The Death of Alfalfa
October 20, 2001 12:51 PM   Subscribe

The Death of Alfalfa You've probably heard about how Alfalfa from the Little Rascals died young. Read more about it.
posted by BarneyFifesBullet (11 comments total)
 
creepy....
posted by jcterminal at 1:06 PM on October 20, 2001


I'm trying to wrap my mind around why I should care about this. Now I don't want to go off on a rant here but it happened over forty years ago to a child actor who was never able to grok life after Our Gang was gone. The guy goes up to another man's house, and accosts him again about a fifty dollar debt that it was plain was never gonna get paid. He went into Stiltz's house and Stiltz shot him. Was it self-defense? Stiltz didn't invite Switzer. He's on Stiltz's property and is obviously not welcome. Blam. Case closed.

The real crime here is how for decades after those infamous Our Gang days, the company that owned the series of short films was making all that money and not a cent went to the talent that made it happen, but that wasn't illegal. Of course that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.
posted by ZachsMind at 1:13 PM on October 20, 2001


I thought Mo from the Simpsons killed the original Alfafa?
posted by Mossy at 4:06 PM on October 20, 2001


when i read this, i keep seeing a tiny human with a sprig of hair pointing up running around getting drunk, pounding on doors, getting shot at...
he didn't legally change his name to alfalfa, did he?
posted by elle at 7:51 PM on October 20, 2001


I don't know why, but reading about faded celebrities who die under strange circumstances always cheers me up.
posted by mb01 at 8:18 PM on October 20, 2001


"The real crime here is how for decades after those infamous Our Gang days, the company that owned the series of short films was making all that money and not a cent went to the talent that made it happen"

Yeah, that whole murder thing, that was no big deal.
posted by Doug at 11:14 PM on October 20, 2001


"Yeah, that whole murder thing, that was no big deal."

If someone comes into my house threateningly, I am fully within my legal right to defend myself. Murder? Yes. And personally I despise murder, but on my own property I can defend myself, my loved ones and my property as I see fit. The only person guilty of doing wrong in the situation brought to attention via this thread, was Alfalfa, who took his desire to get fifty dollars back a bit too far. It was only money, and he traded it in for his life. I see no mystery here, and believe mankind has given Switzer enough attention. There are other mysteries far more important than this.

OH! And a very kind and polite gentleman emailed me privately to set me straight about the legal history of royalties for the young acting talent of Our Gang. I said it was just my opinion and I could be wrong. I was. And I am very thankful that the gentleman in question corrected me with intelligence and tact. After having been publically humiliated in the past for my provacative opinions, it was a delightful change of pace.
posted by ZachsMind at 12:30 AM on October 21, 2001


Zach, the premise of the site posted is that there is a strong posibility that it was not a justifyable homicide, and that there is reason to believe that TV's Alfalfa was actually murdered. Are there bigger mysteries? Yes, but this is the one Barney felt like posting. It shouldn't be dismissed as a "case closed" unless maybe you have an argument contradicting the evidence posted on the site. Or whatever. It's Alfalfa, I don't really care, either way.
posted by Doug at 12:47 AM on October 21, 2001


My mother went to high school with Alfalfa. Of course, I can offer no prime info on the subject but how often do you get a chance to tell someone (luckily, not often)?
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 6:53 AM on October 21, 2001


Love the Rascals; watched 'em all the time growing up in the 70s. Happened to catch a short on AMC yesterday a.m., first time I'd seen any in about five years or so. Question: do most of you remember the Little Rascals with (a) Alfalfa or (b) Froggy? The shorts I watched in the 70s were exclusively Alfalfa-biased; I never even heard of "Froggy" until the TBS/TNT reruns in the late 80s/early 90s. I still consider Froggy an outsider; Alfalfa and Spanky were the core of the whole thing.

And, FWIW, the 1995 movie was excellent -- shoulda been a leaping-off point for a modest series.
posted by davidmsc at 11:16 AM on October 21, 2001


I heard Buckwheat has been shot too
posted by spork at 12:51 PM on October 21, 2001


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