Lessons I Learned as a Little Rascal

Opportunity came too early for Ernie Weckbaugh; which was typical of many child stars of the 30s. One of the few surviving Little Rascals of the Our Gang Comedies, Ernie Weckbaugh (who played Stinky) tells of being a child actor in the movies during the Great Depression. More than a biography, Lessons I Learned as a Little Rascal is the viewpoint of a reluctant child actor as seen through the lens of time. Mean stage mothers, demanding directors, high expectations and the enormous pressure to perform taught life lessons that Weckbaugh shares with his readers. Included are tips on how to survive and how to choose fun and laughter to lead a happy and fulfilling life. Presented with an irresistible offer at the age of five, Weckbaugh and the rest of the cast (Alfalfa, Spanky, Buckwheat, Darla, Stymie, Buckwheat, Butch and the others) broke the color barrier in films with white children and African-American children playing (and working) together thirty years before the Civil Rights Movement began. From his many experiences as a child actor, Weckbaugh writes over a dozen chapters devoted to life lessons he learned in his youth each one designed to inform and entertain the reader.