American child actor William Robert “Billy” Laughlin was born on July 5, 1932, and died on August 31, 1948. From 1940 until 1944, he played the role of Froggy in the Our Gang short films, for which he is most remembered.
William Laughlin Cause Of Death
On Tuesday, William Robert Laughlin, 16, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert V. Laughlin of 1357 Galemont, died from injuries he sustained in a collision between a motor scooter and a truck on Valley boulevard, between Seventh and Eighth streets. John Wilbrand, 16, from Arcadia, was riding the scooter and received minor injuries.
Remembering Billy Laughlin, best known as Froggy from the Our Gang comedies. Born on today’s date in 1932, Laughlin died at the age of 16 in a motor scooter accident. pic.twitter.com/s32fTXAOox
— Karen (@TheDarkPages) July 5, 2019
Paul Otto Bauman, the truck’s driver from Maywood, told deputies that the scooter in front of him had begun a U-turn on the highway from the northbound side. According to him, he rushed right into the scooter and was unable to avoid hitting it. According to the police, the Laughlin child was thrown 40 feet down the middle of the highway, while the other boy was flung 30 feet.
Pierce Brothers Mortuary, located at 345 West Main Street in Alhambra, will be the site of the funeral ceremonies for the victim of the traffic accident on Saturday at 1 p.m. Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier has been chosen as the burial site. His parents and two brothers—Pfc. Claude Thomas Laughlin of Randolph Field and Mickey—as well as his grandmother, Mrs. Lillian Cruckshank of Alhambra, will miss him greatly.
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How Did Froggy From The Little Rascals End Up?
Sadly, the young life of Froggy, a member of Our Gang (The Little Rascals), was cut short. William Robert Laughlin, aka “Froggy” in the movies, became a household name between 1940 and 1944 thanks to his role as a child actor in the Our Gang short films. His followers will always remember him thanks to his unique croaking voice. A tragic catastrophe, however, ended his bright career prematurely.
Froggy was killed when he was 16 years old in La Puente, California, while he and a companion were riding a motorscooter. Froggy was killed when his pal, who was driving, performed an abrupt U-turn in front of a lorry. He was taken to the hospital immediately, but he died from his wounds around six hours later.
“Our Gang” actor Billy “Froggy” Laughlin died on this date in 1948, at the age of 16. He’s at Rose Hills Memorial Park. @RoseHillsMP pic.twitter.com/MAYZyjQmF2
— Masked Mark Masek 🇺🇸🇺🇦🇮🇪🏳️🌈⚾️🍕🟧 (@CemeteryGuide) August 31, 2020
Fans were devastated by Froggy’s passing, which signaled the end of an era for the Our Gang franchise. Those who knew and appreciated his special qualities are grieving his death.
William Laughlin Career
At the tender age of eight, Laughlin shot to stardom after starring in the first Our Gang movie, 1940’s The New Pupil. His voice was peculiar and guttural, almost like a frog’s croak, and became a defining characteristic of his persona. In 1944, Laughlin released Dancing Romeo, the final Our Gang short film.
In contrast to the 1994 picture, in which E.G. Daily provided the dub for Laughlin’s character, Laughlin completed the voice work himself. After the cancellation of Our Gang in 1944, Laughlin had an appearance in Johnny Doesn’t Live Here Any More for Monogram, and then he deliberately retired from show business to spend a quiet adolescent years.
