Alfalfa wore heavy makeup to play a 100 year old Indian in Track of the Cat (1954). Carl and Diantha Switzer divorced in 1957.George McFarland recalled in a 1987 interview how 1957 was the last time he saw Switzer. I read he liked to piss on the lighting equipment on the set of The Little Rascals so that when lights were turned on it filled the set with his stench. Weve updated the security on the site. In the history of celebrity murder stories, one case that confounded many is the death of actor Carl Switzer. [2] Alfalfa also sported a cowlick. Year should not be greater than current year. In 1934, Carl Switzer, along his brother Harold, visited the Our Gang Caf operated by the Hal Roach Studio and started an impromptu performance. Carl Switzer Alfa Alfa in Simpatiche canaglie (dal 1935 al 1940). Switzer never drew a knife, as Stiltz had claimed he had. Carl Switzer: American actor (born: 1927, Paris, Edgar County, Illinois, USA - died: 1959, Mission Hills, Santa Barbara County, California, USA), Occupations: Actor . Carl attacked Stiltz, who made for a loaded gun. In 1987, former Our Gang co-star Spanky McFarland recalled a meeting with Switzer concerning the farm: The last time I saw Carl was 1957. The next year, he had a supporting role in Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch. To use this feature, use a newer browser. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. At that time, Roach was putting up the cast for a new show titled "Our Gang.". Tom Corrigan, came forward to testify. A sister Janice was born in 1923 and a brother Harold was born in 1925. Although Carl and George got along fine, their fathers argued constantly over salaries . R14 Sheesh all you want. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Also try: lance switzer son of carl switzer biography. Some reports say he died due to a failed drug deal, while other accounts say Stiltz intentionally killed him. Producer Hal Roach saw the duos performance. The same year, he played Frankie Snead on the radio series 'Big Town Scandal'. In the midst of his legal and financial woes, Switzer agreed to train a hunting dog, a Treeing Walker Coonhound,[7] for Moses Samuel "Bud" Stiltz. Switzer suffered severe internal bleeding and was pronounced dead on arrival when taken to the hospital. The oldest brother died in 1922. Robert Blake was once known as Bobby Blake. | Photo: Getty Images. Their son, Justin Lance Collingwood Switzer . Most likely he was mentally ill, but back then no one looked into those sorts of things until things got so wild there was no other alternative, and then they just threw them into a mental institution and doped them up. Switzer slid down a wall with a surprised look on his face. Stiltz then fired a shot that hit Switzer in the groin and damaged an artery. George Spanky McFarland, Darla Hood, and Carl Switzer as Alfalfa in Our Gang Follies of 1938, Carl Switzer guesting with George Burns on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Carl Switzers grave on August 7, 2012, the 85th anniversary of his birth. Justin later took on the last name of Eldridge during his mother's marriage to Richard Eldridge. Later in his career, Switzer's acting roles were limited to bit parts . There's One Born Every Minute. By this time Switzer was downplaying his earlier Our Gang work. Liked by Lance C Switzer I'm excited to share that I have started a new position as an Industrial Engineering Manager at C.H. Please reset your password. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. The two were headed for the door when Stiltz then fired the fatal shot. Wife of Richard Roswell Eldridge. His image has appeared on almost every form of . Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? And then I never saw him again. Hello and thank you for registering. He still talked big. The following year, he starred as Alfalfa in the comedy films Gas House Kids Go West and Gas House Kids in Hollywood respectively. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. We have set your language to Switzer and Collingwood divorced a year later. for your pointless bitchery needs. Make sure that the file is a photo. Failed to remove flower. Kansas, and Switzer took the offer. This account has been disabled. The shooter got off on self-defense. After leaving the series in 1940 . ^ Alfalfa's son Lance is also a fat lighting director. I'm sure you all remember it ! Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. The two arrived at Stiltz's home in Mission Hills, at 10400 Columbus Avenue. Born on January 16, 1925 he and his young brother, Carl Switzer, became popular in Paris . Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Carl Dean Switzer (August 7, 1927 January 21, 1959) was an American actor, professional dog breeder, and hunting guide. She was drunk. Heart goes out to the Wheldon family tonight. "________________________________________________________________________A little known fact, that even I did not know.. Carl Switzer( Alfalfa, from the Our Gang shorts), was born as Carl Dean Switzer on August 7, 1927 in Paris, Illinois, USA, to George Frederick Switzer and Gladys C. Shanks. Diantha, or Dian, Collingwood was briefly the wife of Carl Switzer between 1954 and 1957. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Find out more about Harold and his younger brother. When Carl Dean Switzer was born on 7 August 1927, in Paris, Edgar, Illinois, United States, his father, George Frederick Switzer, was 22 and his mother, Pamela Gladys Shanks, was 23. . Portrait of Carl Switzer as Alfalfa for "The Little Rascals" series, originally know as "Our Gang" dated December 5, 1936 | Photo: Getty Images. The way their lives panned out and the tragic nature of their deaths not only leaves a sad taste in the mouth and begs the question of what could have been. Carl Switzer (as Alfalfa), Darla Hood and George McFarland (as Spanky) on "The Pinch Singer" | Photo: Getty Images. They divorced in 1957 and Diantha married Richard Rosswell "Ross" Elridge (1933-2007), who adopted and raised Lance as his own, and had two other children by him, sons Chris and Lee Elridge. . Harold was given two nicknames, "Slim" and "Deadpan", while Carl was dubbed "Alfalfa".[2]. Thanks for your help! Stiltz shot Switzer in self-defense, claiming the former child star pulled a knife on him. ", He never called me Spanky or George. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. He would often play cruel jokes on the other actors and hold up filming with his antics. Born in Paris, IL #3. He and his ex-wife, Kay, divorced in 1981. He also had multiple run-ins with law enforcement officers. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Mother of Private. [2], Switzer had an uncredited role as Auggie in the 1943 film The Human Comedy. Mission Hills, Los Angeles County, California, USA. Have you taken a DNA test? Harold Switzer's life also ended tragically April 14, 1967, when he took his own life a few hours after killing a girlfriend.Always Close to Home812-238-6000EQUAL HOUSING LENDER MEMBER FDICFREEw w w. f i r s t - o n l i n e . I have no doubt Mickey/Bobby was molested as a kid. Try again later. He looked pretty much the same. Still grieving over the loss of his son, Fred Switzer died of a heart attack in May 1960. Hollywood is notoriously unkind to former child actors after they have grown up. In the 1954 musical film White Christmas, his photo was used to depict "Freckle-Faced Haynes, the Dog-Faced Boy", an army buddy of lead characters Wallace and Davis (played by Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) who was also the brother of the female leads the Haynes Sisters, played by Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen. I had no idea. Raymond Burr Adopted 27 Kids during Last 40 Years of His Secretive Life after Loss of 10-Year-Old Son. Following a public tour, 8-year-old Harold and 6-year-old Carl entered the Hal Roach Studio's open-to-the-public cafeteria, the Our Gang Caf, and began an impromptu performance. People were beginning to forget about the former child star. Butch grew up to be Jimmy Olsen in the Superman serials. He also had a run-in with the law. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Login to find your connection. "Alfalfa made most of his money between the ages of seven and twelve. He and filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille died on the same day. He was best known for his role as Alfalfa in the short subjects series Our Gang. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Death. Meet Jean Smart's 2 . He had some success as a hunting guide and as a professional dog breeder (the dog on his grave marker refers to this profession), and some of the larger Hollywood stars were his clientele, including Jimmy Stewart and Roy Rogers. When George Frederick Switzer was born on 16 April 1905, in Edgar, Illinois, United States, his father, David Andrew Switzer, was 54 and his mother, Jemima W Price, was 32. HAROLD SWITZER: ALFALFA'S BROTHER. Sign up for the newsletter today. A system error has occurred. In 1956, their son Justin Lance Collingwood Switzer was born. He could cry great big tears in just a few seconds. However, Carl developed a reputation for being abrasive and difficult on the set. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. After quitting the show, Harold did not pursue an acting career. She married Richard Lee Conard in 1959. Diantha, or Dian, Collingwood was briefly the wife of Carl Switzer between 1954 and 1957. Switzer began his career as a child actor in the mid-1930s appearing in the Our Gang short subjects series as Alfalfa, one of the series' most popular and best-remembered characters. In December 1958, he cut 15 pine trees in the Sequoia National Forest to sell as Christmas trees. Sorry! No doubt he did. Two years later, he became a part of the crime flick 'The Defiant Ones'. Eight-year-old Harold and six-year-old Carl Switzer jumped up on one of the tables and began singing. Add a New Bio. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. He had three siblings: sister Janice, brother Harold, and . All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Moses Stiltz died in 1983 at the age of 62. What become of Alfalfa's son? Then, on January 21, 1959, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer was shot to death in an argument over a $50 debt owed him by his former partner in the big-game hunting business. He signed both brothers to appear in Our Gang. It had been found by crime scene investigators under his body. Cason, Colleen. Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer was born on August 7, 1927 in Paris, Illinois, USA as Carl Dean Switzer. In the 1950s, Switzer turned to television. Stiltz was unsympathetic towards Switzer, firm in his demands that the former child star must either return his dog or pay him the equivalent of the dog's value. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org. Besides sharing a mom, the siblings also met their deaths in similar tragic circumstances. When I came through town, he heard about it and called. United States of America. After Out Gang he never starred in anything but his filmography of bit parts was ling and steady until his death. They attended Redmon Elementary School and enjoyed picnicking and swimming during their leisure time. Corrigan said his two younger sisters ran to a neighbor's house to call for help. He dodged a bullet on that one! In 1987, former Our Gang co-star Spanky McFarland recalled a meeting with Switzer concerning the farm: "The last time I saw Carl was 1957. He played the young man that opens the floor, uncovering the pool, at the dance in "It's a Wonderful Life". or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. 2008 - 2023 INTERESTING.COM, INC. He would later become known as "Alfalfa", a character he played on the Hal Roach produced series of film shorts called Our Gang, known later in syndication as The Little Rascals. He was the first son of his parents, George Frederick and Gladys C. Shanks Switzer. Their argument was that the dog was Stiltz's and not Switzer's. ). Their son, Justin Lance Collingwood Switzer [5] (now Eldridge), [6] was born that year. 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Yes indeed, we too use "cookies." He told 'Alfalfa' to put his face near the bear just to show him that the bear was tame and wouldn't hurt him. We are changing the login scheme for contributors for simpler login and to better support using multiple devices. The fight became deadly and Stiltz shot Switzer in the groin. He was born on August 7, 1927 at Paris, Illinois, United States. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Later that December, Switzer was arrested in Sequoia National Forest for cutting down 15 pine trees he had intended to illegally sell as Christmas trees. Their exploits made their parents exceedingly proud. He was handsome as an adult. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. By the end of 1937, Switzer's "Alfalfa" had surpassed the series' nominal star, George "Spanky" McFarland, in popularity. Investigators found it under Switzers body at the crime scene. brother - who also had a tragic end. Is the picture at R23 a young Cosmo Kramer ? As he grew into and out of his teens, he worked steadily in character roles with diminishing returns, always immediately and distractingly recognizable as Alfalfa. Failed to remove flower. The same year, he acted in the movies 'Gas House Kids and 'Courage of Lassie'. In January 1958, Switzer was getting into his car in front of a bar in Studio City, when a bullet smashed through the window and struck him in the upper right arm. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. Try again. His son, Justin Lance Collingwood-Switzwer (aka "Lance Switzer"), is a small time theater actor. A sister Janice was born in 1923 and a brother Harold was born in 1925. He later became a dog breeder and hunting guide. Stiltz's account of the event was one of self-defense, testifying that Switzer had banged on his front door, yelling "Let me in, or I'll kick in the door." Corrigan further said that an LAPD detective interviewed him and asked if he would testify at the inquest. R23 Cute kid however he became an ugly adult. Character: Alfalfa Switzer Birthday: August 7, 1927 Place of Birth: Paris, Illinois Date of Death: January 21, 1959 Place of Death: Mission Hills, California First Short: Beginner's Luck Last Short: Kiddie Kure Number of Shorts: 61 History: Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer was lucky to be one of the most famous Little Rascals in the Our Gang series. He was interred at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery located in Hollywood, California. Justin later took on the last name of Eldridge during his mother's marriage to Richard Eldridge. The bullet went through the ceiling and a fragment hit Corrigan in the leg. 'Gas House Kids Go West and Gas House Kids and 'Courage of Lassie ' notoriously to! 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