The Last of the Mohicans

A commendable translation to the small screen of the novel - i am assured that it is a more faithful adaption than other tv series or movies - and i believe it - while i never read the novel - i had it at hand to check that the scenes were in order - they were - and much of the novel's dialog was inserted into the script

as an american indian - i was not bothered by the use of white actors in the indian roles - it was common in american tv shows too at the time - i doubt many american indians were strolling around Britain available for casting - and the pitiful budget for this production couldn't afford to import and provide for the real thing

originally the BBC series extended over 6 hours - in 8 episodes - which is more time than movies can afford - which allowed it to contain more of the novel - tho even then - it was condensed - but that's to the audience's advantage - only the really pertinent scenes remain

while much of the series is shot on small sets - and they were forced to use 10s of extras - they had one nice advantage - they were able to utilize the wild landscapes of Scotland - which stand in pretty well for the forests of the american east coast - and the dutiful costuming and makeup comes across even better than many american productions - which had a stereotypical look for indians

as could/should be expected from the BBC tv shows - they cast some lesser known yet highly skilled actors - for me - Kenneth Ives as the rangy & confident Hawkeye - and Philip Madoc as the dark & sinister Magua - were the most charismatic - but all performed at a high level

if only they had the budget to match the positive facets of this production

Fortunately, several of the Masterpiece Theater productions are slowly being re-released on DVD, which is allowing those of us who loved the various stories to revisit them. I remember seeing The Last of the Mohicans when it previously aired in 1971, and loved the story so much, I bought and read the paperback and subsequent Hawkeye stories.

This production closely follows the book, and compared with today's production, it may seem dated, since the indoor scenes are filmed in a studio. Today's younger crowd will not appreciate it, but they have to remember that budget was a major factor in what could be done. The producers wanted to lovingly tell the tale as it was written. Today's productions are hacked up and condensed to the point that sometimes the intent of the author is lost. Also, today's directors/producers spend most of the budget for filming on location, at the sacrifice of the plot.

So try and overlook the production qualities and enjoy the story, the way James Fenimore Cooper basically wrote it.

I have read the Leatherstocking Tales several times over the years. This is my favorite book from that collection. I have seen several versions of this story adapted for film. This is by far the best. It follows the story line better than any other version. I grew up in the Lake George - Glens Falls area of New York where this story is set. I'm also a member of the Boy Scout of America Order of the Arrow. This story is part of my heritage. I first saw this film series in the early 1970's, broadcast on PBS (WMHT). I immediately found it to be enthralling. Unfortunately, it was in a time before home VCR's were available. If I had been able to, I would have saved it to view again in the future. I have been looking for it on VHS for several years. I hope that it will be released on DVD. I would certainly buy it and I would recommend it to everyone that I know.

This is a superb version of this classic story. Well cast and well acted, its exteriors are highly evocative of the story's time and place: colonial-era northern New York. Although not as lush as the 1992 movie version, it is acted with more fidelity to the original Victorian tale. Hawkeye is more articulate, Magua more intelligent, the major and the girls, well... the major and the girls are more BRITISH! You'll enjoy it.

Originally aired in America as part of "Masterpiece Theatre" hosted by Alistair Cooke (sic).

I remember this miniseries on Masterpiece Theater during the early 70's . I was 11 or 12 yrs old. I have never seen it run again. Can someone tell me if it is available on VHS? I have a reel to reel tape of the chase seen where Hawkeye says "Chingachgook, lay an oar on the land and we will double on the dogs". There was a teriffic drum beat to this. I recall the indoor scenes being rather low budget. There was a lot of blood and cleavage.