and marketed to the mass public. These items being so old now, go for a pretty penny, yet one can see why they were so desirable at the time by kids and adults alike. Even the poor boy sweater is a bit of a Jackie homage in fashion, and his influence was seen on many other child actors, just like the screen abounded with over-curled ringletted moppets during the Shirley Temple reign in the 1930's. A film that was from Jackie's Metro days that I wish TCM would show, but does not seem to have been shown is "Old Clothes" which is a bit of a sequel to "The Ragman" and also stars Joan Crawford. Another great Jackie film from the 1920's is "Oliver Twist" in which he is trained by Fagin, as played by Lon Chaney to purse snatch, and this too would be a boon to show for TCM. Two films which I have not seen in years, and were done for Paramount by Jackie after his Metro days, are "Tom Sawyer" and then later "Huckleberry Finn", costarring Jackie's close friend, Junior Durkin [who was killed along with Jackie's dad in that auto accident]. Perhaps not the best retellings of the Twain tales, the films nevertheless have great performances by Jackie [who we finally get to hear talk on film and who has a great screen voice], with Mitzi Green as Becky Thatcher, Clara Blandick [Auntie Em from TWOO] as Aunt Polly, Jane Darwell as the Widow Douglas and Lucien Littlefield as the teacher. Did I mention that the film is graced with a performance by the sublime kid actor, Jackie Searl who was so amazingly annoying in so many films like "My Little Chickadee" with W.C. Fields and that amazing all-star lineup in "Alice in Wonderland" in 1933. So...for most adorable I pick Jackie Coogan. For most amazingly whiney and fussy, I pick Jackie Searl, who I also love. Who do you pick as most adorable child star, whether they give Academy Award type performances or just have some screen presence that appeals to you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybrspacy Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 I nominate Richard Nichols, the cutie from All This, and Heaven Too, and Kitty Foyle among others. In ATAHT he was so moving as Boyer's ailing, little son, Reynald, with those big, puppy dog eyes of his. In Kitty Foyle, he had one scene but so memorable as the son of Kitty's ex. - Wynn Strafford II. Another boy who stood out for me was the young, Scotty Beckett, who gets stuck on the rail in Love Affair and needs Boyer's help to get down. Just a short scene but so memorable and cute. I believe Scotty had a long career for a child actor, and died of a drug overdose later in life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therealfuster Posted June 21, 2005 Author Share Posted June 21, 2005 your mentioning Richard Nichols, made me wonder if he was in many things as a grown up, and upon looking at his IMDb credits, I notice he was on the "Naked City" in the 1950's, which I have resisted buying on dvd, but if his episode is on the discs, I just may have too. I have seen Scotty Beckett grown up on film, and though one would recognize him, he looked a bit downtrodden. Yes, his demise was a very sorry situation and continued the seeming curse on all those poor Our Gang kids...but luckily Darla and Spanky seemed to have good lives. I had forgotten about Froggy, who I also found adorable. Thanks for your two most excellent choices for adorable child on film! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhryun Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 My favorite child star is Margaret O'Brien. I loved her in Journey For Margaret, The Canterville Ghost and Meet Me In St. Louis. She was just sooo cute!! I also like Tim Hovey. I've only seen him in The Private War of Major Benson and The Toy Tiger but he was adorable in both of those films. And Bobs Watson from Boys Town (Pee Wee) and On Borrowed Time (****). Speaking of making the tears flow. I can't watch On Borrowed Time anymore because when **** and Grandpa go with Mr Brink I just lose it.. Jalanna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alix1929 Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 Kind of like Dickie Moore in MY BILL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classicsfan1119 Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 My selections include: Freddie Batholomew, Roddy McDowall, Bobs Watson, and more recently Haley Joel Osment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vallo13 Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 Unfortunately most child stars have no career after puberty,even Robert Blake was cute trying to sell Bogart Lottery tickets in "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and playing a young John Garfield in "Humoresque" my vote go's to Heather O'Rourke in "Poltergeist.it's a shame her career was cut short.......Vallo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therealfuster Posted June 22, 2005 Author Share Posted June 22, 2005 that Margaret is tops on the distaff half side of my list. Other than Sybil Jason, who outcuted Shirley Temple in "The Little Princess", Margaret has few competitors. Tim Hovey is a cutie. Personally he reminds me of a young Tim Matheson, who was so cute as a schoolmate of the Beaver's on "Leave It To Beaver" before he grew up into an equally cute Otter in "Animal House" but I digress... Thanks for some great selections! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therealfuster Posted June 22, 2005 Author Share Posted June 22, 2005 great choice and I also love the older version of Dickie in "Out of the Past". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therealfuster Posted June 22, 2005 Author Share Posted June 22, 2005 does Haley remind you at all of that Peter Ostrum who was in the original "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" movie. Freddie was good in so many roles, like Davey Copperfield and others of that time at MGM. I forgot Roddy McDowall. And he is one of my favorites. That scene of him in "How Green Was My Valley" when is looking at Anna Lee, always is so touching to see. Jackie Coogan may have to share billing with him in my list of most adorable child actors. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therealfuster Posted June 22, 2005 Author Share Posted June 22, 2005 that Mickey Gubitosi [and I almost wish he'd retained that name] has always been one of my favorites, as far back as when he was one of the little Our Gangers [who has said how foul Alfalfa was to the smaller children!] and he is never less than great in any part, big or small. Yes, it is too bad about Heather O'Rourke. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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