Rex Haddon DowningLord Heath: Rex Downing (April 21, 1925 – November 18, 2020) was an American actor as a child and youth.
Early years Downing attended Hollywood High School.
Career Rex Downing started his film career in several Our Gang comedies, but his roles there and in feature films were usually small. He received first attention when he played Young Heathcliff in the 1939 William Wyler film Wuthering Heights (1939), which was nominated for eight Academy Awards. In the following time Downing had a major role in the B-Movie serial Mandrake the Magician (1939; serial) and played the younger version of Tyrone Power's character in Blood and Sand (1941).
After his service in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he returned to the film business in 1946, but only got small parts. He left the film business in 1948 and later became a teacher around Los Angeles.Leonard Maltin und Richard W. Bann: The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang (1992), p. 279
Personal life His younger brother Barry Downing was also a child actor.Leonard Maltin& Richard W. Bann: The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang (1992), S. 279
Downing died in November 2020 at the age of 95.Rex Haddon Downing obituary
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1935 Teacher's Beau Our Gang Member Short1936 Branded a Coward Young Billy Hume 1935 Little Sinner Our Gang member Short1936 Our Gang Follies of 1936 Kid Sneaking Two Other Kids In Short1936 The Pinch Singer Our Gang Member Short1936 Little Miss Nobody Orphan Uncredited1936 Two Too Young Student Short1936 Pay as You Exit Audience Member Short1936 General Spanky Kid Army Member Uncredited1937 Glove Taps Kid Short1937 Stella Dallas Minor Role Uncredited1937 The Pigskin Palooka Photographer Short1937 Love on Toast Uncredited1937 Wells Fargo Child Uncredited1938 The Man on the Rock Short, Uncredited1938 Black Bandit Young Don 1939 Wuthering Heights Heathcliff (as a child) 1939 Mandrake the Magician Tommy Houston Serial1939 Nurse Edith Cavell Francois 1939 The Escape Tommy Rogers 1940 Adventure in Diamonds Buttons Uncredited1941 Men of Boys Town Miles Fenlay Uncredited1941 Blood and Sand Juan (as a child) 1942 The Vanishing Virginian Newsboy Uncredited1942 The Mayor of 44th Street Bits McKarg 1946 Gas House Kids Mickey Papopalous 1947 The Invisible Wall Bellhop Uncredited1947 That Hagen Girl Western Union Boy Uncredited1947 The Gangster Boy with Note Uncredited1948 Call Northside 777 Copy Boy Uncredited1948 He Walked by Night Young Hoodlum Uncredited1948 Act of Violence Teenage Boy Uncredited2007 Harvest of Redemption Mr. Cutchings (final film role)
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