The final original cast member of The Little Rascals has passed away.
Sidney Kibrick, best remembered as the loyal sidekick “Woim” from the beloved Our Gang shorts, died Saturday, January 3, in a Northridge hospital, his daughter confirmed. He was 97.
If you grew up on black-and-white reruns of mischievous kids and slapstick hijinks, you probably remember Kibrick as the wormy henchman to bully Butch — the classic playground foil to Spanky, Alfalfa, and the gang.
Back in the 1930s, Our Gang — later known as The Little Rascals — was groundbreaking for featuring a multiracial group of kids just being kids. Kibrick joined the series in 1935 and appeared in over 20 shorts before stepping away from the limelight in his teens.
“I was living the studio life,” Kibrick once recalled. “Those are memories I will never forget. It was a wonderful experience.”
A Minneapolis native, Sidney got his start in Hollywood thanks to a chance meeting at a Chinese restaurant, where a stranger suggested he’d be great for film. The rest was history — including parts in The Bowery, Just Around the Cornerwith Shirley Temple, and Jesse James with Tyrone Power.
After Hollywood, Kibrick moved on from acting — but never forgot the magic. “People could identify with being a child and being mischievous when life was simple,” he said.
Kibrick is survived by his daughter, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and other family members. His wife passed away in 2013.
So long, Woim. Thanks for the laughs.
Sidney was not the last Rascal, there are about 20 left. However, he was the last featured member, the last with a nickname, and the last to have appeared in more than half a dozen Rascal films. He was the oldest living Rascal.