OUR GANG LITTLE RASCALS ORIGINAL SIGNATURE BUCKWHEAT ALFALFA ORIGINAL SIGNATURE SEE MY OTHER AUCTIONS Start Price USD 3,695.00 Current Price USD 3,695.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Saturday, September 06, 2008 End Time Tuesday, September 16, 2008 Location Rutherfordton, North Carolina See more about 'OUR GANG LITTLE RASCALS ORIGINAL SIGNATURE BUCKWHEAT' Description AUTHENTIC SIGNED PHOTO BUCKWHEAT 5" x 7" Sepia Tone Picture Signed in Ink Estate Sale of Linsey and Sunshine (Davis) WigginsOver the next several weeks we will be offering authentic autographs from the estate ofLinsey and Sunshine Davis Wiggins.  The majority of these autographs were collected in the verylate 30s and 40s.  We will be offering  original autographs of Boris Karloff, Buckwheat, Alfalfa,  and a l  Jean Harlow (signed by Mama Jean) Bing Crosby, J Edgar Hoover, Victor Mclaglen,  Buck Jones, Ginger Rogers (young signature), Ruby Keeler, Shirley Temple, George and  Gracie Allan, Joe Dimaggio, Jack Dempsey, Joey Brown, Kate Smith, along with several othersBackground InformationIn the early l930s, Lindsey Wiggins, as a young boy became interested in collecting autographs from his many visits going to the  State Theater in Charlotte, often sitting through two showing of a film for ten cents. With a total of forty cents in your pocket in the early 30s  things were not so bad for a young boy.  For seven cents each way for a streetcar ride to uptown and back home, ten cents for two bowling games and ten cents for the picture show even left some money to buy a Baby Ruth candy bar or two.  Not a bad way to spend the day As Lindsey's interest grew collecting autographs, he was able to obtain autographs from all types of celebrities and local dignitaries.   Most of the autographs that we will be listing over the next few months are made out to Lindsey Wigginswith the exception of a few.     Altho Lindsey and Sunshine(Davis-Wiggins lived in the same neighborhood during that time period, and attended the same grammar schools, they met in high school and married later.   As a professional dancer and as a young girl she just loved all the Hollywood glamour and was even chosen for a try out with MGM for an audition coming to Charlotte, however a bout with pneumonia made her Mom cancel the audition. Some of the autographs coming up in future auctions are signed to Sunshine Davis as a young girl.         Please visit our listings and ebay store for more information Small crease left side middleWilliam "Buckwheat" Thomas One of the most popular of "The Little Rascals". Thomas played Buckwheat in 93 "Our Gang" films, beginning in 1934. Conceived as a replacement for Matthew "Stymie" Beard, Buckwheat was originally an androgynous character with a tangle of braids, but with time he assumed his true gender and standard costume of floppy hat, striped shirt, and tattered pants precariously held up by one suspender. His garbled English punctuated by his signature exclamation, "Otay!"---belied a craftiness that put him one step ahead of the bigger kids, and he was often paired with the inscrutable Porky as a sort of Greek chorus to the Gang's antics. Buckwheat stayed with "Our Gang" until the series' demise in 1944. Described by his co-stars as easygoing and cooperative, Thomas had seemingly little difficulty adjusting to life outside of show business. After serving in the Army during the Korean War (and obviously not World War II, as noted on his grave marker) and made few attempts to cash in on his fame. When he was given a standing ovation at an "Our Gang" reunion in August of 1980, Thomas was moved to tears.  His Buckwheat character was affectionately spoofed by Eddie Murphy during the comedian's stint on TV's "Saturday Night Live" in the early 1980s. Thomas was born in Los Angeles.  Although the character he played was often the subject of controversy in later years for containing elements of the "pickaninny" stereotype, Thomas always defended his work in the series, pointing out that Buckwheat and the rest of the black Our Gang kids were treated as equals with the white kids in the series. The 1980s Little Rascals animated series adapted from the Our Gang comedies addressed the problem by changing Buckwheat into a clever inventor who is always building ingenious machines for the gang.Promo picture not included in auctionAfter Our Gang was discontinued in 1944, Thomas played some small parts in other films, but soon left show business altogether. As an adult, he worked as a film lab technician with the Technicolor corporation. Thomas died of a sudden heart attack in his Los Angeles apartment on October 10, 1980, about two months after the Our Gang reunion in August of l980. Below is a  slide show for a "quick peak" of several of the  items coming up. If you would like to see  copies of  the Buckwheat authentication documentation of this piece please email me at moviesandmusic@bellsouth.net with your request. We have been collecting and studying autograph for over 20 years and sell only original signatures. A great piece to displayRegistered UACC Dealer We are also members of the U.A.C.C. and the Manuscript Society  FOR ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE EMAIL ME AT keyboards@bellsouth.netTOLL FREE EAST COAST TIME: 1-800-706-1088If in our neck of the woods please visit our studio at:Walt Tenay'sMovies Music and Things182 West 6th St.Rutherfordton, NC 28139   We accept all forms of payment and PAYPAL Along With Major Credit Cards BANK, POSTAL OR MONEY ORDERS(PERSONAL CHECK (HELD UNTIL CLEARED) Contact us toll free at: 1-800-706-1088 east coast time or email us at: keyboards@bellsouth.net – Movies Music and Things Powered by eBay Turbo ListerThe free listing tool. List your items fast and easy and manage your active items. Place a Bid!