Thereafter, however, Hutchins's role was greatly diminished. In 1932's first short, "Readin' and Writin, recently hired Kendall "Breezy Brisbane" McComas took over as the gang's ostensible on-screen leader. In the following episode, George McFarland made his debut as "Spanky", enthralling Roach and McGowan so much that they took the unprecedented step of giving him star billing in a couple subsequent shorts that year. By comparison, Hutchins was now relegated to being a minor member of the gang, receiving very few lines and close-ups. When newcomer Dickie Moore, who was younger than Hutchins, took over as the gang's leader at the start of the 1932-33 season, Hutchins did not appear in the first three episodes.