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Stymie Beard

Profile[]

Name: Matthew Beard
Nickname: Stymie, Hercules in Teacher's Pet
Played By: Matthew Beard
Born: 1925
Relatives: Farina (foster brother), Marmalade, (sister), Cotton (brother),
Clubs: The International Silver String Submarine Band, Ancient And Honery Order Of Wood Chucks
First Short: Teacher's Pet
Last Short: Teacher's Beau (original), Reunion In Rhythm (cameo)

Character[]

Bio: With his trademark bowler hat and bald head, Stymie Beard is easily one of the most recognized Rascals next to Spanky, Alfalfa and Darla. He's a bit of a con, able to convince Spud that ham and eggs can talk in Dogs Is Dogs and finagle Wheezer and Echo into purloining the desserts out of the older kid's lunches in Teacher's Pet. With this sort of creative thinking, it is no wonder that he was able to be so endearing to everyone around him.
Unlike the rest of the kids, Stymie has no real family except for the gang itself. When we first see him in Little Daddy, he's an orphan on the streets adopted by Farina, but he very quickly bonds as friends with Wheezer, the two of them getting into much mischief together. Wheezer even comes to him for advice when he thinks his parents are getting a divorce in Big Ears. Stymie eventually does get adopted by a real family and gets real brothers and sisters tagging along after him, but this family seems to have its hardships. In Bargain Day, he makes a reference to his dad being a gambler in jail, and still in prison in A Lad An' A Lamp. Stymie also mentions that his mother's been married three times in Teacher's Pet.
After Wheezer moves out of town, Stymie tries really hard to go with him, but he's soon back and close friends with Dickie Moore, the two of them playing firefighter in Hook And Ladder and getting talked out of playing hooky by Mickey Daniels. Whenever he does get to play hooky, he and the gang go to listen to the tales of the old sea captain (Shiver My Timbers) or getting confused as an orphan for a train ride in Choo-Choo!. He also plays Uncle Tom in Breezy Brisbane's production of Uncle Tom's Cabin in Spanky, getting trapped in a rope-pulled platform pulling him up and down from the attic when the gang runs away distracted.
Although Dickie doesn't stay in Greenpoint very long, Stymie soon becomes friends with Wally Albright and Tommy "Butch" Bond. He helps Wally to create a fire engine big enough for all of their friends to ride on in Hi'-Neighbor! and goes camping at Cherry Creek in The First Round-Up, but thanks to Spanky and Scotty, no one goes hungry after forgetting the food.
Stymie seemingly inherits Pete The Pup after Wheezer, but with the gang, they adopt a stray mule named Algebra to turn them round in a merry-go-round they built in Honky Donkey. He also plays football with the gang in Washee Ironee and joins the Ancient And Honery Order Of Wood Chucks where it turns out, no one really trusts anyone. Stymie has more fun in Tommy's band, The International Silver String Submarine Band, making really loud music in Mike Fright. He attends Adams Street Grammar School and later the Bleak Hill Boarding School in Mush And Milk, possibly confused as an orphan again at the Happy Home Orphanage where the horrible Mr. Crutch forces the kids castor oil to keep them from getting sick in Shrimps For A Day.
After going away, Stymie eventually comes home for a class reunion in Reunion In Rhythm, but by now, he is no longer shaving his head or wearing his familiar bowler hat.
Quotes:

  • "I want ten cents worth of 'it'." - Stymie
    • "Well, what kind of 'it' do you want?" - Wheezer
    • "What kind of 'it' have you got?" - Stymie in Helping Grandma
  • "Uh-uh, brother, I ain't going to show my ingnorance to no-body." - Stymie in Bargain Day
  • "Uh-uh, my daddy ain't no chauffeur, my daddy's just a crap-shootin' fool!" - Stymie in Bargain Day
  • "We had a pole cat under our house once, and boy did we take a trip!" - Stymie to Wheezer
    • "Oh, you vacated, huh?" - Wheezer to Stymie
    • "Vacated nothing! We fumigated!" - Stymie to Wheezer in Shiver My Timbers
  • "You know, you's the mushiest people I ever did see." - Stymie in Dogs Is Dogs
  • "Stymie, where do you ever get such ideas?" - Wheezer to Stymie
    • "Boy, I'm full of ideas when I'm hungry." - Stymie to Wheezer in Dogs Is Dogs
  • "He fell in the well. Well, well, well!" - Stymie in Dogs Is Dogs
  • "It might choke Artie, but it ain't gonna choke Stymie." - Stymie in The Pooch
  • "Boy, that's what I call service!" - Stymie in The Pooch
  • "Stymie, where are we going?" - Dickie
    • "I don't know, brother, but we're on our way!" - Stymie in Free Wheeling
  • "Somebody done lost somethin'!" - Stymie in Hi'-Neighbor!
  • "Certainly ain't no midget!" - Stymie in Mama's Little Pirate

Notes/Trivia[]

  • Matthew Beard reportedly received the bowler hat from Stan Laurel.
  • Stymie usually has no hair but in The Little Rascals Save The Day he has full set of hair.
  • Stymie seems have replaced Farina Hoskins in the series; he would be later replaced by Buckwheat.
  • Fly My Kite and Dogs Is Dogs are the only shorts where Stymie takes his hat off.
  • Stymie, Wheezer, Scotty, Spanky and Porky are the only main characters to wear hats.
  • Similar to Wheezer Hutchins and Scotty Beckett, Stymie is practically noticeable during his last few appearances. Both Wheezer and Scotty also became barely noticeable when new Rascals joined the cast. Wheezer and Scotty were both upstaged respectively by the appearances of Spanky and Alfalfa.
  • Stymie also appears on the front stoop of a brownstone in the Oliver and Hardy short, The Stolen Jools, alongside Pete, Wheezer, Farina, Chubby, Mary Ann, Shirley Jean and Dorothy. He also makes a non-"Our Gang" appearance the Charley Chase short "Four Parts."
  • Stymie, Joe, Mickey, Mary, Butch, Farina and Spanky are the only Rascals to return to Our Gang after leaving it. He appears in a cameo in Reunion In Rhythm.
  • Stymie, Alfalfa, Mickey, Chubby, Dickie, Echo, Ernie, Froggy and Joe are the only main characters who never missed an episode during their time on Our Gang.
  • Stymie is possibly the only pre-Spanky Rascals to appear in later post-"Our Gang" franchises.
  • Stymie, Farina, Ernie and Buckwheat are the only African American Rascals in the main cast.
  • His name was Hercules in first two appearances but from Helping Grandma onwards his name was changed to Stymie.

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