Allen Hoskins

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Allen Hoskins
Hoskins as Farina in Bear Shooters (1930).
Born	Allen Clayton Hoskins (1920-08-09)August 9, 1920 Boston, Massachusetts
Died	July 26, 1980(1980-07-26) (aged 59) Oakland, California
Cause of death	Cancer
Other names	Farina
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1922-1936

Allen Clayton Hoskins (August 9, 1920 – July 26, 1980) was an American child actor, most famous for portraying the character of Farina in the Our Gang short films from 1922 to 1931.

Career

Born in Boston, Hoskins was just one year old when his tenure with Our Gang began. His character stayed in the series through the silent years and the transition to talking pictures, and he left the series in 1931 at the age of eleven. With his pigtailed hair and patchy outfits, Farina resembled a pickaninny^[1] in the tradition of the character Topsy from Uncle Tom's Cabin,^[2] but as the character became more popular, and as Allen Hoskins got older, Farina developed his own personality separate from that of Topsy. The name "Farina", derived from a type of cereal, was chosen because its gender was ambiguous: As a toddler, Farina was portrayed as both a boy and a girl (sometimes both genders in the same film), much to the puzzlement of movie audiences.

During his time in the gang, Farina became both the series' anchor and its most popular character. While he was not the first black child actor (or even the first black Our Gang kid), Farina became arguably the first black child star. Allen Hoskins's last contract with the Hal Roach Studio called for $250 a week, more than any other kid (even Jackie Cooper) was earning at that time. He appeared in 105 Our Gang Films. His replacement was Matthew Beard.^{[citation needed]}

A young Hoskins in Dogs of War (1923.)

Columnist Jack Lait, wrote in his "Highlights of Broadway, from the Circle to the Square" published in the Albuquerque Journal on 6-7-31: "Farina is Cooked" "...Have you ever wondered what became of Farina, that little black dish that used to take all the punishment in the "Our Gang Comedies?" Lemme spill: Eight years ago Allen Clayton Hoskins, dressed as a girl pickaninny started getting bumps and stopping pies. Millions all over the world knew and liked him. He got $500.00 a week. Now he is 11 years old and is no longer cute so he can't scrabble a dime out of Hollywood. Recently New York Vaudeville agents were sounded out on a proposed act to be played by Farina and his sister, Mango. Photoplay announces he is definitely through in the films"

Later years and death

After leaving the gang, Hoskins got some small roles in feature films and had a vaudeville act with his sister Jannie Hoskins, who was also a member of the gang. After serving in World War II, Hoskins started to drift away from performing and retired his stage name. In a 1950s televised reunion of the Our Gang cast, Hoskins explained why he abandoned acting: "I preferred a job that allowed me to eat regular." In 1945, Louella Parsons, a Hollywood Columnist, spoke out on behalf of the actors who served in WWII but who did not get back their careers: "Want to say it again and again and keep on sayng it, our boys who gave up studio jobs to go into the service and who have done so much for Hollywood and for their country must get their jobs back. That's one thing Hollywood must not have on its conscience. I mean the bitterness and heartache of these kids. Bob McGowan, who directed "Farina" as a child in "Our Gang Comedies", wrote me: "Thank you for the plug for "Farina", now Sergeant Allen Hoskins. He was a pretty blue little black boy when he failed to get his old job back...we can't have that and neither can any great industry in our country..." ^[3] He eventually had a successful career helping disabled young people with drug problems and mental illnesses at Los Angeles area medical centers.

Allen Hoskins died of cancer on July 26, 1980, in Oakland, California. He was survived by his sister Jannie Hoskins, who died in the Bay Area in January 1996. Over the next 20-plus years, Hoskins lay in an unmarked grave at Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland. Sometime around 2005, Hoskins was finally honored with a distinguished gravestone.

Selected filmography

References

External links

Biography portal

• Allen Hoskins at the Internet Movie Database
• Allen Hoskins at AllRovi
• "Allen Hoskins". Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8483. Retrieved 2009-03-13. 

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