Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer Movies
Juvenile performer Carl Switzer and his brother, Harold, began singing at local functions in their Illinois hometown. While visiting an aunt in California, the Switzer boys accompanied their mother to Hal Roach Studios, then proceeded to warble a hillbilly ditty in the Roach cafeteria. This performance won them both contracts at Roach, though only Carl achieved any sort of stardom. Nicknamed "Alfalfa," Carl became a popular member of the Our Gang kids, his performances distinguished by his cowlicked hair, vacuous grin, and off-key singing. Few who have seen The Our Gang Follies of 1938 can ever forget the sight of Alfalfa being pelted with tomatoes as he bravely vocalizes the immortal aria "I'm the Bar-ber of Sevilllllle!" The boy remained with Our Gang when Roach sold the property to MGM in 1938; his last Gang short was 1940's Kiddie Kure. Switzer found it hard to get film roles after his Our Gang tenure, especially when he began to mature. By the early '50s, his movie appearances had dwindled to bits. Switzer's handful of worthwhile adult film roles include a 100-year-old Indian in director William Wellman's Track of the Cat (1954); he was also a semi-regular on Roy Rogers' TV series. Throughout most of the 1950s, he supported himself as a hunting guide and bartender. Miles removed from the lovable Alfalfa, 32-year-old Carl Switzer was killed in a boozy brawl over a 50-dollar debt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1945
Rosalind Russell plays yet another independent career woman in She Wouldn't Say Yes. This time she's a psychiatrist who sees no need for a man in her life. Her resolve weakens a bit when she meets Lee Bowman, a dashing combat sketch artist suffering from wartime emotional problems. Bowman falls in love with the shrink and determines to establish a beachhead, while Russell is equally determined to hold her ground. She doesn't say yes for the first 80 minutes of the film, but does in the last six. Even Rosalind Russell made jokes concerning the inordinate number of look-alike films she made in this vein. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1944
It took some doing to persuade the staunchly Catholic Bing Crosby to play a happy-go-lucky priest in Going My Way; luckily he acquiesced, winning an Academy Award in the process. Crosby is cast as Father Chuck O'Malley, newly arrived at rundown, heavily in debt St. Dominic's Church. Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald), the cranky, set-in-his-ways curate of St. Dominic's, is none too pleased with O'Malley's breezy, "modernistic" methods. Fitzgibbon is content to adhere to the policies he has followed for nearly 45 years. Without overtly challenging Fitzgibbon's authority (he likes the old buzzard, and the feeling is mutual), O'Malley sets about to win the confidence of the local street toughs, organizing the boys into an angelic church choir. He also forestalls the plans of St. Dominic's mortgage holder Ted Haines (Gene Lockhart) to evict Fitzgibbons by arranging a fundraising choir tour, to be headlined by O'Malley's childhood friend, opera star Genevieve Linden (Rise Stevens). When he's not coming to the rescue of St. Dominic's, O'Malley is smoothing the path of romance for Haines' son (James Brown) and orphaned Carol James (Jean Heather), and arranging for a reunion between Fitzgibbons and his nonagenarian Irish mother. There is sentiment by the bucketful in Going My Way, but director Leo McCarey sagaciously tempers the treacle with moments of genuine hilarity and several delightful (and seemingly spontaneous) musical interludes. In addition to Crosby, Oscars went to Barry Fitzgerald, Leo McCarey, screenwriters Frank Butler and Frank Cavett, and Burke and Van Heusen's song hit "Swingin' On a Star." Bing Crosby repeated his father O'Malley characterization in McCarey's 1945 sequel The Bells of St. Mary's. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bing Crosby, Rise Stevens, (more)
- 1944
In this romantic wartime comedy, four female defense plant workers share a house with four male workers. The situation is on the up and up as the men and women work different shifts and they are only making due because there is a housing shortage. Unfortunately, they soon begin to fight about who gets the house during certain hours. Romance ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Frazee, Frank Albertson, (more)
- 1944
The title Together Again referred to the fact that frequent costarsIrene Dunne and Charles Boyer were once more united on film. Dunne plays the lady mayor of a small Vermont town. Boyer portrays a big-city sculptor, hired to erect a statue in the memory of Irene's husband, the former mayor. Dunne and Boyer fall in love, but there's plenty of interference from snoops, gossips and well-meaning relatives. Further muddying the waters is Dunne's daughter Mona Freeman, who mistakenly believes that Boyer has eyes for her. Foxy father-in-law Charles Coburn is the cupidic catalyst in getting Dunne and Boyer to the altar by film's end. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Irene Dunne, Charles Boyer, (more)
The Great Mike is a horse owned by sensitive farm boy Jimmy (Buzzy Henry). Though the nag is prestently hitched to a milkwagon, Jimmy is convinced that he's got a racing champ on his hands. Convincing big-time sportsman Whitley (Pierre Watkin) that The Great Mike has what it takes, Jimmy and veteran trainer Spencer (Stu Erwin) begin prepping the horse for an important race. A gang of crooks intrudes upon this set-up, threatening the horse's future well-being, but The Great Mike is rescued through the timely intervention of Jimmy's faithful dog. At the time of its release, The Great Mike garnered some good notices, many of them reserved for "Our Gang" alumnus Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, who essays a comedy-relief part. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stuart Erwin, Robert "Buzzy" Henry, (more)
- 1943
- NR
Author William Saroyan's corn-shucking brand of sentimentality works wonders in this 1943 filmization of his novel. Narrator Ray Collins is dead before the film begins; thus he is able to provide an all-seeing overview of the tiny community of Ithaca, California. The principal character, played by Mickey Rooney, is Collins' son; as the delivery boy for the local telegraph office, Rooney keeps in close contact with virtually every family in town, which results in several comic and poignant moments. Rooney's older brother Van Johnson is in uniform, off fighting World War II; his sister Marcia Hunt is the erstwhile sweetheart of telegraph-office supervisor James Craig. The "circle of life" concept that unifies the anecdotal plotline is best illustrated by the film's final image: after Johnson dies in battle, his best friend, parentless John Craven, is more or less adopted by Collins' family. Reportedly, The Human Comedy was MGM chief executive Louis B. Mayer's favorite film, an apotheosis of Mayer's devotion to "family values." Among the many small-part players populating Human Comedy are Barry Nelson, Robert Mitchum, Don DeFore, Jay Ward (later the producer of Rocky and His Friends) and Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mickey Rooney, Frank Morgan, (more)
- 1943
Though Republic's Shantytown keeps threatening to become a musical, it's essentially a romantic drama built around the thespic talents of new discovery Mary Lee. The star plays Liz Gorey, a hoydenish lass from the wrong part of town who'd rather play sandlot baseball than anything else. In the course of events, Liz is instrumental in the salvation of Bill Allen (John Archer), a young-and married-mechanic who gets mixed up with a gang of bank robbers. Of special interest to movie buffs is the fact that John Archer's screen wife is played by his real-life spouse Marjorie Lord. Though Archer and Lord eventually divorced, the union lasted long enough to produce a daughter, who grew up to become film actress Anne Archer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mary Lee, John Archer, (more)
- 1943
According to this exuberant Paramount musical, famed pre-Civil War minstrel performer Daniel Decatur Emmett looked and sounded exactly like Bing Crosby! Very loosely based on the real Emmett's life and career, the film is essentially an excuse for an unending stream of Southern-fried ballads and boisterous blackface production numbers. The best scenes involve Emmet's creation of the minstrel tradition, helped along by Billy De Wolfe as the original "Mr. Bones." As Emmet's sweetheart Millie Cook, Dorothy Lamour has less to do than fourth-billed Marjorie Reynolds as Jean Mason, the physically challenged girl whom Emmet ultimately marries. In the midst of several old-time musical numbers, Bing Crosby introduces one of his lasting hits, "Sunday, Monday and Always". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, (more)
- 1942
A nine-year-old Elizabeth Taylor made her film debut in this lively comedy. She plays the spoiled-brat daughter of a pudding manufacturer who has been entered into the town's mayoral race by some of the local businessmen. They have chosen him because they think he is easy to manipulate. As a sales gimmick, the pudding magnate advertises that his product contains the highly nutritious "Vitamin Z." He suddenly begins selling pudding like crazy and soon his political campaign is well-funded. Unfortunately, there is no "Vitamin Z" and when this is discovered, the town fathers try to dump him and show that he is a fake. Undaunted, the pudding maker retaliates by proving that the businessmen are the real crooks and in spite of the scandal, the man gets elected. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1942
Each of Bob Hope's "My Favorite" films (My Favorite Blonde, My Favorite Brunette, My Favorite Spy) was, by accident or design, a parody of a dead-serious movie genre. 1942's My Favorite Blonde, for example, was a takeoff of Alfred Hitchcock in general and Hitchcock's 39 Steps in particular. Two-bit vaudeville entertainer Hope gets mixed up with gorgeous blonde British-spy Madeline Carroll. The "maguffin" (Hitchcock's nickname for "gimmick") which ties the two stars together is a ring which contains the microfilmed plans for a revolutionary new bomber. Hope and Carroll are forced to take it on the lam when Hope is framed for murder by Nazi-agents Gale Sondergaard, George Zucco et. al. Highlights include Hope eluding capture by impersonating a famed psychologist (watch for Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer as Hope's most contentious "patient"). Madeline Carroll also got several opportunities to shine comedically, especially when she lapsed into cloying baby talk while posing as Hope's wife. Bob Hope was hesitant to work with My Favorite Blonde director Sidney Lanfield, having heard of Lanfield's reputation as an on-set dictator. However, the two got along so swimmingly that they would collaborate on such future top-notch Hope farces as Let's Face It (1943) and The Lemon Drop Kid (1951). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Hope, Madeleine Carroll, (more)
- 1942
So far as W.C. Fields fans are concerned, Ann Hegan Rice's sentimental 1901 novel Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch was definitively filmed in 1934. After seven reels' worth of a lachrymose plot about the impoverished Mrs. Wiggs (Pauline Lord) holding her large family together while her husband was off on a "mysterious mission," Fields strolled in as the mail-order husband to neighbor lady ZaSu Pitts, and promptly stole the show. The 1942 remake of Mrs. Wiggs substituted the amusing but hardly immortal Hugh Herbert for W.C. Fields, allowing star Fay Bainter to retain the spotlight. The story is substantially the same as before, including the mortgage on the home, the death of the frailest Wiggs child, and the eleventh-hour appearance of Mr. Wiggs, who solves all financial and emotional problems before lying down to take a nap. The 1942 Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch was actually the third film version of the Rice novel; the first had been released in 1919, with Mary Carr in the title role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fay Bainter, Carolyn Lee, (more)
- 1942
James Lydon makes his second screen appearance as "typical" teenager Henry Aldrich in Henry and Dizzy. The plot complications begin insuinating themselves when Henry and his pal Dizzy Stevens (Charles Smith) inadvertently wreck an outboard motor. Our heroes spend the rest of the picture trying to raise the necessary 120 bucks to repair the damage before Henry's dad (John Litel) finds out. As a result, they wreak plenty more damage before the film's slapstick denoument at beautiful Lake Wopacotapotalong. As always, Henry and Dizzy scores its biggest points with its stellar supporting cast, including Maude Eburne as a snooty dowager, Warren Hymer as a cheeful bum, former "Our Gang" kid Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer as an obnoxious brat and future "Lois Lane" Noel Neill as Dizzy's waterlogged girl friend. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jimmy Lydon, Mary Anderson, (more)
- 1942
In this WW II propaganda piece a wealthy American society matron refuses to sacrifice her material comforts to aid the war effort until she realizes that her selfishness is cheating the boys overseas who are fighting for her freedom. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward Arnold, Fay Bainter, (more)
Based on the long-running comic strip by Gene Byrne, PRC's Reg'lar Fellers was intended as the first of a series of 6-reel comedies built around the talents of juvenile performers Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer and Billy Lee. The plot is set in motion by Hetty Carter (Sarah Padden), a wealthy dowager who hates all kids because of her son's ill-fated marriage. With her boy in jail on a trumped-up charge, Hetty takes out her hostilities on her long-suffering daugther-in-law Caroline (Maren Mayo) and her grandson. Hetty eventually changes her ways thanks to the intervention of "Reg'lar Fellers" Pinhead (Lee), Bump Hudson (Switzer), Jimmy Dugan (Buddy Boles), Aggie Reilly (Janet Dempsey), Skeeter (Jerry Wilson) and Pudd'nhead (Malcolm Hutton), who foils the plans of con artists Ferrell (Don Stowell) and Lubec (Lew Luana) to swindle the old lady. Silent film devotees were gratified to see two old favorites, Marguerite de La Motte and Pat O'Malley, in substantial supporting rolls. Reg'lar Fellers was pleasant enough, but no series was ever forthcoming. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sarah Padden, Roscoe Ates, (more)
- 1940
Those popular MGM co-stars William Powell and Myrna Loy take a break from their usual Thin Man duties to star in the zany comedy I Love You Again. The film opens with Loy prepared to divorce her dull businessman husband Powell. A blow on the head causes Powell to remember his former life as a notorious con man. No one in town has any knowledge of Powell's criminal past, a fact he hopes to use to his advantage. Loy, astounded at Powell's sudden surge of amorous ardor, reconsiders her divorce. When she learns of his true identity, she is even more fascinated. Another blow on the head restores the non-criminal Powell--at least, that's what he and Loy would like you to believe. The film's highlight is a screamingly funny sequence in which Powell plays scoutmaster to a group of surly youngsters (including Our Gang veterans Carl Switzer and Mickey Gubitosi, aka Robert Blake). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Powell, Myrna Loy, (more)
- 1940
Little Mary Lee, Republic's 1940 answer to Shirley Temple, stars in the bucolic musical comedy Barnyard Follies. Essentially a feature-length endorsement of the 4-H clubs of America, the story concerns a group of wrong-headed provincials, headed by vain Mrs. Uppington (Isabel Randolph) of Fibber McGee and Molly radio fame, who try to block the establishment of a 4-H project in their rural community. In order to raise the $5000 necessary to keep the project alive, cutesy radio personality Bubbles Martin (Lee) stages a benefit. Among the featured acts is Rufe Davis, who offers his repetoire of funny animal sounds. Also on hand are such country-western favorites as Harry "Pappy" Cheshire, the Kidoodlers, and the Cackle Sisters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mary Lee, Rufe Davis, (more)
- 1940
The title of this one-reel Our Gang comedy is explained when Gang member Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer comes face to face with his wealthy lookalike Cornelius (also played by Switzer). This fateful meeting provides a golden opportunity for both boys: By trading places with his double, Alfalfa will be able to weasel out of his yard work and live a life of luxury, while Cornelius will be able to escape the rigors of dancing lessons, baths, and the like, and briefly enjoy the benefits of being a "regular kid." But the consequences of the boys' identity-trading serves only to lend credence to the old saw "Stay in your own backyard." Originally released on January 20, 1940, Alfalfa's Double fails to live up to the promise of its premise. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1940
The Our Gang kids unintentionally wreak havoc at the gala Hollywood premiere of the adventure epic Gun Boats. Chased away by the angry authorities, the undaunted kids decide to stage their own movie premiere -- and they even film a movie for the occasion! Alas, the gang's cinematic effort, The Mysteeryus Mystery, isn't quite as entertaining as the efforts by Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas to remove his feet from a block of cement (he was merely trying to leave his footprints, à la Grauman's Chinese Theater). Like many MGM Our Gang one-reelers, this one ends with a song performed by Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer -- with the unsolicited assistance of a newly hatched chick. The Big Premiere was originally released on March 9, 1940. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1940
In his final Our Gang appearance, Tommy Bond essays his usual role as the Gang's eternal nemesis Butch. This time, Butch wins the heart of little Darla Hood, leaving heartbroken Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer to cry in his alphabet soup. Mistaking the boy's doldrums for indigestion, Alfalfa's dad (William Newell) prepares to give his son a good dose of Seidlitz Powder -- or, as Alfie calls it, "Settles-It" Powder. Later on, the kids pay a visit to Butch's jerry-built chemistry lab, where the young troublemaker is mixing up what he thinks is an explosive. Recognizing the mixture as Settles-It Powder, the crafty Alfalfa offers himself as Butch's guinea pig, "bravely" downing the concoction in hopes of impressing Darla. Alas, the powders haven't been properly combined, and before long a bloated Alfalfa is floating into the sky, while the rest of the gang frantically scurries to his rescue. Filmed in November of 1939, the one-reel Bubbling Troubles was held back from release until May 25, 1940. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1940
Wrongfully accused of stealing, an angry Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer decides to get even with his parents by embarking upon a life of crime. To that end, he enlists the other Our Gang kids as his "mob." Hoping to deflect his pals from this drastic action, Spanky McFarland decides to teach the gang a lesson. He tricks the kids into thinking they're burglarizing a house, when in fact they're merely helping the homeowners clean out their junk. Things take an unexpected turn when a real-life fugitive from justice (Al Hill) chooses the gang's clubhouse as his hideout, with the cops hot on his heels. The one-reel Our Gang comedy Good Bad Boys was originally released on September 7, 1940. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1940
Of the many MGM Our Gang comedies focused on whiny child actor Robert Blake, the one-reel All About Hash is often cited as the worst of the bunch. It seems that little Mickey (Blake) is upset over the fact that his parents (Louis Jean Heydt and Peggy Shannon) spend every Monday night arguing. The reason: Mickey's mom invariably serves hash from the Sunday-dinner leftovers, and Mickey's dad hates hash. To teach the two adults a lesson, the Our Gang kids stage a skit on a local radio program, ending with a heartfelt plea by Mickey to stop the quarrelling. All About Hash was originally released on March 30, 1940. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1940
The "new pupil" in this one-reel Our Gang entry is a pretty young lass named Sally, played by popular child actress Juanita Quigley. Immediately upon Sally's arrival, Our Gang kids Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer and Spanky McFarland literally fall over each other trying to get her attention, leaving the gang's traditional sweetheart Darla Hood in the lurch. But when it turns out that Sally can't stand either one of the boys, she and Darla cook up a scheme to dampen their romantic aspirations. Originally released on April 27, 1940, The New Pupil is a forced, unfunny comedy that, sadly, was par for the course when the Our Gang series moved from Hal Roach Studios to MGM. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1940
An unofficial reworking of such silent Our Gang comedies as Tire Troubleand Boys Will Be Joys, as well as the 1936 two-reeler Second Childhood, the one-reel talkie Kiddie Kure is a tour de force for that marvelous character actor Thurston Hall. While playing baseball near the home of wealthy hypochondriac Mr. Morton (Hall), the Our Gang kids inadvertently break one of Morton's windows. This mishap coincides with a plan hatched by Morton's wife (Josephine Whitell) to get her husband's mind off his imaginary illnesses by adopting some children. Hoping to prove that he'd be an unsuitable parent, Morton pretends that he's crazy, the better to scare away the gang and to dissuade Mrs. Morton from her adoption scheme. Instead, the kids prove to Morton that he doesn't need all his pills and poultices, thereby giving the old man a new lease on life and a better appreciation of children. Originally released on November 23, 1940, Kiddie Kure marked the final Our Gang appearance of series stalwart Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1940
The Our Gang kids offer to help their pal Waldo (Darwood Kaye) attract customers to his lemonade stand. Redecorating their clubhouse as a lavish nightclub, the kids stage an elaborate floor show, with Darla Hood as the star vocalist. Unfortunately, their efforts attract only one patron -- a surly, stone-faced little kid with a Popeye-the-Sailor voice (Billy "Froggy" Laughlin, making his first Our Gang appearance). Originally released on October 5, 1940, the one-reel Waldo's Last Stand has since lapsed into the public domain, and as a result is the most easily accessible of the MGM Our Gang films (though certainly not the best of the batch!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1940
Hoping to get an early start on a fishing trip to the East River, the Our Gang kids board a double-decker bus at the crack of dawn. Alas, the kids' bulky fishing equipment causes nothing but discomfort for the rest of the passengers, to say nothing of the irascible driver (Paul Hurst). Thanks to the gang's unintentional interference, the bus' regular pick-up and drop-off schedule is thoroughly disrupted, and even worse, it turns out that the kids are on the wrong bus. A simple but hilarious exercise in comic frustration, the one-reel Our Gang comedy Goin' Fishin' was originally released on October 26, 1940. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
