Mister Scoutmaster
DirectorHenry Levin
ProducerLeonard Goldstein
ScreenplayLeonard Praskin
Barney Slater
StarringClifton Webb
Edmund Gwenn
George Winslow
MusicCyril J. Mockridge
CinematographyJoseph LaShelle
EditingWilliam B. Murphy
Studio20th Century Fox
Distributor20th Century-Fox
ReleasedAugust 19, 1953 (Los Angeles); August 28, 1953 (New York City); September 2, 1953 (United States)
Runtime87 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$795,000[1]
Gross$1.6 million (US rentals)[2]

Mister Scoutmaster (also known as Be Prepared [3]) is a 1953 American comedy film directed by Henry Levin and starring Clifton Webb, Frances Dee, Edmund Gwenn and George Winslow.[3] It was written by Leonard Praskin and Barney Slater based on the 1952 novel Be Prepared by Keith Monroe (as Rice E. Cochran).[4]

Plot

An arrogant, aloof television personality gets more than he bargained for when he consents to be leader to a troop of Boy Scouts. The sponsor of Robert Jordan's TV program says he might cancel the show because Jordan appeals only to a middle-aged following and is out of touch with a younger audience.

Jordan takes his troubles home to wife Helen, who wants a child of her own. When he learns that Helen has donated a favorite suit to a Boy Scout clothing drive, Jordan goes to retrieve it, but is flabbergasted when 8-year-old Mike Marshall insists he pay full price for it.

The boy returns the money, impressing the Jordans. When the couple pursue adoption through the local church, Rev. Dr. Stone mentions that the Scout troop is in need of a new scoutmaster. Jordan sees it as a chance to find out more about children, but is appalled by their rowdy behavior. As a Cub Scout, Mike is too young to be a Boy Scout but persists in joining every activity.

Jordan discovers that Mike is an orphan who tries to hide the fact that he lives with an irresponsible aunt in the city's waterfront district. Mike comes to the Scoutmaster's rescue in the woods when Jordan gets trapped inside a sleeping bag at the bottom of a ravine. The Jordans decide to adopt the boy, and Robert's television show is continued.

Cast

Production

The book Be Prepared came out in 1952 and film rights were bought by Fox who announced it was going to turn it into a film vehicle for Clifton Webb.[5]

Webb collapsed during filming in May 1953.[6] The National Council of the Boy Scouts of America requested some scenes in the script be rewritten.[7]

The film marked Fox's first foray into significant television advertising with a $250,000 campaign.[8]

Reception

Variety called it "a pleasant round of entertainment for the whole family."[9]

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "A promising situation soon deteriorates into a tear-jerking comedy, and the film ends in a riot of sentimental patriotism. George 'Foghorn' Winslow somehow emerges unscathed, but Clifton Webb suffers badly in the process."[10]

Further reading

  • Rice E Cochran (1952). Be prepared!: The life and illusions of a scoutmaster. ASIN B0007E4WS0.

References

  1. ^ Solomon, Aubrey (1989). Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History. The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 248. ISBN 978-0-8108-4244-1.
  2. ^ "The Top Box Office Hits of 1953". Variety. 1954-01-13.
  3. ^ "Mister Scoutmaster". American Film Institute Catalog. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  4. ^ "Keith Monroe". Scouting. May 2004.
  5. ^ "Scoutmaster duty now likely for Webb". The Los Angeles Times. 13 December 1952. p. 11 Part 1.
  6. ^ "Doctor in demand". The Los Angeles Times. 8 May 1953. p. 10 Part 3.
  7. ^ "Inside stuff pictures". Variety. 12 May 1953. p. 6.
  8. ^ "20th's 1st big TV splash". Variety. 3 June 1953. p. 5.
  9. ^ "Mister Scoutmaster". Variety. 19 August 1953. p. 19.
  10. ^ "Mister Scoutmaster". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 20 (228): 164. 1 January 1953.