CARL DEAN 'ALFALFA' SWITZER BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Born Carl Dean Switzer on August 7th, 1927 in Paris, Illinois to parents Gladys C. Shanks and G. Frederick Switzer.  As a young child he was known around town for his musical talent and ability to play numerous instruments at such a young age.
 
In 1934, he visited California to visit with family members. While there, his brother 8 year old Harold and himself, age 6 at the time made a stop at the Hal Roach Studio's.  They entered the cafeteria after a public tour of the studio and began an impromptu performance.  Roach who was present for their performance was impressed by the boys and signed both two have the opportunity to appear in "Our Gang".  Right away the boys were given nicknames, Harold was "Slim" and "Deadpan" and Carl was "Alfalfa".
 
The first appearance was in 1935 on, "Beginner's Luck" and Carl's career took off by becoming one of the main characters on "Our Gang".  Harold still worked on the show, but mostly as background talent.  Towards the end of 1937, "Alfalfa" was becoming one of the series most popular stars passing his fellow actors.
 
'Alfalfa' was known not to be the nicest boy on set.  He often played jokes on other cast members and his father was often fighting with his biggest competition, George 'Spanky' McFarland for screen time and higher salary requests.
 
In 1938, "Our Gang" was sold to Metro-Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) and "Alfalfa's" on set behavior did not improve.  His practical jokes became more extreme and unacceptable.  By 1940 his tenure ended on "Our Gang" at the age of twelve after appearing in over 75 shorts.  Carl's acting career moved to working in nearly 60 uncredited films such as, "My Favorite Blonde" 1942, "The Human Comedy" 1943, "Going My Way", 1944, "It's a Wonderful Life" 1946, "State of the Union" 1948, "Pat and Mike" 1952 and Switzer even played a slave in Cecil B. DeMille's, "The Ten Commandments" 1956.
 
In 1950, Switzer moved to Kansas and worked on a farm where he met and married Diane Collingwood, but this marriage only lasted 4 months.  He did however, have a son, Lance, with his first wife.  In addition to acting, Switzer bred hunting dogs and guided hunting expeditions. 
 
His last starring role was in "Bowery Boys" a series of movies where he imitated his "Alfalfa" characterization.  He did appear in the musical film, "White Christmas' in 1954 and also continued to work a little bit more in Television. 
 
His final film role was, 'The Defiant Ones" 1958 and on the Television series, "The Roy Rogers Show", but due to his "Alfalfa" characterization he was finding it hard to find work in the entertainment industry depicting other roles. 

In January 1958, he survived being shot in the arm while getting into his car.  Thirty Two year-old Carl Switzer was killed in a boozy brawl over a 50-dollar debt on January 21st, 1959. Carl Switzer is burried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California. His death went virtually unnoticed in the media.

FILMOGRAPHY

1958 The Defiant Ones
 
1957 Motorcycle Gang

1956 Between Heaven and Hell

1956 Dig That Uranium
 
1956 The Ten Commandments
 
1955 Francis in the Navy
 
1955 Not As a Stranger
 
1954 This Is My Love
 
1954 Track of the Cat
 
1954 The High and the Mighty
 
1954 Flight Nurse
 
1953 Island in the Sky
 
1952 The WAC from Walla Walla
 
1952 I Dream of Jeanie
 
1952 Pat and Mike
 
1951 Here Comes the Groom
 
1951 Cause for Alarm!
 
1951 Belle Le Grand
 
1951 Two Dollar Bettor
 
1950 Redwood Forest Trail
 
1950 House by the River
 
1949 Alias the Champ
 
1949 A Letter to Three Wives
 
1948 Big Town Scandal
 
1948 State of the Union
 
1948 A Miracle Can Happen
 
1947 Driftwood
 
1947 The Gas House Kids "in Hollywood"
 
1947 Gas House Kids Go West
 
1946 Gas House Kids
 
1946 Courage of Lassie
 
1946 It's a Wonderful Life
 
1945 She Wouldn't Say Yes
 
1945 Man Alive
 
1945 Together Again
 
1944 The Great Mike
 
1944 Rosie, the Riveter
 
1944 Going My Way
 
1943 Shantytown
 
1943 Dixie
 
1943 The Human Comedy
 
1942 Johnny Doughboy
 
1942 Henry and Dizzy
 
1942 There's One Born Every Minute
 
1942 Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
 
1942 My Favorite Blonde
 
1942 The War Against Mrs. Hadley
 
1941 Reg'lar Fellers
 
1940 Barnyard Follies
 
1940 I Love You Again 
 
1939 The Ice Follies
 
1938 Scandal Street 
 
1937 Wild and Woolly
 
1936 General Spanky
 
1936 Easy to Take
 
1936 Kelly the Second
 
1936 Too Many Parents