Carl "alfalfa" Switzer


Actor

About

Also Known As
Carl Dean Switzer, Alfalfa Switzer, Carl Switzer, Alfalfa, "Alfalfa" Switzer
Birth Place
Paris, Illinois, USA
Born
August 07, 1927
Died
January 21, 1959
Cause of Death
Gunshot Wounds

Biography

Beloved child actor, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer started his career at the tender age of nine. Early on in his acting career, Switzer landed roles in various films, including "General Spanky" (1936), "Wild and Woolly" (1937) and the William Powell comedy "I Love You Again" (1940). He also appeared in "Reg'lar Fellers" (1941), the musical "Johnny Doughboy" (1942) with Jane Withers and the dram...

Photos & Videos

It's a Wonderful Life - Lobby Card Set
General Spanky - Scene Stills

Biography

Beloved child actor, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer started his career at the tender age of nine. Early on in his acting career, Switzer landed roles in various films, including "General Spanky" (1936), "Wild and Woolly" (1937) and the William Powell comedy "I Love You Again" (1940). He also appeared in "Reg'lar Fellers" (1941), the musical "Johnny Doughboy" (1942) with Jane Withers and the drama "The War Against Mrs. Hadley" (1942) with Edward Arnold. His film career continued throughout the forties in productions like "The Great Mike" (1944), the Elizabeth Taylor adventure "Courage of Lassie" (1946) and "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946). He also appeared in "Gas House Kids Go West" (1947). Film continued to be his passion as he played roles in "Two Dollar Bettor" (1951) with John Litel, the Spencer Tracy sports comedy "Pat and Mike" (1952) and the action film "Island in the Sky" (1953) with John Wayne. He also appeared in "The High and the Mighty" (1954) and the Robert Mitchum drama "Track of the Cat" (1954). Switzer last acted in the drama "The Defiant Ones" (1958) with Tony Curtis. Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer passed away in January 1959 at the age of 32.

Filmography

 

Cast (Feature Film)

The Defiant Ones (1958)
Angus
Motorcycle Gang (1957)
Speed
Between Heaven and Hell (1956)
Savage
Dig That Uranium (1956)
Shifty Robertson
The Ten Commandments (1956)
Slave
Not As a Stranger (1955)
Patient
Francis in the Navy (1955)
Timekeeper
This Is My Love (1954)
Customer
The High and the Mighty (1954)
Ensign Keim
Flight Nurse (1954)
Rifleman
Track of the Cat (1954)
Joe Sam
Island in the Sky (1953)
Hopper
Pat and Mike (1952)
Busboy
I Dream of Jeanie (with the Light Brown Hair) (1952)
Freddie
The WAC from Walla Walla (1952)
Pvt. Cronkheit
Belle Le Grand (1951)
Messenger boy
Cause for Alarm! (1951)
Boy fixing hotrod
Two Dollar Bettor (1951)
Chuck Norlinger
Here Comes the Groom (1951)
Messenger
Redwood Forest Trail (1950)
"Alfalfa" Donohue
House by the River (1950)
Office boy
Alias the Champ (1949)
Newsboy
A Letter to Three Wives (1949)
Messenger
Big Town Scandal (1948)
Frankie Sneed
State of the Union (1948)
Bellboy
On Our Merry Way (1948)
Zoot
Gas House Kids Go West (1947)
Alfalfa
The Gas House Kids "in Hollywood" (1947)
Alfalfa
Driftwood (1947)
Messenger
Courage of Lassie (1946)
First youth
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Freddie
Gas House Kids (1946)
Sammy Levine
She Wouldn't Say Yes (1945)
Delivery boy
Man Alive (1945)
Ignatius
Rosie, the Riveter (1944)
Buzz
The Great Mike (1944)
Speck
Going My Way (1944)
Herman Langerhanke
Together Again (1944)
Elevator boy
The Human Comedy (1943)
Auggie
Shantytown (1943)
Bindy
Dixie (1943)
Boy
Henry and Dizzy (1942)
Billy Weeks
My Favorite Blonde (1942)
Frederick
There's One Born Every Minute (1942)
Junior [Lemuel P. Twine, Jr.]
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch (1942)
Billy Wiggs
Johnny Doughboy (1942)
"Alfalfa"
The War Against Mrs. Hadley (1942)
Messenger boy
Reg'lar Fellers (1941)
Bump Hudson
Barnyard Follies (1940)
Alfalfa
I Love You Again (1940)
Harkspur Jr.
The Ice Follies of 1939 (1939)
Small boy
Scandal Street (1938)
Bennie Nordskudder
Wild and Woolly (1937)
Zero
Kelly the Second (1936)
Boy with stomach ache
General Spanky (1936)
Alfalfa
Too Many Parents (1936)
"White Gardenia"
Easy to Take (1936)
Alfred Bottle

Cast (Short)

Good Bad Boys (1940)
All About Hash (1940)
Bubbling Troubles (1940)
Goin' Fishin' (1940)
Kiddie Kure (1940)
Waldo's Last Stand (1940)
The Big Premiere (1940)
Alfalfa's Double (1940)
The New Pupil (1940)
Cousin Wilbur (1939)
Tiny Troubles (1939)
Dog Daze (1939)
Auto Antics (1939)
Duel Personalities (1939)
Time Out for Lessons (1939)
Alfalfa's Aunt (1939)
Captain Spanky's Show Boat (1939)
Clown Princes (1939)
Joy Scouts (1939)
Aladdin's Lantern (1938)
Men in Fright (1938)
Party Fever (1938)
The Little Ranger (1938)
Football Romeo (1938)
Practical Jokers (1938)
Dad for a Day (1938)
Rushin' Ballet (1937)
Hearts are Thumps (1937)
Our Gang Follies of 1938 (1937)
Two Too Young (1936)
Bored of Education (1936)
Life Hesitates at 40 (1936)
Southern Exposure (1935)
Little Sinner (1935)

Life Events

Photo Collections

It's a Wonderful Life - Lobby Card Set
Here is a lobby card set from Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.
General Spanky - Scene Stills
Here is a group of scene stills from General Spanky (1936), the only full-length feature starring Hal Roach's "Our Gang".

Bibliography