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- 1939
Told that they're too young to join the Boy Scouts, the Our Gang kids form a troop of their own. Unfortunately, their camping and survival skills leave much to be desired, forcing the real scouts to come to the rescue. Originally released on June 24, 1939, Joy Scouts marked the screen debut of future Our Gang regular Mickey Gubitosi. If that name doesn't ring a bell, you might know Gubitosi better under his screen name of Robert Blake. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1939
Once again, the Our Gang kids stage an elaborate musical show in Spanky McFarland's backyard. Angered over the fact that Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer has been chosen as the show's singing star, bully Tommy "Butch" Bond sneaks backstage with the intention of sabotaging the production. But Butch is hoisted on his own petard, and the show goes on as scheduled. The highlight of this middling one-reel Our Gang effort is the gang's presentation of a rip-roaring "mellerdrammer," replete with hero (Alfalfa), heroine (Darla Hood), black-hearted villain (Spanky McFarland), and an ersatz horse race. Captain Spanky's Show Boat was originally released by MGM on September 9, 1939. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1939
The MGM Our Gang series began its slow but steady decline with the sub-standard one-reel entry Tiny Troubles. On this occasion, the gang is held responsible for the crimes perpetrated by a midget named Light-Fingered Lester (played by prolific dwarf actor Jerry Maren). The notion that the kids would mistake the obviously mature Lester for a tiny baby is as hard to swallow as the rest of the story. Tiny Troubles was originally released on February 18, 1939. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1939
Reprimanded for his poor grades ("Gee, Dad, don't 'F' stand for 'Fabulous'?"), Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer is told that, unless he improves his academic standing, he'll never get to college. But Alfalfa laughs this off, informing his dad that he intends to sail through college on a football scholarship. Dreaming about his future gridiron triumphs, Alfie is brought down to earth when he envisions himself being disqualified from the inevitable "big game" due to his lousy grades. Awakening from this nightmare, our hero vows to put football on the back burner in favor of cracking the books. A typically heavy-handed MGM "Our Gang" entry, the one-reel morality play Time Out for Lessons was originally released on December 2, 1939. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1939
Former Our Gang kid Scotty Beckett makes an amusing return appearance to the series as the title character in the one-reel comedy Cousin Wilbur. Much against his will, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer invites his sissified Cousin Wilbur (Beckett) to join the All 4 One Club. The enterprising Wilbur immediately increases the membership by offering cash compensation (usually a penny or two) for every black eye and busted nose administered by neighborhood bullies Tommy "Butch" Bond and Sidney "Woim" Kibrick. When the two tough guys try to muscle in on the club, Wilbur surprises everyone by proving himself to be the best bare-knuckle fighter on the block! Cousin Wilbur was originally released on April 29, 1939. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1939
Upset that his youthful sweetheart Darla Hood has once again thrown him over in favor of neighborhood bully Tommy "Butch" Bond, Our Gang member Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer tries to forget his troubles by watching a sidewalk performance by famed hypnotist Professor William Delmore (John Davidson). Chosen as a subject, Alfalfa is hypnotized into believing that he is the fearless D'Artagnan, of Three Musketeers fame. Armed with this bold new personality, Alfie not only sweeps Darla off her feet, but also challenges the dumbfounded Butch to a duel. The results, while not deadly, are devastating for both Alfalfa and Butch. The one-reel Our Gang comedy Duel Personalities was originally released March 11, 1939. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1939
Comedy, romance, and song hit the ice in this musical. Larry Hall (James Stewart) is a professional ice skater whose act with his friend Eddie Burgess (Lew Ayres) breaks up when Larry weds Mary McKay (Joan Crawford). Mary is also a skater, and she teams up with Larry to perform, but their on-stage (or, more accurately, on-ice) partnership proves short-lived when Mary is offered a contract to make movies in Hollywood. She quickly becomes a popular film star, but Larry does not have the same luck in California; in time, he decides to head to Canada, where he gets the idea of staging an elaborate ice revue. The producers of Ice Follies of 1939 worked with the Shipstad and Johnson Ice Follies troupe to stage the film's spectacular closing ice ballet, which was filmed in Technicolor (the remainder of the film was shot in black and white). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Crawford, James Stewart, (more)
- 1939
The Our Gang kids must raise 37 cents to pay off neighborhood bully Tommy "Butch" Bond. After earning a dollar for taking care of an injured dog, the kids hit upon a sure-fire moneymaking scheme; they'll "rescue" every dog in town, thereby collecting a dollar from each grateful owner. Naturally, the pet owners are upset when their pooches mysteriously disappear, and before long the gang is in hot water with the cops. Originally released on July 1, 1939, Dog Daze is a substandard Our Gang one-reeler that even the presence of guest star Scotty Beckett (repeating his "Cousin Wilbur" characterization) cannot rescue from mediocrity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1939
When the parents of little Eugene "Porky" Lee are threatened with eviction, the Our Gang kids decide to stage a circus to raise the rent money. Spanky McFarland doubles as ringmaster and acrobat, with Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer as a singing trapeze artist, Darla Hood as a lion tamer, Billy "Buckwheat Thomas as the "Wild Man of Borneo," and Porky himself as "The Head Without a Body." Things come to a spectacular climax when the circus' animal attraction, a cranky mule, is "energized" by a bee sting. The one-reel Clown Princes was originally released on April 15,1939. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, (more)
- 1939
The Our Gang kids' hopes to win the upcoming Kidmobile Race Classic are nearly dashed when town bully Tommy "Butch" Bond arranges for the gang's pet pooch Whiskers to be picked up by the dog pound. But instead of demoralizing the gang, the impoundment of Whiskers merely gives them a stronger reason to win the race and claim the prize, with which they will pay the dog's license fee. Only temporarily foiled, Butch and his pal Sidney "Woim" Kibrick try every dirty trick in the book to sabotage the gang's homemade "auto." The one-reel Our Gang comedy Auto Antics was originally released on July 22, 1939. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1938
Marie Blake, the real-life sister of Jeanette MacDonald, played the title role in the one-reel comedy Alfalfa's Aunt. Hoping to launch a career as a mystery writer, Aunt Penelope composes a manuscript which leads her nephew Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer to conclude that Auntie plans to do away with him. With the help of the rest of the Our Gang kids, Alfalfa succeeds in scaring Aunt Penelope off the premises -- much to the delight of his long-suffering parents. Brimming with clever and inventive sight gags, Alfalfa's Aunt -- originally released on January 7, 1939 -- is one of the better MGM Our Gang entries. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1938
In this often funny crime melodrama, a librarian moves to a small town and finds herself the butt of local gossip. While the town young men strut their stuff before her, the old biddies make her the topic of many bridge parties. The initially harmless gossip takes a nasty twist when a murder occurs and the girl finds herself shouldering the blame. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lew Ayres, Louise Campbell, (more)
- 1938
Upon learning that Darla Hood's father (Jack Pepper) owns a circus, Our Gang members Spanky McFarland and Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer try their best to impress Darla, hoping to land circus jobs. Never letting the facts get in the way of a good story, Alfalfa claims that he is an expert bear tamer, who uses his "magnetic personality" to hypnotize wild bears into submission. Overhearing this, Darla's dad decides to teach Alfie and Spanky a lesson, and to that end he disguises himself as a bear. Best line: "Alfalfa never turns back!" The one-reel "Our Gang" comedy Bear Facts was originally released on March 5, 1938. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1938
If not for the lachrymose presence of Our Gang member Robert Blake (still in his whiny, squeaky-voiced stage), the one-reel Dad for a Day might have been one of the series' better MGM entries. While planning to participate in the annual Fathers and Sons Day Picnic, the Our Gang kids are reminded that their pal Mickey (Blake) has no father. The kids prevail upon friendly gas-station owner Mr. Henry to act as Mickey's surrogate dad during the festivities. Not only does Mr. Henry win every competition, but he also works up enough nerve to propose to Mickey's widowed mother. Originally released on October 21, 1939, Dad for a Day benefits from an unusually strong adult supporting cast: Louis-Jean Heydt as Mr. Henry, Peggy Shannon as Mickey's mom, Arthur Q. Bryan (aka the voice of cartoondom's Elmer Fudd) as the chairman of the picnic, and Tom Herbert (brother of comedian Hugh Herbert) as a dithering gas-station customer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1938
Once again, Our Gang members Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer and Tommy "Butch" Bond are bitter rivals for the affections of little Darla Hood. The nerdish Waldo (Darwood Kaye) comes up with a solution: Alfalfa and Butch will compete for the title of Junior Mayor during Boys' Week, and whichever one wins will earn the honor of escorting Darla to the annual Strawberry Festival. But despite the strenuous efforts of both young candidates, a "dark horse" wins not only the election, but also the girl. Originally released on August 27, 1938, the one-reel Our Gang comedy Party Fever was among the earliest directorial efforts of George Sidney (The Harvey Girls, Show Boat, Bye Bye Birdie). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, (more)
- 1938
The Our Gang comedy series moved from Hal Roach Studios to MGM with the one-reel gem The Little Ranger. Snubbed by his girlfriend Darla Hood, Gang member Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer accepts the invitation of tomboyish Shirley "Muggsy" Coates to attend the local picture show. While watching the adventures of his favorite cowboy star, Alfalfa dreams that he himself is a Wild West sheriff, with his pals Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas and Eugene "Porky" Lee as deputies. Naturally, Darla also figures prominently in Alfalfa's dream, as does his archrival Tommy "Butch" Bond. What happens next determines Alfie's destiny when he awakens from his slumbers. A very funny entry, The Little Ranger successfully retained all the elements that had made Our Gang so popular during its Hal Roach days -- something that could not be said for most of the subsequent MGM offerings. The film was originally released on August 6, 1938. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, (more)
- 1938
Filmed on MGM's standing Dr. Kildare sets, the one-reel Our Gang comedy Men in Fright gets under way as Gang members Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Spanky McFarland, Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas, Eugene "Porky" Lee, and Leonard Landy pay a visit to their hospitalized friend Darla Hood. Thanks to a convenient plot device, Alfalfa is mistaken for a tonsillectomy patient and subjected to laughing gas. Once this complication has been straightened out, the kids burrow through a picnic basket full of such delicacies as pickles, ice cream, and hot dogs, with the expected results (conveyed via a clever bit of animation). Men in Fright was originally released on October 15, 1938. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1938
Spanky McFarland returned to the Our Gang comedy series in the one-reel entry Aladdin's Lantern. This time around, the gang members are putting on a musical show about Aladdin and his lamp. While Spanky, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, and Darla Hood endeavor to stick to the script (such as it is), their efforts are undermined by smaller kids Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas and Eugene "Porky" Lee. The film ends on a combustible note as Alfalfa tries to render a song while his pants catch fire! Aladdin's Lantern was originally released on September 17, 1938. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1938
Hoping to get even for all the practical jokes perpetrated by neighborhood troublemaker Tommy "Butch" Bond, the Our Gang kids plan to sabotage Butch's birthday party. The weapon of choice is a firecracker, which is substituted for one of the birthday candles. Unfortunately, the kids in general and Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer in particular are unable to escape from the party before the big (and tasty) explosion. Essentially a single-joke effort, the one-reel Our Gang comedy Practical Jokers was originally released on December 17, 1938. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1938
The Our Gang kids square off against "Butch's Assassins" in a crucial football game. Star player Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer balks at participating, leaving it up to Darla Hood to coerce and cajole him into donning his uniform. The climax of the game finds Alfie attempting a sixty-yard touchdown, despite the formidable opposition of his lifelong rival Tommy "Butch" Bond. Originally released on November 12, 1938, the one-reel Our Gang entry Football Romeo benefited from the comedy expertise of uncredited script contributor Jack White, of Three Stooges fame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1938
Hoping to earn enough money to buy baseball equipment, the Our Gang kids elect to have all their teeth pulled out. Their logic is sublime: If the Good Fairy is willing to slip a dime under the pillow for one tooth, imagine how much the kids will earn if they extract all of their ivories. Upon learning of this scheme, playful dentist Dr. Schwartz (played with unaccustomed sobriety by perennial movie "drunk" Jack Norton) decides to teach the little rascals a lesson -- beginning with a terrified Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer. The Awful Tooth was originally released on May 28, 1938. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, (more)
- 1938
Opening his own detective agency, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer dons a deerstalker cap and rechristens himself "X-10, Sooper Sleuth." His first assignment: to find out who stole a box of candy from Darla Hood. Suspecting that little Leonard Landy and Gary "Junior" Jasgar are the culprits, Alfie and his chief (and only) operatives Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas and Eugene "Porky" Lee put a tail on the two youngsters. Unfortunately, the three junior gumshoes are sidetracked to a seaside amusement pier, where they find themselves trapped in the fun-house. Scared out of their wits by various ersatz ghosts, monsters and spooky moans and groans, our heroes vow to give up the detective business forever -- if they live that long! Originally released on June 18, 1938, the one-reel Hide and Shriek was the final entry in producer Hal Roach's "Our Gang" series, and indeed, Roach's final short-subject release on any kind. Within a few months, however, the "Our Gang" property would be revived by MGM, remaining in production until 1943. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, (more)
- 1938
In this followup to the earlier one-reeler Our Gang: Night 'N' Gales, comedian Johnny Arthur reprises his role as Darla Hood's long-suffering father. It's Mr. Hood's birthday, and he has been eagerly anticipating a quiet dinner at home with his family. Alas, Darla has invited a "few friends" to the celebration: Our Gang-ers Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Eugene "Porky" Lee, Philip Hurlic, and Leonard Landy. The well-meaning quartet drive poor Mr. Hood to distraction with loud and interminable choruses of "Happy Birthday, Mr. Hood", but this is nothing compared to the presents they've brought: a frog, a duck, and a cat, all of which get into a noisy confrontation with the family dog. When the kids aren't arguing over their favorite comic-strip characters, they're busily devouring Mr. Hood's birthday dinner; the poor fellow doesn't even get a slice of his own cake! Feed 'Em and Weep was orginally released on May 7, 1938. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Eugene "Porky" Lee, (more)
- 1938
Again concocting an elaborate hooky-playing scheme, Our Gang kid Spanky McFarland places a block of ice on the chest of his pal Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer. The strategy this time is to convince their mothers that Alfalfa has a bad cold, and that Spanky must remain by his side to nurse him back to help. In fact, the boys plan to go fishing the moment their mothers' backs are turned -- and the scheme might have worked, had not little Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas and Eugene "Porky" Lee spilled the beans to Spanky's mom. Vowing to teach the boys a lesson, she orders Spanky and Alfalfa to remain in the house all day and look after Spanky's kid brother Junior. This turns out to be a major mistake when, while trying to clean Junior's clothes, the boys end up locked in a steam cabinet, while poor Buckwheat finds himself stuck in the washing machine's rinse cycle. Though adhering strictly to formula, the "Our Gang" one-reeler Canned Fishing pleased the crowd when it was originally released on February 12, 1938. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1938
Seven-year-old heartbreaker Darla Hood throws her steady beau Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer over in favor of wealthy Waldo (Darwood Kaye), who owns a junior-sized motorboat. Determined to win Darla back, Alfalfa challenges Waldo to a boat race for the championship of Toluca Lake. Alfie's vessel is a typical spit-and-vinegar "Our Gang" creation, powered by a couple of overworked ducks. Despite his amateurish means of conveyance, Alfalfa not only defeats Waldo, but also gets a chance to play hero by rescuing Darla from a watery fate. Could those little nemeses Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas and Eugene "Porky" Lee have had anything to do with Waldo's downfall? A slick and entertaining single-reel effort, Three Men in a Tub was originally released on March 26, 1938. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
