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17 Facts About Tommy Bond

1.

Thomas Ross Bond was an American actor, director, producer and writer.

2.

Tommy Bond was best known for his work as a child actor for two nonconsecutive periods in Our Gang comedies.

3.

Tommy Bond was hired at Hal Roach Studios for the Our Gang series in the summer of 1931 to begin work that upcoming fall, at around the same time as George "Spanky" McFarland was hired.

4.

Tommy Bond worked in Our Gang for three years, alternately appearing as a supporting character and a background actor.

5.

Tommy Bond's speaking roles increased by 1934, including his most substantive role up to that point, as the gang's band conductor in Mike Fright.

6.

In late 1934, Tommy Bond left the series and returned to public school, still earning periodic bit parts in Hollywood productions.

7.

Tommy Bond's best known voice role was as the speaking voice of "Owl Jolson" in Tex Avery's 1936 Merrie Melodies cartoon, I Love to Singa.

8.

Tommy Bond returned to Our Gang on a recurring basis late in 1936, when Roach hired him to play "Butch", the neighborhood bully.

9.

Tommy Bond appeared opposite singing star Gloria Jean in Universal's A Little Bit of Heaven.

10.

Tommy Bond continued to work in other MGM productions following his departure from Our Gang.

11.

In 1951, Tommy Bond graduated from college and quit acting, but remained in show business in the areas of television directing and production, and worked with individuals such as Norman Lear, George Schlatter, and many others.

12.

Tommy Bond worked at KTTV in Los Angeles from the 1950s to the early 1970s.

13.

Tommy Bond then went to work for KFSN in Fresno from the early 1970s to 1991.

14.

Tommy Bond was instrumental in arranging for the production to be filmed and aired on Metromedia-owned Channel 11, KTTV in about 1965.

15.

The senior Tommy Bond hosted The Rascals, a documentary on the life and times of the Little Rascals.

16.

Tommy Bond died on September 24,2005, at age 79 due to complications from heart disease in Northridge, California.

17.

Tommy Bond is buried at US Veterans Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California.