Same actors for the children?
Which actors who played the children returned from the first movie, and which were replaced?
The hour which gives us life begins to take it away. - Seneca
Most of the same children were used. Anne and Ernestine were the same. In the first film there was a tall, blonde girl with long hair that played Mary--they didn't mention the fact that Mary had died at about the age of 3 or 4 from diptheria (I think). Actually if you read the books, it is only mentioned in the sequel as a footnote. Mary is not in this movie. The girl that had played Martha was replaced with Debra Paget, presumably because Debra was older, and the 2nd book made many references to the fact that Martha while still a tomboy, had developed into quite a young lady. Not to mention the fact that Debra was an up and coming starlet.
The character of Frank, Jr. was more developed as well and they wanted to make him look older, so he was replaced. All of the younger children starting with Bill remained in both movies,I believe. The one big change is that in the first movie the youngest child was born, Robert. That was wrong, Robert was the 11th child. Jane was actually the youngest and so is shown as the youngest in this movie (the same child was used).
Mary died at age 6 in 1912 (you are correct...it was diptheria).
"A man's kiss is his signature" -- Mae West