Carl Switzer
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| Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer | |
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| Born | August 7, 1927 Paris, Illinois |
| Died | January 21, 1959 Mission Hills, California |
Carl Dean "Alfalfa" Switzer (August 7, 1927 – January 21, 1959) was an American child actor, professional dog breeder and expert hunting guide, most notable for appearing in the Our Gang short subjects series as Alfalfa, one of the series' most popular and best-remembered characters.
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[edit] Early life and family
Carl was born in Paris, Illinois, the second son, fourth and last child of G. Frederick Switzer and Gladys C. Shanks Switzer (Doerr). He was named Carl after the Switzer family and Dean after many relatives on his grandmother's family. He and his older brother, Harold Frederick Switzer, became famous around their hometown for their musical talent and performances; both sang and played a number of instruments.
[edit] Our Gang, shot to fame
The Switzers took a trip to California in 1934 to see if Carl and Harold could win a part in the Our Gang series. The Switzer brothers entered into the Hal Roach Studio's open-to-the-public cafeteria, the Our Gang Café, and began an impromptu performance. Producer Hal Roach was present at the commissary that day and was impressed by the performance. He signed both Switzers to appear in Our Gang. Harold was given two nicknames, "Slim" and "Deadpan", and Carl was dubbed "Alfalfa."
The Switzer brothers first appeared in the 1935 Our Gang short, Beginner's Luck. By the end of the year, Alfalfa was one of the main characters in the series, while Harold had more or less been relegated to the role of a background player.
Although Carl Switzer was an experienced singer and musician, his character Alfalfa was often called upon to sing off-key renditions of pop standards and contemporary hits, most often those of Bing Crosby. Alfalfa also sported one of the most famous cowlicks in pop culture history.
Switzer's country-boy sense of earthy humor could often be cruel. He enjoyed playing tricks on his fellow cast and crew members. One incident occurred when he put fishing hooks in the pants of George "Spanky" McFarland and Spanky suffered severe cuts that resulted in his receiving stitches. Switzer tricked Darla Hood into putting her hand in his pocket, telling her he had a ring for her, but in reality it was a switchblade knife. Darla almost lost her fingers from that incident. After Hal Roach sold the series to Metro-Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) in 1938, the now-adolescent Switzer's behavior was even more extreme. He often sabotaged the production of Our Gang films. Once, during a break in filming, Switzer urinated on the set's lights. When filming resumed, the lights heated up and filled the set with such a stench that filming had to be halted for the rest of the day. On another occasion, he put chewing gum inside one of the cameras.
Both Switzers' tenures in Our Gang ended in 1940, when Carl was thirteen. Carl continued to appear in movies in various supporting roles, including I Love You Again (1940), Going My Way (1944), Courage of Lassie (1946), and It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and starred in the John Wayne film Island in the Sky where he coined the phrase "Whatever's customary", about the only line he spoke throughout the film, but one he repeated several times in it.
Switzer's last starring roles were in a brief series of imitation-Bowery Boys movies; he reprised his "Alfalfa" characterization, complete with comically sour vocals, in PRC's "Gas House Kids" comedies of 1946-47. He returned to supporting roles, including a short stint as B-western sidekick "Alfalfa Johnson." Switzer preferred not to recall his "Our Gang" work; in his 1946 resume he referred to the gang films generically as "M-G-M short product."
He also did some acting for television. His final film role was in 1958's The Defiant Ones and on the television series, "The Roy Rogers Show," where he was called upon to reprise his off-key "Alfalfa-like" singing. Switzer's difficult reputation and his typecasting as Alfalfa made it difficult for him to find quality work.
Switzer had a rather unusual cameo in the 1954 Irving Berlin musical film White Christmas where his picture was used to depict an Army buddy (named "Freckle-Faced Haynes") of lead characters (Wallace and Davis) played by Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye and also the brother of the female leads (the Haynes Sisters) played by Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen.
[edit] Professional dog breeding
While not acting, Switzer bred hunting dogs and led guided hunting expeditions. Some of his more notable clients included Roy Rogers and Jimmy Stewart.
[edit] Death
On January 21, 1959 Switzer arrived at Moses "Bud" Stiltz's home in Mission Hills, to settle a debt owed to Switzer. Switzer banged on Stiltz's front door, demanding that he let him in. Once Switzer got inside he and Stiltz got into an argument. Switzer informed Stiltz that he wanted the money he owed him. But when Stiltz refused to hand over the money the two engaged in a physical fight. Switzer bashed Stiltz in the head with a lamp ,which caused Stiltz to bleed from his left eye. Stiltz retreated to his bedroom and returned holding a gun, but Switzer immediately grabbed the gun away from Stiltz, which resulted in a shot being fired but neither man being hit. Then Switzer forced Stiltz into a closet, despite Stiltz having gotten his hands back on the gun. Switzer then allegedly pulled out a knife and was attempting to stab Stiltz with it. But just as Switzer was about to charge Stiltz, Stiltz raised the gun and shot Switzer in the chest. Switzer died of intense blood loss while on his way to the hospital. He was 31 years old.
The killing was held to be a justifiable homicide. Switzer had allegedly pulled a knife; therefore, the shooting was judged to be self-defense. During the trial regarding Switzer's death, it was revealed that what was originally reported as a "hunting knife" was in fact a jack knife. It had been found by crime scene investigators under his body, but with no blade exposed. Switzer's death was largely ignored in the media, mainly because director Cecil B. DeMille had died on the same day.
Carl Switzer is interred at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood.
