NORMAN 'CHUBBY' CHANEY BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:
Norman Myers Chaney was born on November 1, 1918 in Baltimore, Maryland and was an American child actor, notable for appearing in the Our Gang comedies as 'Chubby' from 1929 to 1931. It is documented that his birth date could be falsified so he could join the "Our gang" troupe as his death certificate has him born in 1914.
In the late fall of 1928, Our Gang producer Hal Roach and director Robert F. McGowan began to look for an overweight child actor to replace Joe Cobb in the series. Roach and McGowan held a nationwide contest with over 20,000 children to find a replacement for Cobb. Chaney won this contest at 113 pounds in early 1929, and was offered a two year contract.
Chaney was only four feet tall. Chaney, nicknamed 'Chubby' in the series, made his debut in the second talking Our Gang comedy, Railroadin'. He appeared in two years' worth of Our Gang films, including shorts such as, "Boxing Gloves" (1929) and "Teacher's Pet" (1930). He made 18 shorts before his ever-increasing weight made him a target of pity rather than mirth. Chubby's meatiest moments are in Love Business, in which he competed with Jackie Cooper for the affections of their teacher, Miss Crabtree.
By the spring of 1931, Chaney was visibly aging, getting taller and increasingly heavier. He finished out the 1930-31 season without being offered another contract. Both Chaney and his parents decided he would not pursue acting following his final Our Gang short, "Fly My Kite" (1931).
After leaving the gang, Chaney returned to Maryland and entered public school, where he excelled in his studies. Chaney never grew beyond 4'11". His weight continued to increase, and it was discovered that he had a glandular ailment. He underwent surgery for his ailment in 1935. His weight then dropped from over 300 pounds to less than 140 pounds. Chaney became seriously ill afterward and died on May 29, 1936, at age 21. Ironically, at the time of his death, 'Chubby' weighed a mere 110 pounds. He was the first of the regular "Our Gang" alumni to pass away and the only one not to live to see the end of the series in 1944.
The death certificate indicated myocarditis as the cause. Over 70 years after Chaney's death, the child star is buried in an unmarked grave in Section 'E' of Baltimore Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland. Though as recent as 2009, some fans arose interest in collecting funds for a long-awaited gravestone.
Filmography
1929 Railroadin'
1929 Lazy Days
1929 Boxing Gloves
1929 Bouncing Babies
1929 Moan and Groan, Inc.
1930 Shivering Shakespeare
1930 The First Seven Years
1930 When the Wind Blows
1930 Bear Shooters
1930 A Tough Winter
1930 Pups Is Pups
1930 Teacher's Pet
1930 School's Out
1931 Helping Grandma
1931 Love Business
1931 Little Daddy
1931 The Stolen Jools
1931 Bargain Day
1931 Fly My Kite
