Farina: The most popular child from Our Gang

Farina had a special honor

Allen Clayton Hoskins was born to Clayton and Florence Hoskins in Boston on August 9, 1920. Hoskins was an American child actor, who portrayed the popular character of Farina in 105 Our Gang short films from 1922 to 1931. He was only one year old when his tenure with Our Gang began and his character remained with the series through the silent years as well as the transition to talking moving pictures. Farina departed Our Gang in 1931 at the age of eleven and held a distinctive honor among the children on the show.

There were always six boys and girls who were under contract and kept on the series until growing out of their parts. Our Gang had a "complete turnover every four years" but Farina remained for nine years. Joe Cobb, the original fat boy lasted eight years on the series so he and Farina were the only two exceptions to the rule.

Farina was to be ambiguous

Farina wore pigtails and ragged clothing and some say he resembled a pickaninny in the tradition of Topsy the character from Uncle Tom's Cabin. This was stereotypical but the actor's parents allowed him to participate and that should be respected. Farina grew in popularity and as Allen Hoskins aged, his character developed his own distinct personality that was separate from Topsy. The name "Farina", came from a brand of cereal and the name was specifically chosen because the gender was ambiguous.

In watching these old episodes I noticed that as a toddler, Farina was dressed as both a boy and a girl. Sometimes he portrayed both genders in the same film short. A 9 or 10 year old Hoskins wearing a dress was pretty comical but there were other characters who did the same.

Hoskins parents divorced in 1926 and his aunt Edith Fortier became his guardian on the Our Gang set and later appeared as an extra in the films Small Talk and Noisy Noises. By that time he was 6 years old the boy was considered an experienced child actor, and as "Farina" he began making more money than most working adults.

Our Gang facts

The Our Gang comedies were created by Hal Roach Studios, located in Culver City, California. School was required so Hoskins and the other Roach studio child actors attended school at the "Little Red School House" on the lot and were taught by Fern Carter who later said Farina was the brightest student she ever had. Fans of the shows were impressed at how Farina could cry on cue and look so convincing as the tears fell.

During his time in the Gang, Farina became the series' anchor and the most popular character. He was neither the first black child actor nor the first black Our Gang kid but Farina became the first black child star. Hoskins' last contract with the Hal Roach Studio gave him $350 a week, which was more than any other cast member, black or white was earning at the time. In 1931 when he outgrew the series, Allen was replaced by Matthew "Stymie" Beard. In 1934 the series was renamed The Little Rascals.

Beyond Our Gang

When his Our Gang comedies career ended several newspapers wrote about the boy who made $350-$500 a week and now at age 11 could not get a job. Farina began touring Vaudville with his younger sister Mango who also appeared in some of the Our Gang episodes. Hoskins volunteered for World War II before the draft and when the war was over he began a career in mental health rehabilitation.

In 1975 Hoskins was awarded, for his work as an actor, and inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame during the second annual Oscar Micheaux Award ceremony. The other entertainers who were being honored that same night were Ruby Dee, Sidney Poitier, Quincy Jones, and Lena Horne. Hoskins probably was very proud to be in such good company. The former child star continued working with the mentally disabled until he died of cancer at age 59 in 1980. He left behind a wife and six children.

Our Gang aired on television during the 1950s and 1960s and can be seen now in syndication and on the Tubi streaming service.