Jay R. Smith (August 29, 1915 - October 5, 2002) was an American former child actor who replaced Mickey Daniels as the "freckle-faced kid" of the Our Gang series in 1925. He continued appearing in the shorts until 1929.
His first episode was Boys Will Be Joys. He was considered the skinny kid in the series and somewhat of a nerd. He continued until the silent era ended. At that point he began preparation to leave the series, as he felt he would b...
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Jay R. Smith (August 29, 1915 - October 5, 2002) was an American former child actor who replaced Mickey Daniels as the "freckle-faced kid" of the Our Gang series in 1925. He continued appearing in the shorts until 1929.
His first episode was Boys Will Be Joys. He was considered the skinny kid in the series and somewhat of a nerd. He continued until the silent era ended. At that point he began preparation to leave the series, as he felt he would be unable to make the transition to sound. After persuasion from the studio, Jay appeared in the sixth Our Gang talkie episode Moan and Groan, Inc.; he felt that his performance was unsuccessful, and left immediately after. It was his last movie role.
A native of Los Angeles, California, Smith left acting as a teenager, eventually going into the retail paint business and moving to Kailua, Hawaii. Those who knew him reported that he was a friendly and affable man off-screen.
Smith would manage for some time to live a long and healthy life,...
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