The Deerslayer

Adding details far from James Fenimore Cooper's novel of the same name, this film fails on its own, as well as an adaptation, to stir interest in a viewer. Sinking in a morass of silliness (hand grenades during the French and Indian War!), the script produces inane dialogue and inconsistent development. Much of the acting is painfully poor with woeful miscasting, including a panoply of obviously non-Indian Indians. The direction surrenders to the vagaries of the scenario. One pleasant surprise is that the film captures an early performance by an ethereal Madeleine Stowe.

I strongly believe that Sunn Schick Productions did posterity a great service. This film and Legend of Sleepy Hollow are only two of the many films they did in the 1970's. Do you remember the Life & Times of Grizzly Adams ? They made that too.

This film mantains it's accuracy by the fact that you learn and not just see SDFX hype. This is truly a classic movie about the early America era and I would recommend anyone watch it. I would rank this and all the Sunn Schick films a 10++ See it whenever you can get a copy.

One of the things that strikes me right off in this was the saving of the blundering, pompous British officer from the rushing creek. Having survived getting across its mountains alone, I was nearly drowned in a creek not much larger and no faster on the east coast of Aristazabal Island, B.C.! What did Steve Forrest get paid for his "stunt work" in this? :-)

Madeleine Stowe being licked by a bear! LUCKY bear. Amazing. In 1978 she was a slim&pretty - beautiful - 20 years old.

It could have been simplified, but it was excellent nonetheless.

And John Anderson was great as usual. :-)