Buckwheat Thomas
Profile
Name: William "Billie" Thomas
Nickname: Buckwheat
Played By: William Thomas Jr.
Born: 1931
Relatives: Mandy (mother), Joe (father), Big Shot (brother)
Clubs: former member of He-Man Woman-Hater's Club, The Wise Owl Club, The Four Nitengales, former member of All-4-One Club, 1-2-3-Go Safety Society
First Short: For Pete's Sake!
Last Short: Tale Of A Dog
Character
Bio: There can only be one Buckwheat, but there have been a few Buckwheats. Stymie's sister, Marmalade, was nicknamed Buckwheat in The First Round-Up and Honky Donkey, and it is possibly because of this that poor Billie was thought to be the daughter of the housekeeper at Spanky's house.
Buckwheat's mom works as a housekeeper for Spanky's parents in Anniversary Trouble (Spanky even impersonates him once after their club dues go missing), but he becomes close friends with Spanky's little brother, Porky. Buckwheat seems to be well liked and popular among the neighborhood kids. In fact, when Buckwheat goes to light the stage lights in one of Spanky's shows in Our Gang Follies Of 1936, everyone in the audience says hi to him.
Truthfully, Buckwheat and Porky are often forced to be little more than sidekicks and messengers for the bigger kids, even playing caddy to them at the golf course in Divot Diggers. When they're not delivering messages or saving the day, they are playing marbles or lighting firecrackers, once getting the fun activity confiscated by Spanky and Alfalfa disguised as a G-Man in Two Too Young.
Buckwheat often follows Porky's lead as they follow the bigger boys, though he never knows what is going to happen. When they break into the school after dark to retrieve a phony excuse note, he gets scared as he is left alone as lookout even as Porky delights in scaring the others in Spooky Hooky.
Buckwheat is scared of the dark and believes in ghosts. (Spooky Hooky) He gets terrified after playing detective with Alfalfa and Porky and getting deposited from a crate in the haunted house attraction at Seaside Amusement Park in Hide And Shriek. In Don't Lie it is revealed that Buckwheat has been known to be somewhat of a liar. When he reports seeing something weird at a local haunted house, everyone thinks it's another lie, but in the end, when things are explained in the daylight, everything turns out all right.
Quotes:
- "He likes chewin' gum, don't he, Porky?" - Buckwheat in Roamin' Holiday
Notes/Trivia
- Buckwheat was played by Ross Bagley in The Little Rascals. His mother in the movie was played by Whoopi Goldberg, a big fan of Buckwheat.
- Buckwheat's mom was played twice by Hattie McDaniel in Anniversary Trouble and Arbor Day. Hattie McDaniel won an Academy Award for her role in Gone with the Wind.
- Buckwheat was the only Hal Roach character still in the series when it was cancelled in 1944.
- Buckwheat was also featured in Walt Kelly's Our Gang comic book series, debuting in the first issue (1942) and making his last appearance in issue # 40 (1947). His character was originally more of an African American stereotype in the comics, but Kelly eventually dropped all offensive characteristics from Buckwheat (whose name was eventually shortened to 'Bucky' by Kelly). By the time Buckwheat makes his last appearance in the Kelly series, his character is now a High School track star. Afterwards, his character was replaced by Button-Nose (a character of Walt Kelly's).
- Buckwheat was also featured in Dell's Little Rascals comic book series of the late 50's and early 60's. Oddly enough, in earlier issues of this series, Buckwheat is mistakenly referred to as 'Farina'.
- Buckwheat was voiced by Sharvar Ross in the short-lived Hanna-Barbera animated Little Rascals series of the 1980's.
- Buckwheat also appeared in a series of 1980s commercials for Jello Gellatin Pops featuring the Little Rascals.