Please click here to update your account with a username and password. Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer was born on August 7, 1927 in Paris, Illinois, USA as Carl Dean Switzer. Later in his career, Switzer's acting roles were limited to bit parts . In 1938, Carl Switzer appeared as Alfalfa in several Our Gang's short films, including 'Canned Fishing', 'Came the Brawn', 'Hide and Shriek' and 'Football Romeo'. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Collingwood had moved with her mother and sister to California from Hutchinson in 1953 because her sister wanted to become an actress. News of Harold and Carl's Hollywood success reached their hometown of Illinois, and they were greatly celebrated there. He claims that Switzer was drunk at the . because Freddie was so pissed that George stole his date. Your email address will not be published. Carl Dean "Alfalfa" Switzer (August 7, 1927 - January 21, 1959) was an American child actor, professional dog breeder and hunting guide, most notable for appearing in the Our Gang short subjects series as Alfalfa, one of the series' most popular and best remembered characters. It is not widely known but Alfalfa (Carl Switzer) from the Our Gang comedies had an older. More details about his death with good photos of him. You probably known him better as Alfalfa in the Our Gang comedies, later released on television as The Little Rascals. During the struggle, the gun accidentally went off. Stiltz then retreated to his bedroom and returned with a .38 caliber revolver. It's a shame he couldn't make hay while the sun shone and find real success. Switzer said he was going to beat up Stiltz, and Stiltz confronted Switzer with a .38-caliber revolver in his hand. Corrigan said his stepfather (and Piott) lied to the coroners jury. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. [2] Alfalfa also sported a cowlick. Corrigan said he saw a closed penknife at Switzer's side, which he presumed fell out of his pocket or his hand. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. With his freckled face and sporting a prominent cowlick, Carl was a natural attraction. [10] During the inquest regarding Switzer's death, it was revealed that what was reported as a "hunting knife" was in fact a penknife. Please reset your password. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Stiltz decided not to give the money and the two men started fighting. Learn more about managing a memorial . So, he took out ads offering a reward for the dogs safe return. Their argument was that the dog was Stiltz's and not Switzer's. He was the son of actor Ray "Crash" Corrigan and Bud Stiltz's stepson. Hello and thank you for registering. Username and password are case sensitive. This week, Im going to tell you about the death of Carl Switzer. We will examine his life from its beginning in Paris, Il. Butch grew up to be Jimmy Olsen in the Superman serials. 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 . Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. He had an older sister named Janice Genevieve and his younger brother Carl. United States of America. He also had multiple run-ins with law enforcement officers. He said Piott broke a glass-domed clock over Stiltz's head, causing Stiltz's eye to swell shut. Was he the brother shown in a picture in White Christmas? This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. "Well, we shot Tommy, enough of this," he said he recalled Switzer saying, just before Switzer and Piott started to leave the house. Some reports say he died due to a failed drug deal, while other accounts say Stiltz intentionally killed him. The rescuer was rewarded with $35 in cash and $15 in alcoholic beverages, the equivalent of about $450 in 2020. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Gladys and Frederick struggled to raise their kids due to the Great Depression. George was an inventor whose most noteworthy creation was the Allure Bust Development Device. After leaving "Our Gang," Carl took up more minor roles in films and television. ^ Wow, that Scotty Beckett was a piece of work himself. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Harold was given two nicknames, "Slim" and "Deadpan", while Carl was dubbed "Alfalfa".[2]. In 2002, it was revealed that Switzer's son's name is Lance, per his cousin's statement on ancestry.com. It was then, Cason wrote, Corrigan spotted a closed penknife at Alfies side, He figured it either fell out of his fist or his pocket.. Corrigan's mother, Rita Corrigan, opened the door to find a drunk Switzer, complaining about a perceived month-old debt and demanding repayment. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. He was handsome as an adult. By the end of the year, Alfalfa was one of the main characters, while Harold had been relegated to the background. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. They attended Redmon Elementary School and enjoyed picnicking and swimming during their leisure time. Please try again. The actor then had uncredited roles in the 1943 films 'The Human Comedy' and 'Dixie'. Switzer's last starring roles were in a brief series of imitation Bowery Boys films. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Harold Frederick Switzer (January 16, 1925 - April 14, 1967) was an American child actor, most notable for appearing in the Our Gang short subjects series as an extra. It was January 21, 1959. Back then, the average movie goer would have gotten the reference. He died on January 21, 1959, the victim of a killer's bullet as he and another man argued over a lost hunting dog. His only, son Justin Lance Collingwood Switzer, was born later that year. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. He was best known for his role as Alfalfa in the short subjects series Our Gang. Garden City. Please try again later. "Heiress of the grain elevator empire Collingwood Grain, Inc. and first wife of murdered Our Gang actor Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer who met and married the troubled child star on a blind date in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1954 and became the mother of his only known son Justin Lance Collingwood-Switzer, but the marriage lasted less than two years, ending in divorce in 1956.". Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. He told investigators that Stiltz shot Switzer as he and Piott were leaving. He married Pamela Gladys Shanks in 1921, in Illinois, United States. In 1959, Carl was cash-strapped and worked as a bartender and dog trainer. He was best known for his role as Alfalfa in the short subjects series Our Gang. Please click here to get full access and no ads for $1.99 or less per month. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. I read a post somewhere about it but it might have been bullshit. Hes not gorgeous per se , but there was something sexy as hell about him as he aged . If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. They had a son together but divorced in 1957. Switzer and a friend, photographer Jack Piott, went to the Stiltz home in Mission Hills to demand payment. Switzer had appeared as a slave (uncredited) in the last film for which DeMille was credited as a director, The Ten Commandments. 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. They also acted together four years later in one of those Lassie films. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Please try again later. Harold "Slim" Switzer is interred at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California, alongside his brother Carl.". After leaving the series in 1940 . For one thing, the hunting knife turned out to be a penknife. He could cry great big tears in just a few seconds. In 1934, Carl Switzer, along his brother Harold, visited the Our Gang Caf operated by the Hal Roach Studio and started an impromptu performance. Meanwhile, Stiltz had Jack Piott backed up against the kitchen counter at gunpoint, shouting that he was next. Some people couldn't cope. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. From the bio:In early 1954, Switzer was set up on a blind date with Diantha (Dian) Collingwood, the heiress of grain elevator empire Collingwood Grain. 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. "It was more like murder," Corrigan told reporters. Learn more about managing a memorial . I have no idea if he troubled any of the Rascals actors. He managed to be married long enough to sire an offspring but the mother changed the kid's surname and distanced him from Carl. The sirens were approaching. There's an interesting story about him later on when he became an adult. Switzer and Collingwood divorced a year later. As a child, Carl Switzer physically injured other children and vandalized studio equipment on the Our Gang set. Mission Hills, Los Angeles County, California, USA. Raymond Burr Adopted 27 Kids during Last 40 Years of His Secretive Life after Loss of 10-Year-Old Son. Add a New Bio. Heart goes out to the Wheldon family tonight. Both Switzer brothers appeared together for the first time in the 1935 short, Beginners Luck. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Re: Robert Blake, Bobby Blake, Michael James "Mickey" Gubitosi. 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. He supported himself by bartending, guiding hunters, and breeding and training hunting dogs. I would like to thank Stacey Kuhlman The former child actor bled out and was dead when he reached the hospital. English Like many of his Little Rascals co-stars, Carl Switzer more popularly known as Alfalfa had a really difficult time transitioning from child star to more adult roles. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. 'Alfalfa' refused so the man put him own face near the bear - and it bit into his face. Pedos who find a way to work with children usually do. Carl Switzer Is A Member Of . There are no volunteers for this cemetery. But by 1937, Carls Alfalfa had become the more popular of the two. There was a problem getting your location. In 1956, he had an uncredited role in the flick 'Dig That Uranium'. Try again later. Besides sharing a mom, the siblings also met their deaths in similar tragic circumstances. Carl Switzer with his wife and son. He reprised his "Alfalfa" character, complete with comically sour vocals, in PRC's Gas House Kids comedies in 1946 and 1947. . We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. wasn't he also a low-level bagman for the mob, too? In 1956, their son Justin Lance Collingwood Switzer was born. He had three siblings: sister Janice, brother Harold, and . Wasnt there another kid from the little Rascals that ended up dying on skid row as a junkie? What things? Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Coincidentally, one of Switzer's final acting roles was in the movie 'The Ten Commandments', the last flick which DeMille directed. Harold and Carl were gifted singers, and this talent proved to be an outlet for their parents to make money. You and I have different notions of "handsome," r23. Learn more about merges. In 1956, their son Justin Lance Collingwood Switzer was born. Among his notable clients were Roy Rogers and Dale Evans (Switzer's son's godparents), James Stewart, and Henry Fonda. Because he died the same day as Cecil B. DeMille, his death received only minor notice in most newspapers, as DeMille's obituary dominated the columns. She married Richard Lee Conard in 1959. He started his acting career as a child artist, appearing as Alfalfa in the Our Gang short subjects. His short, tragic life was an absolute train wreckbut, as the story unfolds, just try and look away. 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