- Donald Haines
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Donald Haines
Haines in School's Out.Born May 9, 1918
Sumner County, Kansas
U.S.Died February 22, 1943 (aged 24) Cause of death Killed in action Occupation Child actor Years active 1929-1941 Donald Haines (9 May 1918 - 22 February 1943?) was an American child actor who had recurring appearances in the Our Gang short subjects series from 1929 to 1933.
Contents
Our Gang
Haines's tenure began during the early talkies up through the "Miss Crabtree episodes," when he would leave for feature films at Paramount only to return a few months later. His tenure continued through 1933.
Haines's first short was Shivering Shakespeare, which featured the youngster giggling his way through his lines. On the next short The First Seven Years, he was a main character, playing opposite Jackie Cooper. After that, he was a recurring character with a few small speaking roles until 1931. At that time he was offered a contract with Paramount, which would begin with a role in a feature called Skippy. Jackie Cooper also was offered a role on that feature and a contract. Both Jackie and Donald are missing from the final scenes of the second to last short made in the 1930-31 season, Bargain Day to begin work at Paramount.
Cooper would remain at Paramount. Haines, on the other hand, would quickly leave Paramount to return to Hal Roach Studios just in time for the 1931-1932 season. At that point, several major characters left the series because children age and grow up. This left a depleted Our Gang of only three regulars and a few recurring characters. Haines would resume his role as a recurring character with an occasional speaking role for the next two seasons.
Later career
Haines left the Our Gang series in 1933, but continued working as an actor at Hal Roach studios on many shorts and features until 1941. This included the East Side Kids films, beginning with East Side Kids, and Boys of the City as "Pee Wee", then That Gang of Mine, Pride of the Bowery, Flying Wild, Bowery Blitzkrieg and Spooks Run Wild as "Skinny". Was Jerry, Jr. in "A Tale of Two Cities", 1935; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corporation.
World War II and death
Haines enlisted as an aviation cadet in the United States Army Air Forces on December 10, 1941, to serve in World War II. He was killed in action shortly after entering the service. At the time of his death, his rank was First Lieutenant. The exact date and place of his death remain unknown.
External links
- Donald Haines at the Internet Movie Database
- Donald Haines at AllRovi
- Donald Haines at Find a Grave
Categories:- Our Gang
- American child actors
- 1918 births
- 1943 deaths
- American military personnel killed in World War II
- People from Sumner County, Kansas
- Actors from Kansas
- American film actor, 1910s birth stubs
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