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4alfalfa.com
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| Alfalfa Nation |
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A case of mistaken Alfdentity... Most people even remotely familiar with film history or popular culture know what Alfalfa looked like during his Little Rascals career. Not nearly as many people have seen Alfalfa as an adult (until now, we hope). This is probably to blame for the fact that any adult male whose hair is parted in the middle, or who even has dark hair, or looks like they were born in the first half of the twentieth century, is liable to be identified as "Alfalfa, from the Our Gang comedies". This is demonstrated by the following two examples of photographs that have been put up for auction recently on a major online auction site. The below photograph, offered for a starting price of $499, was described as "a rare vintage 4-1/2 x 7 inch photograph of Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer from Our Gang/Little Rascals. [It] shows Alfalfa side profile. Extremely rare photograph. Signature in fantastic shape. Handwriting by Alfalfa on the back of photo as well."
The next picture (below) offered for bid was described as follows: "This small fortune card is of an obviously older Alfalfa. The name is Don Barclay and he worked through Hal Roach Studios. The back says...the weight and date and a pencilled in year of 1936. The fortune reads 'Though many troubles have beset your path, you have been true to your friends'..." It is puzzling exactly how the seller of this photo could have thought this was Alfalfa, unless it was assumed that Alfalfa's real name was "Don Barclay", and that, in 1936, Alfalfa was "older" (he was 9 years old in 1936, the date on the back of the card.) The Alfalfa-like hairdo probably nullified all these factors. The inscription in the back fits the fictional Alfalfa legend of tragedy, etc. etc., but unfortunately this picture is definitely not Alfalfa. In fact, Don Barclay was an actor who appeared in two Little Rascals episodes during the Wally Albright era, most notably playing the prissy chauffeur in "Honky Donkey" (at least it was another Hal Roach/Little Rascals performer!) 
"Photo
booth" images of "Alfalfa" offered for bid on online
auction site: This
series of photos was recently offered at on online auction site.
The product was entitled "1930s Snapshots of Alfalfa, Our Gang
Comedies", and the auction description included the text, "This
listing presents one series of four circa 1930's photo booth like
sepia tone snapshot images of Carl Switzer (8/7/27 - 1/21/59), also
known as "Alfalfa" from Our Gang Comedies or The Little
Rascals." We have no idea who this boy really is, and we readily
admit that he seems to possess charismatic looks that might have
led to a show business career. But whoever this young man is, he
is definitely— and obviously— not Alfalfa.
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Home • Episode
Commentary • An
Alfalfa Appreciation
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