Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans

I remember watching episodes of this series as a child, which must have been in the early 1960s. It couldn't have been earlier as a) it wasn't released in the UK until 1962 and b) I wouldn't have been considered old enough to watch it before then anyway.

I remember it as an exciting and semi-educational series - while it may not have been historically accurate, it did throw some light on the events of wars that occurred in North America in the mid-1700s. It must have made an impact as I've always remembered the names of Hawkeye and Chingachgook, the story of the 'Last of the Mohicans' and James Fennimore Cooper - how many remember him ? Montcalm, General Wolfe and Quebec Heights all became known and I still have, somewhere, a jigsaw puzzle depicting the scene.

Astonishingly, at least some of the episodes are now being repeated on British television, black and white of course, but none the worse for that. Yes, it's dated and some might say it's a bit corny but that's what television was in the 1950s as viewed through the prism of 60 years later. "Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans" wasn't half-bad in it's day and I remember it fondly. Seeing it again in 2019 hasn't changed my opinion.

The first-run syndicated series "Last of the Mohicans" was based on the classic James Fenimore Cooper novel and was set along the New York-Canadian border during the French and Indian War. Veteran character actors John Hart starred as frontiersman Hawkeye and Lon Chaney Jr. as his Mohican blood-brother Chinachgook.The series followed Hawkeye and Chingachgook's adventures as they attempted to keep the settlers of the new frontier safe from the various warring parties.

The series was filmed in Canada so if a given episode was set in the winter, you could actually see their breath! The entire series was filmed on location so the series, though otherwise fairly routine, boasted actual outdoor locations and paid close attention to detail such the loading and use of muskets.

After its initial run the series was played endlessly in reruns for many years and is still a well remembered series.

A TV series even better than I imagined it to be. The series seems to start out good and end good. Some episodes I liked better than others but that is to be expected.

I actually found Lon Chaney good as the Native American Chingachgook. I liked him a lot in the film Daniel Boone, Trail Blazer (1956) as Blackfish, in Battles of Chief Pontiac (1952) as Chief Pontiac and in The Indian Fighter (1955) as Chivington. So I figured I would like him in this TV series - and I do.

I also enjoyed watching John Hart as Nat 'Hawkeye' Cutler! Hart and Chaney made a great team in this series as they roam the land and help both sides - doing what is right. Great pair of heroes! 8/10

Considering when it was made in the late 50's, I found the performance of lon chaney jr. to be mesmerizing. so proud, so sad, all at once. as a child i tried to understand the unfair treatment of american indians; watching this got it across to me. cooper is not going down as the most sensitive author on this topic, but chaney claimed it as his own in my estimation. For Chaney alone it gets high high marks and a strong recommendation.

John Hart, former Lone Ranger, played Nat "Hawkeye" Cutler, the lead in this series, co-starring with the legendary Lon Chaney Jr as his aboriginal half-brother, Chingachgook. The man who is still considered "the most prolific director in the American sound age", Sam Newfield directed every episode except one (the pilot, directed by colleague Sidney Salkow), while brother Sig Neufeld produced. Sig's son has a music credit in "Hawkeye" and another son is alleged to have appeared in the series.

This was an absolutely great series compared to what else was being churned out of Canada in this era, but somewhat pedestrian compared to the wealth of similar material available in the U.S. at the time. Still, it was shown all over the world, easily accessing U.S. and British Commonwealth television markets and while filmed in B&W, still a pretty good package to view on DVD today.

The outdoors scenes in the program were filmed in picturesque Pickering, Ontario, Canada in the late summer and fall of 1956. There was a movement in 2006 by some dedicated fans of the show to have a plaque erected in the vicinity of the outdoor film lot, as well as a campaign to have a Pickering street renamed "Hawkeye Drive" in commemoration of the show's fiftieth anniversary. Unfortunately, their request has been rejected by Pickering City Council.