10 Child Actors Who Fell To The Little Rascals Curse

#1 The Little Rascals Curse

There are many superstitions in the entertainment field, dating all the way back to the reason why they say "break a leg." Many people believe that there are evil conspiracies and phenomena surrounding certain people, movies, songs, or TV shows. For example, many believe that The 27 Club is a real thing. That refers to the popular musicians and actors who died at that young age of 27 James Dean, Jimi Hendrix, Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin etc. There is also a Little Rascals Curse. Some believe the show/shorts and its child stars were doomed by strange deaths, injuries, and bad luck.

#2 Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer

Carl Switzer, one of the most well-known stars of The Little Rascals as Alfalfa, was most recognizable for his parted hair and cowlick, and stinging singing voice. He played this role from 1935-1940 from the age of 7-12. After the show, he found it difficult to transition into another career or find work. He continued acting in small roles but supplemented his career by working as a bartender and also trained hunting dogs, It was while training the dogs that he met his demise. He was killed by a man who owed him money for his work.

#3 The Controversy

Switzer had agreed to train a hunting dog for Moses Samuel Stiltz but the dog was lost. After finding the dog and returning it, Stiltz refused to pay Switzer his money. After a disagreement and vicious fight ensued that ended with Switzer getting shot in his abdomen. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital the date was Jan 21, 1959. He was just 31-yrs-old. Stiltz got less time because they claimed Switzer pulled a knife first and the murder was in self-defense.

#4 Norman “Chubby” Chaney

Norman Chaney is another Rascal who met a very early death. He was actually 14 when he joined the cast in 1928, one of the oldest cast members. However, he was only 3'11" and weighed approximately 113lb. He left the show in 193o and planned on a career outside of acting. He eventually grew to over 300 pounds and 4'7". He sought medical treatment for his weight gain at John Hopkins Hospital but suffered complications after dropping to just 140 pounds rapidly. He passed away on May 29, 1936n at the age of 21.

#5 Matthew “Stymie” Beard

He was instantly recognizable on film for the black bowler hat he always wore and was on the show from 1930 to 1935. His nickname on set was Stymie so that is what his character became known as. After leaving the show at the age of 10, he found a few acting roles here and there but by the time he got to high school, he was facing major problems in life and was already a heroin addict. After going in and out of jail he entered a rehab when he was 30-years-old and eventually kicked his drug habit. He returned to acting briefly in the 70s and made guest appearances on shows like Sanford and Son and Good Times. He passed away in 1981 after succumbing to pneumonia following a major stroke. He was 56-yrs-old.

#6 Darla Hood

Every group of characters needs a leading lady, and the Little Rascals had Darla. Darla Jean Hood, a native of Oklahoma, joined the Our Gang version of the series in 1935 at the age of four and went on to play her role for six years. After her stint on the show, she stayed in show business, singing and acting in many films and shorts as well as recording a few records. She actually scored at hit record in 1957 titled "I Just Wanna Be Free." Her death was very sad. She was preparing for a Little Rascals reunion in California when she had to undergo an emergency appendectomy on the way. Following the surgery, she died suddenly from heart failure on June 13, 1979. She was 47-years-old.

#7 Robert “Wheezer” Hutchins

One of the fans favorite Rascals, Wheezer appeared on the series from 1926-33. He began when the shorts were silent and continued up to where they had sound. After his time on the show, Wheezer moved back to Tacoma where he attended public school and joined the US Army in 1943. While in the Army, Hutchins succumbed to the Little Rascals Curse. A pilot, he was involved in a mid-air crash with a North American Aviation T-6 fighter plane on May 17th, 1945. He was just 20 years old at the time of his death.

#8 William “Buckwheat” Thomas

William "Billie" Thomas played the role of Buckwheat from 1935 to 1944. He is probably the most recognizable cast members out of all 44 of the kids who starred in the films and series. When he left the show, he joined the military in 1954 for two years and was awarded two medals for his service. He returned home and took a job in the film industry, but not acting. He had a reasonably long career as a film and lab technician for the Technicolor corporation. However, like the others on this list, he met an untimely death when he suffered a fatal heart attack in his LA apartment on October 10, 1980. He was only 49-yrs-old.

#9 Harold Switzer

He isn't easily recognized, but Harold was the older brother of Alfalfa in real life. He played an extra in the films from 1935 to 1940 when he was let go because they said he outgrew his role. He opted to leave show business forever. He worked for several years at a Speed Queen franchise. In 1967, Harold reportedly killed a customer over a dispute. After committing this murder, he drove himself to a deserted area in Glendale, California and killed himself. Harold Switzer was 42-years-old when he died. He lived 11 years older than his younger brother who died at the age of 31.

#10 William “Froggy” Laughlin

Laughlin was one of the last Little Rascals before the MGM shorts ended. He appeared in the Our Gang movies from 1940-1944, which was pretty much the last stretch of the film series. Laughlin had the nickname "Froggy" because of a croaky voice that ended up being his character's signature on the show. After leaving the show he gave up on acting. At age 12, he went back to school and led a normal life. He took on a paper route delivering morning newspapers on his motor scooter in La Puente, CA. In 1948 his scooter was struck by a bus and he was killed instantly. He was just 16-yrs-old.

#11 Scotty Beckett

Born in 1929, he appeared in the Little Rascals series from 1934-35. He played Spanky's best pal and led him into trouble on a regular basis. After leaving the Rascals Beckett got regular child acting gigs and even found consistent work as a young adult before going off to college. His career scored a big break in 1954 when he was cast as the comic sidekick âÂ€Â˜Winky" of the popular TV show Rocky Jones, Space Ranger. When that ended, he went into real estate and wound up having several run-ins with the law for driving drunk, fighting, drug possession and passing fraudulent checks. He attempted suicide in 1962 after crashing from a heavy drug and alcohol spree. He committed suicide in 1968 in a nursing home after being nearly beaten to death. He was just 38-years-old.

#12 Robert “Bonedust” Young

Robert Young was another child actor who met an untimely demise after starting off his career with the Our Gang/Little Rascal film series. He was a prominent part in the series from 1925-31. Unlike most of his other colleagues, he actually had a pretty decent acting career after leaving the series. He appeared in Warner Bros. films like Possessed and Blood on the Moon. However, he never got to see his 34th birthday. He died tragically in 1951, when he was engulfed in a hotel fire that was started by a cigarette he was smoking when he inadvertently fell asleep.

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