Sidney Kibrick, bad boy child actor in ‘Our Gang’ series, dies at 97

Sidney Kibrick, who portrayed the bad boy character “Woim” in the “Our Gang” comedy film shorts during the 1930s, died on Jan. 3. He was 97.

Kibrick died at a hospital in Northridge, his daughter, Jane Lipsic, told The Hollywood Reporter. A cause of death was not immediately available.

Kibrick appeared in approximately two dozen films for Hal Roach Studios under the “Our Gang” and “Little Rascals” franchise from 1935 to 1939.

“Woim” -- “worm” in a Brooklyn accent -- was the pal of neighborhood bully Butch, played by Tommy Bond. Kibrick’s older brother, Leonard, played an early villain on the shorts and appeared in the first “Our Gang” short in 1934 before Bond became established as the top bad boy in the series.

Born in Minneapolis on July 2, 1928, Kibrick’s family moved to Los Angeles when he was a young child.

He made his “Our Gang ”debut in the 1935 short “Anniversary Trouble,” appearing with his brother and future Academy Award winner Hattie McDaniel, who played a maid named Mandy.

He said filming the “Our Gang” shorts was “a grind” during a 2023 interview.

“We’d have two hours of schooling in the morning and then work anywhere from six to 16 hours until we finished,” Kibrick said. “There was a lot of work, no question about it, but our director Gordon Douglas was a terrific guy, and he was really able to get a lot out of each kid.”

Kibrick said he was earning $750 a week for the shorts, “a lot in those days, especially during the Depression.”

Kibrick’s last credit with “Our Gang” was 1939’s “Time Out for Lessons.”

He also appeared with Shirley Temple in “Just Around the Corner” in 1938, and in “Jesse James” (1939) and “Flight Lieutenant” (1942).

Kibrick soon became tired of acting.

“... by the time I was 15, I’d had enough,” he said. “My parents wanted me to continue, but finally my mother went along with my wishes.”

Kibrick’s final film credit was the 1943 Bowery Boys movie “Keep ‘Em Slugging.”

After ending his film career, Kibrick attended the University of Southern California and worked in real estate development.

But he still had a soft spot for his role in the “Our Gang” franchise.

“I think people, even today, could identify with being a child and being mischievous when life was simple,” Kibrick said. “It was fun, and it made people laugh. … I was living the studio life. Those are memories I will never forget. It was a wonderful experience.”

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