Profile[]
Nickname: Cookie
Played By: Darla Jean Hood (King - her family name in Bear Facts)
Born: November 4, 1931 (ages 4-9)
Relatives: Johnny (father), Mother (unnamed), Wilma (step-mother), Junior (brother)
Clubs: None
First Short: Our Gang Follies Of 1936
Last Short: Wedding Worries
Character[]
Bio: One of the most instantaneously recognized Rascals, cute and adorable Darla Hood is first introduced in Our Gang Follies Of 1936, a singing revue which Spanky throws for the other kids to earn spending money. Darla plays the piano and apparently loves to sing. She performs the song, "I'll Never Say Never Again." In her first appearances, she has blonde locks, harkening back to Mary Kornman and Jean Darling; but she later goes back to familiar dark hair for which she is best known.
Darla's character is the daughter of James B. Hood, the local dentist, who is also revealed to be the owner of a circus (Bear Facts, in which his last name is stated to be 'King') and seems well-to-do, but not as rich as the family of Waldo. He refers to his wife as "Mother," and later remarries after Darla's mother has passed on (Wedding Worries), and he is often very exasperated by Darla's friends, especially when they stay the night (Night 'N' Gales). Interestingly enough, in Night 'N' Gales, her father's name is Arthur Hood, while in Feed 'Em And Weep, his name is John Hood. Darla also has a younger brother Junior seen in that short.
Darla is a young, gifted singer, appearing in several of Spanky's shows and once nearly on the radio if not for Alfalfa Switzer. Alfalfa considers Darla his girlfriend, and she very much enjoys the attention, but when the gang is taking his attention and he neglects her, she is not reluctant to use Waldo or even Butch to make Alfalfa jealous.
Quotes:
- "Have you been eating onions?!" - Darla to Alfalfa in Pay As You Exit
- "Have some cookies, boys." - Darla
- "No thanks, we are woman haters, ain't we, Porky?" - Buckwheat in Mail And Female
- "There's Alfalfa!" - Darla
- "Yeah, the dope. He don't even know he's alive!" - Butch in Duel Personalities
- "This is the most romantic thing I ever heard of!" - Darla in Duel Personalities
- "Don't forget to bury them, Spanky." - Darla in Duel Personalities
Notes/Trivia[]
- According to the US Census Bureau, there were no girls born with the name of Darla in Oklahoma in 1931, though there were girls born with the name Dorla. It may be possible that her birth name might be Dorla. However, the actress's own mother contends that she very nearly named her "Dorla" but later decided to name her the misspelled version of the name.
- Darla's name inspired the 1990s underrated alternative band
- In the song "Purple Stain" by the band Red Hot Chili Peppers, Darla is referenced in the lyrics: "'Cause we all live in Hollywood, with Dracula and Darla Hood"
- Darla’s mother seemed to have passed away or divorced her father somewhere after Feed 'Em And Weep. He is seen getting re-married in Wedding Worries. This would make Darla one of the Rascals to have a stepparent, along with Mickey Gubitosi, Wheezer, Jackie Cooper, Mary Ann, Echo DeBorba, Chubby and possibly Spanky and Porky.
- Darla and Buckwheat are mentioned in the Cheers episode, "Woody Gets An Election," which starred George McFarland in his last acting performance.
- Darla doesn't appear in the shorts Two Too Young, Spooky Hooky, General Spanky, Canned Fishing, The Awful Tooth, Alfalfa's Aunt, Joy Scouts, Dad For A Day, Goin' Fishin', Good Bad Boys, Fightin' Fools, Baby Blues and 1-2-3-Go! made after her first appearance.
- Darla is considered one of the most popular of the Little Rascals in the "Our Gang" film series. With Spanky, Alfalfa, Stymie and others, she has turned up in several modern iterations of the classic shorts.
- In her first four appearances (Our Gang Follies Of 1936, Divot Diggers, The Pinch Singer and Second Childhood) she had blonde hair but staring from Arbor Day to Wedding Worries she has black hair.
- Darla, Buckwheat, Porky, Butch and Woim are the only main characters who never had an episode solely focusing on them.
- Darla, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Porky, Spanky, Butch, Woim, Waldo and Big Shot Jones are the only Hal Roach characters to appear in the MGM films.