Complex sentence: In the gang, Beckett played George "Spanky" McFarland's best friend and partner in mischief; his role was taken over by Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer in 1935 and Beckett left the series for features after that year.
Split into simpler sentences: In the gang, Beckett played George "Spanky" McFarland's best friend and partner in mischief. His role was taken over by Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer in 1935, and Beckett left the series for features after that year.