Stymie Beard

Matthew Beard Jr. (January 1, 1925 – January 8, 1981) was an American actor. As a child actor, he was most famous for playing Stymie in the ''Our Gang'' short comedy films of 1930–1935. The role was so well known that he adopted the name Stymie Beard, and was so credited in some later roles, such as his 1978 appearance in ''The Buddy Holly Story''.

Early life

Beard was born near Los Angeles, California, to Matthew Beard Sr. and Johnnie Mae Beard (née Clay). His father was the founding pastor of Beloved Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles.

''Our Gang'' years

Beard previously played baby parts in many films, then signed a five-year contract in 1930 to appear in ''Our Gang''. In contrast to Farina, the character whom he replaced, Stymie was a slick-tongued con-artist who was self-assured, nonchalant and ready with a sly comment and clever ideas to solve the problems that he faced. He could offer sound common sense that helped resolve his playmates' dilemmas.

The character's trademark was a bald head crowned by an oversize derby hat, a gift to Beard from comedian Stan Laurel, who also worked under ''Our Gang'' creator Hal Roach. Stymie is the only member of ''Our Gang'' who both replaced one of the original gang members (Allen "Farina" Hoskins) and was in turn replaced by one who stayed until the series disbanded: Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas.

The character was originally to be named "Hercules"; however, ''Our Gang'' director Robert McGowan, frustrated ("stymied") by little Matthew's curious wanderings around the studio, gave him the name "Stymie." McGowan later recalled that Stymie was his favorite of all the ''Our Gang'' kids. The then-five-year-old Beard came to the series a year after the transition from the silent/early sound era, and had the distinction of being with the Gang from the sound movies of the early 1930s through the transitional period of the mid-1930s.

In 1934, Roach Studios lent Beard and other ''Our Gang'' kids to Samuel Goldwyn Productions for Eddie Cantor's ''Kid Millions'', in which they appeared in the Technicolor "ice cream fantasy" finale sequence.

Family

Beard's paycheck helped support his family in East Los Angeles, including 13 brothers and sisters. After Beard renamed his younger brother Bobbie "Cotton" (which was used as the name of one of the ''Our Gang'' characters), his parents allowed him to name all of the rest of his siblings as they were born. He named one Dickie after Dickie Moore, another member of ''Our Gang'' and Beard's best friend. Four other members of the Beard family appear in the ''Our Gang'' comedies:
* His younger sister Betty Jane Beard preceded Stymie in the gang, playing Farina's little brother Hector in '' Moan & Groan, Inc.'' and '' When the Wind Blows'' (although she was a girl).
* His younger sister Carlena Beard appears as Stymie's younger sister in ''Shiver My Timbers'', ''Readin' and Writin''' and ''For Pete's Sake!''.
* His younger brother Bobbie Beard appears in six ''Our Gang'' shorts from 1932 to 1934 as Stymie's younger brother Cotton.
* His mother Johnnie Mae Beard has cameos as Stymie's mother in '' Big Ears'' and ''Free Wheeling''.

Beard's younger brother Renee Beard appears in two of Hal Roach's featurettes of the 1940s, ''Curley'' and ''Who Killed Doc Robbin'', both produced as revivals of the ''Our Gang'' idea.

Later years

After Beard left the series in 1935 at age 10, he acted in minor roles in feature films such as '' Captain Blood'' (1935) and ''Jezebel'' (1938). At age 15, he appears as Mose the bellboy in the 1940 film ''The Return of Frank James''. Beard also appeared in supporting roles in several independent "race films" aimed at African-American audiences, including '' Two Gun Man from Harlem'' (1938) with Herb Jeffries and '' Broken Strings'' (1940) with Clarence Muse. Parts dried up as Beard became an older teenager; by the time he was an adult, Beard had retired from acting.

Falling into drug use and street life, Beard was arrested at age eighteen for stealing to fuel a budding marijuana habit. Upon his release, he became addicted to heroin and spent most of his early adult life in and out of jail on drug and theft charges.

In the 1960s, Beard checked himself into Synanon, a drug rehabilitation facility and cult in Los Angeles and successfully ended his heroin use. After leaving Synanon, he made a small comeback, appearing in small roles in feature films and guest-starring in episodes of television shows such as ''Sanford and Son'', ''Emergency!'' and ''The Jeffersons''. He appears in episodes of '' Maude'' as a resident of an apartment complex where the title character's husband temporarily lived, and on ''Good Times'', where he had a recurring role (1974–1977) as Monty. Beard also lectured around the United States on drug-abuse awareness.

In 1978, he appeared in the film ''The Buddy Holly Story'' as a member of the backstage crew at the Apollo Theater, wearing his trademark derby hat.

Death

Beard suffered a stroke on January 3, 1981, two days after his 56th birthday, sustained head injuries from falling down a flight of stairs, and died of pneumonia on January 8, 1981. He was living in Los Angeles at the time.

He is interred in the Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles, buried with the famous derby that he wore for all of his life.

Filmography

Legacy

In the book series ''Captain Underpants'', one of the kids is named George Beard. The author Dav Pilkey loved ''Our Gang'', so he named the character's last name after Beard.

References

Additional reading

* Holmstrom, John. ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995'', Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 132.
* Dye, David. ''Child and Youth Actors: Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914-1985''. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1988, pp. 13–14.
* Willson, Dixie. ''Little Hollywood Stars'', Akron, OH, and New York: Saalfield Pub. Co., 1935.

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Beard, Matthew
1925 births
1981 deaths
American male child actors
African-American male child actors
20th-century African-American male actors
American male television actors
Deaths from pneumonia in California
Hal Roach Studios actors
Male actors from Los Angeles
20th-century American male actors
Burials at Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles