Stymie Beard

Profile

Name: Matthew Beard
Nick Name: Stymie
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

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:

• "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
  
• "Somebody done lost somethin'!" - Stymie in Hi'-Neighbor!
  

Notes/Trivia

• Matthew Beard reportedly recieved the bowler hat from Stan Laurel.
  
• Stymie was voiced by Al Jocko Fann in The Little Rascals Christmas Special, as well as in a series of animated PSAs.
• Eighties child star Gary Coleman was slated to play Stymie for an unfinished Little Rascals TV series by Norman Lear in the 1970s. Only a few pilots were made, none of which were aired. Coleman passed away in 2010.
• Stymie was played by Kevin Jamal Woods in The Little Rascals
• Connor Berry played Stymie in the film The Little Rascals Save the Day.
  

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