Alfalfa: The tragic life of Carl Switzer

Carl Dean Switzer became famous as a child actor during the 1930s portraying the character Alfalfa in the Our Gang and The Little Rascals film shorts. Alfalfa was taller than the other children, had freckles, and a piece of his hair stood straight up in the air. He was a series regular and one of the most popular children in the shorts. Carl and his brother Harold were both hired for Our Gang in 1934 but the older Switzer sibling was relegated to background status while Carl became a star. The brothers first appeared in Beginner's Luck in 1935.

Carl was a singer but while on Our Gang his character often sang off-key as part of his persona. Young Switzer had a reputation for being difficult on the set and often playing cruel jokes on the other young actors. At times the antics of Alfalfa's portrayer delayed filming. Looking back with a modern lens this young man more than likely had some type of childhood disorder and was not simply mean-spirited. Perhaps a proper diagnosis and treatment might have prevented what was to come later in his life.

Switzer left the series at age 12 in 1940 because he had aged out. His next film role was as a boy scout that same year in I Love You Again. He starred in a few more movies and then was cast in a series of Bower Boys films where he reprised his role as Alfalpha including the off-key singing voice. As a teen Carl had a role in the holiday classic It's a Wonderful Life as Mary Hatch's (Donna Reed) date for the dance who was pushed aside for George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart).

In 1948 he played the son of the major in the holiday film On Our Merry way. In White Christmas, it was a photo of Switzer that was used to depict Freckled-faced Haynes an army buddy of Wallace and Davis who were portrayed by Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. This character was the brother of the Haynes sisters who were portrayed by Vera Ellen and Rosemary Clooney.

During the 1950s Switzer turned to television by appearing on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Science Fiction Theater, and six episodes of The Roy Rogers Show. He c0-stared in the films Track of the Cat, Island in the Sky and The High and Mighty. He was a Hebrew Slave in the movie The 10 Commandments and his final role was in The Defiant Ones in 1958. In addition to acting the talented star bred and trained hunting dogs.

Switzer was born on August 8, 1927 and met Diana Collingwood on a blind date in 1954. They married 3 months later and the following year had a son Justin Lance Collingwood Switzer. The couple soon divorced and Lance later changed his last name to Eldridge after his mother remarried. This indicates that the young man wanted nothing to do with his famous father.

Life soon began going downhill for the child actor pretty as he was shot in the arm in January 1958 while getting into his vehicle but the assailant was never found. He was later arrested for cutting down 15 Christmas trees in the Sequoia National Forest with the intent to sell them. Thsi indicates that he had fallen on hard times and was desperate for money.

Switzer died after being shot on January 27, 1959 at the age of 31. His death was ruled as self-defense but a witness said it was murder. Switzer had been training a dog for Moses "Bud" Stiltz a business partner and friend he met while on The Roy Rogers Show. The dog disappeared and Stiltz demanded Switzer return his animal or pay him an amount equal to his pet's value. The former child star put up ads offering a reward and the dog was found. The person who brought him back was given $35 in cash and $15 in alcoholic beverages (about $450 in 2020).

Switzer began to regret giving up $50 and decided that Stilz should repay him. Along with his friend, photographer Jack Plott he went to confront Stiltz in his home. There was a confrontation and according to Tom Corrigan the stepson of Stilz, his stepfather shot Switzer in cold blood as he was heading out the front door. Corrigan was not allowed to give his testimony and Stiltz's claim of self-defense was accepted. Sadly the death of the talented child star received little press because the famous Cecile B Demille died the same day and his news coverage dominated the papers.