The star of "Johnny Doughboy" is Jane Withers though she is assisted with several has-been child actors...kids who, in the film, are essentially called has-beens and lament that the studios don't want them any more! Talk about sad and depressing!!
The story begins with Jane Winters (Withers) tiring of her life as a celebrity and she wants some time off from making films. So, this headstrong (and somewhat unlikable) lady disappears. Her agent (William Demarest) handles this by having an EXACT double pretend to be Winters. But when a group of has-been child actors approach her (assuming she is Jane) and want her to help out with the show, this double doesn't know what to do. In the meantime, the real Jane gets involved with a VERY creepy situation....she goes to live with a 40-something year old man! Talk about weird!!
Apart from seeing a few children having a last hurrah, there isn't a lot to love about this film. And, some of the kids were a bit sad to watch as well...with Bobby Breen talking in such a high pitched teenage voice he sounded like he'd just inhaled helium and Alfalfa singing like he used to...which is sad when you're no longer young and cute. Overall, it's not terrible...but it's also not very good and has too many song and dance numbers and perhaps I would have enjoyed NOT seeing these awkward out of work children once more.
The story begins with Jane Winters (Withers) tiring of her life as a celebrity and she wants some time off from making films. So, this headstrong (and somewhat unlikable) lady disappears. Her agent (William Demarest) handles this by having an EXACT double pretend to be Winters. But when a group of has-been child actors approach her (assuming she is Jane) and want her to help out with the show, this double doesn't know what to do. In the meantime, the real Jane gets involved with a VERY creepy situation....she goes to live with a 40-something year old man! Talk about weird!!
Apart from seeing a few children having a last hurrah, there isn't a lot to love about this film. And, some of the kids were a bit sad to watch as well...with Bobby Breen talking in such a high pitched teenage voice he sounded like he'd just inhaled helium and Alfalfa singing like he used to...which is sad when you're no longer young and cute. Overall, it's not terrible...but it's also not very good and has too many song and dance numbers and perhaps I would have enjoyed NOT seeing these awkward out of work children once more.