The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):
'LITTLE JOE: Seven years old. An introvert, a dreamer, but quite a tough child. Must run and swim well.
'MRS. BIRCH: A formidable lady of about fifty-five to sixty.
'SYLVIA: Little Joe's mother. Working-class girl. A little at a loss as far as copying with Joe goes.'