Photo: Trailer screenshot, from Our Gang / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Public records list Carl Switzer as a singer, animal breeder and television actor. Carl Switzer was born on August 7, 1927 in Paris, Illinois, United States. Death is recorded on January 21, 1959, at the age of 31.
My Take
Switzer, forever Alfalfa with that cowlick and cracked singing voice, embodies the cruel arithmetic of child stardom. He charmed a generation in Our Gang, then watched the work dry up and reinvented himself as a dog breeder and guide before dying at just 31. I find his story genuinely poignant; few careers illustrate so starkly how fame given early can vanish before adulthood. Yet what survives on screen is pure, unselfconscious delight. I love him precisely for that bittersweet mix of innocence and loss, a small emblem of an entire vanished Hollywood era.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Carl Switzer
- Name (Japanese)
- カール・スウィッツァー
- Reading
- かーる・すうぃっつぁー
- Born
- August 7, 1927 – January 21, 1959
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Rabbit
- Origin
- Paris, Illinois, United States
- Occupation
- actor / singer / animal breeder / television actor / film actor
2. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl%20%22Alfalfa%22%20Switzer
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1040783
3. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Carl Switzer born?
Born August 7, 1927.
When did Carl Switzer die?
Died January 21, 1959, aged 31.
Where was Carl Switzer from?
Carl Switzer was from Paris, Illinois, United States.
What did Carl Switzer do?
Carl Switzer worked as actor, singer, animal breeder, television actor, film actor.
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