Chubby Chaney was probably the first of the main cast of the “Our Gang” series to meet an untimely demise, several other extras and bit players having already died. What little medical info there is is sparse, so here is what is known:
According to the Maltin/Bann book “The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang,” Chubby underwent surgery for a “glandular ailment” in 1935. They don’t give their source for that info, but they do reference Chubby’s NYT obit for something else. In any case, Chubby died the following year.
His birthday appears to have been fudged for the studio. His stated birthdate was January 18, 1918. Available official records seem to indicate that his birthdate was actually November 1, 1914.
The Maltin/Bann book also indicates his height upon the start of his “Rascal” career as 3’11" (when he would have been 14). I’ve seen other sources that state that he was 4’7" at the time of his death at 21.
Here’s a photo of some “Gang” members:
In the background are Mickey Daniels (born October 11, 1914), Mary Kornman (*December 27, 1915). I don’t know the young lady in the center, but the one on the left is Mary Ann Jackson (January 14, 1923).
Chubby is obviously bottom right, and in this photo (dated 1930), is only three weeks younger than Daniels , one year older than Kornman, and eight years older than Jackson to his left.
Chubby died at home, his death certificate indicating myocarditis as the cause.
So the GQs:
Was myocarditis a reliably diagnosed condition in the 1930s?
Would complications of myocarditis possibly be a contributing factor to his stunted growth and obesity?
*Kornman herself had two years shaved off her age for the studio.