Biography

Clifton Young

Jump to

Clifton "Bobby" Young gained notoriety as a child actor playing "Bonedust" during Our Gang's sound transition period. Of all the graduates of Our Gang (with the exception of Jackie Cooper and, arguably, Dickie Moore), Clifton had the greatest shot at adult stardom - at least as far as strong character roles were concerned. With his Kirk Douglas cleft chin, Clifton was active in several top-drawer postwar pictures: Dark Passage (1947), especially memorable as a weaselly blackmailer who picks up escaped convict Humphrey Bogart, Pursued (1947), directed by Raoul Walsh, Possessed (1947), and Blood on the Moon (1948). He was also a semi-regular in Warner Bros.' popular "Joe McDoakes" comedy shorts and played a bad guy in two 'Roy Rogers' Republic oaters. Clifton hit a rough personal period in 1951 and had moved into a hotel after a painful divorce, where he died smoking in bed.
- IMDb mini biography by: Jack Backstreet

On the night of the fatal fire Young apparently had a spat with his wife Winifred. He went to stay with a friend at a Los Angeles hotel. He died of fire burns after falling asleep in bed with a lit cigarette in his hand.
Playing the snaggle-toothed bad kid "Bonedust" starting at age 7 with the "Our Gang" comedies (billed as Bobby Young). He played the role for six years (1925-1931). Eventually moved into films as a slimy character heavy in the tradition of Dan Duryea and appeared opposite the likes of Humphrey Bogart and Roy Rogers in several film noir and westerns.
His career was interrupted by WWII. He served in the Army. He spent three years in the South Pacific. Once he received his honorable discharge he returned to Hollywood and to films.
His father, Edward A. Young, was a vaudevillian. He joined his father at age 5. His real name was Robert (Howard) Young and changed his first name to Clifton, his mother Eva's maiden name, in order to avoid confusion with well-known actor Robert Young.
Died in a hotel fire in Los Angeles after falling asleep while smoking in bed.

Suggest an edit or add missing content