Sean Paul Murphy, Writer

Sean Paul Murphy, Writer
Sean Paul Murphy, Storyteller

Thursday, November 24, 2022

Grave Tales #33: Norman Myers "Chubby" Chaney

I am an avid genealogist. The past is very important to me. I spend a lot of time in cemeteries photographing tombstones to upload on website the FindAGrave.

I enjoy recognizing long dead people by putting memorials to them online. However, every once and a while something grabs me about a specific grave. It could be the name, or the dates or a ceramic photo. In those cases, I feel compelled to dig a little deeper. That's what this series of blogs is about: The tales behind those graves. Some of my subjects will be heroes. Some will be villains. Some will be victims. And some will linger in between, like most of us. However, don't be surprised if the tales are inherently tragic. These are grave tales. They all end in death.

In this blog, I return to Baltimore Cemetery to tell the story of Norman Myers "Chubby" Chaney, who won a nationwide talent contest in 1929 to become a member of Hal Roach's Little Rascals. When I was growing up you could watch short films by comedy teams like Laurel & Hardy, The Three Stooges and The Little Rascals* every morning before school. I always enjoyed The Little Rascals, especially the early talkies when Chubby was a member of the troupe. I particularly enjoyed the films where happy-faced Chubby competed with Jackie Cooper for affection of their teacher Miss Crabtree. 

Norman "Chubby" Chaney

I normally avoid writing about famous people. I prefer to dig into unsung lives. However, since my last few blogs have been pretty grim, I wanted to shine a light on someone who brought joy into the lives of millions of people, myself included. Okay, I'll confess. I was mainly planning to use this blog as an opportunity to embed a bunch of old short films I enjoyed. Sadly, since the newly restored remasters were released, most the unauthorized postings of Little Rascals material has been removed from YouTube. But don't worry, I'll still include a couple clips of Chubby in all of his rotund glory.

Here's a story from Doris Denbo's Hollywood gossip column:

Los Angeles Evening Citizen News (Los Angeles, California), 5 August 1929, Mon:

Little by little the famous old "Gang" is breaking and growing up. Joe Cobb, the famous fatty of Hal Roach's Rascals is leaving the gang forever and going freelancing. Another "fatty" has been signed by Robert McGowan, "Gang" director. He is Norman "Chubby" Chaney. (No, it's not Lon Chaney in another disguise -- nor any relation to him), but he is a young fellow who made good on the recent nation-wide contest conducted by Loew's Theaters, Inc., to find child personalities for "Our Gang." He was signed today on a long term contract. Chubby, but nine years old, weighs 106 pounds and measures 47 inches in height, almost the exact measurements of Joe. The Hal Roach Gang now consists of "Wheezer," Mary Ann Jackson, Farina, Harry Spear, Chubby Chaney and Pete, the dog. They will start work again August 26 when Hal Roach opens his studio once more.

Hal Roach's Little Rascals, circa 1929. Farina,
Pete, Chubby, Wheezer, Mary Ann, Jackie Cooper.

Here's another short story:

The Knoxville News-Sentinel (Knoxville, Tenn), 21 August 1929, Weds:

Replacement....

Norman "Chubby" Chaney, 8, has replaced Joe Cobb in Hal Roach's "Our Gang" comedies. The little roly-poly favorite was getting $500 a week and "Chubby" is working cheaper. Farina, the negro youngster, is said to be slated to go soon, also. "Chubby" got his job as the result of a contest staged thruout the country in Loew theaters.

If you noticed, two different ages were given for Chubby in the newspaper stories. Apparently Chubby's mother lied about his age -- making him younger -- when he entered the contest. If Chubby was really eight-years-old in 1929, that meant he was born in 1921. According to his tombstone, Chubby was born in 1914. That meant he was fifteen-years-old when he joined the troupe, and that was around the age when members were replaced! I would like to see the documentation for the 1914 birthdate. He certainly doesn't look like he is fifteen or sixteen in the films.** 

Regardless of his age, Chubby soon became a fan favorite. Here's some of the publicity photos the studio put out periodically.

In the earliest days of talkies, producer Hal Roach had his biggest stars make Spanish, French and German language versions of their films. The stars, who couldn't speak the languages, had to learn the dialogue phonetically. Here's a publicity shot of Chubby and the rest of the Little Rascals learning to speak Spanish from January 1930:


Here's a shot of Chubby and Mary Ann Jackson having fun on the golf course from December 1930:


Here's a photo of Chubby being fed a banana by Dorothy De Borba from July of 1931:


Chubby was so popular that he became merchandized. You could buy "novelty" soap shaped like him. Here's an ad:

I wonder if anyone still has one of those....

Sadly, by 1932 Chubby's time with the Little Rascals was over. When Hal Roach produced the series, they were strict about the kids being kids. The performers aged out of the troupe relatively quickly. Chubby replaced the original fat kid Joe Cobb. Now he found himself being replaced by a four-year-old fat child named Bouncy Wertz.

The Long Beach Sun (Long Beach, CA), 23 March 1932, Wed:


Long Beach Lad Gets Berth
With 'Our Gang' Company

     Harold E. Wertz, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold E. Wertz, 6542 Falcon Avenue, had no idea of being the new little fat boy to succeed Chubby Chaney in Hal Roach's Our Gang motion picture comedies. But two months ago, when Chubby grew too tall for the part and the studio advertised for a new fat boy, a neighbor woman saw the notice and sent it over to Harold's mother. So, now he is Bouncy Wertz and has already completed two pictures.
     Bouncy is four years old and weighs sixty-seven pounds, a great deal of his weight having been added during the past year. His mother says Bouncy has increased his circumference without adding much to his stature.

Bouncy Wertz

Chubby's movie career only last three years and consisted of twenty-two short films. In comparison, Bouncy had a much shorter tenure with the Little Rascals. Only three films.... I have no memory of him at all.

There were stories in the papers of other film projects with Chubby, but none of them materialized. Chubby was forced to capitalize on live appearances to make money and maintain his fame. Here are some advertisements for a few of them:







I can't help but think it must have been devastating for Chubby's ego to go from being a successful, beloved movie star to showing up at department stores to shake hands in the radio department. Nowadays, the psychological problems many child stars experience after their careers end are better known. Sadly, I couldn't find any interviews with him that expressed his thoughts.

Chubby and his mother returned to Baltimore to live with her parents, but his days were numbered. He would be the first member of the Little Rascals to die.

The Baltimore Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), 30 May 1936, Sat:


MOVIE "FAT BOY"
DIES SUDDENLY HERE
-----
Norman Myers Chaney Had
Four-Year Career in "Our
Gang" Comedies
-----

     Norman Myers Chaney, who had a four-year-career in moving pictures as the fat boy in Hal Roach's "Our Gang" comedies, is dead.
     His death occurred suddenly early yesterday at the home of his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. William H. Myers, with whom he lived, at 2565 West Lombard street.
     As late as Thursday evening, the grandparents said, Norman, apparently in usual health and spirits, had been playing with neighborhood companions.

Effect On Heart

     Physicians attributed his death to the effect on his heart of a glandular condition -- the same condition, it is believed, that qualified him by his weight for his motion-picture role.
     Recently, however, his weight was only 136 pounds, Mr. and Mrs. Myers said. On his return to Baltimore from Hollywood in 1934, it was 143.
     The son of William T. and Carolyn Myers Chaney, Norman was chosen the local winner at Carlin's Park in September 1929, of a nation-wide contest to choose a successor to Joe Cobb. The original fat boy of the Our gang films, Cobb had grown too old for the role.

In 72 Cities

     In the finals Norman eliminated other local competitors in the contest, which was held in seventy-two major cities and attracted more than 2,000 entrants.
     In Hollywood the winner made two contracts of two years each and became a favorite, it was said, in the film colony. One of his best friends was Tom Mix.
     At the termination of his second contract he made a personal appearance tour of the United States, then returned to his home here. Becoming ill last year, he went to the Johns Hopkins Hospital for treatment of the glandular ailment and apparently, said his grandparents, had overcome it, in part, at least.
     Funeral services for him will be conducted at the Myers home Monday at 2 P.M. by the Rev. L.O. Forqueran, of the Holy Cross Episcopal Church. Burial will be in the Baltimore Cemetery.

At the time of his death, Chubby's family did not have the money to place a marker on his grave. Many decades later, in 2012, fans, led by musician Mikal C.G., rectified the situation. They put markers on the adjacent graves of Chubby and his mother. I wish I had heard about the crowd-funded project in time to contribute.... 

As I said earlier, most of the Little Rascals/Our Gang material has been removed from YouTube, but here are a few clips you might enjoy. I recommend checking out the films themselves. They are delightful.

 

 

If you would like to visit Chubby's grave, do not use the GPS function on the Findagrave app. Someone put in the wrong position. The grave, however, is easy to find. When you enter the cemetery make a right and follow the road down. The grave will be on the right about a third of way down. It is about five rows back, but it is clearly visible from the road if you know what it looks like.


Remember, there is a story behind every grave. You never know what you're missing when you walk past one....

*The film series was always called Our Gang. The stars were Hal Roach's Little Rascals. However, when the films were licensed for television, the Hal Roach produced films were called The Little Rascals. The later films, produced by MGM, were called Our Gang.

**Facebooker Cindy Shugars Kohl checked Chubby in the census. Here's what she found out: In the 1920 Census he is 5 1/12 years old. The data is recorded as the 9th of January 1920. I would estimate his birthdate to be December 1914. The 1930 Census dated 26th March 1930 shows his age as 11, estimated birth year 1915.

Grave Tales:

My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble. Chapel Street is the tale of a young man battling a demonic entity that has driven members of his family to suicide for generations. It was inspired by an actual haunting. 


Learn more about the book, click Here.

Listen to me read some chapters here:


Read about the true haunting that inspired the novel here:

The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 1, An Introduction
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 2, The House
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 3, This Is Us
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 4, Arrival
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 5, Methodology
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 6, Clara's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 7, Clara's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 8, My Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 9, My Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 10, My Tale, Pt. 3
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 11, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 12, Natalia's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 13, John's Tale, Pt. 1 
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 14, John's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 15, Come Inside!
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 16, Marion's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 17, Marion's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 18, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 19, Jeanne's Tale, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 20, Lisa's Tale
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 21, Recap, Pt. 1
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 22, Recap, Pt. 2
The Haunting of 21 St. Helens Avenue, Part 23, Recap, Pt. 3

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