Scout's Honor

Lots of sugar and spice and everything nice went into this remake of Mister Scoutmaster. But what it sorely lacks from the original was a bit of the vinegar of star Clifton Webb.

Taking Webb's place as star is Katherine Helmond who is dragooned into being a den mother for a Cub Scout troop is her boss Harry Morgan an old Boy Scout himself. She takes over a troop that gets a new member, an orphan kid who desperately wants some place to belong .

The kid is Gary Coleman at the height of his popularity so the emphasis is on Coleman and no on the adult in the film. In Mister Scoutmaster the focus was on Webb. Makes all the difference in the world.

Still this is an OK children's film. But that whole Pow-Wow thing that Harry Morgan had going was just annoying.

If you were a Gary Coleman fan, especially when he was big on TV, you probably saw this made-for-TV film.

Coleman plays orphan Joey Seymour wanting to fit in with other boys via the Cub Scouts. Katherine Helmond played the Cub Scout den mother taking Seymour under her wing.

Seymour is annoying, but turns out to be an asset to the Cub Scout Den. His fellow Cubs shut him out initially, but eventually take him in.

They all do the usual activities of cub scouts which is blended well with the story. I was a Cub Scout at the time this aired and I remember being proud of what was seen!

Yeah, this may have been done to cash in on Coleman's popularity, but 1) it showcased his ability to do much more than comedy (he did some of his comedic self in this comedy drama) and 2) this was good exposure for the Cub Scouts.

Like many made-for-TV-movies of yesteryear, it can be dated, rarely seen and hard to find. Enjoy it if you come across it.

So no one has reviewed this thing yet? Travesty!

Gary Coleman stars as Joey Seymour, a little boy whose lone desire is to join the Boy Scouts. He's an orphan (who would love to be adopted by a loving family) who's been shuffled around from one foster home to the next. And although shunned by the other boys at first, he eventually wins them over.

Let's be honest. This is really sappy and cheesy. You can guess how it ends. But you know what? It's also a lot of fun. From Joey's proclamation to his mother hailing from "Pepsi Cola, Florida" to also describing his grandfather as having "the heaves." Awesome stuff!

This film also features a bunch of cameos from child stars of the past. If you look closely you'll see Robert Trujillo as a kid. You may know him today as the bassist for Metallica. Yep, that's really him.

Why aren't any of Gary Coleman's films on DVD? Shouldn't there be a cheap box set with this film, "Jimmy The Kid" and "On The Right Track?" Yes. Yes there should be.

I recently made a DVD-r of this film from my old pre-recorded VHS tape. If you have it, you should to. And watch this film! It's good fun.