‘The Little Rascals’: Darla Hood Had a Happy Life and Successful Career, But Still Met a Tragic End

*FAQs at the bottom of article*UPDATED 3/8/2023It’s no secret that many cast members from The Little Rascals had sad and tragic endings to their lives, many from an inability to transition from child actor to adulthood, but there have been some notable exceptions. Among them were Jackie Cooper, Spanky McFarland, and Darla Hood, the latter of whose story is particularly sad given that her death could have been so easily avoided.In 1962, Darla actually reflected on the problem with many child stars, commenting, “They think they are better than anyone else. They don’t learn to give to others. They are on the receiving end of a lot of adulation that gradually knocks out any humility they had. And my mother was every inch a stage mother. Mom pushed me, sure, but she didn’t force me down producers’ throats like some of the other mothers. And she always had my best interest at heart.”Darla was born on November 8, 1931 in Leedey, Oklahoma, and was a part of The Little Rascals from 1935 to 1941...