Nationality. He said Piott broke a glass-domed clock over Stiltz's head, causing Stiltz's eye to swell shut. In 1956, he had an uncredited role in the flick 'Dig That Uranium'. The guy says "what's the matter, Othello, jealous?" He was buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery next to his father and his brother. However, with Carl facing hard times, he visited Stiltz in the company of his friend, Jack Piott. Carl Alfalfa Switzer and Elizabeth Taylor led in song by Catherine Doucet in a scene from the film "There's One Born Every Minute" circa 1942. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Yet, despite the confusion surrounding his demise, its tragic nature remains obvious.. Carl had an older brother named Harold Switzer. Switzer and Collingwood divorced a year later. Last Name Switzer #3. [2], In early 1954, Switzer went on a blind date with Diantha Collingwood (19302004), also known as Dian or Diana. To make ends meet, he worked odd jobs. Well, let's just say Spanky really lived up to his name on this one. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Carl Dean Switzer (August 7, 1927 - January 21, 1959) was an American singer, child actor, dog breeder, and guide. How Carl Switzer Landed the Role of Alfalfa. Switzer and Collingwood divorced a year later. Stiltz fired and shot Switzer in the groin, damaging an artery that caused massive internal bleeding. As he grew into and out of his teens, he worked steadily in character roles with diminishing returns, always immediately and distractingly recognizable as Alfalfa. Please enter your email and password to sign in. He was born on August 7, 1927 at Paris, Illinois, United States. Oops, we were unable to send the email. C > Collingwood | E > Eldridge > Diantha Musette (Collingwood) Eldridge, WIKITREE HOME | ABOUT | G2G FORUM | HELP | SEARCH. Harold and Carl outgrew the series in the 1940s and left. In this exploration we take a look back at the life and death of child star Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer. Here is what happened. He and his ex-wife, Kay, divorced in 1981. In 1987, former Our Gang co-star Spanky McFarland recalled a meeting with Switzer concerning the farm: "The last time I saw Carl was 1957. This browser does not support getting your location. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. His short, tragic life was an absolute train wreckbut, as the story unfolds, just try and look away. Try again. Failed to remove flower. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. News of Harold and Carl's Hollywood success reached their hometown of Illinois, and they were greatly celebrated there. Besides sharing a mom, the siblings also met their deaths in similar tragic circumstances. Carl Dean Switzer (August 7, 1927 - January 21, 1959) was an American actor, professional dog breeder and hunting guide. Some time in late 1958 or early 1959, according to Film Daily, Switzer agreed to train a hunting dog for Moses Stiltz. Some features on this site require registration. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Besides sharing a mom, the siblings also met their deaths in similar tragic circumstances. Relatives. Your email address will not be published. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Carl Switzer was an American actor, professional dog breeder, and hunting guide. Corrigan said they heard emergency sirens as Piott begged for his life, and that he thought this was the only reason Stiltz did not kill Piott. our privacy/terms or if you just want to see the damn Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. He then went on to co-star in the comedy 'Reg'lar Fellers'.After this, he had supporting roles in the movies 'Johnny Doughboy', 'Mrs. However, none of these other accounts have stood the test of time. He claims that Switzer was drunk at the . If you can't find the email you can resend it here. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Gladys and Frederick's friends believed their kids were future stars and encouraged them to take the boys to Hollywood to seek fame and fortune. He also guest-starred in an episode of the American science fiction anthology series Science Fiction Theatre and The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. They had one child together, whose name they always kept secret. We need you! Paris was the birthplace of American actor Carl Switzerexcept it was the one in Illinois, not France. He was born Carl Dean Switzer in Paris, Illinois on August 7, 1927. Someone found the dog and brought it to the bar where Switzer was working as a bartender. His son, Justin Lance Collingwood-Switzwer (aka "Lance Switzer"), is a small time theater actor. Add a New Bio. During World War II, he continued to make movies, including "Henry and Dizzy" (1942), "There's One Born Every Minute" (1942), "Rosie the Riveter" (1944), and "The Great Mike" (1944). Enter a grandparent's name. During the struggle, the gun accidentally went off. Switzer was born in Paris, Illinois, the third son and last of the four children of Gladys C. Shanks and George Frederick Switzer.The oldest brother died in 1922. 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. Try again later. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Lance Switzer is the son of Carl Switzer. He was just a bratty little kid. She drank and read to escape, family members say. (The Los Angeles Times claims that it was Stiltz who offered the reward.) [2], Switzer had an uncredited role as Auggie in the 1943 film The Human Comedy. He was 42. He married Dian Collingwood in 1954. He was very bright but he needed help reading the scripts, Dian Collingwood recalled many years later.". I did quite well. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. . Alfalfa wore heavy makeup to play a 100 year old Indian in Track of the Cat (1954). Lance Switzer is the son of Carl Switzer. [italic] What's It All About, Alfalfie ? The Life Summary of Carl Dean. He appeared in a total of sixty-one episodes of Our Gang, delighting theater . He married Diantha Collingwood in 1954 and had a son named Justin Lance Collingwood Switzer before divorcing in 1957. . He supported himself by bartending, guiding hunters, and breeding and training hunting dogs. He was the first son of his parents, George Frederick and Gladys C. Shanks Switzer. "He didn't have to kill him," Corrigan said decades later.[9]. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. He is best remembered for his role of 'Alfalfa' in the "Our Gang" series of comedies. Since Carl's demise, there have been different accounts of his death. He was best known for his role as Alfalfa in the short subjects series Our Gang. The date was August 8, 1927, and Switzer was one of four children. Hollywood is notoriously unkind to former child actors after they have grown up. These relatives encouraged the Switzers to take their boys on one of the Hollywood studio tours. Failed to report flower. Carl Switzer was an American child actor, singer, dog breeder, and hunting guide from Paris, Illinois. He signed both brothers to appear in Our Gang. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21452451/diantha-musette-switzer_eldridge. Actor: Second Childhood. He was best known for his role as Alfalfa in the short subjects series Our Gang. The way their lives panned out and the tragic nature of their deaths not only leaves a sad taste in the mouth and begs the question of what could have been. Although Carl and George got along fine, their fathers argued constantly over salaries . Alfalfa (Carl Switzer) had an older brother, Harold! Hes not gorgeous per se , but there was something sexy as hell about him as he aged . Justin later took on the last name of Eldridge during his mother's marriage to Richard Eldridge. In 1967, after killing a customer over a dispute, Switzer drove himself to a remote area near Glendale, California and committed suicide. Some features on this site require a subscription. He tortured his younger brother, Brussel. After World War II, he played in "The Gas House Kids" (1946), and other Gas House Kids sequel movies. Harold was born on January 16, 1925, in Paris, Illinois. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. 1. discoveries. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? At that time, Roach was putting up the cast for a new show titled "Our Gang.". Carl attacked Stiltz, who made for a loaded gun. Carl and Diantha Switzer divorced in 1957.George McFarland recalled in a 1987 interview how 1957 was the last time he saw Switzer. . Please complete the process by verifying your email address. Of course, Tommy Corrigan wasnt 14 any more. He says Othello. Switzer then, according to Stiltz, threatened him with a knife and yelled, "I'm going to kill you!" But he was a gas on that show. Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer/Sons Their son, Justin Lance Collingwood Switzer (later Justin Lance Collingwood Elridge) was born that year. "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.". cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Switzer, http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0842813/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VR29-NKH, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/2H7N-5F7, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/2SFM-B5V, https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VM6V-G6N, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVVK-QZJ3, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVRR-QPPJ, "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (, "New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (, "United States Public Records, 1970-2009," database, FamilySearch (, "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (, "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (, "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (. 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