Movies

THE LITTLE BOY SCOUT – Ann Pennington is being chased by her uncle and is befriended by a command of American soldiers and is warned at one point of her danger by some Boy Scouts, and the thrilling bit of wigwagging that warns her is done by the championship Scout signal team of the East from Troop 100 of the New York Division of the BSA.  She escapes in a borrowed Scout uniform and is saved by her hero. Filmed in 1917. 

SCOTTY OF THE SCOUTS – This thrilling adventure starring Ben Alexander is a ten chapter silent serial produced by Rayart Pictures in 1926. Rayart Pictures was a small producer/distributor which lasted from 1924 to 1929. No prints can be found from this series. 

DRUM TAPS – This1933 western stars Ken Maynard who searches for and captures a gang of land grabbers who are trying to rob folks of their land. He is helped by a troop of Boy Scouts. The Scouts in the movie are from Troop 107 in Los Angeles. 

YOUNG EAGLES – In this 1934 twelve chapter serial we find two Eagle Scouts Jim Adams and Bobby Ford who have crash landed in the South American jungle. After giving their pilot first aid for a broken leg they start off into the jungle to find help. They are captured by Mayan natives but manage to escape. They also run into conflict with a band of bandits but are finally rescued by U.S. Marines. A great action series for Saturday morning viewing at your local theater. 

TEX RIDES WITH THE BOY SCOUTS – There is really a great tribute to the Boy Scouts of America at the beginning of this movie. During the tribute there are scenes from the 1937 National Jamboree showing many of our National Leaders. In the movie a federal agent played by Tex Ritter is chasing a gang who stole gold from a train. He is helped by a troop of Boy Scouts. The Scouts in the movie are from Troop 13 in Los Angeles.  

SCOUTS TO THE RESCUE – This 1938 twelve chapter serial stars Jackie Cooper as Eagle Scout Bruce Scott of Martinsville Troop1. The troop discovers a cache of counterfeit bills in a ghost town and helps G-Man Hal Marvin to find and capture the bad guys. During this adventure they discover a tribe of Inca Indians who try to keep them from finding their secret cave. The Scouts face many battles and much opposition from both the Indians and the gangsters. The entire series is filled with exciting hair-trigger action and suspense. The movie begins at the 1937 National Jamboree.  

HENRY ALDRICH BOY SCOUT – This is one of a series of Henry Aldrich films. Henry, played by Jimmy Lydon, is Senior Patrol Leader of his local Boy Scout troop. Henry leads his troop in competition with the other troops in his district while trying to change the attitude of a new kid in town. This movie was filmed with a technical advisor from the Boy Scouts of America and depicts Scouting during World War II. It was filmed in 1944. 

MISTER SCOUTMASTER – In this 1953 movie actor Clifton Webb plays the part of Robert Jordan, a television personality who takes on a troop of Boy Scouts to try to learn more about kids to improve his television program. There is much comedy as the Scouts put him to the test. The contrast between the rowdy boys and the prim and proper leader is hilarious. The real hero of the story is young Mike, an orphan Cub Scout, who continues to appear wherever the troop happens to be. The Jordans adopt Mike in the end and he is awarded a medal at a Court of Honor. It is a great mix of comedy and seriousness and a credit to the Boy Scouts of America.  

JAMBOREE – This is the story of the National Jamboree held in 1953 at Irvine Ranch in Southern California. It stars Jimmie Stewart, William Demarest, Bob Hope, Jane Powell and Del Sharbutt. It shows the building of the site and the activities during the Jamboree. These include ceremonies, a rootin-tootin wildwest rodeo, religious services for all faiths. Hollywood outdid itself with a star-studded parade including Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Danny Kaye, Debbie Reynolds, Jerry Colonna and many others. The film had limited distribution by Exploitation Productions, Inc. 

FOLLOW ME BOYS – This movie is based on the book “God and My Country” by MacKinlay Kantor. It was released by Walt Disney Pictures in 1966. It is the story of Lem Siddons who settles down in a small Midwestern town and takes a job as a clerk in a general store. He starts a Scout troop and continues to serve as Scoutmaster for several decades. During these years he marries his local sweetheart and they adopt Whitney when his father dies. It is a great movie and should be seen by all.