Ever since playing villain roles in "Laura" and "The Dark Corner", veteran song and dance man Clifton Webb wanted to prove that he was a good egg behind all that uppity, nose-in-the-air pretentiousness. Whether playing Mr. Belvedere, the father in "Cheaper By the Dozen" or the flawed but atoning father in "Titanic", Webb no longer played a down right meanie. In this comedy that is more dramatic than funny thanks to its overuse of sentiment, he plays a TV talk show personality whose reputation is failing due to his reputation as being out of touch with humanity. He decides to become involved in services to children even though he knows absolutely nothing about them (and seemingly doesn't want to), and his sweet wife (Frances Dee), who wants children of her own, tries to get him to see the truth about himself. Along comes the chance to try and find out what makes kids tick when the opportunity to be a boy scoutmaster comes his way. There also comes along the rather annoying, needy George "Foghorn" Winslow, the follow-up to "Little Rascal's" Froggy, who manages to show the icy cold Webb that he does have a heart.
It's only because of Webb's performance (and Edmund Gwenn as a local priest) that I rate this as high as I do, far too desperate to tug at the heartstrings rather than get some laughs, and the idea of Clifton Webb leading a pack of boys going through the woods has plenty of potential. Yes, there is a moment here and there when a sudden bit of farce enters the picture, but then it's right back to the sentimentality. Webb and Dee investigate the truth about Winslow and discover that he has a neglectful guardian (Veda Ann Borg) who basically has ignored Winslow since taking him in. When Winslow disappears, Webb goes off on his own to find him, ending back in the woods, stuck in a sleeping bag and confronted by skunks and raccoons who care more about foraging for bugs than bothering with him. Winslow could test the patience of both Mary Poppins and Maria Von Trapp, so the fact that Webb takes an interest in him does make this a bit questionable. Winslow would score better in a smaller role in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" the same year where at least you could be distracted by Marilyn Monroe and Charles Coburn's antics in scenes with him. This just begins to grate a bit after a while with its saccharine atmosphere that results in a predictable conclusion.
It's only because of Webb's performance (and Edmund Gwenn as a local priest) that I rate this as high as I do, far too desperate to tug at the heartstrings rather than get some laughs, and the idea of Clifton Webb leading a pack of boys going through the woods has plenty of potential. Yes, there is a moment here and there when a sudden bit of farce enters the picture, but then it's right back to the sentimentality. Webb and Dee investigate the truth about Winslow and discover that he has a neglectful guardian (Veda Ann Borg) who basically has ignored Winslow since taking him in. When Winslow disappears, Webb goes off on his own to find him, ending back in the woods, stuck in a sleeping bag and confronted by skunks and raccoons who care more about foraging for bugs than bothering with him. Winslow could test the patience of both Mary Poppins and Maria Von Trapp, so the fact that Webb takes an interest in him does make this a bit questionable. Winslow would score better in a smaller role in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" the same year where at least you could be distracted by Marilyn Monroe and Charles Coburn's antics in scenes with him. This just begins to grate a bit after a while with its saccharine atmosphere that results in a predictable conclusion.