Dorothy Adele DeBorba (March 28, 1925 – June 2, 2010) was an American

child actress The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage, television, or in movies. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associated te ...

of Portuguese descent who was a regular in the ''

Our Gang ''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, who also pr ...

'' series of

short subjects A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film or ...

as the leading lady from 1930 to 1933.

Early life

Dorothy Adelle DeBorba was raised in

Livermore, California Livermore is a city in Alameda County, California. With a 2020 population of 87,955, Livermore is the most populous city in the Tri-Valley, giving its name to the Livermore Valley. It is located on the eastern edge of California's San Francisc ...

. Of Portuguese Azorean ancestry,Distinguished Americans & Canadians of Portuguese Descent
she came from a show business background. Her mother was a singer-dancer-actress, and her father was a drummer in Paul Whiteman's band.McLellan, Dennis
"Dorothy de Borba dies at 85; child actress in 'Our Gang' comedies."
June 5, 2010
Los Angeles Times
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''Our Gang''

Dorothy DeBorba began her career at age five. She impressed

Hal Roach Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr. Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter, ...

with her ability to cry on cue. Her debut was an auspicious one: in '' Pups Is Pups'' (1930), she plays

Jackie Cooper John Cooper Jr. (September 15, 1922 – May 3, 2011) was an American actor and director. He began his career performing in film as a child, and successfully transitioned to adult roles and directing in both film and television. At age nine, h ...

's younger sister. Dorothy DeBorba

With her trademark curls and elaborate hair bows, Dorothy quickly became an audience favorite. Her mother made those bows and would spend two hours every night brushing and putting Dorothy's hair up in curlers. Her natural energy and mischievousness added to her appeal. Although she stated that "the boys

n the series N, or n, is the fourteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages, and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...

were given all the best lines," in '' Love Business'' Dorothy has some of the funniest lines in the entire series, delivered while Chubby is practicing his seductive patter on an oversized cutout poster of

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress and a premier star during Hollywood's Silent film, silent and early Classical Hollywood cinema, golden eras. Regarded as one of the g ...

in front of a movie house: ::''Chubby:'' Darling, can you hear the pleas in my whispers? ::''Dorothy:'' Darling, can you hear the fleas in my whiskers? ::''Chubby'': If love is like a rose, I will pick my rose in the bud. ::''Dorothy:'' If love is like a rose, I will stick my nose in the mud. ::''Chubby:'' My heart is filled with joy. I want to trip and dance. ::''Dorothy:'' My heart is filled with joy. I want to rip my pants. This " smart-alecky compulsion" earned her the nickname "Echo" at the

Hal Roach Studios Hal Roach Studios was an American motion picture and, through its TV production subsidiary, Hal Roach Television Corporation, television production studio. Known as ''The Laugh Factory to the World'', it was founded by producer Hal Roach and busin ...

. In 1931 Dorothy became the female star after

Mary Ann Jackson Mary Ann Jackson (January 14, 1923 – December 17, 2003) was an American child actress who appeared in the ''Our Gang'' short subjects series from 1928 to 1931. She was born and died in Los Angeles, California. Career Mary Ann Jackson's f ...

left the series. She appeared in twenty-four ''Our Gang'' comedies over three years with her last appearance coming in 1933's '' Mush and Milk.'' "It was like we had the biggest playhouse in the world," she said. "We were always playing when we weren't working or going to school. 'Uncle' Bob McGowan had a real terrific way with children." She stated, however, "It wasn't really much fun, working every day and going to school besides. By the age of ten, of course, the movie careers of most of us were finished."

Later life

DeBorba graduated from

Van Nuys High School Van Nuys High School (VNHS) is a public high school in the Van Nuys district of Los Angeles, belonging to the Los Angeles Unified School District: District 2. The school is home to a Residential Program and three Magnet Programs—Math/Science, P ...

and then worked at

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures is currently an acquisition-only label owned by Paramount Pictures. Its history dates back to Republic Pictures Corporation, an American film studio that originally operated from 1935 to 1967, based in Los Angeles, California ...

as a secretary. In later years she was a senior clerk in the School of Journalism at

UC-Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after the Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkeley ...

. She married twice and had two children.

Death

DeBorba died in 2010 of

emphysema Emphysema is any air-filled enlargement in the body's tissues. Most commonly emphysema refers to the permanent enlargement of air spaces (alveoli) in the lungs, and is also known as pulmonary emphysema. Emphysema is a lower respiratory tract di ...

at the age of 85 in

Walnut Creek, California Walnut Creek is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States, located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, about east of the city of Oakland, California, Oakland. Walnut Creek has a total population of 70,127 per t ...

Filmography

* '' Pups Is Pups'' (1930) * '' A Royal Romance'' (1930) * ''

Teacher's Pet A teacher's pet is a student who is viewed most favorably by their teacher in a school. They can be viewed unsympathetically by other students due to jealousy or envy in certain situations. The phenomenon is extensively acknowledged by the public ...

'' (1930) * '' School's Out'' (1930) * '' Helping Grandma'' (1930) * '' Love Business'' (1931) * '' Little Daddy'' (1931) * '' Bargain Day'' (1931) * '' Fly My Kite'' (1931) * '' The Stolen Jools'' (1931) * '' Big Ears'' (1931) * ''

Shiver My Timbers "Shiver me timbers" (or "shiver my timbers" in Standard English) is an exclamation in the form of a mock oath usually attributed to the speech of pirates in works of fiction. It is employed as a literary device by authors to express shock, surp ...

'' (1931) * ''

Dogs Is Dogs ''Dogs Is Dogs'' is a 1931 ''Our Gang'' short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 110th ''Our Gang'' short to be released. Plot Youngsters Wheezer and Dorothy live with their wicked stepmother (Blanche Payson) and her bratt ...

'' (1931) * ''

Readin' and Writin' ''Readin' and Writin is a 1932 '' Our Gang'' short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 111th ''Our Gang'' short to be released. Plot It is the first day of school and children are beginning school for the first time. Breezy ...

'' (1932) * ''

Free Eats ''Free Eats'' is a 1932 ''Our Gang'' short comedy film directed by Ray McCarey. It was the 112th ''Our Gang'' short to be released. Plot The gang along with other poor children in the town are given a party with games and great food to eat. In ...

'' (1932) * '' Spanky'' (1932) * '' Choo-Choo!'' (1932) * ''

The Pooch ''The Pooch'' is a 1932 ''Our Gang'' short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 115th ''Our Gang'' short to be released. Plot The film follows cheerful vagrant Stymie and the younger Spanky as they trek through the neighborhoo ...

'' (1932) * '' Hook and Ladder'' (1932) * '' Free Wheeling'' (1932) * '' Birthday Blues'' (1932) * '' A Lad an' a Lamp'' (1932) * '' Fish Hooky'' (1933) * ''

Forgotten Babies ''Forgotten Babies'' is a 1933 ''Our Gang'' short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 121st ''Our Gang'' short to be released. Plot The children are taking care of their baby brothers and sisters on a Saturday, but would much ...

'' (1933) * '' The Kid from Borneo'' (1933) * '' Mush and Milk'' (1933)

References

External links

* *
Historical survey of Our Gang / The Little Rascals

Meeting Dorothy DeBorba in 2000

Photos

Dorothy DeBorba photo #1
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deborba, Dorothy 1925 births 2010 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Los Angeles American child actresses American people of Azorean descent Deaths from emphysema Deaths from lung disease Hal Roach Studios actors Van Nuys High School alumni 21st-century American women American people of Portuguese descent