A YesterYear Boy in Summer Underwear*

Although it didn't win an Oscar back in 1969, The Reivers, was a good coming-of-age film featuring a very talented 11 year old boy. This movie was based on the 1962 book by William Faulkner, one of my most favorite authors. That book was published one month before his death. His novel, of course, was on the best seller list and he even won a Pulitzer Prize in 1963, posthumously. He had previously one a Pulitzer for another book, A Fable. Only three other authors have been awarded more than one of these prestigious awards! 

The film adaptation stars Steve McQueen as Boon Hogganbeck, Will Geer as Boss McCaslin, a very young Mitch Vogel, Boss' grandson, as Lucius. The Reivers was Vogel's very first film. "Reivers" actually refers to mischievious, trouble bound, adventurers.

The year was 1905. Lucius' grandpa, Boss, purchased the first automobile in Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, a bright yellow Winton Flyer. When Boss and members of the family were required to catch a train for a funeral in a distant town, Lucius was left in “the care” of Boon, a family friend and hired hand. No sooner had the sound of the train faded away when Boon polished the newly delivered automobile and took it for a spin. It was so much fun, he decided to take a drive up to Memphis. And why not take the boy with him. Lucius at first firmly refused as he was a very good kid who respected and obeyed his grandpa. But Boon was sweet on a certain woman so wasn't keen on staying around town babysitting. He soon talked the boy into accompanying him in his grandpa's car.

After several adventures they finally made it to Memphis. Boon arranged for the two of them to stay overnight at a “rooming house.” At least, that was what he old Lucius. The place, the boy soon discovered, was inhabited by young and pretty women. Men of the town would come and go but seldom spent the night. What was a young boy to think?

The plot definitely thickened as they say. So do yourself a favor and discover further adventures by watching this flick (as films used to be called) on any number of streaming services. In the meantime, here are a few scenes of the first night the duo spent in the rooming house.

After a dusty trip in the Winton Flyer, the madam, I mean the matron, suggested Boon and Lucius enjoy a bath. Lucius finished bathing first and pulled on a clean suit of BVD underwear and fresh socks while Boon undressed for his bath: 

 

Lucius noticed a life size panting of a beautiful, reclining woman that immediately interested him. 

Boon kindly and seriously discussed gentle facts of life with Lucius.  And thus, the boy began his transition away from childhood: 

  

 Boon eventualy pulled Lucius away from stairing at the portrait so they could finish dressing...

 

....before heading down to join the women of the household for dinner.  

After dinner, Lucius returned to his assigned bedroom for sleep after taking one last look at the portrait hanging on the wall.  

 

He then said his prayers and crawled into bed, exhausted after the trip to Memphis:

 

What's this??! Before Lucius even closed his eyes....

  

Well, to see what caused the boy's consternation, 

return back here next week to Union Suit Fans in the Limelight !

*The one-piece "summer underwear" featured in this posting called BVD's back in the day was first manufactured and sold as BVD's in 1877, about twenty years after union suits as we know them today became immensely popular. Lucius wears white BVD's while Boon prefers two piece red underwear.

Joseph W. Bradley, Luther C. Voorhees, and Lyman H. Day of a New York City underwear company named their brand of underwear after the first letter of their last names. BVD's became widely worn as an alternative to long two-piece underwear and union suits, because this underwear design, one-piece had cooler short drawers combined with short sleeves (see my posting with examples in my companion blog, Union Suit Fan.

Special Thanks to the following for making such an entertaining film and choosing top-rate actors: Mark Rydell, Director, Irving Ravetch, Producer, Production Companies: Cinema Films, Duo Films, Solar Production, and National General Pictures, and particularly to the outstanding cast and crew!