Slaying victim identified as former ‘Rascals’ actor
LAS VEGAS (AP) – 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 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?”
Among the other films he appeared in were “Love My Dog,” “Bring Home the Turkey,” “Crazy House,” “Thundering Fleas” and “Fair and Muddy.” Smith’s brother Donnie also appeared in a few Our Gang films, according to the book.
“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 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 Detectives reported that money was withdrawn from Smith’s bank account last week.