Black American child actor. Todd had a one-off role as one of the Our Gang kids in “Official Officers.” He appears to have been brought in as a replacement for Eugene “Pineapple” Jackson, who had recently departed for feature film roles. Todd, along with Nancy McKee (“Uncle Tom’s Uncle,” Charley Chase’s “Isn’t Life Terrible?”, Glenn Tryon’s “The Hug Bug”) and David Durand (“The Big Town,” “Circus Fever,” “Better Movies,” “Good Cheer,” “Uncle Tom’s Uncle”, Max Davidson’s “Flaming Fathers), won a contest to be part of the Gang.
February 2, 1925 issues of the Los Angeles Evening Express: “Three winners of contracts with Hal Roach’s ‘Our Gang’ comedies as a result of the recent Evening Express Best Baby contest, will appear in the prologue arranged for the showing of ‘Inez from Hollywood’ this week at Loew’s State theater. Little Nancy McKee, daughter of Mrs. C. M. Mckee; Todd Roark and David Durand were chosen by Robert McGowan, ‘Our Gang’ director, from the thousands of entrants in the contest. David Durand, who won a merchandise order in the contest, will forfeit it in order to sign the Hal Roach contract, as no child was allowed two prizes under the rules of the contest. Under the direction of Robert McGowan, who understands thoroughly the psychology of child training, these three children have a genuine chance for a successful career in motion pictures, it was announced.” Of the three, the only one who seemed to have anything resembling a “successful career in motion pictures” was Durand.
|
