Davy Crockett (1954-1955)

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  • DAVY CROCKETT


    DIRECTED BY NORMAN FOSTER
    PRODUCED BY BILL WALSH
    ABC TELEVISION/ WALT DISNEY PRODUCTIONS


    Photo with the courtesy of Gorch

    Information From IMDb and Wikipedia


    Plot Summary
    Legends (and myths) from the life of famed American frontiersman
    Crockett and his friend George Russell fight in the Creek Indian War.
    Then Crockett is elected to Congress and brings his rough-hewn ways
    to the House of Representatives.
    Finally, Crockett and Russell journey to Texas and
    partake in the last stand at the Alamo.
    Written by Jim Beaver


    Full Cast
    Fess Parker ... Davy Crockett
    Buddy Ebsen ... George Russel
    Basil Ruysdael ... Gen. / President Andrew Jackson
    Hans Conried ... Thimblerig
    William Bakewell ... Maj. Tobias Norton
    Kenneth Tobey ... Col. Jim Bowie (as Ken Tobey)
    Pat Hogan ... Chief Red Stick
    Helene Stanley ... Polly Crockett
    Nick Cravat ... Busted Luck
    Don Megowan ... Col. William Travis
    Mike Mazurki ... Bigfoot Mason
    Jeff Thompson ... Charlie Two Shirts
    Henry Joyner ... Swaney
    Campbell Brown ... Bruno (Bigfoot henchman)(as Colonel Campbell Brown)


    Episodes
    Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter (December 15, 1954)
    Crockett seeks a truce with Indians who assaulted a military outpost.
    He and Russell fight in skirmishes under the command of General Andrew Jackson,
    portrayed by Basil Ruysdael.
    Along the way, Crockett kills a bear armed only with his knife.


    Davy Crockett Goes to Congress (January 26, 1955)
    Crockett, with his companion Russell, travels to Tennessee,
    where he learns of the death of his wife, Polly Crockett, played by Helene Stanley.
    He wins a seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives
    and later the United States House of Representatives.


    Davy Crockett at the Alamo (February 23, 1955)
    Crockett and Russell join a gambler named Thimblerig, played by Hans Conreid,
    who joins them on their trek to Texas, where they arrive to battle
    Mexico's General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna at the fortress, the Alamo.
    Although Crockett and all the defenders perished
    at the Battle of the Alamo, two other segments followed.


    Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race (November 16, 1955)
    Crockett and Russell are fur trapping in Kentucky when they meet Mike Fink,
    known as the best boatman around and portrayed in the miniseries by Jeff York.
    Fink challenged Crockett to a keelboat race to New Orleans.


    Davy Crockett and the River Pirates(December 14, 1955),
    Crockett and Russell team up with Fink
    to catch pirates posing as Indians


    Written
    Norman Foster
    Thomas W. Blackburn


    Trivia
    * This originally premiered in three parts, broadcast over several weeks, on Disney's television program "Disneyland". The three segments were each given different titles: "Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter", "Davy Crockett Goes To Congress", and "Davy Crockett at the Alamo".


    * Buddy Ebsen was going to play Davy Crockett until Walt Disney saw Fess Parker in Them! (1954). When he saw Parker, he said, "That's my Davy Crockett!"


    * Walt Disney said that if he had known the success that Davy Crockett was going to have he wouldn't have killed him off in the third TV episode.


    * The film feature film, made form the the fitrst three episodes,
    made $1 million despite the fact that over 50% of the U.S.
    had already seen it on TV.


    Goofs
    * Anachronisms: As the camera scans across the river from where Andy Jackson is camped near the beginning of the film, a modern house can be seen for a second or two.


    * Anachronisms: In his speech to the House of Representatives arguing against Jackson's expansion policies, Crockett uses the term "scalawags" twice. The term "scalawag" was not introduced until the 1840s, and was not widely used until after the Civil War, yet Crockett's speech was ostensibly between the years 1827 to 1835.


    Filming Locations
    Great Smoky Mountains National Park - 107 Park Headquarters Road, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA
    Janss Conejo Ranch, Thousand Oaks, California, USA
    Qualla Indian Reservation, Cherokee, North Carolina, USA
    The Hermitage - 4580 Rachel Lane, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
    (Andrew Jackson's home, exterior and interior)
    Walt Disney Studios, Burbank, California, USA

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 12 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • Davy Crockett is a five part serial which aired on ABC in one-hour episodes on the Disneyland series.
    The series stars Fess Parker as real-life frontiersman Davy Crockett and Buddy Ebsen as his friend, George Russel.


    The first three episodes of the serial were edited together as the 1955 theatrical film
    Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier, and rebroadcast in color in the 1960s when the Disney program went to NBC.
    This series and film are known for the catchy theme song, "The Ballad of Davy Crockett".
    It was filmed in color at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at the Mountain Farm Museum
    adjacent to the visitor center at Oconaluftee near Qualla Reservation's entrance and Janss Conejo Ranch, California.


    The final two episodes were edited together as the 1956 theatrical film
    Davy Crockett and the River Pirates. It was filmed in Cave-In-Rock, Illinois.


    Walt Disney Home Video released a two-film set of this miniseries on DVD September 7, 2004.


    A childhood favourite, andI wonder how many of us,
    went out and got a coonskin hat, I know I did!!


    Here is more
    Davy Crockett Triva
    This could rightly be called the first mini-series of all time.
    Under the Walt Disney banner, Davy captured the hearts of both young and old.
    The show was also a merchandising pioneer as coonskin caps sold like hotcakes.
    About 100 million dollars worth.
    The idea of selling tie-ins from a show is accepted practice now but it wasn't back then!


    What's curious about this is that Davy Crockett was only
    a five feature Frontierland adventure which aired as part of Disneyland.


    Now as any student of history knows, Davy at the Alamo kind of boxed Disney
    into a corner because that's where his tale ends.
    So they had to go back and make two more episodes about his earlier exploits.


    Davy Crockett never got a series of his own.


    Fess Parker portrayed both Davy Crockett and later Daniel Boone on TV.
    Many historians feel that this caused a permanent blurring of the two real life
    men into one entity forever making each less distinct.


    Fess Parker now runs the Fess Parker Winery where you can buy a coonskin cap!

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 7 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • Boy, this one takes me back.
    I read or heard that Davy's death was actually filmed but that Disney thought it was too much for impressionable kiddies and he had it edited out.
    Walt also noticed that the episodes, especially The Indian Fighter one, were too short. He told some of his staff artists to render some drawings to show what the episodes were about. When Walt saw the drawings, he thought it was too dull and suggested that a song be written to accompany them. Thus, the Ballad of Davy Crockett was born.


    We deal in lead, friend.

  • Many of you may be unaware that our member Jeffrey Wayne Sutherland, in addition to being a John Wayne impersonator, is also an accomplished celebrity interviewer with his own cable TV show, Jeff's Star Talk.


    I discovered that at the 2009 Golden Boot Awards, Jeff interviewed (among others) Kim Darby of True Grit fame and Fess Parker, who just passed away this week. I thought you might enjoy seeing the clip.


    Kim Darby is the first brief interview, followed by Fess Parker, finishing the segment with Morgan Woodward.


    [extendedmedia]

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  • That is one of the great things about this board, the members looking for and sharing all these great clips and facts with each other. Thanks for sharing this, Jim and Sue.

    Mark

    "I couldn't go to sleep at night if the director didn't call 'cut'. "

  • Thanks for posting that, Chester. I really enjoyed it. First time I've seen Kim Darby in about 35 yrs. And Morgan Woodward, he was one of my favorite character actors. Ther was no mistaking him on screen with that deep prominent voice. And I wonder if most people know that he was a regular on The Life And Legen Of Wyatt Earp for a couple of years as Shotgun Gibbs. He had a big bushy mustache but, that deep voice was still there. And, he was also "The Man With No Eyes", in Cool Hand Luke. The guard who never spoke, wore the sunglasses and was quick with the rifle.

  • That's funny that Kim Darby would say what she said, I heard from a few sources that she didn't like Duke and there was friction from time to time. She just had a baby and was a difficult person to work with at the time. Now that's what I read and heard from others. It was good to see Fess Parker there and hear about his time between Davy to Daniel including the competition between the networks. Very interesting. Thanks Chester and Mrs for the clip.

    Cheers :cool: Hondo



    Quote

    "When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it"

    - John Wayne quote

  • Wow. Kim Darby looks and sounds exactly the same.
    As you say Mike, it's most odd that we have all grown up,
    understanding that she didn't like and get on with Duke!!
    Duke is even quoted as saying
    he didn't get on with her and that she was
    a spoiled brat, see the Kim Darby thread.
    On this she said the complete opposite.
    I have also copied these couple of posts to
    Pals Of The Saddle- Kim Darby
    Great also to see Fess Parker.

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 3 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • The thanks go to Jeff Sutherland, for his insight in interviewing these folks while they're still standing tall and kickin'.


    As for Kim Darby, I suspect that the years and adult maturity could override any negative thoughts from her youth. At the same time, this was the biggest thing that had ever happened in her life, working on True Grit with some big stars. Good for her, that she was at the event!


    Chester :newyear:

  • All I can say on this one is: WOW!!!!!


    I know its a diff subject but--I KNOW I still have a Daniel Boone and Mingo 2008 For President Bumper Sticker. Ill give it to you when I cna find it? dunno when that will be? The only way to get these was to write into the Company that put the DB series out for sale on DvD and you had to ask for them. They sent me a few and I gave one to a friend in England and I know I still have at least 1-2 more.

    Es Ist Verboten Mit Gefangenen In Einzelhaft Zu Sprechen..

  • One of my very favorite shows when I was a kid. Always loved Buddy Ebsen in everything........ESPECIALLY when he was singing and dancing. You can compare him a little to Ken Curtis/Festus!
    For those of you too young to know, Buddy was quite a singer and dancer in the early years! Love Fess in all also. KEITH Still can sing the title song, LOL!

    God, she reminds me of me! DUKE