Vote for why you think it jumped
Hal Roach sells out
Never Jumped
Puberty (Spanky)
The Movie
They cut the giddy music
Shark Bytes
From Wikipedia:
Death
In January 1958, he was shot in the arm while getting into his car. He survived the shooting, but the shooter was never identified. Months later, Switzer was arrested in Sequoia National Forest for cutting down 15 pine trees. He was sentenced to a year's probation and ordered to pay a $225 fine.
On January 21, 1959, Switzer and his friend Jack Piott arrived allegedly drunk at the home of Moses "Bud" Stiltz in Mission Hills, California, to settle an alleged debt owed to Switzer. Previously, Switzer had borrowed a dog from Stiltz which was lost, but eventually found. Switzer paid the man who returned the dog $35 and bought him $15 worth of drinks from the bar at which he was working. Switzer went to Stiltz's house to collect the money "owed" him. He banged on Stiltz's front door, demanding, "Let me in, or I'll kick in the door." Once Switzer was inside the home he and Stiltz got into an argument. Switzer informed Stiltz that he wanted the money owed him, saying "I want that 50 bucks you owe me now, and I mean now." When Stiltz refused to hand over the money, the two engaged in a physical fight. Piott allegedly struck Stiltz in the head with a glass-domed clock, which caused him to bleed from his left eye. Stiltz retreated to his bedroom and returned holding a .38-caliber revolver, but Switzer immediately grabbed the gun away from him, resulting in a shot being fired that hit the ceiling. Switzer then forced Stiltz into a closet, despite Stiltz having gotten his hands back on the gun. Switzer then allegedly pulled a switchblade knife and screamed, "I'm going to kill you, [expletive]." and was attempting to stab him with it, but just as Switzer was about to charge Stiltz, Stiltz raised the gun and shot Switzer in the groin. Switzer died of massive internal bleeding and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. He was just 31 years old.
Controversy
Jack Piott gave a second version of events to investigators. According to Piott, he and Switzer went to collect a debt from Stiltz, when an argument broke out. Piott said a brief struggle ensued and Stiltz brandished a gun and shot Switzer, who was unarmed at the time, in the groin. Then, according to police reports, only by begging for his own life was Piott able to save his own life.
The killing was held to be a justifiable homicide. Switzer had allegedly pulled a knife; therefore, the shooting was judged to be self-defense. During the trial regarding Switzer's death, it was revealed that what was originally reported as a "hunting knife" was in fact merely a pocket knife. It had been found by crime scene investigators under his body, but with no blade exposed.
On January 25, 2001, a third witness came forward and gave his version of the events of January 21, 1959. The witness, 56-year-old Tom Corrigan, stepson of Moses Stiltz, was present the night Switzer was killed.
"It was more like murder," Corrigan told reporters. He said he heard the knock on the front door and was present when the argument broke out. He claimed to witness Stiltz grab the revolver and the two fight for control over it. During the struggle the gun fired into the ceiling and Corrigan was struck in the leg by a piece of shrapnel. After the initial shot, his two younger sisters ran to a neighbor's house to call for help. "Well, we shot Tommy. Enough of this," he remembers Switzer saying as he and Piott retreated. Corrigan was making his way to the front door when he heard a second shot go off behind him. He did not see his stepfather shoot Switzer, but when he turned around he saw Switzer sliding down the wall. Corrigan said he spotted a closed penknife at Switzer's side. He then witnessed his stepfather threaten to kill Piott, but as the man begged for his life, Corrigan's mother stepped between the two and managed to calm Stiltz down.
Following the shooting, Corrigan claims a now-deceased Los Angeles Police Department detective, Pat Pow, interviewed him and asked him if he would testify before a judge. Corrigan claims to have agreed, although for unknown reasons he was never called before the coroner's jury. "He didn't have to kill him," Corrigan said.
Carl Switzer is interred at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California.
Death
In January 1958, he was shot in the arm while getting into his car. He survived the shooting, but the shooter was never identified. Months later, Switzer was arrested in Sequoia National Forest for cutting down 15 pine trees. He was sentenced to a year's probation and ordered to pay a $225 fine.
On January 21, 1959, Switzer and his friend Jack Piott arrived allegedly drunk at the home of Moses "Bud" Stiltz in Mission Hills, California, to settle an alleged debt owed to Switzer. Previously, Switzer had borrowed a dog from Stiltz which was lost, but eventually found. Switzer paid the man who returned the dog $35 and bought him $15 worth of drinks from the bar at which he was working. Switzer went to Stiltz's house to collect the money "owed" him. He banged on Stiltz's front door, demanding, "Let me in, or I'll kick in the door." Once Switzer was inside the home he and Stiltz got into an argument. Switzer informed Stiltz that he wanted the money owed him, saying "I want that 50 bucks you owe me now, and I mean now." When Stiltz refused to hand over the money, the two engaged in a physical fight. Piott allegedly struck Stiltz in the head with a glass-domed clock, which caused him to bleed from his left eye. Stiltz retreated to his bedroom and returned holding a .38-caliber revolver, but Switzer immediately grabbed the gun away from him, resulting in a shot being fired that hit the ceiling. Switzer then forced Stiltz into a closet, despite Stiltz having gotten his hands back on the gun. Switzer then allegedly pulled a switchblade knife and screamed, "I'm going to kill you, [expletive]." and was attempting to stab him with it, but just as Switzer was about to charge Stiltz, Stiltz raised the gun and shot Switzer in the groin. Switzer died of massive internal bleeding and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. He was just 31 years old.
Controversy
Jack Piott gave a second version of events to investigators. According to Piott, he and Switzer went to collect a debt from Stiltz, when an argument broke out. Piott said a brief struggle ensued and Stiltz brandished a gun and shot Switzer, who was unarmed at the time, in the groin. Then, according to police reports, only by begging for his own life was Piott able to save his own life.
The killing was held to be a justifiable homicide. Switzer had allegedly pulled a knife; therefore, the shooting was judged to be self-defense. During the trial regarding Switzer's death, it was revealed that what was originally reported as a "hunting knife" was in fact merely a pocket knife. It had been found by crime scene investigators under his body, but with no blade exposed.
On January 25, 2001, a third witness came forward and gave his version of the events of January 21, 1959. The witness, 56-year-old Tom Corrigan, stepson of Moses Stiltz, was present the night Switzer was killed.
"It was more like murder," Corrigan told reporters. He said he heard the knock on the front door and was present when the argument broke out. He claimed to witness Stiltz grab the revolver and the two fight for control over it. During the struggle the gun fired into the ceiling and Corrigan was struck in the leg by a piece of shrapnel. After the initial shot, his two younger sisters ran to a neighbor's house to call for help. "Well, we shot Tommy. Enough of this," he remembers Switzer saying as he and Piott retreated. Corrigan was making his way to the front door when he heard a second shot go off behind him. He did not see his stepfather shoot Switzer, but when he turned around he saw Switzer sliding down the wall. Corrigan said he spotted a closed penknife at Switzer's side. He then witnessed his stepfather threaten to kill Piott, but as the man begged for his life, Corrigan's mother stepped between the two and managed to calm Stiltz down.
Following the shooting, Corrigan claims a now-deceased Los Angeles Police Department detective, Pat Pow, interviewed him and asked him if he would testify before a judge. Corrigan claims to have agreed, although for unknown reasons he was never called before the coroner's jury. "He didn't have to kill him," Corrigan said.
Carl Switzer is interred at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California.
Yeah, Carl Switzer (Alfalfa) was trailer trash. According to "The Little Rascals" by Maltin and Bonn, Carl was shot and killed over a $50.00 bet from a poker game in the 1950s. That just about sums up Carl's life.
I've collected all of the sound episodes of The Little Rascals on VHS from the Roach era (1929-38), a few from the MGM era (1939-1944) and a few silents episodes (1922-29).
The first year of sound (1929-30) was awkward, and the shorts were uneven in quality. My personal favorite years are 1930-36. In 1937, Roach went from the 20 minute 2 reel format to the 10 minute 1 reel format. They were OK at that point, but not the same as the earlier ones.
The episodes really suffered greatly when it moved to MGM. They went from being charming and funny to being a morality lesson for all of the "dumb" kids in the theaters back in the day. What a waste!
The breezy background music was featured from 1930-36. This was stock music from Marvin Hatley (a roach employee) and Leroy Shields, an NBC employee from Chicago. This music was used in pretty much all of Roach's products, not just The Little Rascals.
Incidentally, those episodes were known during the Roach era as "Our Gang". When Hal Roach sold Our Gang to MGM, he also sold the rights to the Our Gang title. So when Roach decided to re-release his classic era shorts to television (King Features), he had to rename them "The Little Rascals". If you can find the shorts with the original MGM title cards, like through Cabin Fever Entertainment (Roach's product was originally released through Pathe' and then MGM), you can see the original "Our Gang" titles during the opening music, just like the theater patrons back in the day.
I've collected all of the sound episodes of The Little Rascals on VHS from the Roach era (1929-38), a few from the MGM era (1939-1944) and a few silents episodes (1922-29).
The first year of sound (1929-30) was awkward, and the shorts were uneven in quality. My personal favorite years are 1930-36. In 1937, Roach went from the 20 minute 2 reel format to the 10 minute 1 reel format. They were OK at that point, but not the same as the earlier ones.
The episodes really suffered greatly when it moved to MGM. They went from being charming and funny to being a morality lesson for all of the "dumb" kids in the theaters back in the day. What a waste!
The breezy background music was featured from 1930-36. This was stock music from Marvin Hatley (a roach employee) and Leroy Shields, an NBC employee from Chicago. This music was used in pretty much all of Roach's products, not just The Little Rascals.
Incidentally, those episodes were known during the Roach era as "Our Gang". When Hal Roach sold Our Gang to MGM, he also sold the rights to the Our Gang title. So when Roach decided to re-release his classic era shorts to television (King Features), he had to rename them "The Little Rascals". If you can find the shorts with the original MGM title cards, like through Cabin Fever Entertainment (Roach's product was originally released through Pathe' and then MGM), you can see the original "Our Gang" titles during the opening music, just like the theater patrons back in the day.
Alfalfa was a sleaseball!!!
Switzer's country-boy sense of earthy humor could often be cruel. He enjoyed playing tricks on his fellow cast and crew members. One incident occurred when he put fishing hooks in the pants of "Spanky" McFarland and Spanky suffered severe cuts that resulted in his receiving stitches. Switzer tricked Darla Hood into putting her hand in his pocket, telling her he had a ring for her, but in reality it was a switchblade knife. Darla almost lost her fingers from that incident. After Hal Roach sold the series to Metro-Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) in 1938, the now-adolescent Switzer's behavior was even more extreme. He often sabotaged the production of Our Gang films. Once, during a break in filming, Switzer urinated on the set's lights. When filming resumed, the lights heated up and filled the set with such a stench that filming had to be halted for the rest of the day. On another occasion, he put chewing gum inside one of the cameras.
Switzer's country-boy sense of earthy humor could often be cruel. He enjoyed playing tricks on his fellow cast and crew members. One incident occurred when he put fishing hooks in the pants of "Spanky" McFarland and Spanky suffered severe cuts that resulted in his receiving stitches. Switzer tricked Darla Hood into putting her hand in his pocket, telling her he had a ring for her, but in reality it was a switchblade knife. Darla almost lost her fingers from that incident. After Hal Roach sold the series to Metro-Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) in 1938, the now-adolescent Switzer's behavior was even more extreme. He often sabotaged the production of Our Gang films. Once, during a break in filming, Switzer urinated on the set's lights. When filming resumed, the lights heated up and filled the set with such a stench that filming had to be halted for the rest of the day. On another occasion, he put chewing gum inside one of the cameras.
In case you've been living in a cave somewhere, you've probably heard that the Roach MGM talkies are all available on a 4-disk DVD set. Go out right now and get them. 
The set also includes three silents: "Dog Heaven", "Spook Spoofing" and "Barnum & Ringling, Inc." as well as a "Where Are They Now?" showing a few of the surviving Rascals (don't worry, Robert Blake isn't one of them).
The series definitely jumped when Roach sold out. There were a few good MGM shorts ("Men In Fright" was very well done) and the nostalgic factor can never be denied. But there was some absolute crap that came out after Roach left. I remember those being shown on TV when I was a kid and as I said, some of them are entertaining and the kids had some good chemistry together, but the magic that Hal's kids produced was gone.
Now for a DVD set of the silents. I know, I know - wishful thinking.
The set also includes three silents: "Dog Heaven", "Spook Spoofing" and "Barnum & Ringling, Inc." as well as a "Where Are They Now?" showing a few of the surviving Rascals (don't worry, Robert Blake isn't one of them). The series definitely jumped when Roach sold out. There were a few good MGM shorts ("Men In Fright" was very well done) and the nostalgic factor can never be denied. But there was some absolute crap that came out after Roach left. I remember those being shown on TV when I was a kid and as I said, some of them are entertaining and the kids had some good chemistry together, but the magic that Hal's kids produced was gone.
Now for a DVD set of the silents. I know, I know - wishful thinking.
The Our Gang comedies were born out of youth and then were perfect for the depression era. When WWII came along the concept was outdated.
Each short was self contained so there was no continuity needed.
Young Spanky especially when paired with Scotty ruled.
Both Scotty and Alfalfa met violent ends.
Farina and Buckwheat were originally females but then changed to men.
At the end the shorts weren't even attempting to be funny. They succeded.
Each short was self contained so there was no continuity needed.
Young Spanky especially when paired with Scotty ruled.
Both Scotty and Alfalfa met violent ends.
Farina and Buckwheat were originally females but then changed to men.
At the end the shorts weren't even attempting to be funny. They succeded.
I agree with the last poster. Things started going downhill around the time Alfalfa showed up. Nothing against Alfie as a performer, but his arrival sort of is the cut-off point for me. The best periods were the early silents (those kids were all amazing and the shorts very funny) and the Wheezer-era early-talkie period, a time frame that included Farina, Jackie Cooper, Chubby Chaney, Mary Ann Jackson and included the arrival of characters like Stymie, Dickie Moore and Baby Spanky. If anything, Hal Roach was a casting genius. He knew how to find the most natural, charming kids who weren't cutsie or overly theatrical. But it's almost as if he was losing interest or not as involved in his later years with the Gang. Darla, Buckwheat, and the oh-so-boring Porky were just not in the same league as the earlier kids.
I'm going to swim against the tide here and claim that the Rascals started to go downhill even before Hal Roach ceded all control over the series to MGM. Some of the later Roach shorts (circa '35 and up) are pretty rough going.
Give me Jackie Cooper and Wheezer over the He-Man Woman-Haters Club and endless "let's put on a show" plots anyday. Spanky was terrific when he was between 3 and, say, 7, but as he aged he became not only less cute, but he lost all his charm and spontaneity. He went from being the adorable little kid telling us a convoluted tale about a monkey, a great big monkey, and a rat flying on their own plane, to being a prim and proper, stern taskmaster who kept Alfalfa in line (God forbid Alfie make eyes at Darla, Spanky would react in a jealous rage) or snootily told the little kids (Porky and Buckwheat) to "scream!"
For me, the early '30s (Jackie, Chubby, Mary Ann, tiny Spanky) are the best years, followed by the silents, followed by the mid-to-late '30s.
The MGM years I won't even bother to rank. As far as I'm concerned, those aren't Our Gang shorts, they're some distinctly different and vastly inferior impostor.
Give me Jackie Cooper and Wheezer over the He-Man Woman-Haters Club and endless "let's put on a show" plots anyday. Spanky was terrific when he was between 3 and, say, 7, but as he aged he became not only less cute, but he lost all his charm and spontaneity. He went from being the adorable little kid telling us a convoluted tale about a monkey, a great big monkey, and a rat flying on their own plane, to being a prim and proper, stern taskmaster who kept Alfalfa in line (God forbid Alfie make eyes at Darla, Spanky would react in a jealous rage) or snootily told the little kids (Porky and Buckwheat) to "scream!"
For me, the early '30s (Jackie, Chubby, Mary Ann, tiny Spanky) are the best years, followed by the silents, followed by the mid-to-late '30s.
The MGM years I won't even bother to rank. As far as I'm concerned, those aren't Our Gang shorts, they're some distinctly different and vastly inferior impostor.
The post-Roach MGM stuff is just god awful. The Roach era kids were getting older and boring, the stories weren't good, and the kids cast by MGM were the most charmless little brats ever to hit the silver screen. Although it is completely ironic that the Our Gang graduate who ended up being the best adult actor was none other than Robert "Mickey Gubitowski" Blake. Can't even imagine that whiney little sniveler being allowed to hang with cool kids like Mickey Daniels and Johnny Downs from silent Our Gang days.
It went to their heads!
On January 21, 1959, Switzer and his friend Jack Piott arrived allegedly drunk at Moses "Bud" Stiltz's home in Mission Hills, California, to settle an alleged debt owed to Switzer. Previously, Switzer had borrowed a dog from Stiltz which was lost, but eventually found, Switzer paying the man who returned the dog $35 and buying him $15 worth of drinks from the bar he was working at. Switzer went to Stiltz's house to collect the money "owed" him. He banged on Stiltz's front door, demanding "Let me in, or I'll kick in the door." Once Switzer got inside he and Stiltz got into an argument. Switzer informed Stiltz that he wanted the money owed him saying "I want that 50 bucks you owe me now, and I mean now." However, when Stiltz refused to hand over the money, the two engaged in a physical fight. Piott allegedly bashed Stiltz in the head with a glass-domed clock, which caused Stiltz to bleed from his left eye. Stiltz retreated to his bedroom and returned holding a .38-caliber revolver, but Switzer immediately grabbed the gun away from him, resulting in a shot being fired that hit the ceiling. Switzer then forced Stiltz into a closet, despite Stiltz having gotten his hands back on the gun. Switzer then allegedly pulled a switchblade knife and screamed, "I'm going to kill you, [expletive]." and was attempting to stab Stiltz with it, but just as Switzer was about to charge Stiltz, Stiltz raised the gun and shot Switzer in the groin. Switzer died of massive internal bleeding and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. He was 31 years old.
Jack Piott gave a second version of events to investigators. According to Piott, he and Switzer went to collect a debt from Stiltz, when an argument broke out. Piott said a brief struggle ensued and Stiltz brandished a gun and shot Switzer, who was unarmed at the time, in the groin. Then, according to police reports, only by begging for his own life was Piott able to save his own life.
The killing was held to be a justifiable homicide. Switzer had allegedly pulled a knife; therefore, the shooting was judged to be self-defense. During the trial regarding Switzer's death, it was revealed that what was originally reported as a "hunting knife" was in fact merely a pocket knife. It had been found by crime scene investigators under his body, but with no blade exposed.
On January 25, 2001, a third witness came forward and gave his version of the events of January 21, 1959. The witness, 56-year-old Tom Corrigan, stepson of Moses Stiltz, was present the night Switzer was killed.
"It was more like murder," Corrigan told reporters. He said he heard the knock on the front door and was present when the argument broke out. He claimed to witness Stiltz grab the revolver and the two fight for control over it. During the struggle the gun fired into the ceiling and Corrigan was struck in the leg by a piece of shrapnel. After the intial shot, his two younger sisters ran to a neighbor's house to call for help. "Well, we shot Tommy. Enough of this," he remembers Switzer saying as he and Piott retreated. Corrigan was making his way to the front door when he heard a second shot go off behind him. He did not see his stepfather shoot Switzer, but when he turned around he saw Switzer sliding down the wall. Corrigan said he spotted a closed penknife at Switzer's side. He then witnessed his stepfather threaten to kill Piott, but as the man begged for his life, Corrigan's mother stepped between the two and managed to calm Stiltz down.
Following the shooting Corrigan claims a now-deceased Los Angeles Police Department detective, Pat Pow, interviewed him and asked him if he would testify before a judge. Corrigan claims to have agreed, although for unknown reasons he was never called before the coroner's jury. "He didn't have to kill him," Corrigan said.
Carl Switzer is interred at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California.
On January 21, 1959, Switzer and his friend Jack Piott arrived allegedly drunk at Moses "Bud" Stiltz's home in Mission Hills, California, to settle an alleged debt owed to Switzer. Previously, Switzer had borrowed a dog from Stiltz which was lost, but eventually found, Switzer paying the man who returned the dog $35 and buying him $15 worth of drinks from the bar he was working at. Switzer went to Stiltz's house to collect the money "owed" him. He banged on Stiltz's front door, demanding "Let me in, or I'll kick in the door." Once Switzer got inside he and Stiltz got into an argument. Switzer informed Stiltz that he wanted the money owed him saying "I want that 50 bucks you owe me now, and I mean now." However, when Stiltz refused to hand over the money, the two engaged in a physical fight. Piott allegedly bashed Stiltz in the head with a glass-domed clock, which caused Stiltz to bleed from his left eye. Stiltz retreated to his bedroom and returned holding a .38-caliber revolver, but Switzer immediately grabbed the gun away from him, resulting in a shot being fired that hit the ceiling. Switzer then forced Stiltz into a closet, despite Stiltz having gotten his hands back on the gun. Switzer then allegedly pulled a switchblade knife and screamed, "I'm going to kill you, [expletive]." and was attempting to stab Stiltz with it, but just as Switzer was about to charge Stiltz, Stiltz raised the gun and shot Switzer in the groin. Switzer died of massive internal bleeding and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. He was 31 years old.
Jack Piott gave a second version of events to investigators. According to Piott, he and Switzer went to collect a debt from Stiltz, when an argument broke out. Piott said a brief struggle ensued and Stiltz brandished a gun and shot Switzer, who was unarmed at the time, in the groin. Then, according to police reports, only by begging for his own life was Piott able to save his own life.
The killing was held to be a justifiable homicide. Switzer had allegedly pulled a knife; therefore, the shooting was judged to be self-defense. During the trial regarding Switzer's death, it was revealed that what was originally reported as a "hunting knife" was in fact merely a pocket knife. It had been found by crime scene investigators under his body, but with no blade exposed.
On January 25, 2001, a third witness came forward and gave his version of the events of January 21, 1959. The witness, 56-year-old Tom Corrigan, stepson of Moses Stiltz, was present the night Switzer was killed.
"It was more like murder," Corrigan told reporters. He said he heard the knock on the front door and was present when the argument broke out. He claimed to witness Stiltz grab the revolver and the two fight for control over it. During the struggle the gun fired into the ceiling and Corrigan was struck in the leg by a piece of shrapnel. After the intial shot, his two younger sisters ran to a neighbor's house to call for help. "Well, we shot Tommy. Enough of this," he remembers Switzer saying as he and Piott retreated. Corrigan was making his way to the front door when he heard a second shot go off behind him. He did not see his stepfather shoot Switzer, but when he turned around he saw Switzer sliding down the wall. Corrigan said he spotted a closed penknife at Switzer's side. He then witnessed his stepfather threaten to kill Piott, but as the man begged for his life, Corrigan's mother stepped between the two and managed to calm Stiltz down.
Following the shooting Corrigan claims a now-deceased Los Angeles Police Department detective, Pat Pow, interviewed him and asked him if he would testify before a judge. Corrigan claims to have agreed, although for unknown reasons he was never called before the coroner's jury. "He didn't have to kill him," Corrigan said.
Carl Switzer is interred at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California.
"What this lemonade stand needs is a floor show!"
Our Gang jumped the minute the kids stopped being beaten, starved and abused in orphanages and started putting on the Kiddie Follies in the Club House. Give me the inventive, plucky little ragtag tots over the tap dancing brats any day.
Our Gang jumped the minute the kids stopped being beaten, starved and abused in orphanages and started putting on the Kiddie Follies in the Club House. Give me the inventive, plucky little ragtag tots over the tap dancing brats any day.
Some of the episodes after the Roach era were good. Even Leonard Maltin thinks so. I like the later Marx Brothers movies and the later Laurel and Hardy movies, too whether critics agree with me or not. I urge people to
watch the later Our Gang films with an open mind and not accept the opinion of critics before you even see them. You may miss some episodes you might enjoy.
watch the later Our Gang films with an open mind and not accept the opinion of critics before you even see them. You may miss some episodes you might enjoy.
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