Elmer “Scooter” Lowry’s Short Movie Career

Elmer Lowry was born in 1919 in New York City. By the age of five he was singing and dancing on stage. His family called him “Skippy.”

According to a 1932 article, the boy won first prize in a dance contest and came to the attention of Hal Roach.

By February 1926, Elmer was filming his first Our Gang movie, “Thundering Fleas.” His nickname became “Skooter” or “Scooter.” After a few months his weekly pay rose from $50 to $60. That year “Scooter” made eight Our Gang films, plus a cameo appearance in the feature 45 Minutes From Hollywood.

“Scooter” Lowry was never the lead character, but in the gang he stood out in a couple of ways. He was athletic, somersaulting around in “Shivering Spooks.” And though he was one of the smaller boys in the gang, he was cast as the tough guy; in “Seeing the World” he offers to beat up an Italian kid for no reason at all.

The July 1927 issue of Photoplay magazine contained this anecdote:

Rare intuition belongs to “Scooter” Lowry, smallest and most acrobatic member of “Our Gang.” He was twirling and twisting on a rail near Hal Roach’s office. At the door stood Roach, talking with a business conferee. “Scooter,” with small boy impetuosity, attempted to enter the conversation.

“Go on with your gymnastics, Scooter, and let us talk business,” Roach admonished.

But “Scooter” kept on with his turns and talk.

“Keep still, ‘Scooter’! I can’t even think with all that noise.”

“Scooter” arose with dignity—

“How did I know you were trying to think?”

Roach and his friend retired to his office.

That’s a cute story, but the actual incident might have had a darker side.

By the time that article appeared, “Scooter” Lowry was no longer on the Hal Roach Studio payroll. He’d been let go in April 1927 in the middle of filming “Olympic Games,” the fifth Our Gang movie made that year. The studio paid out three weeks’ salary and sent him off.

At that time a little blonde girl named Jean Darling was becoming a series regular. Decades later, fans asked her if she remembered what happened to “Scooter.” Darling replied, “I was told Scooter left because he was rather disruptive. That’s all I know.”

Looks like it might have been a bad idea to interrupt the boss’s conversation.

TOMORROW: An ex–gang member.