Age gaps between the various actors and the characters they played:
Claude Akins (Sonny) was 6 years older than
Sheree North (Dinah).
Frank Converse (Will) was 10 years older than
Jamie Smith-Jackson (Julie). Sonny's classmates were played by
Woodrow Parfrey, who was 2 years older than Akins and
Joyce Jameson, who was 1 year younger. Sonny's statement in Part 1 that he was in the class of 1942 would be plausible, since Akins was born in 1924, making him 18 circa 1942. The three oldest actors passed away at relatively young ages: Parfrey in 1984 at age 61, Jameson in 1987 at age 59, and Akins in 1994 at age 67. North lived to age 73 and passed away in 2005. As of 2017, both Converse and Jackson have outlived the three oldest actors. Converse is still alive at age 79 and Jackson at age 69.