Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier

1st watched 9/23/2001 - 6 out of 10(Dir-Norman Foster): Simple yet BIG-hearted hero in Davy Crockett is represented here as doing many bigger than life things than dying as a martyr for the American old west at the Alamo but living on in the hearts of others. Fess Parker displays this hero with much humor along with his partner played by Buddy Epsen which helps because we have a hard time believing all of the stories of grinning a bear down(or 'bar' according to Crockett) and fighting injuns with his bare hands and winning. Light-hearted fare with wonderful character shown in the Davy Crockett legend should always be appealing to the American spirit.

Fess Parker's "Davey Crockett" provides an entertaining story of his Tennessee origins to his final act of courageous devotion at the Alamo. Serious historians can certainly dispute the film's adherence to the facts of Davey Crockett's life. This portrayal made Davey Crockett a hero to the men of the US's baby boomer generation.

I was 7 years old when this movie came out. I had a coonskin cap and wore it until it cut off my circulation. I'm now 50+ and have seen exactly three professional basketball, one hockey, two baseball and no football games. I built and hunt with a 1775 flintlock, horn and bag. My focus these days is Lewis and Clark but it was Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen who captured my imagination and have kept me dreamin' for nearly half a century. Sure there were some Hollywood inaccuracies but the flavor, feeling and freedom of the eastern woodlands and the early frontiersmen were portrayed good enough to make me, and a lot of others, life-long Crockett admirers. "Be sure you are right then go ahead."

The mid fifties television production of Walt Disney's "Davy Crockett" struck a nerve in the physic of American children. This three part TV mini-series launched the "Davy Crockett Craze", a phenomena that swept the Nation for some time.

Davy Crockett collecting cards, coonskin caps, toys, other assorted memorabilia, and the ever popular recording of the "Ballad of Davy Crockett", were only some of the outward signs of it's vast popularity. Actors, Fess Parker, as Davy Crockett, and Buddy Ebson as his sidekick, Georgie Russell became popular with almost most every child in America, practically over night. The show was so successful that the original three part series was clipped together and released to theaters as a full length movie. Then the Disney Studio produced a two part TV sequel the following year.

There is little doubt that by today's standards there was nothing special about it's plot, or dialog, or the acting, etc. Some critics might go as far to say it was rather silly, childish, and a mediocre production at best.

Perhaps that's all true, but it would miss the most important point. Seldom has any TV production cause so many young people to love a couple of screen characters so deeply, and with such spontaneous joy. In this regard it is a Classic and holds a special place in the history of television art.

Watching Disney's Davy Crockett at the impressionable, ripe old age of seven in 1954 started me on a lifelong love affair with American History. I now have in my den a flintlock Kentucky long rifle on one wall replete with arrowheads, powder horn, etc. and lots of Civil War (my other interest) books and just historical stuff in "my" room/retreat. Interestingly, I gave my co-worker (much younger than me) the Disney DVD to show his son. He gave it back to me stating he didn't want his son saying Injun or Redskin and wondered why the term "Native American" hadn't been dubbed in. I told him history was history and wasn't politically correct and that if the PC crowd had their way American history would indeed be revised. And by the by, I, as a person born in the USA was a "Native American". What a shame...am sure his son would have been enthralled!!! Watching those DVD's today brings my childhood rushing back to me and as I get older a keener sense of appreciation to Walt Disney and a gratitude to him for sparking my interest in our nation's history...thanks Walt!! And thanks Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen!!!