SYLMAR, Calif., Sept. 29, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- A new autobiography welcomes readers into the personal life of a woman who grew up among three families and experienced the Golden Era of Hollywood as a child actor. Fleeing the Fates of the Little Rascals (now available through AuthorHouse) tells of the events that shaped Laura June Kenny's life.
During the height of the Depression, Kenny was introduced to the film industry by a set of foster parents. She later appeared in several episodes of the "The Little Rascals" but did not suffer the unfortunate destinies of many of its young actors. She describes her childhood and the complex relationship she had with her birth mother, whose unstable lifestyle led them to move constantly. Placed with foster parents, Kenny adored this couple, Mother Lee and Daddy Carl, who showered her with love. Another couple who would also care for her, Max and Tillie Winslow, were immersed in the glamorous Hollywood scene. Kenny stayed with them in an elegant hotel.
Although her three sets of parents influenced Kenny a great deal, so did the show business personalities she met as a child. Her book, however, is not a glowing collection of memories about life behind the camera. It does describe the film industry, but Kenny also writes that acting and performing should not be an activity for young people. She says the "fundamental losses" that child performers experience far outweigh the perks of fame, fortune and celebrity.
After her time as an actress, Kenny spent 36 years in the teaching profession. While she admits that many are drawn to the "two ancient sirens" of fame and fortune, she urges people to take the advice of Ralph Waldo Emerson and "hitch your wagon" to the stars of higher education and authentic creativity instead.
Fleeing the Fates of the Little Rascals is a unique autobiography chronicling one woman's true experiences, the atmosphere of Hollywood during the Depression and war years, and the pitfalls of growing up in show business.
At 73, Kenny lives in Southern California with her husband. A hospice volunteer for more than 20 years, she edits memoirs for octogenarians and is in the process of transcribing her great-grandmother's 19th-century journal. Kenny has also written columns for a Nevada newspaper and for two years maintained a Web site with her husband that dealt with end-of-life issues. More information is available through www.ifledkidsinshowbiz.com.
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