Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer was born on August 7, 1927 in Paris, Illinois, USA as Carl Dean Switzer. He was an actor, known for The Defiant Ones (1958), Our Gang Follies of 1938 (1937) and I Love You Again (1940). He was married to Dian Collingwood. He died on January 21, 1959 in Mission Hills, California, USA.
| Full Name | Carl Switzer |
| Net Worth | $700,000 |
| Date Of Birth | August 7, 1927 |
| Died | January 21, 1959, Mission Hills, Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Place Of Birth | Paris, Illinois, USA |
| Height | 5' 9" (1.75 m) |
| Profession | Child actor, Breeder, Guide |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse | Dian Collingwood |
| Children | Lance Switzer |
| Parents | George Frederick Switzer, Gladys C. Shanks |
| Siblings | Harold Switzer, Janice Genevieve |
| IMDB | http://imdb.com/name/nm0842813 |
| Movies | The Defiant Ones, Our Gang Follies of 1938, General Spanky, Beginner's Luck, Hide and Shriek, Gas House Kids, State of the Union, The High and the Mighty, Spooky Hooky, I Love You Again, Arbor Day, Our Gang Follies of 1936, Came the Brawn, There's One Born Every Minute, Rushin' Ballet, Track of the ... |
| TV Shows | Our Gang |
| Star Sign | Leo |
| # | Fact |
|---|
| 1 | In addition to acting, he worked as a bartender, dog trainer and fishing and hunting guide. |
| 2 | His marriage lasted four months and produced a son. His family has always kept his son's name secret. His son's name is Justin Lance Collingwood Switzer. |
| 3 | He had three older siblings, Harold Switzer, Janice "Genness" Genevieve and a brother who died during childhood. |
| 4 | Despite his trademark off-key singing, in real life he was a very skilled singer. |
| 5 | In White Christmas (1954), the photo that Vera-Ellen shows to Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye of her brother Bennie is actually a photo of Switzer. |
| 6 | He died on the same day as Cecil B. DeMille. Coincidentally, one of his final acting roles was an uncredited appearance as a slave in The Ten Commandments (1956), the last film which DeMille directed. |
| 7 | His father and brother were buried next to him. |
| 8 | He and his brother Harold Switzer decided to audition for Our Gang but could not gain access into the studio. They went to the Our Gang Cafe and began singing and were quickly signed into Beginner's Luck (1935). |
| 9 | Distant cousin of David Switzer. |
| 10 | Was a "problem child" during his tenure in "Our Gang." Switzer was known for staging pranks on both the crew and his fellow child actors (including his on-screen girlfriend Darla Hood, who in real life was apprehensive of Switzer). |
| 11 | His best friend in the "Our Gang" cast was Tommy Bond, who played his on-screen nemesis Butch. |
| 12 | His father was often engaged in power struggles with George 'Spanky' McFarland's father (over billing, screen time, star status, etc.). The boys, however, managed to get along fine with one another. |
| 13 | For all his problems, Switzer did have notable success as an adult as a highly regarded hunting guide, whose regular clientele included Roy Rogers and James Stewart. |
| 14 | Although one of the most popular members of "Our Gang," Switzer's later life became an almost textbook example of the former child star whose life takes a turn for the worse. Numerous brushes with the law, a broken marriage, and grade-Z film work (when he could get it) all led up to his sudden, violent death in January 1959 at the age of only 31. Eight years later a similar fate befell his brother, actor Harold Switzer, who then operated a company installing and servicing washers and dryers. In April 1967, after killing a customer over a dispute, Switzer drove himself to a remote area near Glendale, California and committed suicide. He was 42. |
| 15 | Many sources have stated that the image of a dog displayed on his tombstone refers to the hound from the Little Rascals series. This is not, in fact, correct; rather, the image references work as a professional breeder. |
| 16 | Buried at Hollywood Memorial Park (now Hollywood Forever), 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, California. |
| 17 | Shot to death by an acquaintance in Mission Hills, California, during an argument over $50 that Switzer felt the acquaintance owed him. The acquaintance pled self-defense, and the judge ruled the death "justifiable homicide." [Source: "The Hollywood Death Book," James Robert Parish, 1992.]. |
| 18 | Was Alfalfa in the "Our Gang" comedies. |
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| The Defiant Ones | 1958 | | Angus (as Carl Switzer) |
| Motorcycle Gang | 1957 | | Speed (as Carl Switzer) |
| Between Heaven and Hell | 1956 | | Savage (uncredited) |
| The Ten Commandments | 1956 | | Slave (uncredited) |
| Dig That Uranium | 1955 | | Shifty Robertson (uncredited) |
| The Roy Rogers Show | 1952-1955 | TV Series | Mike Moore / Dunc Wright / Timmy Horton / ... |
| Science Fiction Theatre | 1955 | TV Series | Pete |
| Francis in the Navy | 1955 | | Timekeeper (uncredited) |
| Not as a Stranger | 1955 | | Unexpected Father (uncredited) |
| Lux Video Theatre | 1955 | TV Series | Mailer |
| The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show | 1954 | TV Series | Victor the Delivery Boy |
| Track of the Cat | 1954 | | Joe Sam (as Carl Switzer) |
| This Is My Love | 1954 | | Customer |
| The High and the Mighty | 1954 | | Ensign Keim (as Carl Switzer) |
| Flight Nurse | 1953 | | Rifleman (uncredited) |
| Island in the Sky | 1953 | | Sonny Hopper (as Carl Switzer) |
| Schlitz Playhouse | 1953 | TV Series | |
| The WAC from Walla Walla | 1952 | | Pvt. Cronkheit (uncredited) |
| I Dream of Jeanie | 1952 | | Freddie (as Carl Dean Switzer) |
| Pat and Mike | 1952 | | Busboy (as Carl Switzer) |
| Here Comes the Groom | 1951 | | Messenger (uncredited) |
| Two Dollar Bettor | 1951 | | Chuck Nordlinger (as Carl Switzer) |
| Cause for Alarm! | 1951 | | Guy with Tex (uncredited) |
| Belle Le Grand | 1951 | | Messenger Boy (uncredited) |
| Redwood Forest Trail | 1950 | | Sidekick Alfie |
| House by the River | 1950 | | Walter Herbert (uncredited) |
| Alias the Champ | 1949 | | Newsboy |
| A Letter to Three Wives | 1949 | | Leo, Second Messenger (uncredited) |
| Big Town Scandal | 1948 | | Frankie Snead |
| State of the Union | 1948 | | Bellboy (as Carl Switzer) |
| On Our Merry Way | 1948 | | Leopold 'Zoot' Wirtz (as Carl Switzer) |
| Driftwood | 1947 | | Messenger (uncredited) |
| The Gas House Kids in Hollywood | 1947 | | Alfalfa |
| Gas House Kids Go West | 1947 | | Alfalfa (as Carl Switzer) |
| It's a Wonderful Life | 1946 | | Freddie Othello (uncredited) |
| Gas House Kids | 1946 | | Sammy Levine (as Carl Switzer) |
| Courage of Lassie | 1946 | | First Youth |
| She Wouldn't Say Yes | 1945 | | Delivery Boy (uncredited) |
| Man Alive | 1945 | | Ignatius (uncredited) |
| Together Again | 1944 | | Elevator Boy (uncredited) |
| The Great Mike | 1944 | | Speck |
| Going My Way | 1944 | | Herman Langerhanke (uncredited) |
| Rosie the Riveter | 1944 | | Buzz Prouty (as Carl Switzer) |
| Dixie | 1943 | | Boy in Street (uncredited) |
| Shantytown | 1943 | | 'Bindy' |
| The Human Comedy | 1943 | | Auggie (uncredited) |
| Johnny Doughboy | 1942 | | Alfalfa (as 'Alfalfa' Switzer) |
| Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch | 1942 | | Billy Wiggs |
| The War Against Mrs. Hadley | 1942 | | Messenger Boy (as Carl Switzer) |
| There's One Born Every Minute | 1942 | | Junior Twine (as Alfalfa Switser) |
| Henry and Dizzy | 1942 | | Billy Weeks |
| My Favorite Blonde | 1942 | | Frederick (uncredited) |
| Reg'lar Fellers | 1941 | | Bump Hudson |
| Kiddie Kure | 1940 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Goin' Fishin' | 1940 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Barnyard Follies | 1940 | | Alfalfa |
| Waldo's Last Stand | 1940 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Good Bad Boys | 1940 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| I Love You Again | 1940 | | Harkspur Jr. |
| Bubbling Troubles | 1940 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| The New Pupil | 1940 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| All About Hash | 1940 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| The Big Premiere | 1940 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Alfalfa's Double | 1940 | Short | Alfalfa / Cornelius 'Corny' (as Our Gang) |
| Time Out for Lessons | 1939 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Dad for a Day | 1939 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Captain Spanky's Show Boat | 1939 | Short | Alfalfa (uncredited) |
| Auto Antics | 1939 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Dog Daze | 1939 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Joy Scouts | 1939 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Cousin Wilbur | 1939 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Clown Princes | 1939 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Duel Personalities | 1939 | Short | Alfalfa (uncredited) |
| The Ice Follies of 1939 | 1939 | | Small Boy (uncredited) |
| Tiny Troubles | 1939 | Short | Alfalfa Switzer (as Our Gang) |
| Alfalfa's Aunt | 1939 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Practical Jokers | 1938 | Short | Alfalfa (uncredited) |
| Football Romeo | 1938 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Men in Fright | 1938 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Aladdin's Lantern | 1938 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Party Fever | 1938 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| The Little Ranger | 1938 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Hide and Shriek | 1938 | Short | Alfalfa, alias X-10 (as Our Gang) |
| The Awful Tooth | 1938 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Feed 'em and Weep | 1938 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Came the Brawn | 1938 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Three Men in a Tub | 1938 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Bear Facts | 1938 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Canned Fishing | 1938 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Scandal Street | 1938 | | Bennie Nordskudder |
| Our Gang Follies of 1938 | 1937 | Short | Alfalfa |
| Mail and Female | 1937/I | Short | Alfalfa / Cousin Amelia (as Our Gang) |
| The Pigskin Palooka | 1937 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Framing Youth | 1937 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Fishy Tales | 1937 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Night 'n' Gales | 1937 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Wild and Woolly | 1937 | | Zero |
| Roamin' Holiday | 1937 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Pick a Star | 1937 | | Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Three Smart Boys | 1937 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Rushin' Ballet | 1937 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Hearts Are Thumps | 1937 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Glove Taps | 1937 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Reunion in Rhythm | 1937 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| General Spanky | 1936 | | Alfalfa (as Carl Switzer) |
| Spooky Hooky | 1936 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Easy to Take | 1936 | | Alfred Bottle (as Carl Switzer) |
| Ellis Island | 1936 | | Manuel (uncredited) |
| Pay As You Exit | 1936 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Two Too Young | 1936 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Bored of Education | 1936 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Kelly the Second | 1936 | | Boy with Stomach Ache (uncredited) |
| Arbor Day | 1936 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Second Childhood | 1936 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Too Many Parents | 1936 | | Kid Singer |
| The Lucky Corner | 1936 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Divot Diggers | 1936 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| The Pinch Singer | 1936 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Our Gang Follies of 1936 | 1935 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Life Hesitates at 40 | 1935 | Short | Boy at Soda Fountain |
| Little Sinner | 1935 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Little Papa | 1935 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Sprucin' Up | 1935 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Teacher's Beau | 1935 | Short | Alfalfa (as Our Gang) |
| Southern Exposure | 1935 | Short | Messenger Boy (uncredited) |
| Beginner's Luck | 1935 | Short | Arizona Nightengale |
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| Little Rascals Varieties | 1959 | performer: "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain When She Comes", "Honolulu Baby", "The Object of My Affection", "The Barber of Seville", "Learn to Croon" | |
| The War Against Mrs. Hadley | 1942 | performer: "Happy Birthday" 1893 - uncredited | |
| Clown Princes | 1939 | Short performer: "The Flying Trapeze" - uncredited | |
| Practical Jokers | 1938 | Short performer: "Because It's Your Birthday Today The Birthday Song" | |
| Our Gang Follies of 1938 | 1937 | Short performer: "The Barber of Seville", "The Barber of Seville" Reprise #2, "Learn to Croon", "Follies Conclusion" | |
| Framing Youth | 1937 | Short performer: "Just an Echo in the Valley" - uncredited | |
| Hearts Are Thumps | 1937 | Short performer: "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" - uncredited | |
| Reunion in Rhythm | 1937 | Short performer: "I'm Through With Love" - uncredited | |
| Bored of Education | 1936 | Short performer: "Good Morning To You", "Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms" - uncredited | |
| Arbor Day | 1936 | Short performer: "Trees" - uncredited | |
| Second Childhood | 1936 | Short performer: "Oh! Susanna" - uncredited | |
| Too Many Parents | 1936 | performer: "A Little White Gardenia" | |
| The Pinch Singer | 1936 | Short performer: "On The Road To California", "I'm In The Mood For Love" | |
| Our Gang Follies of 1936 | 1935 | Short performer: "The Object Of My Affection" | |
| Little Papa | 1935 | Short performer: "Go To Sleep, My Baby" - uncredited | |
| Teacher's Beau | 1935 | Short performer: "Ticklish Reuben" - uncredited | |
| Beginner's Luck | 1935 | Short performer: "She'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain" - uncredited | |
ncG1vNJzZmimlanEsL7Toaeoq6RjvLOzjqecrWWnpL%2B1tI6cmKukXZa5p63Ln5hmq6eewbux0WalnqxdrLyzwMdo
$700,000
