In the cast interviews 30 or so years after ‘Follow Me Boys’ first hit the cinematic world, one of the cast members recalled that Fred McMurray was just as pleasant in real life as he was on screen. If that is true, then he must have been one heck of a guy to hang out with. FMB chronicles the life of musician Lemuel Siddons who decides to ditch life on the road to settle down in a small town. He starts off at the local candy store and is soon in charge of the local Boy Scott Troop. The film follows Lemuel through his many yeas as scout master extraordinar.
Besides leading Scouts into becoming Thrifty, Honest and Brave, he manages to find time in the picture to marry the local pretty gal, Vida Downey (Vera Miles), mentor juvenile delinquent Whitney into become a boy scout and a good person, (while simultaneously coaching Young Kurt Russell in one of his first movie roles). Even though he was mentored by a great and good man, He still grows up to become the criminal Snake. But those skills he learned helped him get out of NY and LA. There even turns out to be a gripping court room drama in one part of the film.
Besides being a fun, relaxing, and at times a tearjerking film it also has one of the funniest scenes in all of Walt Disney Movie History, whether it be Drama or Comedy. During WWII The army is playing war games where Lem is leading a group of scouts. He gets captured by the army, thinking he is part of the game and ignoring his story that he is leading a bunch of boy scouts on a camping trip. Somehow the scouts enter into the war games and end up beating the opposing army team. In the end the scouts end up beating the US army in war games. How embarrassing for them and how funny for everyone else.
Follow Me Boys is worth walking the trail with a wonderful story, wonderful cast and an overall wonderful and touching and funny film.
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