Dorothy DeBorba
Encyclopedia
Dorothy Adelle DeBorba was an American
former child actress
who was a regular in the Our Gang
series of short subjects as the leading lady from 1930 to 1933.
, California
. Of Portuguese Azorean
ancestry, 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.
for her ability to cry on cue. Her debut was an auspicious one: in Pups Is Pups
(1930), she plays Jackie Cooper's
sister, a little girl who, in a running gag throughout the two-reeler, runs out of her house and jumps straight into a mud puddle. Her mother (Lyle Tayo
) cleans her up and re-dresses her straightaway, only to have her run out and jump right back into the puddle again. The gag ends the film, in fact, when Mother loses her balance and falls in the mud herself.
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 [in the series] 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
in front of a movie house:
This "smart-alecky compulsion" gave her the nickname "Echo" at the Hal Roach Studios
.
She appeared in twenty-four Our Gang comedies over three years. Her last appearance ending in Mush and Milk
(1933). "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." 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."
and then worked at Republic Pictures
. In later years she was a senior clerk in the School of Journalism at UC-Berkeley
. She married twice, and had two children.
on June 2, 2010 at age 85 while residing in Walnut Creek, California
. She is survived by her two children.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former child actress
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
who was a regular in the Our Gang
Our Gang
Our Gang, also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach's Rascals, was a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and the adventures they had together. Created by comedy producer Hal Roach, the series is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively...
series of short subjects as the leading lady from 1930 to 1933.
Early life
DeBorba was a native of LivermoreLivermore, California
Livermore is a city in Alameda County. The population as of 2010 was 80,968. Livermore is located on the eastern edge of California's San Francisco Bay Area....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Of Portuguese Azorean
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
ancestry, she came from a show business background. Her mother was a singer-dancer-actress, and her father was a drummer in Paul Whiteman's
Paul Whiteman
Paul Samuel Whiteman was an American bandleader and orchestral director.Leader of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s, Whiteman's recordings were immensely successful, and press notices often referred to him as the "King of Jazz"...
band.
Our Gang
Dorothy DeBorba began her career at age five. She impressed Hal RoachHal Roach
Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach, Sr. was an American film and television producer and director, and from the 1910s to the 1990s.- Early life and career :Hal Roach was born in Elmira, New York...
for her ability to cry on cue. Her debut was an auspicious one: in Pups Is Pups
Pups Is Pups
Pups Is Pups is a two-reel comedy short subject, part of the Our Gang series. It was produced and directed by Robert F. McGowan for Hal Roach, and originally released to theatres by M-G-M in 1930. It was the 100th Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:Wheezer attempts to find his puppies after...
(1930), she plays Jackie Cooper's
Jackie Cooper
Jackie Cooper was an American actor, television director, producer and executive. He was a child actor who managed to make the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first child actor to receive an Academy Award nomination...
sister, a little girl who, in a running gag throughout the two-reeler, runs out of her house and jumps straight into a mud puddle. Her mother (Lyle Tayo
Lyle Tayo
Lyle Tayo was an American film actress who appeared in 59 films between 1921 and 1948. Tayo was born in Elmdale, Kansas and died in Hollywood, California. She is buried in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery....
) cleans her up and re-dresses her straightaway, only to have her run out and jump right back into the puddle again. The gag ends the film, in fact, when Mother loses her balance and falls in the mud herself.
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 [in the series] were given all the best lines," in Love Business
Love Business
Love Business is a 1931 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 104th Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...
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
Greta Garbo , born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, was a Swedish film actress. Garbo was an international star and icon during Hollywood's silent and classic periods. Many of Garbo's films were sensational hits, and all but three were profitable...
in front of a movie house:
-
- Chubby: Oh, my darling, can you hear my pleas in my whispers.
- Dorothy: Darling, I hear the fleas in my whiskers.
-
- Chubby: If love is like a roseRobert BurnsRobert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
, I will nip my rose in the bud. - Dorothy: If love is like a rose, I will stick my nose in the mud.
- Chubby: If love is like a rose
-
- 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" gave her the nickname "Echo" at the Hal Roach Studios
Hal Roach
Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach, Sr. was an American film and television producer and director, and from the 1910s to the 1990s.- Early life and career :Hal Roach was born in Elmira, New York...
.
She appeared in twenty-four Our Gang comedies over three years. Her last appearance ending in Mush and Milk
Mush and Milk
Mush and Milk is a comedy short subject; part of the Our Gang series. It was produced and directed by Robert F. McGowan for Hal Roach, and was originally released to theaters by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on May 27, 1933...
(1933). "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." 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 SchoolVan Nuys High School
Van Nuys High School established in 1914, is a high school in the Van Nuys area of Los Angeles, California, belonging to the Los Angeles Unified School District: District 2...
and then worked at Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
. In later years she was a senior clerk in the School of Journalism at UC-Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. She married twice, and had two children.
Death
DeBorba died of emphysemaEmphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
on June 2, 2010 at age 85 while residing in Walnut Creek, California
Walnut Creek, California
Walnut Creek is an incorporated city located east of the city of Oakland. It lies in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. While not as large as neighboring Concord, Walnut Creek serves as the business and entertainment hub for the neighboring cities within central Contra Costa...
. She is survived by her two children.
Filmography
- Pups Is PupsPups Is PupsPups Is Pups is a two-reel comedy short subject, part of the Our Gang series. It was produced and directed by Robert F. McGowan for Hal Roach, and originally released to theatres by M-G-M in 1930. It was the 100th Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:Wheezer attempts to find his puppies after...
(1930) - Teacher's Pet (1930)
- School's OutSchool's Out (1930 film)School's Out is a 1930 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. Produced by Hal Roach and released to theaters by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it was the 102nd Our Gang short to be released.-Plot:...
(1930) - Helping GrandmaHelping GrandmaHelping Grandma is a 1931 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 103rd Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...
(1930) - Love BusinessLove BusinessLove Business is a 1931 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 104th Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...
(1931) - Little DaddyLittle DaddyLittle Daddy is a 1931 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 105th Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...
(1931) - Bargain DayBargain DayBargain Day is a 1931 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 106th Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...
(1931) - Fly My KiteFly My KiteFly My Kite is a 1931 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 107th Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...
(1931) - The Stolen JoolsThe Stolen JoolsThe Stolen Jools is a short comedy film produced by the Masquers Club of Hollywood, featuring many cameo appearances by the film stars of the day...
(1931) - Big EarsBig EarsBig Ears is a 1931 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 108th Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...
(1931) - Shiver My TimbersShiver My TimbersShiver My Timbers is a 1931 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 109th Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...
(1931) - Dogs Is DogsDogs is DogsDogs 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:...
(1931) - Readin' and Writin'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 that was released.-Plot:...
(1932) - Free EatsFree EatsFree Eats is a 1932 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Ray McCarey. It was the 112th Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...
(1932) - SpankySpanky (film)Spanky is a 1932 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 113th Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...
(1932) - Choo Choo (1932)
- The PoochThe PoochThe Pooch is a 1932 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 115th Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:Cheerful vagrant Stymie tries to get back in the good graces of the gang after stealing their pies...
(1932) - Hook and LadderHook and Ladder (1932 film)Hook and Ladder is a 1932 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 116th Our Gang short that was released.-Synopsis:...
(1932) - Free WheelingFree WheelingFree Wheeling is a 1932 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 117th Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...
(1932) - Birthday BluesBirthday BluesBirthday Blues is a 1932 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 118th Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...
(1932) - A Lad an' a LampA Lad an' a LampA Lad an' a Lamp is a 1932 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 119th Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...
(1932) - Fish HookyFish HookyFish Hooky is a 1933 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 120th Our Gang short that was released.- Plot :...
(1933) - Forgotten BabiesForgotten BabiesForgotten Babies is a 1933 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 121st Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...
(1933) - The Kid from BorneoThe Kid From BorneoThe Kid From Borneo is a comedy short subject; part of the Our Gang series. It was produced and directed by Robert F. McGowan for Hal Roach, and was originally released to theaters by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on April 15, 1933. It was the 122nd Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:Dickie, Dorothy,...
(1933) - Mush and MilkMush and MilkMush and Milk is a comedy short subject; part of the Our Gang series. It was produced and directed by Robert F. McGowan for Hal Roach, and was originally released to theaters by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on May 27, 1933...
(1933)
External links
- The Dorothy DeBorba page
- Historical survey of Our Gang / The Little Rascals
- Our Gang and the Little Rascals
- "Teacher's Pet" movie site
- Meeting Dorothy DeBorba in 2000
