Mister Scoutmaster

Mister Scoutmaster
Directed by	Henry Levin
Produced by	Leonard Goldstein
Screenplay by	Leonard Praskin Barney Slater
Based on	Be Prepared 1952 novel by Rice E. Cochran (Keith Monroe)
Starring	Clifton Webb Edmund Gwenn George Winslow
Music by	Cyril J. Mockridge
Cinematography	Joseph LaShelle
Edited by	William B. Murphy
Distributed by	20th Century-Fox
Release date	1953
Running time	87 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$795,000
Box office	$1.6 million (US rentals)

Mister Scoutmaster is a 1953 film about Boy Scouts, starring Clifton Webb. It is based on the book Be Prepared by Keith Monroe, writing under the pseudonym Rice E. Cochran.

An arrogant, aloof television personality gets more than he's bargained for when he consents to be leader to a troop of Boy Scouts. The sponsor of Robert Jordan's (Clifton Webb) 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 (Frances Dee), 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 (George Winslow) 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 (Edmund Gwenn) 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. Mike is too young to be a Scout, but persists in joining every activity.

Jordan discovers that Mike is an orphan who lives with an irresponsible aunt. Mike comes to the Scoutmaster's rescue in the woods when Jordan gets trapped inside a sleeping bag. The Jordans decide to adopt the boy, and Robert's television show is continued.

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