Jean Darling
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Jean Darling (born Dorothy Jean LeVake on August 23, 1922) is a former American child actress who was a regular in the Our Gang short subjects series from 1927 to 1929. In 1926 at the age of four, Jean got her big break when she passed her screen test and was accepted for a part in the Hal Roach Our Gang series. By that stage her name had been changed to Jean Darling. Jean appeared in 35 Our Gang films during this period. She is also the last surviving cast member of the silent era version.
Jean continued to appear in films after leaving the gang, including an appearance in Laurel & Hardy's 1934 adaptation of Babes in Toyland and as the young Jane in Jane Eyre (1934).
A round of stage and radio shows followed. Stage shows involved up to seven shows a day. It was punishing schedule for a fourteen-year-old. And that was not taking into account her educational studies. Jean began to study singing, and in 1940 she was given a scholarship by the New York Municipal Opera Association. She turned down an offer to play alongside Mickey Rooney in one of the MGM "Andy Hardy" movies. Instead, she went on Broadway, making her debut in the musical "Count Me In" in 1942. Jean's stage career hit a real high when she landed the role of Carrie Pipperidge in the original Broadway production of "Carousel" in 1945. Jean appeared in 850 consecutive performances, setting a record for a singer.
Her role as Carrie helped her with parts for radio and TV in the 1950s and Jean hosted her own television show for NBC in New York City, ‘A Date With Jean Darling’. Her daily TV show for women, ‘The Singing Knit-Witch’, was aired on KHJ-TV in Hollywood.
Jean married Reuben Bowen whose stage name was ‘Kajer the Magician’ and they had one son Roy.
Since 1974 Jean has been living in Dublin where she has written mystery stories and has had over 50 short stories published in the Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and Whispers.
As "Aunty Poppy" Jean read stories, which she wrote herself, on RTE radio and TV. She has also written plays for radio and has worked as a journalist.
