Follow Me, Boys!
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Movie Reviews of Follow Me, Boys!
Movie Review: TRIVIA & Behind the scenes on this movie
Summary: 5 Stars
PLOT: The film begins in the 1930's, as Lem Siddons (Fred MacMurray) decides to stop touring as a jazz musician and settles down in a small town named Hickory. He goes to work for a local store. After noticing the boys in town seem to get into a lot of mischief because there is nothing to do, Lem offers to start a local Boy Scout troop. He also has time to fall for a local girl, Vida (Vera Miles). The story takes place over several generations of boys that grow up in the Boy Scouts under Lem's leadership, and he gets to see the positive outcome of his part in developing character and values in their lives. A very heartwarming and humorous story, and a favorite with scout leaders to this day.
TRIVIA & BEHIND THE SCENES: Directed by Norman Tokar, who also directed other films for the Walt Disney Studios including A Tiger Walks, Savage Sam, The Apple Dumpling Gang, Snowball Express, The Boatniks, The Ugly Dachsund, The Cat from Outer Space, and more. Lead actors Fred MacMurray and Vera Miles both appeared in several Disney movies, and were naturals in this film. This was young Kurt Russel's first big part for Disney in a feature film. Elliot Reed as the banker, and Charlie Ruggles as the general store owner, you may remember him as the girls grandfather that always has peppermints in his pocket in The Parent Trap. Filmed in Technicolor. Screenplay by Louis Polletier (who wrote the scripts for Big Red, Those Calloways, Smith!, Bayou Boy), and it was supposed to be based on the book by Mackinlay Kantor, "God and My Country". But during the pre-production, the story was completely changed, including many changes by Walt himself. It is said that Walt created the part for Lilian Gish himself. The title song was written by the Sherman Brothers. An LP record was put together as a marketing tie-in to the film, and had songs to sing around the campfire, with the intention of selling the record to summer camps, campgrounds, scouts troops, etc. The small town was built in the back-lot at the Disney studios, and the scenes of camping out were shot at the studios well used Golden Oaks Ranch.
There is a whole fleet of wonderful antique cars in the film, 1915 Baker Electric car; 1927 Lincoln Touring Car; 1929 Fords and Chevrolets; 1940, 1946, and 1950 Cadillacs; vintage trucks, a jeep and more. Radio City Music Hall hosted the premier of the film, and it did brisk Christmas box office business.
First released on December 1, 1966. Walt Disney passed away just two weeks later on December 14. Running time 131 minutes. For a special theatrical re-issue of the movie for 1976, it was edited down by 24 minutes to a new length of 107 minutes. It aired once on the NBC television on the "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color" weekly show, on August 2 & 16, 1982 as a two episode movie. Released to VHS for the first time in 1984. First DVD release was in 2004, but it is not in full widescreen. It is in the longer version though. It would be nice to see both versions to compare, and some extras as well. One of the scenes cut from the film that I would love to see restored at least as an extra is when Fred MacMurray and Vera Miles canoe sinks to the bottom of the water. Great family friendly movie, about a regular guy sacrificing for the good of others.
Movie Review: Great Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
I got my DVD and I love it.Lem Siddons (Fred MacMurray) is a trumpet player that is on the road most of the time. When they arrive @ the little town of Hickory he sees a sign on the General Store that says Help Wanted. Well when Lem sees that he gets off the tour bus and goes in to apply for the job. Mr. John Hughes (Charlie Ruggles) is the owner of the General Store. When Mr.Hughes he says you are hired. Well that day he accidentaly runs into the beautiful Vida Downy (Vera Miles) when walking. Well after that their is a big meating held about helping the boys with a activity group or something that is held by Hetty Siebert (Lillian Gish) well Lem suggests the Boy Scouts. And he becomes the leader. Ralph Hastings (Elliot Read) is Vidas Boss and he has a gigantic crush on her. At one time when the Scouts are taking a hike. They come across Vida in Ralphs car but the car is broken down and Ralph had gone down to find a repair mechanic. Well Lem and his boys push the car and they get it started and Almost run over Ralph. Well after that Ralph gets extremely mad at Vida and Vida dumps him and goes on with Lem. THey later get married. And that is when they run across Whitey (Kurt Russel) Well Whiteys Father Edward White Sr. (Sean McClory) is the town drunk and he dies one night of a heart attack. Lem and Vida adopt Whitey and they go on. ANd Lem keeps on leading the Troop Hickory scouts until he can't do it anylonger. The ending is one of the best parts of the movie where they all sing the classic Disney Melody Follow Me Boys.
Great Movie
5 Star Rating
Movie Review: NOT JUST A SCOUTING PRIMER
Summary: 5 Stars
Follow Me BoysA Disney classic, Follow Me, Boys! is much more than a scouting primer. Wonderful performances by some Hollywood greats include Fred MacMurray as Lemuel Siddons, the band member and would-be lawyer turned shopkeeper and scoutmaster, Vera Miles as Vida Downey, the bank secretary turned McMurray supporter, love interest and wife, Kurt Russell in one of his first films as Whitey, the small time boy thug who, losing his drunkard dad, is adopted by Lem and Vida, becomes a stalwart in the troop and goes on to become responsible soldier and MD. Finally there's a wonderful cameo by a screen legend, Lillian Gish as the aged business magnate and McMurray benefactor Hetty Seibert.
The film includes wonderful scenes from the boys building a ramshackle troop clubhouse out of odds and ends to a later troop taking a war-games tank with flour-bag explosives in what the boys think is an all-out war.
If you're looking for deep statements about teen angst (though Russell's character does tackle some pretty difficult stuff), tough kids struggling to beat a drug habit or premarital sex you won't find it here. And thank goodness! Every once in a while it's good to watch a movie that's as squeaky clean as Fred McMurray's white shirts. Want blatant hardcore reality? Watch the six o'clock news. Follow Me, Boys! depicts what can happen when adults care, is just good clean fun, and well-acted and scripted. A great addition to any film library.
Douglas McAllister
Movie Review: GOOD SCOUT!
Summary: 5 Stars
One of Disney's greatest classics, FOLLOW ME, BOYS! goes well beyond its theme about Boy Scouting in its early days in America. It's a story of love and of priorities when a disenchanted band member studying law, Lemuel Siddons, decides to get back to the basics in rural America. In the process he finds love and provides a sterling example to the town's boys.
This film also includes terrific performances by some Hollywood's who's who including the great Fred MacMurray (MY THREE SONS) as Lemuel Siddons, the would-be lawyer who settles for shopkeeping and leading the local scout troop, Vera Miles (THE SEARCHERS) as Vida Downey, the bank secretary who supports Siddons, falls in love with him and ultimately becomes his wife, Kurt Russell (MIRACLE) in one of his first films as Whitey, the tough who is adopted by Lem and Vida and becomes a boy-leader in the troop and finally a soldier and doctor. Look for a cameo by a bona fide screen legend, Lillian Gish as one of the town's business leaders Hetty Seibert.
Whether you've been a scout, know one or have had nothing to do with scouting FOLLOW ME, BOYS! Tracks the development of the troop and their experiences that bond them together. One of Siddon's later troops even captures a tank.
Yes, it's squeaky clean but who can't use a dose of Disney fantasy now and again.
THE HORSEMAN
Movie Review: I'd have gotten off the bus, too!
Summary: 5 Stars
Lemuel Siddons is a musician (but studying to be a lawyer) with a travelling band around the early 1930s. The bus makes a brief stop in a small town called Hickory, a charming middle-America kind of place, and Lem makes a fateful decision to stay. He ends up volunteering to be the Boy Scout leader, impressing the sweet and beautiful Vida in the process. As a selfless Scout leader he touches the lives of the boys in the town down through the years and influences them for the better, particularly young Kurt Russell.
One of my favorite movies of all time, one I like to put on every once in a while when I need a great inspiring kind of movie. Fred MacMurray plays the role so wonderfully, and I'm reminded of kind Scoutmasters I had when growing up. But it's not just a great Scout movie, or a great family film, it's just a good entertaining movie to watch. Some people may call it a sappy and sentimental kind of Disney movie (as though that were something bad), but that's okay with me, I like it that way - and it's a LOT better than the majority of what the entertainment industry (Disney included, unfortunately) turns out now. I don't know if towns like Hickory ever really existed, but I like to think that that's how life used to be (and OUGHT to be).