Pudgy, cute child actor of the 1930s, a former baby model discovered by producer Hal Roach, who used him in many fondly-remembered "Our Gang" comedy shorts during the Depression years. The often beanie-clad McFarland, whose real first name was George, quickly became the petulant leader of the playful, trouble-causing brood of youngsters and continued with the gang almost until the onset of puberty. He also appeared in over a dozen feature films between 1933 and 1944, but apart from leading roles in "General Spanky" (1936) and "O'Shaughnessy's Boy" (1935, opposite the aging and fading child sensation Jackie Cooper) he never caught on as a child star. After retiring from acting while still a teenager, McFarland worked selling wine and cars and later opened a barbecue restaurant. The nostalgia surrounding the TV syndication of "Our Gang" shorts (under the name "The Little Rascals") brought "Spanky" a measure of limelight late in life, and he appeared in small roles in two films of the 70s and 80s.