Tex Rides with the Boy Scouts (1937)

Directed by Ray Taylor and released by Grand National Pictures, Tex Rides with the Boy Scouts is a unique blend of Western action and civic-minded adventure. Starring singing cowboy Tex Ritter, the film stands out for its collaboration with the Boy Scouts of America, even featuring real members of Troop 13 from Los Angeles in the cast. It’s a patriotic tale that mixes outlaw justice with wholesome values, all wrapped in a brisk 66-minute runtime.

Plot Summary
The film opens with a tribute to the Boy Scouts, including footage from their first national Jamboree in Washington, D.C., and a nod to Robert Baden-Powell, the movement’s founder. The story quickly shifts to a daring train robbery—$1,000,000 in gold is stolen by a gang of outlaws who hide out in an abandoned mine near the Mexican border. Tex Collins (Ritter), traveling with his sidekicks, stumbles upon a nearby Scout camp and reveals he’s a former Scout himself, proudly showing off his Silver Beaver Award. With the help of the Scouts, Tex investigates the robbery, recovers the gold, and brings the gang to justice.

Cast Highlights

• Tex Ritter as Tex Collins
• Marjorie Reynolds as Norma Willis
• Forrest Taylor as Dorman
• Horace Murphy as Stubby
• Snub Pollard as Pee Wee
• Tommy Bupp as Buzzy Willis
• Charles King, Karl Hackett, and Philip Ahn in supporting roles
• The Beverly Hillbillies (not the TV show cast) appear as musical performers
• Real-life Boy Scouts from Troop 13 play themselves

Behind-the-Scenes Trivia

• The film was shot in Old Kernville, California, a popular location for Westerns of the era
• Tex Ritter performs several songs, including “I’m Headin’ for My Texas Home” and “The Gal I Left Behind Me”, backed by the Beverly Hillbillies
• The earliest documented TV broadcasts were in San Francisco (KPIX) and Cincinnati (WKRC) in 1949
• The film premiered on Broadway on November 26, 1937—a rare honor for a B-Western