Alfalfa's Double
Alfalfa's Double
| 20 January 1940 (USA)
Alfalfa's Double Trailers

Our Gang member Alfalfa comes face to face with his wealthy lookalike Cornelius.

Reviews
GamerTab That was an excellent one.
Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.
Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.
BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
tavm This M-G-M comedy short, Alfalfa's Double, is the one hundred eighty-seventh entry in the "Our Gang" series and the ninety-ninth talkie. At the Greenpoint train station, Alfalfa just misses meeting his doppelganger Cornelius but the latter does see him at his yard he's supposed to clean. After a few pleasantries, they switch places for what seems a fun ride. Doesn't turn out that way...This short starts out amusingly enough with Alf's mannerisms playing as Corny as well as some undercranking when the rest of the gang helps cleaning up the yard but when Corny finds out he has no money after treating the gang for ice cream and the proprietor makes them do chores, it becomes painful real quick and stays that way afterwards. So on that note, I can't recommend Alfalfa's Double unless you're an OG completest like I am. P.S. There have been Our Gang/Little Rascals impostors over the years since so many real members have disappeared from the public view after their acting careers ended. But the most egregious seems to have involved a Southern minister who claimed to have been Alfalfa years after he died. A reader of the Maltin-Bann book about Our Gang confronted him with the truth but when this pastor took the tricked-up photo from this short, he claimed while Carl Switzer was the Alfalfa on the left, he was the one on the right! As the authors of that book said, "Pastor, that's preposterous."
Thomas Dye Alfalfa comes face to face with a lookalike boy named Cornelius, who lives on a rich estate. They decide to switch places, but discover there's no place like home, and then a flying saucer takes them both. Okay, I made that last bit up.Okay, sure, it's trite, but it's kind of fun for all that. Alfalfa actually looks like he's enjoying his role for once. But it's still a bit stiff in that MGM fashion. MGM relies on undercranked cameras and weird ethnic caricatures to provide a lot of the humor. Alfalfa's "dance" is somewhat amusing but nothing remarkable.And really, why do they keep referring to "Our Gang" as if it's a social club? It's not as bad as it got later when they began saying "The Our Gang" but it just shows how detached from the original concept this was becoming.Still, better than "Time Out for Lessons," and in general, not a failure. The kids are still talented, even if those talents are becoming increasingly wasted.
dbborroughs I was never an Alfalfa fan, and seeing him in the MGM series I've liked him less since he comes off as a prima donna in many of the shorts. The fact that this is the tale of two Alfalfas made this short a tough haul for me. The plot is Alfalfa switching places with a look alike who is staying with his aunt and uncle. Both of course find out that the grass isn't always greener. The jokes aren't very good. Part of the problem is that we've seen them before and part of the problem is they just aren't any good, or at least well executed. I didn't laugh, I just kind of sat there stone faced. If you like Alfalfa, go for it, as for me I wish I took a pass
bandcrsh This is an entertaining short!!, Carlos Switzer plays both roles. However, the two Alfalfa's get confusing. The kingdom version of Alfalfa has a very important schedule he has to take everyday, they include naps, dancing lessons and BATHS!!!! At the end of this episode, the real Alfalfa shows up at the other one's house to trade, the gang is furious at the end.**********out of**********.