Screen Children's Directory 1945 Yearbook

Alfalfa's vital statistics were included in this listing that appeared on the first page of this annual directory of child actors and models.

An organization called the Screen Children's Guild, located on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, distributed a directory that, as it described in its title page, was

"...published annually as a cooperative service to the juvenile players and motion picture studios. Distributed to casting offices, directors, producers, executives, and others in motion picture studios, agents, commercial photographers, radio, stage, and style show producers."

The Guild explains later they are

"...not an agency...we collect no commission or percentages and do not assume any obligation to obtain calls, interviews, or work for members."

The 1945 directory contained photos and vital statistics for some 648 young performers from age one to eighteen. The directory was divided by boys and girls, and within each of these groups, by age. A cursory review of the names of the children included yielded no major future show business legends. Alfalfa's inclusion in the directory is very interesting since it is clear that he is the most accomplished young actor featured in the directory; it is almost as if the directory is "beneath" him. Still, his inclusion in it, and the mini-bio that accompanied his picture, is evidence that his parents plotted an aggressive course for his acting career following his departure from the Rascals and felt that his appearance in this directory was important, even though most of the others in it were clearly beginners or at least novices in modeling or acting.

The Screen Childrens Directory made it possible for casting directors to access
1945's top young talent, such as that shown below.

Alfalfa's listing tells us that he is 17 years old, 67-1/2 inches tall and 105 pounds, with brown hair and eyes. His qualifications are comprised of drama, dancing, singing (!), swimming, riding, uke (ukulele), and his being a "Natural Comedian". His credits are described thusly:

"Motion Pictures—over 100 pictures—featured for six years in "Our Gang", at MGM—featured during past years at several major studios (including "Going My Way"), having developed one of the best known characters and names in the movie industry. Commercial Photography includes picture on school tablets, clothing labels, pictures in ads for fruit juices, etc. Characterized in Comic Strip, Radio (networks), personal appearance tours."

At the time this directory was published, Alfalfa had appeared in his sixty-one Little Rascals episodes, and, (according to the IMDb), twenty-seven feature films outside of the Rascals, for a total of eighty-eight total film appearances. Although it is possible that he was in films that are lost or forgotten to time, this would make the claim of "over 100 pictures" a little dubious.

The inside cover of the 1945 directory contains some amusing, tongue-in-cheek blurbs espousing the benefits of consulting it for filling your next casting call. Among them:

"No Mental Hazards: Our kids are either too dumb or too smart to blow lines or muff a scene—they 'give', according to your directions."

"Pin Up Babies: Sparkling, gurgling, smiles, coos, squawking (ages, from diapers up), mothers for free."

"Brass: Some of our kids have more 'brass' than a war plant—BUT, sometimes that's just the kind of cocky jerk you want."

"The Meanest Kid in town. We don't like him either, but does your script call for him? We'll gladly give him to you."

Given Alfalfa's reputation for being a little difficult from time to time on the set, and his anecdotal unpopularity with some of his adolescent co-stars. The last two of these ads shown above are particularly intriguing.

Let's see...should we get the little blonde girls with the curls,
or the little blonde girl with the curls?...

In going through this directory, we couldn't help but be struck by the sheer volume (648) of available models and actresses under the age of eighteen that were listed (and think of the many others who did not choose to list in this directory). It is obvious that one glance at many of these children would confirm that their future as either a model or actress would be non-existent. But still, their parents chose to submit their formal photo to this publication, in the hope that their child would achieve stardom. A sobering reminder of the level of competition that existed, even back in 1945, among would-be child stars, and at the same time a confirmation of how much talent, commitment, and drive were required to be a success (as Alfalfa was) in the industry.

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