As a shortened Mickey Mouse Club started it's third season of broadcasting, Walt Disney wanted to see if Annette Funicello could handle a lead dramatic role before committing her to a film project. His staff came up with the perfect vehicle for her in this third season serial, a part that would do much to mold the public perception of her as a shy, sweet, gentle young lady, beloved of gals and guys alike. With a screenplay adapted from a now-forgotten teen novel, and a director with a past history of discovering young female stars, production began in November 1957 and wrapped up in December, with the first television showing in February 1958. Serial actors, Mouseketeers, and some outside talent rounded out the cast in this, the last Mickey Mouse Club serial to be filmed and broadcast.