Sidney Kibrick, Last of the 'Our Gang' Kids, Dies at 97

Sidney Kibrick, who played menacing sidekick "Woim" in the popular "Our Gang" movie series, has died at 97.

According to friends, Kibrick died January 2.

He had been the final surviving regular of the beloved film series (rebranded as "Little Rascals" later in its run, and for TV), which launched as silent shorts in 1922 by Hal Roach and ran through 1944 via MGM.

Kibrick's character Woim was always seen alongside chief bully Butch (played by Tommy Bond), and could be counted on as a foil for Spanky (George McFarland), Alfalfa (Carl Switzer), Darla (Darla Hood), and the rest of the kids.

Kibrick appeared in the films from 1933-1939, remaining under contract until 1941.

Appearing at a 100th-anniversary celebration of the films in 2022, Kibrick told Fox News that in spite of occasionally working 16-hour days, his time making movies was fondly remembered.

Along with the fun he had working with superstar Shirley Temple in his debut film, 1933's "Out All Night," Kibrick bonded with his "Our Gang" castmates.

"I was very close with Spanky [George McFarland]," he said. "Even as adults, we would see each other all the time. He lived in Dallas and I lived in Beverly Hills, but we would still spend time with each other. That friendship lasted for many, many years. So a lot of my memories involve Spanky and the great times we had together as friends. But, you know, many of the kids developed good friendships. Most of them enjoyed working with each other. That’s what made the experience fun."

The only problem child, he revealed, was Switzer. In contrast with his character Alfalfa's innocence, he was often mean to the other kids — and even the crew.

"He created problems for everybody on set," he said. "He often wouldn’t do the job the way he was supposed to. It got to a point where he only wanted to do things the way he wanted to do them. He wouldn’t listen to the director Gordon Douglas all that much."

As much as Kibrick enjoyed his time on the silver screen — and the $750 a week in Depression-era pay — he retired as a teen and went on to a successful career as a real estate developer.

He said of his retirement years, "I have a big family, and I still keep very active. I love reading and responding to the fan mail I receive. I also have a lady friend... Life is very good."