Q & A With James Tehrani

Q&A with James Tehrani, author of Alfalfa: The Rascal You Knew, the Character You Never Knew

Why did you decide to write a biography about Alfalfa?

I discuss this in the preface. Around 1999, I got a news release about an E! Mysteries & Scandals episode titled Alfalfa and the Gang. Since I grew up watching the Gang on TV and have always been a fan of classic comedy, I was intrigued. From the news release, I learned more about Alfalfa than I was expecting. I knew nothing about his untimely demise at the time or about his bad reputation, so I wanted to learn more. I requested a copy of the episode, and it was sent to me on a VHS tape, which was customary at the time. After watching the episode,I  tried to find a book on the subject but couldn’t. I searched online and found myself heading down a rabbit hole with info about him and conspiracy theories, etc., but I was still left longing for more. I thought to myself, maybe I’ll write that book? Then life got in the way, and I put it off for years until my kids got older. My wife kept telling me I should write a biography since I read so many of them, and I finally decided to take the plunge and revisit the topic I had thought about years before. Still, I would have never guessed it would take me five years to complete the book.

What was his real name?

Alfalfa’s real name was Carl Switzer, and he was born and raised in a small town in rural Illinois called Paris. He lived there with his mom and dad as well as his older sister and brother. His brother Harold was also part of the Our Gang series, but was a background player. So where did the name Alfalfa come from? Good question. It’s not as straightforward as you might think, and I explain the origins and theories in the book. As he grew up, most people called him “Alfie” instead of “Alfalfa.” I originally was going to call the book That’s Just Alfie based on a quote I got from someone who knew him in the 1950s because it really captured his spirit perfectly. Then I realized that the name might not be instantly recognizable to his fans—and I didn’t want people to think I was writing about the 1966 Michael Caine film Alfie. So Alfalfa it was, and Alfalfa it shall be.

Why did it take five years to write the book?

That’s an easy question–Alfie’s life is complicated. First of all, while some people think Alfie disappeared from Hollywood after he was through with Our Gang (the original name of The Little Rascals before television), he actually appeared in over 120 films and TV shows in his career. He even had a role in It’s a Wonderful Life! These weren’t always big roles, but they were appearances nonetheless. I was able to track down every known TV or film appearance he had except three (and one of those I’m not even sure about). It wasn’t easy. For example, you would think finding a copy of Alfie’s film There’s One Born Every Minute, which was Liz Taylor’s first movie, would be easy. You would think. Even though Alfie and Liz have some fun scenes together, the film is not very good. That’s probably the reason it’s so hard to find today. Keep in mind, I started this book around August 2019–right before COVID-19–so much of the world was closed down that first full year. I waited over a year for some sources to get back to me just because everything was shut down. I also spent countless hours tracking down sources and researching newspaper and magazine articles before I could start writing. Around two years into this project, I went to a writers’ workshop where a group of about 10 authors got together to discuss their projects. One person said he had been writing his book for about 20 years, and he was finally satisfied with the first four chapters. It made me realize how long it can really take to write a book–and how I didn’t want this project to take 20 years!

I remember Alfalfa as the kid that couldn’t sing from The Little Rascals. Did he really sing that badly?

I actually did extensive research on this and even enlisted the help of a college singing professor to help me better understand where that cacophony was coming from. Turns out Alfie was actually a really good singer with strong ability who was taught to sing badly. I don’t know if many people know this, but Alfie and his brother Harold got their start singing in Paris, Illinois, for some extra change. When a popular radio show called The National Barn Dance came to town, Alfie and Harold performed and were a big hit. Soon after they were on their way to Hollywood to try their luck at show business. Alfie’s maternal grandmother helped him learn to sing properly, and you can hear his real voice on Beginner’s Luck, his first Our Gang picture. It’s as pure a sound as any he ever recorded. He even had at least one formal singing lesson in his life near the end of his time with the Gang. His mom, Gladys, would later gush about his great singing ability, and frankly I believe her. With a crush of kids headed to Hollywood trying to become movie stars, a kid with a naturally terrible voice likely never would have made it. Although that natural personality of his definitely would have helped!

Where did the cowlick come from?

His mom would say that a fan on the studio set blew his hair up and the director liked it so much that they kept it. The problem they had was keeping his hair up as it would often drop down under the hot studio lights. Everyone was on alert to fix the hair whenever it drooped.

Were the Gang friends off the set?

Not really. As Spanky would later say, they spent most of their time together during the day, and they all came from different walks of life. When the day was done, it was simply time to go home, so they weren’t great friends outside the Hal Roach Studios. Believe it or not, Alfie’s best pals in the Gang were undoubtedly Butch and Waldo—two of his biggest on-screen rivals.

I’ve heard of an Our Gang curse. What’s that about?

If you would have asked Hal Roach about it, he would have said the fates of his Little Rascals were no different than any other group of people that size. Still, there have been many writers over the years who have commented on some of the tragedies surrounding the Gang. Some examples: Norman “Chubby” Chaney died at an early age following a surgery to treat a glandular ailment that caused him to keep gaining weight. There were also tragedies involving Bobby “Wheezer” Hutchins, who died in an airplane crash during a military training exercise, and Scotty Beckett who was found dead in a nursing home after suffering a beating. Sadly, there are other examples, too. Then there’s Alfie, of course. Generations of his fans have wondered about his demise, and there is so much misinformation out there about that day.

I’ve heard Alfie had a bad reputation. Is that true?

Yes and no. He certainly was a practical joker during his days with the Gang and even throughout his life. There’s even a story about a raccoon and Robert Mitchum that’s so Alfie. He later got into trouble with the law, too, but he was also loved by family and friends. One of the great anecdotes I was told was how he once grabbed some bells from his friend’s Christmas tree and climbed on the roof of the house to pretend to be Santa Claus so the friend’s kid would realize he better go to bed or risk no presents in the morning. What can I say? Some people loved him and some people really disliked him. Some people even portray Alfie as a guy who “had it coming to him,” as if his untimely demise was justified. I don’t believe that.

So what did happen that fateful day in January 1959?

As with everything related to Alfie, it’s complicated. There is also a lot of misinformation out there that has been circulating for years. Will we ever know the full story? I’m not sure, but I was able to compile a lot of information that has never been publicly shared. To me, however, it’s much more important to focus on his life than his death, and I believe this book will bring you back to a simpler time when a group of kids captivated the country with their antics. The most famous of those kids were Spanky, Buckwheat, Darla, Porky and Alfalfa. This is the story that generations of his fans have been waiting for.