It recently came to my attention, though I may have heard this as a kid, that I am related to one of the "Our Gang" cast members.

That is him on the left covering his face and wearing a similar hat that I am now wearing. His name is Robert Lentz. I also share the name Robert as a middle name. I don't know what his name was on the show and I don't remember him as a character.

I loved watching, "Our Gang" and "Little Rascals" when I was growing up and it's so exciting to now be living in an area where all those short films were shot.

It's so funny to think that in those episodes where the kids were always hanging out at Toluca Lake and at any given moment I can hop in my car and drive a few miles, if the car is running, and tried to find the lake. Because I'm told the lake is there, it's just surrounded by estates and you can't reach the shore without crossing private property. Kind of like going to the beach in Malibu.

I was married once in Toluca Lake. The town, not the actual water.


It's funny to see how society related to certain things compared to how we treat them today watching these short films. These comedies were shot during Prohibition, the Great Depression and the Motion Picture Code of Decency, yet these films could deal in an honest manner on the subject of drug use among the youth.

I know people that are having kids, or have had kids, and I think those little short films should live on with this new generation. I want my niece, who now has two kids to get the DVDs and show them to her kids.

I think there are wonderful lessons to be learned from the adventures and misadventures of those little kids. One lesson I'll always remember from one of the short films, is that if you stumble upon the treasure of a pirate or a giant, the best thing to do to haul off the loot is the stuff your trouser cuffs down into your socks and just pour the gold coins and jewels down your pants.

Some people feel the "Our Gang" and "Little Rascals" films are outdated, obsolete, racist, and too boring because of the black-and-white and the acting style, but I love them. I don't see how one could be unhappy or depressed while watching one of the good ones.

I remember watching Darla when I was younger than Darla in the film and thinking how cute she was. I had a crush on Darla for years and had no idea that she was an old broad or even dead at the time, but that's the power of the films.

They're timeless.

Here is a nude picture of Darla Hood (supposedly) as an adult, but don't look if you are offended by nude people with lots of pubic hair.

I also remember my father, in his wisdom, telling me at an age that even I knew it was inappropriate to hear this information, that he and some old Navy buddies from WWII were in Harlem and stopped into a club that advertised the stripper was Darla. He went on and on about what a great time they had drinking and carousing with her.

I was crushed by the sordid details, but sometimes adults just love to crush the dreams of the young.