Movie Depictions of Boys Clothes: Film Themes


Figure 1.--This is a publicity image from the wonderful 20th Century Fox film "Mister Scoutmaster" (1953). Clifton Webb plays a television star. Webb likes things orderly, on time and properly executed. In his world children are to be seen, not heard. So why would he want to become the master of a rambunctious band of Boy Scouts?

Some films have touched on youth groups. The largest and most important groups of course is the Scouts. But relatively few movies have been made about them. The most well known one that comes to mind is the American film Follow Me Boys. Pedrhaps more have been made in other countries. HBC knows of no filoms made about the Boys' Brigade or Camp Fire. This may be understandable today when there are a wide varieety of groups and activities for young people. Until after World War II, the Scouts or other uniforned group was one of the few organized activities open to many young people. On the other hand, a host of movies have been made about the Hitler Youth or have Hitler Youth boys involved in the plot.

Boy Scouts

The largest and most important groups of course is the Scouts. But relatively few movies have been made about them. The most well known one that comes to mind is the American film Follow Me Boys, a wonderful film about Scouting. We know of a few other American films. Perhaps more have been made in other countries, but we do not know of any at this time. There are many films in which Scouts appear, but not that many actually about Scouting. Strangely, there appear to have been more films made on the Hitler Youth than Scouting.

Hitler Youth

On the other hand, a host of movies have been made about the Hitler Youth or have Hitler Youth boys involved in the plot. The subject of NAZI Germany's Hitler Youth has fascinated fim makers since the very first years of the Third Reich. Several films have been made specifically on the Hitler Youth, but it is a rare film about NAZI Germany that does not include a required scene with Hitler Youth boys. The most notable such scene is from the Broadway musical Cabaret. Information on several other Hitler Youth films, several made in Germany, are avialable on HBC. The first such film was made in Germany, Hitler Jugend Quex. While it looks rather hokey to us today, it had a powerful impact in mid-190s Germany. The prevelence of the Hitler Youth in movies is extrodinary. The much larger Boy Scout movement is rarely depicted in films. The Hitler Youth, however, is rarely left out in a film with a German setting from the late 1920s to 1945.

Young Pioneers

Surely the Communist countries must have made films about Pioneers. HBC at this time, however, does not know of any. Hopefully our Russian and other Eastern European readers will provide us some details. There were presumably also films made in China, Cuba, Korea (North), and Vietnam. One interesting question is why so many films about the Hitler Youth, or at least touching on the Hitler Youth, were made in America and other European countries, while the Communist Young Pioneers were never the subject of movies in non-connunist countries. We do not even know of American films in which Young Pioneers were even mentioned or seen in back ground scenes as is almost inevitable in films about NAZI Germany. While we know very little about movies, we have found one Soviet TV program in whih the Young Pioneers are depicted.

Other Group

HBC knows of no filoms made about the Boys' Brigade or Camp Fire. This may be understandable today when there are a wide varieety of groups and activities for young people. Until after World War II, the Scouts or other uniforned group was one of the few organized activities open to many young people.








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Created: September 8, 2000
Last updated: 8:53 AM 12/7/2008