Johnny Doughboy
Casting
### Casting

This was Jane Withers' first film after completing her seven\-year contract with 20th Century Fox. It was also Withers's third screen pairing with [Etta McDaniel](/wiki/Etta_McDaniel "Etta McDaniel"), sister of actress [Hattie McDaniel](/wiki/Hattie_McDaniel "Hattie McDaniel") and a former vaudevillian. According to *[The Hollywood Reporter](/wiki/The_Hollywood_Reporter "The Hollywood Reporter")*, actor [Henry Wilcoxon](/wiki/Henry_Wilcoxon "Henry Wilcoxon") announced he would donate his fee for the film to the [United States Coast Guard](/wiki/United_States_Coast_Guard "United States Coast Guard") Relief.

The fictional "20 Minus Club" is depicted as an organization for once famous child stars. The "members" (all of whom portray themselves) really were Hollywood "has\-beens", and this was the last time some of them appeared on screen. Members of the club include actor/singer [Bobby Breen](/wiki/Bobby_Breen "Bobby Breen"), [Baby Sandy](/wiki/Baby_Sandy "Baby Sandy"), former *[Our Gang](/wiki/Our_Gang "Our Gang")* stars [Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer](/wiki/Carl_%22Alfalfa%22_Switzer "Carl ") and [George "Spanky" McFarland](/wiki/George_McFarland "George McFarland") (reunited on film for the final time), musicians "Butch" and "Buddy" (Kenneth Brown and Billy Lenhart), actress [Cora Sue Collins](/wiki/Cora_Sue_Collins "Cora Sue Collins"), actor [Robert Coogan](/wiki/Robert_Coogan "Robert Coogan"), dancer Grace Costello, drummer Karl Kiffe, and the Faulkner Orchestra.


Is there a connection between the '20 Minus Club' and the real-life struggles of child stars?