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George Ernest, born George Ruud Hjorth in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, was a child actor who appeared in over 60 films between 1929 and 1942. His father was Danish and his mother Norwegian. The family moved to California when George was two, where his father operated a restaurant in Hollywood. Ernest began his acting career at age 10, appearing in early roles including several short films in the comedy series created by Hal Roach, known as The Little Rascals or Our Gang.
Unlike many child actors, Ernest continued acting through his teenage years. He played Roger, a son in the Jones family, in a family comedy series produced by 20th Century Fox. As he transitioned to adulthood, three major changes affected his career and life. With fewer film roles available, he developed an interest in camera work, studying and shadowing camera crews. Then, World War II began. One of his final film roles was in the 1940 war movie "Four Sons," which depicted a Czech family whose four sons took different paths after Germany invaded Czechoslovakia in 1939.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States’ entry into WWII, Ernest enlisted in the Army. He served as a combat photographer in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), working under Hollywood director John Ford in the photographic unit. Ernest documented American troops in North Africa, the invasion of Sicily, and the Italian campaign. He also parachuted behind enemy lines in France and Germany to capture photographs. Notably, just days before the D-Day invasion, he moved through the French underground and concealed himself near the German front, photographing the American landings at Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944.
After the war, Ernest transitioned into the business world and eventually became an executive at McDonnell Douglas, an aviation company. He passed away on June 25, 2009, in Whittier, California, at the age of 87.
