[Deathwatch] Jay R. Smith, "Our Gang" child actor, 87

[Deathwatch Central]

Slaying victim identified as former 'Little Rascals' actor; had roles
in a number of 1920s films
Tue Oct 22, 9:40 PM ET

LAS VEGAS - An 87-year-old man found stabbed to death in the desert has
been identified as a former child actor in the "Our Gang" film series.

The body of Jay R. Smith was found Oct. 5 near Interstate 15, about 25
miles ( 40 kilometers) north of Las Vegas, police said. He died from
multiple stab wounds, the Clark County coroner's office said.

As a freckle-faced boy, Smith was in three dozen of the "Our Gang"
short comedies from 1925-29, most of them silent. The series, better
known to TV audiences as "The Little Rascals," ran from the 1920s to
the early 1940s, and the casts of children changed over the years.

In many of the films, Smith's roles were relatively minor.

According to the book "The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our
Gang," Smith did have a prominent role in the 1928 short "Rainy Days."
Baby-sitting, young Jay finds his small charges have drawn all over the
walls of his home. He tries to cover up the drawings with new
wallpaper, and the homemade wallpaper paste creates a spectacular mess.
But Jay smiles proudly at his returning mother, saying, "Notice
anything, Mom?"

"None of us took it seriously while it was happening," Smith once said.
"But looking back, it was a very pleasant time in my life, and as I
grow older, it gets more valuable."

As an adult, Smith owned a paint store. He also served in the Army in
World War II.

Police said a homeless man, Graydon Brooker, 46, who had been staying
in a shed next to Smith's home and doing odd jobs for him, was being
sought for questioning in the death. Detectives reported that money was
withdrawn from Smith's bank account last week.