User Reviews

It seems like tempting Fate to cast Clifton Webb as a scoutmaster, but that's what Darryll Zanuck did back in 1953. True, it turned out as an agreeable domestic comedy, nicely played, competently directed (Henry Levin) and slickly produced (Leonard Goldstein). I thought the dialogue could have been a bit sharper – even in the British version which is 15 minutes shorter than that released in the U.S.A. I suspected that the deletions were made from the opening sequences and that everything dealing with the TV program, "Spectrum", was also cut. Now that I've seen the complete version, I'm not so sure. The only addition I noticed was a singing-around-the-campfire sequence. There was still no sign of the TV material – an absence that makes the whole point of the movie rather like tilting at imaginary windmills. In other respects, however, Webb makes the most of his opportunities, and it's always a pleasure to see Frances Dee, still looking mighty attractive at the age of 46.

Ever since playing villain roles in "Laura" and "The Dark Corner", veteran song and dance man Clifton Webb wanted to prove that he was a good egg behind all that uppity, nose-in-the-air pretentiousness. Whether playing Mr. Belvedere, the father in "Cheaper By the Dozen" or the flawed but atoning father in "Titanic", Webb no longer played a down right meanie. In this comedy that is more dramatic than funny thanks to its overuse of sentiment, he plays a TV talk show personality whose reputation is failing due to his reputation as being out of touch with humanity. He decides to become involved in services to children even though he knows absolutely nothing about them (and seemingly doesn't want to), and his sweet wife (Frances Dee), who wants children of her own, tries to get him to see the truth about himself. Along comes the chance to try and find out what makes kids tick when the opportunity to be a boy scoutmaster comes his way. There also comes along the rather annoying, needy George "Foghorn" Winslow, the follow-up to "Little Rascal's" Froggy, who manages to show the icy cold Webb that he does have a heart.

It's only because of Webb's performance (and Edmund Gwenn as a local priest) that I rate this as high as I do, far too desperate to tug at the heartstrings rather than get some laughs, and the idea of Clifton Webb leading a pack of boys going through the woods has plenty of potential. Yes, there is a moment here and there when a sudden bit of farce enters the picture, but then it's right back to the sentimentality. Webb and Dee investigate the truth about Winslow and discover that he has a neglectful guardian (Veda Ann Borg) who basically has ignored Winslow since taking him in. When Winslow disappears, Webb goes off on his own to find him, ending back in the woods, stuck in a sleeping bag and confronted by skunks and raccoons who care more about foraging for bugs than bothering with him. Winslow could test the patience of both Mary Poppins and Maria Von Trapp, so the fact that Webb takes an interest in him does make this a bit questionable. Winslow would score better in a smaller role in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" the same year where at least you could be distracted by Marilyn Monroe and Charles Coburn's antics in scenes with him. This just begins to grate a bit after a while with its saccharine atmosphere that results in a predictable conclusion.

Stumbled across this movie while channel surfing and it caught my eye. To say I was pleasantly surprised at its quality would be an understatement. The story follows a self-centered Robert Jordan as he tried to revive the TV program he writes for by finding inspiration in being a scoutmaster for his local boys scout troop. Through his experience with the scouts, especially with the neglected yet-to-be scout Mike Marshall, he sheds his self-centered ways, successfully leads the scouts, and finds the family he never knew he wanted in this heart warming 1950's comedy.

If you're looking for a simple, high quality and wholesome movie that delivers a family friendly message for all ages, then this movie is for you.