Exclusive“Mister Scoutmaster” (1953): Growing Up, Giving Back, and Discovering What Really Matters

Day is done, gone the sun, from the lakes, from the hills, from the sky, all is well, safely rest. God is love, fading love, dims the sun, and a star gems the sky, gleaming bright, from afar near, falls the night. Alright, I'll talk to you later. Bye! Who was that? Oh, that was Bob. He was just telling me about his new writing assignment. What's the topic? The Boy Scouts of America. Well, that shouldn't be too hard. There's so much history and information about them. Well, that's just the thing. His editor doesn't want a historical overview or a review of the handbook. He wants a personal account of the true meaning of scouting. Well, what's so hard about that? Bob was never a Boy Scout, so he doesn't know much about it. Well, does he know anyone who was a Scout? I was suggesting that he could interview some young Scouts, or maybe some grown men who used to be Boy Scouts. Wait, I have a much better idea. What? Joanne was telling me the other day that her son's Boy Scout troop is looking for a Scoutmaster. Well, what does that have to do with Bob? He could be the Scoutmaster. Don't you have to have been, like, an Eagle Scout or something? No, any man can do it. He just has to be a good leader. In that case, that's a great idea. Hello, Mr. Scoutmaster. I'm Rebecca Brannan. I'm Tiffany Brannan. Welcome to Real Thoughts on Cinema. It's a powerful premise for a cynical, self-assured adult to learn simple truths about life and love from a child. Many great movies are based on this idea. One fun family film from the 1950s combines a delightfully light-hearted story with a powerful message about an intellectual writer who has a big influence on the lives of a group of boys. This film is Mr. Scoutmaster from 1953. Bob Jordan writes a television show called Spectrum. He's distressed when his sponsor tells him that the young people who should be buying their product have no interest in his highbrow show. So, Jordan has only one option if he wants to keep his show running. He has to find out what is important to the children of America. Of course, his wife wishes that they could have children. But Mr. Jordan sees adoption as only a way to get some grist for his writer's mill. When talking to a local Episcopalian minister, he realizes that the local Boy Scout troop needs a new Scoutmaster. He eagerly takes on the assignment as a way to get first-hand experience working with the boys. This job proves harder than Jordan originally thought. As he tries to whip the rowdy group of boys into shape, he encounters one Cub Scout, a little boy named Mike, who tells many elaborate stories about his family. But Mrs. Jordan suspects that the little boy isn't a liar. He's merely a sensitive little lost lamb who's looking for a father figure in Mr. Jordan. This film was made by 20th Century Fox. It was produced by Leonard Goldstein, directed by Henry Levin, and stars Clifton Webb, Edmund Nguyen, George Foghorn Winslow, and Francis Dee. This is one of many movies which features Clifton Webb as sort of a lovable grump. But a man who at first seems like he's just kind of a difficult person, but he ends up teaching a rowdy group of children some valuable lessons. Similar to his better-known film, Sitting Pretty, in which he's Mr. Belvedere, this sort of like a babysitter slash male nanny. But in this particular film, it seems unlikely that he's going to be a good leader at all. Yeah. Because he's joining the Boy Scouts for all the wrong reasons. He doesn't really care about the Boy Scouts or the boys. I think that's a common plot point that you'll see in a lot of movies too. And it always works when someone starts out, starts down a path for totally the wrong reasons, and then it ends up being this wonderful transformative experience. And I think this film is a really great example of how well that can work as a plot device. And it's a great premise because it's not just a plot device. That happens in real life so much. That's true. All too often, perhaps we join different groups or start a new career, do any number of things with an axe to grind. There's a reason why you're doing it. It could be a selfish reason or just a practical reason. But then you can end up finding something really meaningful that you never even imagined. Maybe it's exactly the thing that was missing in your life. Yeah. And that's why this is a really great story. And I love this part for Clifton Webb because he's just perfect in it. He's so believable as this intellectual writer, yet he also is tender as this husband, as a father figure to the boys. It is a very meaningful and moving film. And it's nice to see him in a slightly more lovable character than some of his other parts. Because he played some parts that were just downright villains. But in this, he is a likable character. He has some good comedic moments. And opposite him is a very sensitive, emotional performance by Frances D. Who plays his wife, a woman who definitely loves her husband, but who isn't afraid to tell him when he's being selfish. Or when he's not being as human as she'd like him to be. And we see how she feels a great longing for parenthood in a way that he doesn't. He says, oh, of course, I wish we could have had children. But he's perfectly happy as just a couple with no children. He only wishes he had one now because then he would know more about what children like so that he could... That's true. I don't think he's ever really felt the lack of children in his life. You can tell he's one of those people who's just like, yeah, I don't really need to have anything to do with children. Yeah. He has very low tolerance. I feel like he, in some ways, at least on an intellectual level, he considers himself far above most adults. So children are in another universe. But Frances D. is not at all a household name, not at all a well-known actress. But she really stands out in this film. Yes, she does. And a third very important character in this little triangle is Edmund Gwen. Playing the role of this Episcopalian minister who challenges Mr. Jordan to open up his heart to more love and to being a good leader to these children. He never preaches. He never scolds. He just sort of shows by his gentle, friendly, warm atmosphere what it means to be just sort of a refuge to these boys who maybe are looking for something. Yes. Now, ultimately, he ends up respecting Mr. Jordan as being a stronger leader, partly because he is so disagreeable. True. Edmund Gwen's character is just so lovable. He almost isn't strong enough for them. It's interesting to see how the boys are having very little respect even for this minister. But Mr. Jordan just won't put up with any nonsense. And that's really what they needed in a Scoutmaster. Because any time you get a group of rowdy children together, somebody's got to be the boss. And if it's not the authority figure, it's going to be mob rule. It's really funny in the first few scenes to see how the boys aren't total hoodlums. They have good manners when they're speaking to him. But when then you get them down in the rec room, they're chanting, joking, and they're smart boys. They're actually using very intelligent jokes to make fun of Mr. Jordan. Indeed, they are quite intellectual. They're little stinkers, but they're clever. So Mr. Jordan sees that they're not just a bunch of idiots. They are intelligent boys, and they just need to be stimulated toward something more constructive. They need an outlet for their energy and their creativity, as all children do. Which is why Boy Scouts and similar groups are such a powerful tool for training young people. Giving them something constructive and challenging to do so that they won't turn to mischief. There are a lot of excellent young actors in this film. But the most noteworthy one is the little boy who plays Mike, the youngest of the boys. And this little actor was nicknamed Foghorn because he has a very unusual speaking voice. He's very low and kind of almost broken up. And even monotone, the way he speaks. And that's the charm of this little fellow. He's a cute little fellow. And this is one of this actor's biggest parts. Definitely. I've seen him in some other movies. But in this film, he shows a wide range of emotions. While also presenting this front of a little boy who's been through a lot. And who doesn't want to show vulnerability. And you see how even at this young age, a boy could already be developing those feelings. The monotone delivery you mentioned is really perfect for this part. Because I think that's something you'll see in people of any age who've been through any kind of trauma. They've just kind of closed themselves off. And I think a lot of times when people are judging performances, they'll struggle with that. It's like, well, wouldn't someone who's had the trauma be more emotional? Honestly, if someone's really emotional, I would say that's a sign that person actually has a pretty healthy relationship with his emotions. They feel comfortable showing them. If you're just closed off, that's more of a sign of that. This little boy does have a lot of deep parts. He feels like nobody really wants him. He hasn't really had a real parent in his life. He lives with this aunt who just doesn't care about him at all. And it's interesting, you gradually get to know more and more about him. You're just like, you're not sure. What's this little boy about? It might be a switch. All this crazy stuff he's saying is actually true. Yes. But there are so many contradictions. You just start to think, he's definitely making it up, but what's his real story? And then when you do find out, eventually it's very sad, very tragic. He sees that Mrs. Jordan is a very sensitive and sympathetic woman who wants to mother him. Yet, despite the fact that Mr. Jordan does not share those feelings, he really gloms on to him. And he starts making presents for him. He just wants to always be with him. What I find so interesting about Mr. Jordan's character is that there's this scene when Mike walks through the dark woods all by himself to come to the camp out. And he gives Mr. Jordan this belt that he gave him. And you really see him soften up towards the little boy. You really see this other side of him. And then it's like, the next day, he's right back to his old self. And that's another interesting facet of human nature. You think somebody's changed, but it takes longer than that for someone to change. He's just like, that was just a soft-hearted moment, but now I'm back to business. That's a good point. But the relationship between Mr. Jordan and Mike is one of the most touching parts of this film. Seeing how it develops and how, ultimately, concern for Mike really transforms Mr. Jordan. This is an interesting example of 1950s fashion. You can see how television is coming in. Comic books are such a big influence. How these were both important cultural aspects, but also concerns that people had. Were they rotting the minds of children as we worry about video games and social media now? It's funny how that's always been around. Or a generation or two before that, they worried about the cheap dime novels. Like, oh, children reading all these stupid novels. Things that now we see as a good thing were considered bad in past generations. Now pretty much anything that you actually read off of paper is considered bad. But seeing how the same ideas of wanting to challenge children to do something better, look deeper, that's always been a facet of human nature. Two things that are further back in history. Get out into nature. And part of that 50s culture isn't just the media they're absorbing, but also the fashion. My outfit is inspired by one of the costumes which Frances D. wears later in the film. It's a full skirt with a black blouse, a little black belt on it. She wears a scarf around her neck with a brooch. Typical 50s style. With pearl jewelry. And in a few different scenes, she wears a black hat of this sort and black slingback shoes. My outfit is inspired by the second and final costume which Mike's aunt wears. It's a polka dot dress in a very signature 50s fashion with the fuller skirt and cap sleeves. She wears a five-strand pearl necklace, two large pearl bracelets, large earrings, and a statement hat with a bow. This movie is a great family film. Absolutely. Movies of this time period, mid-30s to mid-50s, were in general aiming for the goal of being acceptable for all ages. And with very few exceptions, I would say that's true. But despite that, there were some movies that really were specifically family films. Absolutely. And this is definitely one of them. But it's also an inspiring film for parents, educators, youth leaders. And it's a loving tribute to the grand tradition of the Boy Scouts of America. That's right. It really is just all about them. You see boys taking scouting tests, learning how to tie knots, make fires, hiking, marching. And how some of the boys are more industrious, but they're troublemakers. Then we have little boys like Mike who are actually Cub Scouts but want to be more in the Boy Scouts. One of the most important boys in the story is Vernon, or Vernie, who turns out to be the son of Mr. Jordan's sponsor. And he is just the typical spoiled rich kid. He's kind of a fat little boy and he's just a crybaby. But he's very smart because he knows all the rules of the scouting manual, but he's being obnoxious about it. Yeah, he's a spoiled smart aleck, but he's intelligent. And Mr. Jordan just will have absolutely none of his nonsense. That's right. He dumps a plate of ice cream on his head and then when they're hiking along and he falls into this little stream. I mean, he's literally just sitting in two inches of water and he's screaming like, I'm drowning, pull me out! And the boys are like, oh, we need to rescue him. He's like, no, get up. And the way Mr. Jordan won't tolerate any of his nonsense teaches not only him a lesson, but all the other boys too. Absolutely. Because they see that Mr. Jordan won't put up with that kind of nonsense from any of them. And then they also realize that Vernon is to be ridiculed for acting like that. So then it's no longer acceptable for him to act that way, even to the other boys. So then they sort of say, oh, they sort of join in and say, like, you're being ridiculous. This isn't funny. You look like a goofball. And that's a good reason why Mr. Jordan is a good leader, because he sets a certain standard and you can tell the boys are having fun. Then he takes them out going on these hikes. They're having a good time. But they're having a good time and doing something constructive. And I think it's really interesting to look at the history of Boy Scouts now, as within the last couple of years, the Boy Scouts tragically sort of abandoned their history by changing the name from the Boy Scouts of America to Scouting America to be more inclusive, to bring girls into the group. But at the same time, the Girl Scouts still exist. So now we have the Girl Scouts and then the Scouting America that's boys and girls. People Scouts. Sometimes the initials BSA are still used, which still stands for Boy Scouts of America. Oh, really? Yeah. And the sad thing is that this movie shows very clearly it needs to be a group of boys out hiking around, having men being good leaders for them, teaching them how to be good boys and eventually good men, just as girls can learn similar skills in their own way. But the thing that is interesting is I've heard so many people from all sorts of different backgrounds, politically, socially, religiously, commenting on the recent name change of the Boy Scouts. And almost unanimously, these men, boys, women, everyone said, this is such a shame because it's a place for boys to grow in this atmosphere where they don't have to worry about the social pressure of interacting with girls. I mean, there's plenty of that in public school, in plenty of other social clubs. The Boy Scouts is one place where boys can just focus on being boys, just like there are places where girls can just learn to be girls and women. And movies like this and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Follow Me Boys, there are several excellent movies from the classic era that show how great the Boy Scouts were and I think show the path ahead for how troops could be inspired to be that again. All it takes is one great scoutmaster to make a troop be a great group of scouts again, to take a rowdy group of troublemakers and turn them into real scouts of whom everyone can be proud. If you're looking for a great movie for your next school movie night or even a movie night for the Boy Scouts or just, I don't know, Friday night movie with the family, this is really a great choice because it's a great introduction, I think, to classic films if you're not familiar with them because it does have these familiar themes. Obviously, themes of family and importance of a strong parental figure, even if it's not your actual parent, that's universal and timeless. And there are still scouts, even if the organization has changed. I think it can still be relatable that it could be fascinating to young scouts now to see an example of their history. And I know the 50s will seem like a long time ago to them. Well, this is back when the Boy Scouts were first starting. That's not the case, but it really is one of those organizations that the whole spirit of it is that it's timeless. It's always going to be there as the sort of mainstay for boys. And this movie is just really such a tribute to that. This film is available in clear black and white copies to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video or on YouTube. You can also buy it on DVD from Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Walmart or eBay. Films like James Cameron's Titanic really popularized the film genre of a fictional story, particularly a love story set against the backdrop of a real life tragedy. However, years before that film, there were many movies in this genre from the classic era. Join us next time as we talk about a film which follows an unlikely romance and eventually culminates in one of the greatest disasters ever to hit the state of California. Thank you for watching. Goodbye.