Alfalfa was born Carl Dean Switzer in Paris, Illinois. He and his older brother, Harold Frederick Switzer, were well known for their musical abilities and performances in and around their hometown. Both brothers could sing, and they both played a number of instruments. In 1934 the Switzer family would journey to California so that Carl and Harold could audition for a part in the Our Gang comedy series. Producer Hal Roach was impressed by their performance, and signed them both up to a contract. Carl was given the stage name of "Alfalfa," and Harold would be given the names of: "Slim" and "Deadpan".
The 1935 Our Gang short, Beginner's Luck, would be the first appearance of the Switzer brothers. Alfalfa would become one of the main characters in the series, while his brother Harold never went any further than playing the role of a background player. Alfalfa would also soon be trademarked and easily recognized by his terrible (put on) crooning and his infamous cowlick (which Jay North would later proudly sport on his show Dennis the Menace).
Carl's character "Alfalfa" was often made/cast to sing off-key, even though, he was an experienced singer and musician. (Alfalfa would mostly sing Bing Crosby songs). It has been said that Carl played a lot of dirty/rotten tricks on the other kids in the Our Gang series. There was one instance where he had put some sharp fish hooks in Spanky's back pocket. Carl was also known as being a classic out-n-out bully.
It is said that Carl would often sabotage the production of the Our Gang films (once urinating on a studio light and shutting down production until the smoke and smell had cleared) and that other cast members would come to dislike him and hold a great mistrust for his antics. But, by 1940, Carl and his brother's time with being a Little Rascal had came to an abrupt end (Harold, would later in years end up killing his girlfriend and taking his own life).
Carl went on to appear in the 1946 film Courage of Lassie, and It's A Wonderful Life in 1948 as a supporting actor. He also did some television work as well (many of those appearances were on the Roy Rogers Show). His final movie role was in 1958's The Defiant Ones. Carl's unruly reputation (and his typecasting as Alfalfa) made it close to impossible for him to land better parts. However, when not doing television or filming, Carl Switzer would breed hunting dogs, and would hire himself out as an hunting guide. Carl was highly regarded as a guide, and two of his more noted clients included Roy Rogers and Jimmy Stewart.
Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer was shot and killed in Van Nuys, California, at the age of thirty-one (over a $50.00 lost dog reward fee that Carl had felt was owed to him). However, Switzer's murder was ruled as an justifiable homicide; as it was believed that Carl had pulled a knife, and the incident was deemed to be in self-defense.
*In the movie White Christmas, the photo that Vera-Ellen shows to Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye of her brother, Bennie, is actually a photo of Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer.
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