Johnny Doughboy ** (1942, Jane Withers, Henry Wilcoxon, William Demarest, Ruth Donnelly, Etta McDaniel) – Classic Movie Review 11,473

Bobby Breen, Jane Withers, and Patrick Brook in Johnny Doughboy.

Director John H Auer’s lightly entertaining 1942 American black-and-white musical comedy film Johnny Doughboy is made by Republic Pictures, given a lift by its gimmicks and high spirits, as well as its Oscar nominated score.

Jane Withers stars in twin roles as 16-year-old film star actress Ann Winters who is sick of playing juvenile roles, and her lookalike fan Penelope Ryan, president of the Ann Winters fan club in Oriole, Nebraska, who is persuaded by a group of ‘has-been’ child stars to perform with them in a US troops show.

The film features cameos by ex-child stars such as Bobby Breen, Carl ‘Alfalfa’ Switzer, George ‘Spanky’ McFarland and Baby Sandy as the fictional 20 Minus Club. The members of the club are played by real Hollywood ‘has-beens’ and this is the last time some of them appeared on screen.

Walter Scharf was nominated for Best Musical Score at the 15th Academy Awards, but lost to Ray Heindorf and Heinz Roemheld’s score for Yankee Doodle Dandy.

Lawrence Kimble adapted the screenplay, based on an original story by Frederick Kohner.

Baby Sandy, who appears uncredited as herself, retired at the age of four. After this, her eighth film; she married, had three kids and became an LA legal secretary. Baby Sandy (real name Sandra Lea Henville) was born on 14 January 1938.

RIP Jane Withers.

Jane Withers (April 12, 1926 – August 7, 2021) became one of the most popular child stars in Hollywood in the 1930s and early 1940s. She appeared as an extra in many films until landing her breakthrough role in Bright Eyes. She made 38 films before retiring at the age of 21 in 1947 but returned to film and TV as a character actress in the 1950s.

The cast are: Jane Withers as Ann Winters and Penelope Ryan, Henry Wilcoxon as Oliver Lawrence, Patrick Brook as Johnny Kelly, William Demarest as Harry Fabian, Ruth Donnelly as ‘Biggy’ Biggsworth, Etta McDaniel as Mammy, Joline Westbrook as Jennifer Lawrence, Bobby Breen as Himself, Baby Sandy as Herself, Carl ‘Alfalfa’ Switzer as Himself, George ‘Spanky’ McFarland as Himself, Butch (Kenneth Brown) as Himself, Buddy (Billy Lenhart) as Himself, Cora Sue Collins as Herself, Robert Coogan as Himself, Grace Costello as Herself, Karl Kiffe as Himself and The Falkner Orchestra as Themselves.

It was shot from mid-August to September 11, 1942 and released on December 31, 1942.

Hilariously, it was planned to use the exterior of Withers’s own home as the home of the child star in the first scene, but producers decided it didn’t look the part so the home of an electrician working on the set was filmed instead.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,473

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