Boys Life 100 Movies for Boys

[RememberSchiff]

http://boyslife.org/hobbies-projects/funstuff/18651/100-movies-for-boys/

 

Everyone is a critic.

 

Replace on Boys' Life list

Babe

Bambi

Big

Bridge Over River Kwai

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Close Encounters

Dumbo

Edward Scissorhands

Footloose

The Grapes of Wrath

 

Hamlet

High Noon

King Kong

Mr. Mom ??

The Never Ending Story

Peter Pan

Pinocchio

The Sound Of Music

The Ten Commandments

Willy Wonka

 

With these

The Last of the Mohicans

The Crossing (George Washington, too bad they did not have snow)

The Day After Tomorrow

Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog

Captain America

Sky High

The Longest Day

Shackleton's Voyage of Endurance (PBS: Nova)

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

The Day The Earth Stood Still

 

Lone Ranger Lost City of Gold (the real Lone Ranger Clayton Moore)

Robin Hood (Flynn not, definitely not Costner)

National Treasure

Source Code

Hunt for Red October

Percy Jackson - The Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters

White Squall

Harry Potter

Up (for crying out loud, it has a scout in it)

 

My $0.02,

 

[Stosh]

Too bad they don't have the old suggested books. Far too many people today have forgotten how to read.

 

BSA used to commission books for boys to read and even had series of books that competed with the likes of Hardy Boys and Tom Swift. They are some really good reads for the boys.

 

72 books with BSA covers of good literature, Call of the Wild, Treasure Island, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, Ben Hur, etc. Some of these books were written by early BSA pioneers.

 

Tom Slade Series (Boy from the gangs gets into scouting, using scouting experience through WW I and returns to become a forest ranger and ScoutMaster)

Roy Blakeley Series (Patrol Method in action)

Pee Wee Harris Series (Mystery, detective type stories, using scoutcraft to solve mysteries)

Mark Gilmore, Scout of the Air (Aviation was in its infancy and a real draw for the boys)

Buddy Boy Series (series of books focusing on scout dynamics and scoutcraft in action.

 

Stosh

 

 

 

[qwazse]

Let me start out by saying I'm not big on movies so I may have less skin in the game than others.

 

Why would you drop The Ten Commandments?

 

or add Harry Potter?

 

I know if she were asked, Mrs. Q would drop It's a Wonderful Life. But I've always been a big Jimmy Stewart fan.

[skeptic]

Too bad they don't have the old suggested books. Far too many people today have forgotten how to read.

 

BSA used to commission books for boys to read and even had series of books that competed with the likes of Hardy Boys and Tom Swift. They are some really good reads for the boys.

 

72 books with BSA covers of good literature, Call of the Wild, Treasure Island, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, Ben Hur, etc. Some of these books were written by early BSA pioneers.

 

Tom Slade Series (Boy from the gangs gets into scouting, using scouting experience through WW I and returns to become a forest ranger and ScoutMaster)

Roy Blakeley Series (Patrol Method in action)

Pee Wee Harris Series (Mystery, detective type stories, using scoutcraft to solve mysteries)

Mark Gilmore, Scout of the Air (Aviation was in its infancy and a real draw for the boys)

Buddy Boy Series (series of books focusing on scout dynamics and scoutcraft in action.

 

Stosh

 

 

Every Boys Library had 73 titles, mostly fiction, but also BSA Handbook, craft books by Beard. They began in about 1914, though the copyrights are actual book copyrights, and printing dates are not known specifically on most. There are three types, the first having a large frontal scout device on the front only; the second with similar design, but a symbol embossed on the spine; the third with no frontal design and weird colored boards and an embossed symbol on the spine. They came with dustjackets, but are much harder to find with them. Like all such things, there are anomalies in the material. Seton insisted on a different format for Biography of A Grizzly for example. All the books have a 1913 letter by West authorizing the book. Based on that, we can surmise the decision was in 1913 and there may have been a few issued in that year. The best material on the history is by Joe Price who spent most of his adult life collecting and researching scouting things and wrote the Big Kahuna guides on EBL as well as handbooks and merit badges. It took me about 35 years to find all the titles at prices I could afford, never paying more than $35 and usually less than $20. The Scout Handbook was reprinted yearly in the series, but the one everyone tries to get is the 1914 one of course. If you find any in good or better condition under $30 you should consider them; if it has a jacket, even slightly tattered, grab it. Am still replacing poorer copies.

 

The other noted series are interesting, but were never "officially" authorized by BSA. Some of the books of the era with "scout" in the title were trash, and many exceptionally bad writing. But the ones noted here were some of the better ones, especially Tom Slade and Fitzhugh. I gave up any idea of collecting any but the EBL a long time back, as there are far too many for me. I did accumulate the entire 60's era Boys Life series on sports and other subjects of interest to boys, 11 total titles.

 

There are also a lot of anthology type collections, including the official year books or annuals, and Boys Life Treasury books.

 

Keep hoping Doug Bearce will publish his great bibliography again with the updates. Even in its first printing, it is still likely the best overall guide in this area of memorabilia. A lot of the early copyright info is sketchy or confusing, especially in the BSA literature of the time. They finally consistently put a code on the printing page circa 1920 which really the best key when dating things. Many manuals were reprinted a number of times, so that small date code will tell you the real date it came out, not the copyright date.

[Stosh]

Too bad they don't have the old suggested books. Far too many people today have forgotten how to read.

 

BSA used to commission books for boys to read and even had series of books that competed with the likes of Hardy Boys and Tom Swift. They are some really good reads for the boys.

 

72 books with BSA covers of good literature, Call of the Wild, Treasure Island, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, Ben Hur, etc. Some of these books were written by early BSA pioneers.

 

Tom Slade Series (Boy from the gangs gets into scouting, using scouting experience through WW I and returns to become a forest ranger and ScoutMaster)

Roy Blakeley Series (Patrol Method in action)

Pee Wee Harris Series (Mystery, detective type stories, using scoutcraft to solve mysteries)

Mark Gilmore, Scout of the Air (Aviation was in its infancy and a real draw for the boys)

Buddy Boy Series (series of books focusing on scout dynamics and scoutcraft in action.

 

Stosh

 

 

The series I mention are those of Percy Reese Fitzhugh and all of his publications were commissioned directly by the BSA National. The other "Scouts" you refer to were not and are just scouting stories. Pee Wee Harris and Roy Blakeley are still icons in historical BSA in that for many years, the cartoon on the last page of Boy Life used to reflect Pee Wee and Roy, who originated out of these series. Whereas Roy dropped out of the spotlight, Pee Wee still is around today.

 

73 is correct, I just counted the ones I have and I'm missing Ben Hur. At $300+ per copy, it's probably going to be the one missing for a long time.

 

Stosh

 

This might help...

 

http://www.academia.edu/3892166/The_Boy_Scouts_of_America_and_Literature_for_Youth_1910-1930_Southern_Connecticut_State_University_Masters_Thesis_2013_

[RememberSchiff]

Let me start out by saying I'm not big on movies so I may have less skin in the game than others.

 

Why would you drop The Ten Commandments?

 

or add Harry Potter?

 

I know if she were asked, Mrs. Q would drop It's a Wonderful Life. But I've always been a big Jimmy Stewart fan.

The Ten Commandments is Judeo-Christian specific, rather leave that selection to a scout's family. I was on the fence with Ben Hur but author Lew Wallace donated TO Philmont

 

Harry Potter? Well the main characters are our target age group and the good-guys, they work together to solve problems, many scouts have read the books and seen the HP movies more times than Star Wars...

 

My wife doesn't get "It's a Wonderful Life" either, she thinks it is just a second-rate Christmas movie. I keep telling her that it is not a Christmas movie at all.

[skeptic]

Too bad they don't have the old suggested books. Far too many people today have forgotten how to read.

 

BSA used to commission books for boys to read and even had series of books that competed with the likes of Hardy Boys and Tom Swift. They are some really good reads for the boys.

 

72 books with BSA covers of good literature, Call of the Wild, Treasure Island, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, Ben Hur, etc. Some of these books were written by early BSA pioneers.

 

Tom Slade Series (Boy from the gangs gets into scouting, using scouting experience through WW I and returns to become a forest ranger and ScoutMaster)

Roy Blakeley Series (Patrol Method in action)

Pee Wee Harris Series (Mystery, detective type stories, using scoutcraft to solve mysteries)

Mark Gilmore, Scout of the Air (Aviation was in its infancy and a real draw for the boys)

Buddy Boy Series (series of books focusing on scout dynamics and scoutcraft in action.

 

Stosh

 

 

Yes, you are correct. I liked the Pee Wee from the fifties and sixties better, along with the Tracy cubs (I think). Wish I could find any Roy Powers I could afford. There was a copy of one of the erly newspaper strips on eBay a while back and it was way too pricy for me to even consider. Then there is the hazy Bronc Burnett stories; not too bad actually, but do not think they ever were official, though I still am learning after a few decades.

 

Have accumulated fairly decent group of comics, including all the Little Scouts, a number of Disney ones, and Caspar of course. Still look for them though. That is where the Roy Powers search lies of course. Still only have one of the official Boys Life Comics, as they too get too expensive for me. Would love to have a copy of the Superman cover; but will stay only an image unless I get really lucky. Couple of Archie titles, or related to that series.

 

Also have found a few really odd ball things. Get the Mad version or Playboy version of the handbook. Also an open field of various magazine covers with scouts, mostly from pre 1950, and things like the Farm Journal, and other club type periodicals, though have two Etude covers, and of course the Post. It amazes me how many scout images are out there in advertising too, especially pre 1940.

 

I never run out of things to display at local events. Try to not duplicate too much, other than the very basic items everybody expects to see. Had a boy sit down with his mom and pour over one of the Rockwell books.

 

I will watch for a Ben Hur for you. Never know where they will pop up. Have a few duplicates now, but do not remember any being that one, but will double check. Am up to 107 copies in the various states with about 15 jackets. Thanks for adding to this. Probably should be under another heading, but gets more attention here.

[Stosh]

Too bad they don't have the old suggested books. Far too many people today have forgotten how to read.

 

BSA used to commission books for boys to read and even had series of books that competed with the likes of Hardy Boys and Tom Swift. They are some really good reads for the boys.

 

72 books with BSA covers of good literature, Call of the Wild, Treasure Island, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, Ben Hur, etc. Some of these books were written by early BSA pioneers.

 

Tom Slade Series (Boy from the gangs gets into scouting, using scouting experience through WW I and returns to become a forest ranger and ScoutMaster)

Roy Blakeley Series (Patrol Method in action)

Pee Wee Harris Series (Mystery, detective type stories, using scoutcraft to solve mysteries)

Mark Gilmore, Scout of the Air (Aviation was in its infancy and a real draw for the boys)

Buddy Boy Series (series of books focusing on scout dynamics and scoutcraft in action.

 

Stosh

 

 

I have all EBL except for Ben Hur. As far as Percy Reese Fitzhugh I have them all! That includes the one unpublished Pee Wee Harris story that was published in 4 issues of Boys' Life back in the 30's that was never published in book form. "Warrior Bold" I think was the title.

 

I think they are really fun books to read, but as far as being "politically correct" I'm afraid they won't make muster today. They give a really good look into the world of scouting back in the early years. YPT goes out the window really fast, too. Great lessons on ethics and honor are part of every story.

 

I especially like the Westy Martin series when he takes aim at the Parlor Scouts of his day and age. There might be a lesson in them that still is relevant today.

 

Stosh

[skeptic]

"but author Lew Wallace donated Philmont" Huh????? Gentleman by the name of Waite Phillips I do believe, other than a couple of later smaller pieces.

[qwazse]

Let me start out by saying I'm not big on movies so I may have less skin in the game than others.

 

Why would you drop The Ten Commandments?

 

or add Harry Potter?

 

I know if she were asked, Mrs. Q would drop It's a Wonderful Life. But I've always been a big Jimmy Stewart fan.

Oh, okay. So on those grounds, why would you add Neo-Pagan specific Percy Jackson?

 

I guess I like the TC because it does grand cinematography without all the digital special effects that we take for granted anymore. I know making religion into entertainment turns some people off, but I figure this is the kind of thing that would make a boy think "hey we can do a skit of the sort about ___."

 

I get HP's popularity. And, although the protagonist is a "Moses figure" of the decade, I'm not sure if a boy who never sees it is missing out on much.

 

By the way, I liked the book-on-tape version of Percy Jackson. Something about it really sucked me in and gave me a smile every time I had to switch tracks.

[RememberSchiff]

"but author Lew Wallace donated Philmont" Huh????? Gentleman by the name of Waite Phillips I do believe, other than a couple of later smaller pieces.

Fixed, Added missing TO thanks

[RememberSchiff]

Let me start out by saying I'm not big on movies so I may have less skin in the game than others.

 

Why would you drop The Ten Commandments?

 

or add Harry Potter?

 

I know if she were asked, Mrs. Q would drop It's a Wonderful Life. But I've always been a big Jimmy Stewart fan.

Some of my scouts identify with Percy Jackson as he too has dyslexia and ADHD which may explain, at least as theorized by other characters, his "powers" and ability to read Greek.

[RememberSchiff]

Wow I thought there would be more discussion,,, Hmmm, grateful "Gone With the Wind" was not among the chosen, then again if Ted Turner donates $$$...

[Cambridgeskip]

I put The Hunt for Red October on during a long coach journey to camp last year, the boys loved it (least said about the girls reaction the better!) A Bridge To Far is also great for showing people carrying on against the odds but may be a little long at the thick end of 3 hours. Glad to see Time Bandits on the list. I've seen it many times and never tire of it. Young Sherlock Holmes is also worth a look.

[Old_OX_Eagle83]

I'd say that's a pretty good list. There are other movies that I think youth may also benefit from, but only one that should not be on the list. The Ten Commandments is specific for one belief system, so although it's a good movie, despite it's age, it's not appropriate for every scout.