Tommy Bond, the famous "Butch" of the "Our Gang" and "Little Rascals" shorts, discusses his life and career in this rare half-hour TV interview with cable host Skip E Lowe.
I was shocked to learn that offscreen, Tommy "Butch" Bond and Sidney "Woim" Kibrick were actually nice kids and Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer was the hellraiser.
Had the pleasure of meeting Tommy right around when this video was shot. A very genuine, kind hearted person. It was a huge thrill to meet him. I remember thinking afterwards “wow, I met a little rascal!”. To this day it remains one of the biggest thrills of my life.
I heard that Sidney Kibrick who played Butch's sidekick "The Woim " is still alive as of December 2020. Really loved the Our Gang series when I was a kid. RIP Mr. Tommy Bond.
Nice person. I met him at Kobey's Swap Meet in San Diego, Ca back in 2004. He had his own space selling Our Gang memorabilia. His location was close to the entrance.
It's on youtube now. So many great "homemade" documentaries and goofy stuff like Mr. Beast and a zillion teachers showing how to do stuff. Hollywood gave it up but humans didn't.
This may help many have a better understanding of why Mr. Bond had such a positive viewpoint on life, and remarks he made about "Doing to others, as you would have them do to you" and a few other comments from the bible. Around 1998 Tommy Bond visited my church. He spent his retirement years after his show business career speaking at churches about being a "Born Again Christian" He put his faith first, and it was amazing the many famous roles he turn down due to his moral stand. Regardless of your beliefs of is God real, or not, Mr Bond appears to have lived an enjoyable, fulfilled life standing firm on his belief system.
I am so glad these interviews exist...Skip chose people who otherwise have been forgotten...it is like hearing from an old friend you haven't seen in years......However, what it annoying is Skip asks a question, the guest gets maybe one sentence out, and Skip cuts him off and changes the subject....but still, God bless you Skip, rest in peace!
Shirley Temples mom took her to audition for the The little Rascals and she got turned down because of previous acting experience, and like he said Hal Roach was looking for unknown average kids.
Definitely. What an awkward situation to be in. Don't get me wrong -- I'm really grateful that this interview exists, but it's pretty embarrassing to watch.... Interviewing is a skill most people don't have.
Right. But what I do like about Skip is his passion for the subject. It's infectious and not phony. He's just not prepared. Almost every interview I've seen, he gets something wrong. I guess that's why he was on cable access and not on a "real" channel.
This must be an interview from around 1993, because Tommy says that Spanky had just died. I watched "The Five Little Peppers" and he was a Pepper. Good movies.
Tommy spent his time working behind the camera for a TV station in Fresno, California. He was a United States Navy veteran who served in World War II. He passed away in 2005 a few weeks after his 80th birthday.
I ran into Tommy somewhere in Florida about 20 years ago, and our conversation went on for probably about an hour. This guy had plenty to say and found humor in EVERYTHING. He was a great storyteller; too bad this interviewer kept cutting him off. I guess this is from the early days of cable TV when anybody could get a show on the air simply by asking for it. Anyway, Tommy and I had some similar interests , so we exchanged info. About a week later, I was surprised to get in the mail a signed photo from Tommy of his football scene with Babe Hardy in "Blockheads," one of my favorite Laurel & Hardy films. We never did keep in touch, but I have very fond memories of the guy. Too bad that Steven "Spiegel" film was such a mess, huh?
Skip is an iconic interviewer. He’s who Martin Short based Jiminy Glick. This was a wonderful discovery with “Butch” as the guest. He seemed an incredibly lovable person.
I remember him when he used to go to the swap meet & autographs for like five bucks years and years ago and my mom asked him when he was done at the signing if you wanted to go to Red Lobster next door he jumped on that I got five of his autographs and different pictures he lived in Imperial Beach San Diego who's really a nice guy
The part where Tommy is talking is really cool. The part with the other guy who won't stop talking or interrupting not as cool. Johnny Carson, Dina Shore, Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas, all spoiled us with their ability to get great answers and never step on the guest's comments.
Woim is still alive. Sidney Kibrick is 94 and still underappreciated for his angst ridden sidekickery. Most memorable is when Butch and Woim stole Buckwheats marbles and mushed tomatoes in their faces. Buckwheat and Porkys sought justice from the "Sekret Revengers Club"
Little Tommy Bond sings "Just Friends" for the class in this Little Rascals (or is it Our Gang?) clip: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-aTWbm4ZJ8C4.html A priceless performance indeed.
Butch's rendition of JUST FRIENDS is one of my favorite great performances of all time!!! Meanwhile what a classy, intelligent guy he seems to be, especially faced with this clueless interviewer who doesn't seem to know thing #1 about Tommy or Our Gang.
He's always on the wrong, random track. Martin Short didn't need to much exaggerate his essence for his Jiminy Glick satire. For effect, he added. the fat suit, inappropriate laugh, & rolling off the couch. Even though his rude questions & interruptions are chalk on the blackboard, it's great to hear from the icons.
is this who "jiminiy Glick" was based on? because the way he talks, and how he is interviewing, and moving...and how they film it, and the set.. it looks like this is where that character came from.
Butch did have that tough guy look when he was a kid, still does! He was perfect and great for his character! Read somewhere where he was really the opposite of his Butch character in real life and that Alfalfa was the real bully off screen!
Why does the interviewer remind me of Jiminy Glick?.."Lucky! I like that word!"....lucky is an unfamiliar term for you? What really got me was when he said they were showing a clip of the rascals and all I saw was Bond looking about 18 or 19 LOL...I feel like Tommy walked away from this interview wondering "who the hell got this guy?"
Gee Whizz I would have loved to meet him but this guy who seems to know very little about who his amazing guest is gets to meet and (try) to interview him. And not a Little Rascals clip! Didn't even know Steven Spielberg
