Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer
Carl Switzer | |
|---|---|
Switzer in Our Gang Follies of 1938 | |
| Born | Carl Dean Switzer August 7, 1927 Paris, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | January 21, 1959 (aged 31) Mission Hills, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Homicide by gunshot wound |
| Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles, California |
| Other names | Alfalfa Switzer |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1935–1959 |
| Spouse |
Dian Collingwood
(m. 1954; div. 1957) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Harold "Slim" Switzer (brother) |
Carl Dean Switzer (August 7, 1927 – January 21, 1959) was an American child actor, comic singer, dog breeder, and guide. He was best known for his role as Alfalfa in the Our Gang series of short-subject comedies.
Switzer (rhyming with "Schweitzer", as pronounced in the Our Gang shorts Framing Youth and Alfalfa's Aunt) began his career as a child actor in 1934. He appeared in the Our Gang shorts as Alfalfa, one of the series' most popular and best-remembered characters. After outgrowing the series in 1940, Switzer struggled to find substantial roles, but was typecast as a juvenile actor. As an adult, he appeared mainly in bit parts and B-movies. He later became a dog breeder and hunting guide.
Switzer married heiress Diantha Collingwood in 1954 and they had one son. He was shot and killed by Moses "Bud" Stiltz in 1959 due to a disagreement regarding a business arrangement.