Actor David C. Aldrich; Played ‘Little Rich Kid’ in ‘Our Gang’

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — David C. Aldrich, a veteran of the theater who as a child played the “little rich kid” in the “Our Gang” movie series and later acted opposite the late Grace Kelly, has died after a long illness. He was 54.

A native of Stamford, Conn., Aldrich was introduced to theater at a young age by his mother, Madlyn M. Aldrich, who was in the Ziegfeld Follies.

One of his earliest roles was that of the “little rich kid” in the “Our Gang” movie series.

In 1948, Aldrich graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in a class that included Miss Kelly and Anne Bancroft. Soon afterward, he got his first major stage assignment playing opposite Miss Kelly in her first Broadway show, “The Philadelphia Story.”

Aldrich also went into summer stock and television. An apprenticeship with England’s Old Vic repertory company was cut short by his service in the Korean War.

In 1961, Aldrich directed a touring company presenting the Dylan Thomas play “Under Milk Wood.” He was also a former director of the Daytona Beach Little Theater.

Aldrich, who died Wednesday at Halifax Hospital, is survived by his wife, two sons and three daughters.