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PLAYED BABY BEAU IN 'GONE WITH THE WIND' Former Jackson County Commissioner Ric Holt dies at 77 Ashland resident known for his humor and celebrity past Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 17, 2015 at 5:13 PM Updated Aug 17, 2015 at 6:12 PM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 17, 2015 at 5:13 PM Updated Aug 17, 2015 at 6:12 PM » Social News Former Jackson County Commissioner Richard “Ric” Arlen Holt died Sunday after a long battle with diabetes. He was 77. Holt, known for his humor, good-natured personality and occasional offbeat idea, was a county commissioner for 12 years before leaving office in 2002. Holt was fond of talking about his childhood career as an actor. He was best known for his brief but memorable appearance in the 1939 classic "Gone with the Wind" as Beau, the child of Melanie Wilkes, played by Olivia de Haviland. “Ric lived a very charmed life,” said C.W. Smith, former Jackson County sheriff and county commissioner. Born May 6, 1938, in Studio City, Calif., Holt had five children, Richard Arlen Holt of Centennial, Colo., Darin Holt of Newport Beach, Calif., John David Holt of Ashland, Sean Holt of Singapore, and Shannon Holt of Ashland. He also had three grandchildren. Holt retreated from the limelight in recent years because of complications from diabetes. "There's no rocking chair for me," Holt told the Mail Tribune in 2010. "It's more like an electric scooter with only one leg left and a few toes left on the other foot." Holt said doctors tried to save his leg, but gangrene set in and it was amputated below the knee. Smith remembered Holt as an ardent supporter of a passenger rail system through the Rogue Valley. Smith recalled one day asking Holt whether he’d talked to railroad officials to see if they liked the idea. Smith remembers Holt looking a little sheepish and saying, “Gosh, if I did that, I would not have something to talk about.” His “charmed” life started at an early age and sounds like the setup for a Hollywood movie. Holt was named after Richard Arlen, who rose to stardom during the silent era of films in the 1920s. Holt's father was a chauffeur for Henry Ford in Jacksonville, Fla. But Ford’s offer to give him a dealership didn’t work out so he moved to California with the hope that his two eldest children would become movie stars. His brother, David Jack Holt, appeared in movies along with stars such as Mickey Rooney. His sister, Betty Holt, was a child actress. Holt’s mother was holding her 1-year-old son, Ricky, on the set of one of his brother's movies when "Gone With The Wind" author Margaret Mitchell walked by. "And these were the words: `That's him!' " Holt recounted some years ago. "My mom said, `That's who?' And she said, `Baby Beau.' And that's how I got it." Holt's big scene as Beau shows him holding a wooden spoon while Melanie feeds starving Confederate soldiers. Holt also appeared as Pat O'Brien's baby in "Racket Busters," and in other films. Later in life, he acted in a few television commercials. He went on to work for Gulf Oil, traveling around the world on the racing circuits. Later he promoted a fuel additive in the Rogue Valley but the idea never got much traction. In Orange County, Calif., Holt met Peggy Goldwater, daughter of politician Barry Goldwater, while he was living on a boat. The couple were married from 1964 to 1975. At a parade, Goldwater, the former senator and presidential candidate, couldn’t find his son to join him. Holt was picked as a stand-in by Goldwater, and the two cruised down the parade route together. Bill Mansfield, semi-retired lawyer and Medford Planning Commission member, was a friend of Holt’s for about 30 years. “He was a fun guy; he was a kidder,” Mansfield said. Mansfield said he would joke with Holt from time to time about his break-out role in "Gone with the Wind." “I remember, I said, ‘And, Ric, I saw you the other day in a movie and thought you did a beautiful job acting,” Mansfield said. Of course, Holt was only 1-year-old, so the role didn’t require any acting skills. Despite their friendship, Mansfield said, they were polar opposites politically. “He was lots of laughs but a serious conservative,” Mansfield said. Holt was a proponent of preserving half-built Elk Creek Dam on a tributary of the Rogue River and of opening area timberlands to more harvesting, including more aggressive salvaging of burned trees. Those efforts were largely fruitless, as the dam was removed entirely and environmental lawsuits blocked most salvage logging operations. Politics aside, Holt’s stories of his days in Hollywood fascinated Mansfield. “He was dyed-in-the-wool Los Angeles — Hollywood,” he said. “It was an interesting culture.” Julie Holt, who is married to Holt’s oldest son, Richard Arlen Holt, said the family will make an announcement soon about a service, tentatively planned for next week. She said Holt enjoyed being a county commissioner and was intently interested in politics. “This man had passion like none other,” she said. “When he felt something, he was all in.” Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow on Twitter at @reporterdm .   By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 17, 2015 at 5:13 PM Updated Aug 17, 2015 at 6:12 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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