Matthew 'Stymie' Beard

born: 01 January 1925 Los Angeles, California, United States of America

died: 08 January 1981 Los Angeles, California, United States of America (pneumonia, age 56)

Black child actor who was one of the most popular members of Hal Roach's "Our Gang" films in the early-mid 1930s. In later life he became addicted to heroin, but managed to get clean and turn his life around. In the OUR GANG shorts, he always wore a bowler hat, a reference to Stan Laurel. This hat was buried with him when he died in 1981. He was the brother of Bobbie 'Cotton' Beard, Rene Beard, Carlena Beard and Betty Jane Beard. His mother was Johnnie Mae Beard. Got his familiar nickname because frequent "Our Gang" director Robert F. McGowan claimed that Beard always "stymied" [unintentionally frustrated] him on every take.

Real name: Matthew Beard, Jr.

Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography; plus "The Stolen Jools".

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1930 Teacher's Pet Hercules 1930 Schools Out Hercules 1931 Helping Grandma Stymie 1931 Love Business Stymie 1931 Little Daddy Stymie 1931 Bargain Day Stymie 1931 Fly My Kite Stymie   1931 Big Ears Stymie 1931 Shiver My Timbers Stymie 1931 Dogs Is Dogs Stymie   1932 Readin' And Writin' Stymie 1932 Free Eats Stymie 1932 Spanky Stymie / Uncle Tom / Topsy 1932 Choo-Choo! Stymie 1932 The Pooch Stymie 1932 Hook And Ladder Stymie 1932 Free Wheeling Stymie 1932 Birthday Blues Stymie 1932 A Lad An' A Lamp Stymie 1933 Fish Hooky Stymie 1933 Forgotten Babies Stymie 1933 The Kid From Borneo Stymie 1933 Mush And Milk Stymie 1933 Bedtime Worries Stymie 1933 Wild Poses Stymie 1934 The Cracked Ice Man Boy in classroom 1934 Hi'-Neighbor! Stymie 1934 Four Parts Boy looking for lost penny 1934 For Pete's Sake! Stymie 1934 The First Round-Up Stymie 1934 Honky-Donkey Stymie   1934 Mike Fright Stymie   1934 Washee Ironee Stymie   1934 Mama's Little Pirate Stymie 1934 Shrimps For A Day Stymie 1935 Anniversary Trouble Stymie 1935 Beginner's Luck Stymie 1935 Teacher's Beau Stymie 1937 Reunion In Rhythm Stymie

▼ NON-HAL ROACH FILMS

1931 The Stolen Jools Stymie This page was last updated on: 28 March 2019