{"id":60787,"date":"2018-03-20T12:00:55","date_gmt":"2018-03-20T16:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/?p=60787"},"modified":"2022-02-05T23:16:55","modified_gmt":"2022-02-06T04:16:55","slug":"movie-review-follow-me-boys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/movie-review-follow-me-boys\/","title":{"rendered":"Movie Review: Follow Me, Boys!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Follow
Image Copyright Disney<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Based on MacKinlay Kantor\u2019s 1954 novel God and My Country<\/em>, Disney\u2019s Follow Me, Boys! <\/em>was theatrically released on December 1, 1966. The live action drama is 131 minutes in length. The film was the studio\u2019s final release prior to Walt Disney\u2019s death on December 15, 1966.<\/p>\n

Plot Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1930, a middle-aged man named Lemuel Siddons (Fred MacMurray) travels aimlessly across the country with his band. Although Lemuel enjoys playing the saxophone, he believes that he should settle down and commence a more orderly life. Out of the blue, the musician gets his wish. En route to Chicago, the band\u2019s bus endures a broken taillight and stops in the small town of Hickory. There, Lemuel abruptly quits the band, finds a job at the general store owned by the kindly John Everett Hughes (Charles Ruggles), and makes his mark at his first Civic Club meeting, contributing the fateful suggestion to improve the habits of the town\u2019s unruly boys by starting a Boy Scout troop; nobody else coming forward, Lemuel volunteers to serve as scoutmaster, and before long, he becomes a hero to the boys. He also finds a bride in a beautiful young woman named Vida Downey (Vera Miles). The scout leader faces only two problems with his life. First, the local banker, Ralph Hastings (Elliott Reid), is a continual nuisance with his arrogant persona. Secondly, a young boy, Whitey (Kurt Russell), with an alcoholic father (Sean McClory) engages in troubling behavior towards both the troop and the community generally. Lemuel cannot do much about the first problem, but he believes he can solve the latter conundrum. Lemuel sees his own troubled past in Whitey and works to turn the boy\u2019s life around. Will Lemuel succeed in this endeavor?<\/p>\n

The film\u2019s second half jumps forward several times, first by about fourteen years, to the heart of World War II; then to 1945 and the end of the war; and, finally, to 1950. These scenes feel somewhat disjointed, like separate installments of a television series\u2014similar to the various portions of Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier <\/em>(1955) and Davy Crockett and the River Pirates <\/em>(1956), which were first aired separately as five episodes on Walt Disney\u2019s weekly NBC-TV program, \u201cDisneyland,\u201d before being amalgamated into two films\u2014and, thus, do not flow as well as the scenes of the film\u2019s first half. Nonetheless, the action is exciting, and the ending is fulfilling, showing the positive influence exerted by Lemuel on multiple generations of boys.<\/p>\n

Boy Scouts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Follow Me, Boys! <\/em>highlights the Boy Scouts of America, an organization that had great meaning for Walt Disney. Disney was a Boy Scout as a child, and he was awarded the organization\u2019s highest adult honor, the Silver Buffalo Award, in 1946 for his contributions to \u201cthe joy of youth and to their appreciation of wholesome humor and the elevation of their standards of good taste.\u201d (1) As the Boy Scouts seek to cultivate good citizens, so did Disney, especially through his history-based films, such as Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier <\/em>and Johnny Tremain <\/em>(1957).<\/p>\n

Disney\u2019s Silver Buffalo Award can be viewed by guests at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. (2)<\/p>\n

Ending and Beginning: Walt Disney and Kurt Russell<\/strong><\/p>\n

Follow Me, Boys! <\/em>was the first of, as of 2018, fifteen Disney films to feature Kurt Russell, who was named a Disney Legend in 1998. Russell subsequently contributed to The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band<\/em> (1968), The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit<\/em> (1968), The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes<\/em> (1969), The Barefoot Executive<\/em> (1971), Now You See Him, Now You Don\u2019t <\/em>(1972), Charley and the Angel<\/em> (1973), Superdad<\/em> (1973), The Strongest Man in the World<\/em> (1975), The Fox and the Hound<\/em> (1981), Captain Ron<\/em> (1992), Tombstone<\/em> (1993), Miracle <\/em>(2004), Sky High<\/em> (2005), and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2<\/em> (2017) for the studio.<\/p>\n

In his final days, Walt Disney had the young actor on his mind. Disney included Russell\u2019s name among other ideas for upcoming projects on a notepad in his office; according to Disney Chief Archivist Emeritus Dave Smith, these notes were \u201ccertainly among the last things he [Walt Disney] wrote in his office.\u201d (3) During filming for Now You See Him, Now You Don\u2019t<\/em> several years later, Smith took Russell to Disney\u2019s office to show him the note. (4)<\/p>\n

Life<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Boy Scouts seek to teach youth how to deal with the ups and downs of life, fluctuations that reach extreme proportions in Follow Me, Boys! <\/em>A twenty or so minute portion of the film dealing with the demise of Whitey\u2019s father is among the saddest segments of any Disney movie, ranking with comparable portions of Old Yeller <\/em>(1957), Up<\/em> (2009), and Coco<\/em> (2017). His despair notwithstanding, Whitey, with the help of the troop, manages to rebound and adequately cope with a horrible situation.<\/p>\n

Moving to a larger point, the film shows that nobody is infallible; everyone makes mistakes, even Lemuel. The key is whether one can learn from his or her mistakes.<\/p>\n

Music<\/strong><\/p>\n

A catchy marching tune for Lemuel\u2019s troop, \u201cFollow Me, Boys,\u201d is performed both vocally and instrumentally throughout the film. This song was the work of the classic Disney songwriters Richard and Robert Sherman, both of whom were named Disney Legends in 1990. The Sherman Brothers wrote music for numerous other Disney films, including The Parent Trap<\/em> (1961), The Sword in the Stone<\/em> (1963), Summer Magic<\/em> (1963), Mary Poppins<\/em> (1964), The Gnome-Mobile<\/em> (1967), The Jungle Book<\/em> (1967), The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band<\/em>, and The Aristocats<\/em> (1970).<\/p>\n

Jazz music is featured early in the film as Lemuel travels with his band. Additionally, background music complements action throughout the flick. For example, a sad tune appropriately accompanies the scene when the scouts depart Whitey\u2019s yard, foreshadowing the tragic events that follow.<\/p>\n

Humor<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although Follow Me, Boys!<\/em> is not a comedy, the film has its share of funny moments.<\/p>\n

Lemuel calls Vida on the telephone while they are working in buildings directly across the street from each other. Hey, Vida; I can see you through the window!<\/p>\n

Wanting to convince Vida to go on a date, Lemuel discusses the \u201cexciting\u201d agenda for the Civic Club meeting on Friday night. It may just be me, but I don\u2019t think an examination of the town\u2019s sewer problem sounds very exciting.<\/p>\n

Ralph Hastings\u2019s aunt, Hetty Seibert (Lillian Gish), forgets her daily itinerary and the subject discussed by the last speaker at the Civic Club meeting, but she can skillfully dissect specific aspects of tax law before a court.<\/p>\n

The boys have much to learn about Boy Scout protocol and so does Lemuel, who reads the manual aloud while marching with his troop.<\/p>\n

Before the troop decides to use \u201cFollow Me, Boys!\u201d as its marching song, the boys contribute other suggestions, including \u201cOld MacDonald Had a Farm\u201d and \u201cThe Dying Cowboy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The scouts\u2019 effort to earn their cooking badge runs into some problems when what should have resulted in eight rolls of bread results in a lump of charcoal.<\/p>\n

The scouts also struggle to play instruments. Their effort to perform a wedding song for Lemuel and Vida sounds like a cow in agony.<\/p>\n

The judge (Willis Bouchey) for Hetty\u2019s hearing against her nephew over a land title offers a string of witty remarks.<\/p>\n

Relationship to Other Disney Films<\/strong><\/p>\n

Follow Me, Boys! <\/em>was the fifth of seven Disney films to star Fred MacMurray, who was named the Disney Company\u2019s first Disney Legend in 1987. MacMurray had previously appeared in The Shaggy Dog<\/em> (1959), The Absent-Minded Professor<\/em> (1961), Bon Voyage!<\/em> (1962), and Son of Flubber<\/em> (1963) for Disney, and he subsequently starred in The Happiest Millionaire<\/em> (1967) and Charley and the Angel<\/em> for the studio.<\/p>\n

Follow Me, Boys!<\/em> was the last of four Disney films to feature Charles Ruggles. Ruggles had previously appeared in The Parent Trap<\/em>, Son of Flubber<\/em>, and The Ugly Dachshund <\/em>(1966) for the studio.<\/p>\n

Scouting is also featured in Pixar\u2019s Up<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In the Parks<\/strong><\/p>\n

Guests can earn badges by completing stages of a scavenger hunt in the Animal Kingdom\u2019s interactive \u201cWilderness Explorers\u201d attraction, based on Up<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Photo Copyright Natalie Aked<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Overall<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although the film is on the long side and the second half is somewhat disjointed, Follow Me, Boys! <\/em>is a great overall effort. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will hear some catchy music. Furthermore, Kurt Russell and Fred MacMurray give outstanding performances. MacMurray\u2019s interplay with Russell here is more serious than his interactions with other young actors, most notably Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran, in previous films, and the result is satisfying.<\/p>\n

Notes<\/strong><\/p>\n

1) Bryan Wendell, \u201cWalt Disney was a Boy Scout and received Scouting\u2019s highest honor for adults,\u201d Bryan on Scouting: A Blog for the BSA’s Adult Leaders, December 5, 2017, accessed March 5, 2018, https:\/\/blog.scoutingmagazine.org\/2017\/12\/05\/walt-disney-was-a-boy-scout-and-received-scoutings-highest-honor-for-adults\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2) Ibid.<\/p>\n

3) Dave Smith, Disney Trivia from the Vault: Secrets Revealed and Questions Answered<\/em> (New York: Disney Editions, 2012), 251.<\/p>\n

4) Ibid.<\/p>\n

What do you think of Follow Me, Boys!? Let me know in the comments!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0Sponsored Ad:\u00a0 Would you like to help support The Mouse For Less website in continuing their mission of being THE Disney vacation planning resource?\u00a0 You can do so by purchasing Follow Me, Boys<\/a> from our Affiliate Link through Amazon. Thanks so much for your support!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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