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===''Our Gang''=== In January 1931, in response to a trade magazine advertisement from [[Hal Roach Studios]] in [[Culver City, California|Culver City]], [[California]], requesting photographs of "cute kids", Spanky's Aunt Dottie (Virginia's sister) sent pictures from Sonny's portfolio. An invitation for a screen test arrived that spring, leading to his acting career.<ref name=maltin/> Portions of Spanky's screen test are included in a 1932 ''Our Gang'' entry, ''[[Spanky (film)|Spanky]]''. The nickname "Spanky" is erroneously said to have arisen from warnings by his mother not to misbehave during one of the initial discussions with [[Hal Roach]] in his office. McFarland contradicted the tale, saying that the name was given by a Los Angeles newspaper reporter. Use of the "Spanky" name by McFarland for subsequent business or personal activities was expressly granted to McFarland in one of his studio contracts. In later years some family members would affectionately refer to him as "Spank".<ref name="maltin">[[Leonard Maltin|Maltin, Leonard]] and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). ''The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang'', p. 118. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. {{ISBN|0-517-58325-9}}</ref> Upon being discovered at age three, he instantly became a key member of the ''Our Gang'' children's comedy movie series and one of Hollywood's stars. His earliest films show him as an outspoken toddler, grumpily going along with the rest of the gang. His scene-stealing abilities brought him more attention, and by 1935 he was the ''de facto'' leader of the gang, often paired with [[Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer]], and always the enterprising "idea man".<ref name=maltin/> Switzer's character became as much of a scene-stealer as the young McFarland was, and the two boys' fathers fought constantly over screen time and star billing for their children.<ref name="maltin2">[[Leonard Maltin|Maltin, Leonard]] and Bann, Richard W. (1977, rev. 1992). ''The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang'', p. 178β180. New York: Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press. {{ISBN|0-517-58325-9}}</ref> Spanky McFarland's only starring feature-film role was in the 1936 Hal Roach film ''[[General Spanky]]'', an unsuccessful attempt to move the ''Our Gang'' series into features. He also appeared as a juvenile performer in many non-Roach feature films, including the [[Wheeler & Woolsey]] comedy ''[[Kentucky Kernels]]'', the early [[Technicolor]] feature ''[[The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1936 film)|The Trail of the Lonesome Pine]]'' (1936), and two [[Fritz Lang]] features of the 1940s. Following the 1938 ''Our Gang'' short ''[[Came the Brawn]]'', McFarland "retired" from ''Our Gang'', beginning a personal appearance tour.<ref name="1938interim">{{Cite book |last=Lee |first=Julia Sun-Joo |author-link=Julia Lee (writer) |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/930782094 |title=Our Gang: A Racial History of The Little Rascals |date=2015 |isbn=978-1-4529-4977-2 |location=Minneapolis |pages=168 |oclc=930782094}}</ref> In mid-1938, Hal Roach sold the ''Our Gang'' unit to [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]], who began casting for a new "team leader" character in Spanky's vein and ended up rehiring McFarland himself. He remained in the MGM ''Our Gang'' productions until his final appearance in the series ''[[Unexpected Riches]]'' in 1942, at age fourteen.<ref name=maltin/>
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