Carl Switzer shot to fame playing the freckled Alfalfa on the “Our Gang” series, but it wasn’t a great life for the actor.
At the age of 31, the former child star was killed in a fight allegedly worth more than $50. In today’s money, that would be $539.36, according to the Minneapolis Federal Reserve.
“All hell broke loose,” James Tehrani, author of the new book “Alfalfa — The Gangster You Know, the Character You Never Knew,” told Fox News Digital.
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Carl Switzer played Alfalfa in the “Little Rascals” series, originally titled “Our Gang.” The photo was taken on January 1, 1936. (CBS via Getty Images)
“I think there’s more to this story than $50,” he shared. “But one thing that’s important to me is not to publish more misinformation and stay away from rumors and hearsay… I hope this is just the beginning and there’s more to come.”
Switzer was a bartender and a hound handler at the time of the fatal battle. By the time he started working odd jobs, the success he once had in Hollywood seemed long behind him. History.com also noted that he had several run-ins with the police.
A few weeks ago, he was training one of Moses “Bud” Stiltz’s dogs on a hunting trip. It escaped and Stiltz wanted his dog back. The book states that Switzer posted a notice in the newspaper offering a $35 reward.
Carl Switzer stars opposite James Stewart and Donna Reed in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” (Everett)
Someone spotted the dog and came up to claim the reward. Switzer paid the reward and treated the man to a few drinks as a token of his gratitude. The bar bill was reportedly $15, which would be $100 in today’s money. But the book states that at some point during the night, Switzer felt Stiltz should pay him back the $50.
“Maybe it was a matter of principle, maybe it was because he really needed the money,” Tehrani wrote.
James Tehrani’s book “Alfalfa – The Gangster You Know, the Character You Never Knew” is out now. (Bear Manor Media)
“He was going to trial just a few weeks after he died of a woman that I couldn’t find,” Dehlani told Fox News Digital. “She lent him a lot of money… and that may have been part of it. I I heard other things during my research but I didn’t include it in my book because I couldn’t verify it.”
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Alfalfa is Carl Switzer’s most famous character. (Helton Files/Getty Images)
“It is said that Carl put a reward in the newspaper for $35,” Dehlani said. “I spent hours… trying to find this classified ad, but I couldn’t find it. So whether this is true or not is unknown. But mysteriously, one day the dog was with a gentleman who brought the dog back Showed up… Carl wasn’t in a great financial position, but bought this guy $15 worth of drinks, which, when you think about it, was nothing.
Tehrani noted that Switzer “eventually ran into trouble.”
As a child actor, Carl Switzer became a star. But as he grew older, he encountered financial difficulties and had several run-ins with the police. He reportedly never received any royalties from the show. (CBS via Getty Images)
“His marriage was up and down,” Dehlani explained. “He and his wife [Diantha Collingwood] Married soon. After dating for a few months, they had a son and moved to Kansas. There was an opportunity for a better life there, but that opportunity didn’t last. So he struggled, especially when he was back in Hollywood and away from his son.
“There were other incidents along the way,” Tehrani noted. “In 1958, he cut down a bunch of trees to make a Christmas tree. He was caught and fined for it. It was a difficult time financially.”
Switzer’s friend, photographer Jack Piotr, offered to drive him to Stiltz in the evening. When they arrived at the home of Stiltz’s girlfriend, Rita Corrigan, Switzer “got out of the car and hurried toward the front door.”
Corrigan heard a voice say, “Bud Stiltz’s Western Union.” When the door wouldn’t open, Switzer reportedly said forcefully, “You let me in, or I’ll break the door down.” ”
Carl Switzer appeared in the 1954 film “The High and the Mighty” starring John Wayne. (Everett)
Stiltz seemed unfazed and told Corrigan to let Switzer in. Piotr was putting out cigarettes outside and did not immediately follow Switzer.
“There was a conflict upstairs,” Tehrani said. “Eventually, that resulted in Bud getting hit multiple times and Carl wrestling with Bud. Then Jack came in and tried to break it up as hard as he could. But allegedly, he also hit Bud with a clock… and then fired a gun.
“What happens depends on who you believe,” Tehrani said. “Jake Piot said Carr was about to leave when he was shot and his hand was on the door. Bud said he felt threatened and Carr was attacking him, possibly with a knife. The case The problem is, this is what he said.
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Carl Switzer played alfalfa from the mid-1930s to the early 1940s. In 1955, the comedy “Our Gang” was adapted into “The Little Rascals.” (CBS via Getty Images)
There are a few things everyone agrees on. Stiltz was hit in the head by the clock and suffered severe bruises. Switzer was shot in the abdomen. He reportedly told Stiltz: “Why did you shoot me?”
When police arrived, Switzer was hunched over on the ground by the door, hanging on for dear life. Although Switzer’s wounds did not bleed much, he died from his injuries by the time he arrived at the hospital.
A paramedic found a closed switchblade. But Piotr claimed he never saw Switzer holding a knife, according to Tehrani.
“What we do know is that Carl and Bud appeared to have been good friends at one time,” Dehlani said. “They were both hunters. But at some point, things went south. It seemed like there were a lot of phone calls back and forth in the months leading up to this… but it was more of a he said, she said kind of thing. “
In the 1938 film Can Fish, Carl Switzer played Alfalfa and George McFarland played Spanky. (John Springer Collection/Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
Stiltz told reporters that Switzer entered the property drunk or “under the influence” and demanded his $50, the book states. Stiltz also claimed that Switzer took the gun from him, but that he got it back. That’s when Switzer pulled out the knife and said, “I’m going to kill you.” Stiltz said he had no choice but to shoot the actor in self-defense.
Piotr, on the other hand, said he never saw Switzer with a gun in his hand.
The book emphasizes that although there were many people in the family, “recollections of what happened that night vary and sometimes are quite different”.
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The jury found the incident to be a justifiable homicide. Piotr died in 1973, Stilz died in 1983.
Rumors have circulated for decades that Switzer was a Hollywood star who turned to drugs. Tehrani said this could not be further from the truth.
“There’s a myth that after he left the ‘Our Gang’ franchise, he disappeared from Hollywood,” he said. “To a certain extent, that’s true. After ‘Our Gang,’ he stopped playing major roles, but he would appear in a TV show or movie every year until his death in 1959.”
Carl Switzer worked odd jobs in his later years before he was killed. (Family photos courtesy James Tehrani.)
“Look at ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’ It’s a movie that people watch every year during the holidays… He plays a character there, but he’s in this wonderful dance scene where he dances with Donna Reed… He’s in “The Defiant Ones.” The Ten Commandments, two important movies.
“He deserves recognition,” Tehrani continued.
James Tehrani hopes his book will tell the full story of Carl Switzer’s short life in Hollywood. (Bear Manor Media)
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“He was one of the most famous child actors of the 1930s and arguably one of the most famous child actors of all time… Was he a perfect person? No, he did do some things that I talk about in the movie Not so good things.
