Figure 1.-- Here we see Powell with the Boy Ranger troop he takes over to try to con the local Community Chest. He is susposed to be helping the boys win their badges. The little guy is Robert Blake.

"I Love You Again" was a Boy Scout-themed Willim Powell comedy vehicle. The film begins at sea on an ocean liner--a dangerous place to be in 1940. A confidence man played by Powell in and out of amnesia becomes involved with a Boy Scout troop. He is a fuddy duddy, stingy businessman that apparently is more appealing as a crook. He becomes interested in first his former self's bank accountv anf than his wife. William Powell is teamed with Myrba Loy who played in the Thin Man movies. They were better than this film, but any movie with the pair is worth seeing. I think they were called Boy Rangers rathan than Scouts. The uniform badges were not BSA types. I'm not sure why they didn't use the Scout name. Perhaps the BSA didn't like the plot. He first uses the Scouts to help "find oil". But then he helps them with their badges. A Scouts get into trouble on the mountains and the crook saves him. The boys wear a short pants uniform even though the uniform at the time worn by most boys was knickers. (Shorts were worn at camps.) I've only seen part of the film, but the boys I've seen when not in their Scout uniforms wore long pants. One of the Scouts was played by Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, better know for his work in the "Our Gang" series. Another was Mickey Gubitosi on his way to becoming Robert Blake. The New York Times remembers them as surly. I don't recall them in that way. I understand that a remake is planned for 2008.

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Created: 1:24 AM 6/29/2008
Last updated: 1:24 AM 6/29/2008