Actress. She appeared as a child performer in some 30 Hollywood films, memorably as the Little Rascal Dorothy in two dozen "Our Gang" comedy shorts. The child of a musician in Paul Whiteman's orchestra, little Dorothy made her silver screen bow with the 1930 "A Royal Romance" and was spotted by "Our Gang" producer Hal Roach, who reportedly chose her for her ability to cry on cue. She was usually cast as Chubby Chaney's annoying kid sister, and her deadpan mimicking of his dialogue became her signature and won her the nickname "Echo." The funniest examples are in the 1931 short "Love Business," in which Chubby and Jackie Cooper compete for Miss Crabtree's affections under Dorothy's mocking eye. (Chubby: "My heart is filled with joy. I want to trip and dance." Dorothy: "My heart is filled with joy. I want to rip my pants"). She ended her "Our Gang" days with the 1933 "Mush and Milk." In 1964, left the screen following her turn as an autograph seeker in "Bombshell," which starred Jean Harlow. Dorothy graduated from Van Nuys High School, was married twice, worked as a secretary for Republic Pictures, and in later years was a clerk for the Graduate School of Journalism at UC Berkeley. She died of emphysema. Speaking of her "Our Gang" days, she said: "It was like we had the biggest playhouse in the world."
Actress. She appeared as a child performer in some 30 Hollywood films, memorably as the Little Rascal Dorothy in two dozen "Our Gang" comedy shorts. The child of a musician in Paul Whiteman's orchestra, little Dorothy made her silver screen bow with the 1930 "A Royal Romance" and was spotted by "Our Gang" producer Hal Roach, who reportedly chose her for her ability to cry on cue. She was usually cast as Chubby Chaney's annoying kid sister, and her deadpan mimicking of his dialogue became her signature and won her the nickname "Echo." The funniest examples are in the 1931 short "Love Business," in which Chubby and Jackie Cooper compete for Miss Crabtree's affections under Dorothy's mocking eye. (Chubby: "My heart is filled with joy. I want to trip and dance." Dorothy: "My heart is filled with joy. I want to rip my pants"). She ended her "Our Gang" days with the 1933 "Mush and Milk." In 1964, left the screen following her turn as an autograph seeker in "Bombshell," which starred Jean Harlow. Dorothy graduated from Van Nuys High School, was married twice, worked as a secretary for Republic Pictures, and in later years was a clerk for the Graduate School of Journalism at UC Berkeley. She died of emphysema. Speaking of her "Our Gang" days, she said: "It was like we had the biggest playhouse in the world."
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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