Jack Hanlon (Our Gang, The General) 1916 - 2012

[Paul E. Gierucki]

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118063683
Posted: Sat., Dec. 15, 2012, 6:49pm PT
Child actor Jack Hanlon dies at 96
Appeared in 'Our Gang' comedies, Keaton's 'The General'
By VARIETY STAFF

Child actor Jack Hanlon, apparently the oldest living person to appear in the "Our Gang" comedies and likely the last surviving cast memember of the Buster Keaton silent classic "The General," died in Las Vegas on Dec. 13. He was 96.

Hanlon was raised by his grandmother in Culver City. With a face full of freckles and a tough-guy demeanor, he seemed a natural as a child actor. His first film was Mack Sennett Studio's "Chester's Birthday Party," one entry in a film series based on comicstrip cowboy Chester Gump.

In 1927 he was cast in the Hal Roach Studio's "Our Gang" series, in which he portrayed the neighborhood tough guy. His credits included "Ten Years Old," "Olympic Games" and "The Glorious Fourth." Also in 1927, Hanlon was cast in Keaton's "The General," in which he played one of the town children who follows Keaton's character.

The young actor's most substantial role was in William Wyler's "The Shakedown" (1929), starring James Murray. It was shot as a silent film, then transformed into a talkie. The next year, in "Romance Jack," he played a street urchin who receives an onscreen kiss from Greta Garbo. Other credits included several films in the Ken Maynard series: "THhe Wagon Master," "Parade of the West" and "King of the Arena."

In his teens Hanlon unsuccessfully attempted a career in professional baseball before ultimately becoming a furniture mover. He was to have served as a paratrooper during WWII but arthritis in his hands relegated him to an Army desk job.

Hanlon was married for 37 years until the death of his wife Jean in 1977.

Survivors include three nieces and a nephew.

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The Laurel and Hardy News also reports the passing.
The following info appeared in their email newsletter.

-- PG

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Sent: Fri, Dec 14, 2012 2:25 pm
Subject: Jack Hanlon

It is with great sadness that I report the death of child actor Jack Hanlon. Jack was the oldest living person to appear in the Our Gang Comedies being two months shy of his 97th birthday. He died peacefully in an assistant care facility he recently moved into in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 13th . As far as I know he was the last surviving cast member of Buster Keaton's classic, "The General". Jack was a swell guy and I was honored to have counted him among my friends.


The Great Rascal Search
Part 10: Jack Hanlon

Fans of the Our Gang have become accustomed to the filmographies listed in the excellent Our Gang: The Life and Times of the Little Rascals by Leonard Maltin and Richard W. Bann. Long ago, this newsletter set out to expand on the stories of the Little Rascals contained within the book. Sometimes, that includes adding brand new names to the film entries. Jack Hanlon is one name you can pencil in.

When Jack's nephew logged onto the Way Out West Tent's website and sent forward an email that his uncle played the original "Butch" in the Our Gang, it would be difficult not to meet such a claim with a degree of skepticism. In this case, however, follow through turned out to be our best ally. Grand Sheik Bob Satterfield set up a meeting and interview and he was soon regaled with stories from the life of this `new' Little Rascal.

Jack Hanlon was born on February 15, 1916. Raised by his grandmother in the Hollywood district of Culver City, Jack was eyeballed as a potential child actor, mostly due to the tremendous amount of freckles he possessed, along with his tough-guy demeanor. A trip to a central casting agent proved fruitful as he was soon called to the Max Sennett Studios where he appeared in his first film Chester's Birthday Party, one of a series of films based on comic strip cowboy hero Chester Gump. Jack remembers his first scene in which he was to lead two mules into the birthday party. As they were entering the room, the mules turned their heads toward one another… with Jack's head sandwiched between them. Jack began to cry and the cameras continued to roll.

After the Chester film, Jack was called irregularly to appear in the occasional mob scene but had not secured any steady work. In 1927, however, central casting called and instructed Jack to report to the Hal Roach Studios. He auditioned for and was cast into the Our Gang Series as the neighborhood tough guy. Appearing in a handful of films throughout the 1927 season, his credits include Ten Years Old, Olympic Games, and The Glorious Fourth. Although his memories were fleeting of his experience with the Gang, he does remember making friends with both Joe Cobb and Jay R. Smith. Director Bob McGowan's kindness was once again confirmed by jack, who described him as "very patient." As Jack was only a minor player, he was not educated at the studios but went to the local public school.

Jack recalls seeing some of the big stars on the Roach lot including Charley Chase and Laurel and Hardy. One day Stan and Babe were visiting the Our Gang set as they frequently did and Jack saw them standing off to the side of the set. He remarked to his grandmother that he would sure like to get their autographs but unfortunately, the boys were called away before he ever got the chance to make their acquaintance. Imagine a miss like that!

Soon after his departure from the Roach studios, he was cast in a role in another legendary film, Buster Keaton's classic The General (1927). As one of the town children who follows Johnnie (Keaton), Jack was transported to the film's location in Oregon where he remained for nearly eight weeks filming his scenes. Although Jack does appear in the finished film, he was disappointed that the vast majority of his footage would up on the cutting room floor. His biggest complaint was that he had told his friends that he had a large role in Buster Keaton's newest film and was afraid that he would be branded a liar by those that saw the final cut. Jack remembers Buster as a very professional, "down-to-business" individual and enjoyed the experience of working with him. Jack Hanlon's meatiest role came in 1929 when he was cast in the 1929 James Murray film The Shakedown, in which he played the part of Clem. Jack remembers his casting session which involved showing Murray how to shoot dice. Afterwards, the studio execs sent Jack home and he was sure that nothing would come of it. Two weeks later, he was called back to begin filming his scenes. Originally filmed as a silent, The Shakedown, was eventually modified into a talkie film, Jack recalled. He was called back to re-shoot some segments and dub his voice into others. The director of the film was William Wyler, and Jack appreciated his on-the-set kindness. One scene, however, left a bad taste in his mouth. When the script called for James Murray to slap Jack in the face, Murray rehearsed the scene with a `fake slap.' Once the cameras were rolling, however; Murray accidentally laid into him for real, giving Jack his second opportunity to cry on screen. Whether Murray was instructed by Wyler to purposely connect, Jack Hanlon will never know.

Jack has more pleasant memory of a film appearance from 1930. In Romance Jack played a street urchin that received an on-screen kiss from the legendary Greta Garbo. His film career was rounded out with several appearances in the Ken Maynard series. Among these credits were The Wagon Master (Maynard's first all –talking picture, 1929), Parade of the West (1930), and King of the Arena (1933).

Jack had developed an interest in baseball from an early age and spent many of his teenage years playing in the minor leagues. At the age of seventeen, he even tried out for the St. Louis Cardinals to no avail. After graduating high school, he was hired on in a plumbing shop. At first, he worked answering the phones but then began to learn the trade when he learned to cut and thread pipe. He wandered from the job into gas-pumping for Union Oil before he finally settled on his lifelong career as a furniture mover for allied Vans, a Beverly Hills transfer and storage company. Jack dreaded moving furniture for many of the day's stars after several experiences revealed the true color of their off-screen personas. "Some of them were real nice… but some of them you would run across (would) bitch about the bill and stuff like that," he said.

During the 1940's, Jack served his country as a paratrooper in the Air Force, being trained for combat in Fort Benning, Georgia. Just one day prior to his troop being shipped out, His old friend baseball delivered another disappointing blow. Playing recreationally with his fellow serviceman, jack slid into second base and broke his wrist. Medical examiners found arthritis in his hands when they examined him and he was soon transferred to a desk job at an army base in North Carolina.

As a young man, Jack dated a girl named Jean regularly but kept the relationship mostly platonic. Even after a succession of weekly dates, "I never kissed her goodnight," Jack related. Jean went away to college in Texas while Jack remained working in Beverly Hills. Years later they were reunited and were married in September 2, 1940. The union lasted until her death in 1977. Jean's Sister Maude sought to comfort Jack and occasionally invited him over for a home-cooked meal. Romance gradually blossomed between the two and they became companions during their golden years. The two made frequent trips to Las Vega; the favorite vacation spot of the couple and the location which today Jack calls him home.

It is a pleasure to find an individual like Jack Hanlon, with a colorful past and a willingness to share his story. He made his mark with his work in motion pictures as one of the Our Gang kids. And with an outgoing personality like Jack's, it is a safe bet that he made his mark on many others along the way as well.

Re-printed by permission of Brad Farrell from "Dante's Inferno"

Jack survivors are nieces Wendy Putnam Park, Karen Putnam and Sandy Campbell. Barry Ginn is only nephew. He had two great-nieces and three great- nephews and six great great-nieces and nephews.

[Gregg Rickman]

The Las Vegas Sun obituary, attached here, has a very nice still from THE GENERAL that I had never seen before (still code 27-23). Buster's face is covered with lather, which indicates that Keaton may have indeed planned to give the kid a bigger part in the film than he actually had. (Which is to say, the boy may have been scripted to be at the station stop when The General is stolen by the Yanks, a scene where Keaton is washing his hands in lather as no doubt we all recall.) Or not!

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/de ... ent-films/