Harold Wertz


Harold Wertz was an American child actor.

Early years

Wertz was born in Denison, Texas, and raised in Long Beach, California. He attended Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach.

Our Gang

After seeing a notice in the local newspaper, his mother entered him in a contest to replace the Hal Roach produced Our Gang comedies fat boy character Joe Cobb who had outgrown the role. He won the role over 500 other entries. He played the character Bouncy in three Our Gang films in 1932. He was in the Our Gang films Choo-Choo!, The Pooch and Hook and Ladder. Choo-Choo! was produced on May 7, 1932, The Pooch was produced on June 11, 1932, and Hook and Ladder was produced on August 27, 1932. The March 1933 Long Beach earthquake left the Culver City studios damaged and production was halted for a time. The studio exercised the 'act of God' clause and did not renew his contract.

Later life

Wertz joined the U.S. Merchant Marine and served on the ship Mills Victory during the final year of World War II and was one of the first US vessels into Tokyo after the armistice in 1945. Upon his return he married Kathleen McCracken, settled in Long Beach, California, had two children and worked in the steel pipe business until his retirement.

Death

Wertz died from complications of a stroke on November 21, 1999, in San Diego, California, and is interred at Forest Lawn in Cypress, California.