Carl Switzer skyrocketed to fame as freckle-faced Alfalfa within the “Our Gang” sequence – but it surely wouldn’t be a beautiful life for the actor.
At age 31, the previous baby star was killed in a battle reportedly over $50. In line with the Federal Reserve Financial institution of Minneapolis, that will be $539.36 in at present’s cash.
“All hell broke loose,” James Tehrani, who wrote the brand new guide, “Alfalfa – The Rascal You Knew, the Character You Never Knew,” instructed Fox Information Digital.
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Carl Switzer as Alfalfa from “The Little Rascals” sequence, initially generally known as “Our Gang.” Photograph dated Jan. 1, 1936. (CBS by way of Getty Photographs)
“I think there’s a lot more to the story than the $50,” he shared. “But one thing that was important to me was not to put more misinformation out there and to stay away from rumors and hearsay… I’m hoping this is just the start and more will come out.”
On the time of the deadly battle, Switzer was a bartender and a searching canine coach. The success he as soon as had in Hollywood appeared lengthy behind him as he took on odd jobs. Historical past.com additionally identified that he had a number of run-ins with the police.
A few weeks earlier than, he was coaching one in every of Moses “Bud” Stiltz’s canines throughout a searching journey. It ran away and Stiltz wished his canine again. In line with the guide, Switzer put a discover in a newspaper providing a $35 reward.
Carl Switzer is seen in a scene reverse James Stewart and Donna Reed in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” (Everett)
Somebody discovered the canine and got here ahead for the reward. Switzer paid the reward and purchased the person a number of drinks to thank him, ringing up a reported $15 bar tab, or $100 in at present’s cash. However sooner or later within the night, the guide shared, Switzer felt Stiltz ought to reimburse him the $50.
“Perhaps it was a matter of principle – or maybe because he just really needed the money,” Tehrani wrote.
James Tehrani’s guide, “Alfalfa – The Rascal You Knew, the Character You Never Knew,” is out now. (BearManor Media)
“He was due in court a few weeks after he died to a woman I could not track down,” Tehrani instructed Fox Information Digital. “She loaned him quite a bit of money… That might have been a part of it. I heard other things during my research that I didn’t include in my book because I couldn’t verify it.”
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Alfalfa was Carl Switzer’s finest recognized position. (Hulton Archive/Getty Photographs)
“Carl supposedly put a message in the newspaper with a $35 reward,” mentioned Tehrani. “I spent hours… trying to find this classified ad, and I could not find it. So whether that’s true or not is unknown. But mysteriously, the dog appeared one day with this gentleman who brought the dog back… Carl was not in a great financial position, but buys the guy $15 worth of drinks, which doesn’t quite add up when you think about it.”
Tehrani famous that Switzer “had his troubles in the end.”
As a baby actor, Carl Switzer turned a star. However as soon as he grew up, he endured monetary troubles and had a number of run-ins with the police. In line with reviews, he by no means obtained any royalties from the present. (CBS by way of Getty Photographs)
“He had a marriage that was up and down,” Tehrani defined. “He and his wife [Diantha Collingwood] married very quickly. After a few months of dating, they had a son together, and they moved to Kansas. There was an opportunity to have a better life there, but it didn’t last very long. So he was struggling, especially when he went back to Hollywood and was away from his son.”
“There were other incidents along the way,” Tehrani famous. “In 1958, he cut down a bunch of trees for Christmas trees. He got caught and was fined for it. It was a tough time financially.”
Switzer’s pal, photographer Jack Piott, provided to drive him to see Stiltz at evening. As soon as they arrived on the house of Rita Corrigan, Stiltz’s girlfriend, Switzer “got out and hurriedly headed for the front door.”
Corrigan heard a voice saying, “Western Union for Bud Stiltz.” When the door didn’t open, Switzer reportedly mentioned forcefully, “You will let me in, or I’ll break the door down.”
Carl Switzer appeared in 1954’s “The High and the Mighty,” starring John Wayne. (Everett)
Stiltz, seemingly unfazed, instructed Corrigan to let Switzer in. As soon as the door opened, Switzer “made a beeline for Stiltz.” Piott was placing out his cigarette exterior and didn’t instantly comply with Switzer.
“There was a confrontation upstairs,” mentioned Tehrani. “Eventually, it led to Bud getting hit many times and Carl wrestling with Bud. Jack then came in and tried to break it up as best as he could. But supposedly, he also hit Bud with a clock… then a shot was fired.”
“What happens depends on who you believe,” mentioned Tehrani. “Jack Piott said Carl’s hand was on the door as he was about to leave when he was shot. Bud said he felt threatened, and Carl was attacking him, perhaps with a knife. The problem with this case is that it’s a he-said-she-said situation.”
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Carl Switzer performed Alfalfa from the mid-Nineteen Thirties to the early Forties. Then in 1955, the “Our Gang” comedies had been was “The Little Rascals.” (CBS by way of Getty Photographs)
There have been just a few issues that everybody agreed on. A battered and bruised Stiltz was hit within the head with a clock. And Switzer was shot within the stomach. He reportedly instructed Stiltz, “What did you shoot me for?”
When the police arrived, Switzer was hunched over on the bottom by the door, clinging to life. Whereas Switzer didn’t bleed a lot from the wound, he would succumb to his accidents by the point he arrived on the hospital.
A paramedic discovered a closed switchblade. However in keeping with Tehrani, Piott claimed he by no means noticed Switzer with a knife.
“What we do know is that Carl and Bud were seemingly good friends at one point,” mentioned Tehrani. “They were both hunters. But at some point, it went south. It seemed like in the months leading up to this, there were a lot of phone calls back and forth… But it was more of that he-said-she-said thing.”
Carl Switzer as Alfalfa and George McFarland as Spanky within the 1938 movie “Canned Fishing.” (John Springer Assortment/Corbis/Corbis by way of Getty Photographs)
Stiltz instructed reporters that Switzer had entered the property drunk or “under the influence of something” demanding his $50, the guide shared. Stiltz additionally claimed that Switzer wrestled the gun away from him, however he obtained it again. That’s when Switzer pulled out his knife and mentioned, “I’m going to kill you.” Stiltz mentioned he had no alternative however to shoot the actor in self-defense.
Piott, alternatively, mentioned he by no means noticed Switzer with a gun in his hand.
Regardless of the variety of folks within the house, there have been “varying and sometimes vastly different recollections of what happened that night,” the guide emphasised.
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A jury dominated the incident justifiable murder. Piott handed away in 1973, adopted by Stiltz in 1983.
For many years, rumors endured that Switzer was a Hollywood has-been who turned to medication. Tehrani mentioned it couldn’t be farther from the reality.
“There’s a fable on the market that after he left the ‘Our Gang’ sequence, he disappeared from Hollywood,” he mentioned. “To some degree, that is true. He didn’t have the biggest parts after the ‘Our Gang’ series, but he was either in a TV show or film every year until right before he died in 1959.”
Carl Switzer took on odd jobs in his later years earlier than he was killed. (Household Photograph courtesy of James Tehrani.)
“Look at ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’ It’s a film people watch every year around the holidays… He had a role there. He wasn’t credited with it, but he was in the great dance scene, and he was dancing with Donna Reed… He was in ‘The Defiant Ones’ and ‘The 10 Commandments,’ two important films.”
“He deserves to be recognized,” Tehrani continued.
James Tehrani hopes that his guide will share the complete story of Carl Switzer’s temporary life in Hollywood. (BearManor Media)
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“He was one of the most famous child actors of the 1930s, and arguably one of the most well-known of all time… Was he a perfect person? No, he did do some things that were not so great that I talked about in the book. But he was also a child put in a very tough situation.”
