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Sorry, no easter eggs on this set. (hidden DVD features)
Disneyland USA, the fourth and final volume of wave 1, is probaly the most important. Here, as with all the others, the DVD is enclosed in a numbered tin, along with a lithograph of the poster for Autopia, and a program booklet with a list of features and a letter from Leonard Maltin, the host of the series. On disc 1, we trace the early years of Disneyland with two complete episodes from the original TV show. Each have an intro by Maltin
The Disneyland Story: The very first episode of the Disneyland Television series, which give clips of whats to come in each section of the Disneyland television series anthology. There is a sneak peek of Disneyland, a peek at the new Davy Crockett series, and a tribute to Mickey featuring two entire cartoons.
Dateline Disneyland: Join your hosts Art Linkletter, Ronald Reagan, and Bob Cummings as they cover live, the inagural day at Disneyland, with the late Reagan covering the dedication. This is the most important of the set, and is a treat for Disneyland film buffs and fans alike.
On disc two, there are two more shows in full color, with intros by Maltin.
Disneyland After Dark: Here, we get to meet amazing stars from the sixties, journey through Disneyland after dark, and meet a couple of the famous "Mouseketeers," including Annete Funicello.
Disneyland 10th Anniversary: This piece has two parts. One showing new attractions at Disneyland, mainly the then in progress Pirates of the Carribean, Haunted Manision and Its a Small World. Then the history of the park, during construction, new attractions and a lot of other juicy stuff.
Finally there are the bonus features.
The Magic Kingdom and the Magic of Television: This documentary gives a short history of the park and the Disneyland TV Show with Leonard Maltin
Gallery: A gallery of photographs and posters, as well as merchandise.
The smallest of the four in wave 1, Disneyland USA could have a little more material. However, that is a small price to pay for the historical broadcasts in this wonderful set. I'll write the reviews for Wave 2 tomorrow. See you then.
List of Reviews of Walt Disney Treasures:
Silly Symphonies
Mickey Mouse in Living Color
Davy Crockett
Disneyland USA
Mickey Mouse in Black and White
The Complete Goofy
Behind the Scenes at Walt Disney Studios
Mickey Mouse in Living Color Volume 2
The Chronological Doand Volume 1
On Front Lines
Tomorrowland
All with the complete list of features, including Easter Eggs! (hidden DVD features)
This review tells you where to find the Easter Eggs! (hidden DVD features)
The third Walt Disney Treasure of Wave 1 is Davy Crockett, the Complete Televised Series. Here, there is a showcase of the complete episodes, with Walt's intros on the set. As all of them, this set features a limited numbered tin, a lithograph of the movie poster Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier, and a program booklet with the list of features and a letter from Leonard Maltin, host of the series.
On disc 1, there is an into that both discs share, then the fun begins. Each episode includes an intro by Leonard. Most of the show is in color, but there are parts where color footage could not be located.
Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter: This is the show that started it all. Basically all Davy does in this episode is fight indians, which results in piece with the Creeks at the end.
Davy Crockett Goes to Congress: Here, Davy tends to be more peaceful towards the indians. His whole amazing career begins when moving to find a cabin, buys the land, and fights Bigfoot Mason, who stole a piece of indian land. He gets elected to the state legislature and later to congress. He defends the indians in his brief stint there.
Davy Crockett at the Alamo: Walt admitted he would not kill of his hero here if he didn't know how popular he would be. This is one of the most accuracte portraits of a great moment of American history. (Unlike the crappy new Alamo Disney pumped out)
Well, that's disc one. 3 hours of fun. On disc 2, we get into a couple of legends of Davy.
Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race: The first of two films with Mike Fink, King of the River, Crockett race Fink to keep his furs he hunted for over a year that his partner, Russel, bet they could win while drunk.
Davy Crockett and the River Pirates: The indians are going to hit the warpath if they do not find out who the pirates hiding out in the cave are. Davy, along with Mike Fink, set out to kill the pirates.
EASTER EGG! On the bonus features menu, click on Davy's hat and see a clip from "The Disneyland Story" TV Show about Crockett.
The Davy Crockett Craze: Maltin is joined by Paul Anderson, auther of the book The Davy Crockett Craze, and talk about how successful and amazing the series was.
A Conversation with Fess Parker: At his winery in California, Leonard joins Fess Parker, the actor who played Davy in the series, to talk about his role in the series and the history of it.
Gallery: As with the otheres, here is a gallery of production photos and merchandise.
That is a smaller DVD and didn't take up as much space. I could tell you one thing, the quality is stunning, and the features are amazing. Now onto the final set in Wave 1.
Davy dies in the third installment, only to return in two more adventures. Walt Disney explains why this is, as he was brought back due to the popularity of the character. This, along with the extras make this a great set to own, or at least watch once. Extras include:
"A Conversation with Fess Parker" Leonard Maltin & Fess Parker
"The Davy Crockett Craze" with Leonard Maltin
Easter Egg: "The Ballad of Davy Crockett"
Still Gallery
Normally I dont like watching cowboy/frontier/indian movies but I instantly loved these episodes. It is pure and simple entertainment that you wont see in today's more complicated time. But this is a great set, and also has a cool collectible tin to hold the case. This is a nice set, and although out of print you can find this without paying too much for it. No complaints on this dvd from me though, and I highly recommend it to Disney fans or anyone else in general. All I can say is check it out for yourself.
Fess Parker is the image many people think of when they hear the name Davy Crockett and its for a reason. Parker's performance is truly great as the frontiersman, hunter, adventurer, and Congressman, Davy Crockett. Equally as good is Buddy Ebsen as Georgie Russel, Davy's loyal sidekick. The relationship the two men have is what holds all of these episodes together. The series also starred William Bakewell as Major Norton, Basil Ruysdael as Andrew Jackson, Pat Hogan as Chief Red Stick, Mike Mazurki as Bigfoot Mason, Hans Conreid as Thimblerig, Nick Cravat as Busted Luck, Kenneth Tobey in two roles as Jim Bowie and Jocko, and Jeff York as Mike Fink. The DVD offers all five episodes(Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter, Davy Crockett Goes to Congress, Davy Crockett at the Alamo, Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race, and Davy Crockett and the River Pirates), introductions by Leonard Maltin, an extensive photo gallery, an interview with Fess Parker, and a mini-documentary about the Crockett craze. Fans of this great tv series should have this DVD in their collection. Check out this DVD!
The two episodes of this picture are very distinct in tone, with the first half being a lighthearted comedy centering around a boat race between Davy Crockett and his friend George Russel on the one hand, and riverboat captain Mike Fink, an historical figure, on the other. The second half keeps the three major characters together in a much more serious story as they outwit and defeat a team of bad guys who are making it dangerous for others to travel the Mississippi and also straining relations between the folks traveling the river and the Native Americans.
We are definitely in a man's world here. There are very few women in the picture and the ones who briefly appear have no lines. So it is up to the men to carry the story and they do so for the most part admirably.
Fess Parker certainly looks the part of Davy Crockett although I found his portrayal somewhat undernourished. Perhaps he came across more strongly in the three episodes from the previous season which I have not seen. And then again, he may have just been personifying the "strong, silent" type which was the masculine ideal of the time. Parker's portrayal stands out in further relief here by being up against the charismatic George Russel of Buddy Ebsen and the over-the-top Mike Fink of Jeff York.
I understand that Ebsen was originally scheduled to play Davy Crockett and was "demoted" to the sidekick role after Parker was discovered in a small role in a marauding-ant film called "Them!" Poor Buddy Ebsen, always losing out on plum roles; first the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz and now this. At least he finally got his revenge with The Beverly Hillbillies and later Barnaby Jones. And here we do get to see him let out with a couple of Jed Clampett-like whoops along the way.
Jeff York as Mike Fink steals every scene he is in. He is nominally the villain in the first half of the film, although it is impossible to dislike him, even when he is busy doing such dastardly deeds as sabotaging Davy's boat. His evil laugh goes so far that it strains credibility, but it doesn't matter. In the second half of the film, he ends up as Davy's and George's ally in defeating the bad guys. For me at least, he was the one of the three lead characters who stood out most strongly. I suspect that if the series had continued, that Mike Fink would have played an important role in any future stories. I wonder why Jeff York who plays Fink didn't have a bigger career than he did.
The minor characters are very well drawn, especially in the first half of the film. One of the standouts in this first half is Kenneth Tobey as Jocko, one of Fink's boatmen. Diminutive in stature, he nevertheless seizes the screen each chance he gets. Certainly his scene in the bar with Ebsen, where the latter is buying him drinks and trying to talk him into joining Davy's boat crew, is one of the highlights of the film. It's curious that most of the boatmen from the first half been replaced by much more anonymous characters in the second half. I wish they had kept Tobey around at least.
Overall, the second half of the film does not maintain the momentum or the interest of the first half. The first half gives some wonderful comedic opportunities to our trio of leads, while the story line of the second half is too serious to allow for much comedy. And then again, perhaps the character of Mike Fink works better as an antagonist than as an ally.
The film is very much a product of its time and so scenes depicting heavy drinking are numerous (although Ebsen does a marvelous job as the chandelier-riding Russel), as are scenes depicting our heroes as somewhat trigger-happy. These are the reasons that I gave the film four stars. I probably would have given it four and a half if I had had that option. And since these films are aimed at a somewhat younger audience, parents would be well advised to discuss these scenes with their children.
A couple of decades later, there was much ado about the concept of the "buddy film." This film may well have been one of the originals of that genre, as Davy Crockett and George Russel are obviously devoted to each other. To see an example of this, watch the scene where Davy sobers George up, forgives him for wagering the furs they are trying to sell on a boat race with Fink, and then sends the appreciative George back to the boat to sleep it off while he stays up through the night putting together a boat crew. Even though there is temporarily room for a third party such as Fink in this friendship, each of the two halves of the film ends with Fink going his way. The farewell scene midway through the picture is quite touching in fact. The emphasis that the film places on friendship, and friends looking out for each other, is probably the most positive aspect of the film. Even the drinking and violence in their own way play a part in promoting the theme of friendship.
I found this film very enjoyable both in itself and as a nostalgic throwback to the more innocent, if in some ways less enlightened, age of the 50s. I certainly recommend it, especially for family viewing.
The first half has Mike Fink getting Georgia all liquored up and betting all the furs he and Davy collected during the winter on the outcome of a keelboat race. The race down the Mississippi to New Orleans becomes as much of a battle of wits as anything else as Mike and Davy pull one trick on each other (Mike's tend to be more underhanded). However, in the end the two become friends, and when Davy and Georgie encounter the River Pirates led by Sam Mason (Mort Mills), Mike lends a hand. The problem is that the pirates have been dressing up as Indians to attack boats on the river and this is causing tensions between the real Indians and the settlers. If there is one thing that defines Davy Crockett in these Disney adventures it is the fact that he is a friend to the Indians, which means our hero has to do something about this outrage. With Mike Fink pretending to be a tycoon, Davy sets a trap for the bad guys in the second half of the adventure.
While entertaining, "Davy Crockett and the River Boat Pirates" will probably appeal more to younger kids, while older folks will prefer the original three episodes, both on nostalgic grounds and artistic principles. After all, the first three were looking more at the historical Davy Crockett and this pair is more about the legendary figure. Parker does not seem as comfortable with the slapstick as he does with Davy's more serious side. When compared to "Davy Crockett at the Alamo" it is a bit hard to believe this is the same character. To underscore the point, compare the character of Jocko that Kenneth Tobey plays in these two Mississippi adventures with his fine performance as a realistic and fatalistic Jim Bowie at the Alamo; as well as anything those performances show the difference between the "historical" and "legendary" adventures of Disney's Davy Crockett.
The first half has Mike Fink getting Georgia all liquored up and betting all the furs he and Davy collected during the winter on the outcome of a keelboat race. The race down the Mississippi to New Orleans becomes as much of a battle of wits as anything else as Mike and Davy pull one trick on each other (Mike's tend to be more underhanded). However, in the end the two become friends, and when Davy and Georgie encounter the River Pirates led by Sam Mason (Mort Mills), Mike lends a hand. The problem is that the pirates have been dressing up as Indians to attack boats on the river and this is causing tensions between the real Indians and the settlers. If there is one thing that defines Davy Crockett in these Disney adventures it is the fact that he is a friend to the Indians, which means our hero has to do something about this outrage. With Mike Fink pretending to be a tycoon, Davy sets a trap for the bad guys in the second half of the adventure.
While entertaining, "Davy Crockett and the River Boat Pirates" will probably appeal more to younger kids, while older folks will prefer the original three episodes, both on nostalgic grounds and artistic principles. After all, the first three were looking more at the historical Davy Crockett and this pair is more about the legendary figure. Parker does not seem as comfortable with the slapstick as he does with Davy's more serious side. When compared to "Davy Crockett at the Alamo" it is a bit hard to believe this is the same character. To underscore the point, compare the character of Jocko that Kenneth Tobey plays in these two Mississippi adventures with his fine performance as a realistic and fatalistic Jim Bowie at the Alamo; as well as anything those performances show the difference between the "historical" and "legendary" adventures of Disney's Davy Crockett.
I have loved these storeis since a young girl when they appeared on the Sunday night Wonderful World of Disney. Although geared for young boys, girls love these stories too.
Wonderful scenery. Wonderful lessons of river history from a bygone era. Frequent mentions of the Ohio River, Pittsburg, Kentucky, Natchez and New Orleans.
Adults and children well love this video.
The second show, also in 1954, was "Davy Crockett Goes to Congress." Here, Davy Crockett leaves his family to go to Teneesee and find a new piece of land. He has a shooting match against "Big Foot Mason." When Big Foot looses against Davy and "Old Betsy," he takes over Davy's neighbor's property, who is Cherokee. He and Russel go over and fight him. Davy sends them to court. His town wants him to run for state Legislature, then they want him to run for congress. He wins, and a so-called "Friend" sends him on a tour to get the Indian Bill signed to take away indian's lands. Davy is outraged and returns to Congress to show what this is actually about.
The third and final life story of Crockett is "Davy Crockett and the Alamo." Davy goes to fight with Russel, an indian named Bustedluck, and others. When they arrive at the Alamo, they last a week before being killed. Davy gave his life for Texas in the end.
This may seem like the end of the entire series, but it is definetly not. There are two more. These two are the legends of Davy Crockett. The first one was in 1955. This show was "Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race." He has to race "King of the River Mike Fink" down the Ohio down to New Orleans. They Somehow win after fights with indians, stopping at towns, and going through dangerous shortcuts.
The final episode ever in the series was "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates." Some River Pirates are disguising themselves as injuns and attacking all boats they could get. The Chickasaw indians are ready to go to war if Davy can't solve the problem. He and Mike and his crew get ready for the pirates. A spy gets on there Keelboat, thinking there is gold in the hull. It turns out to be rock. They disguise the boat so the pirates don't know it's Mike Fink's. They attack the pirates in there cave along they found the treasures they hid. They kill the head one and the other two are knocked out by Mike.
As if this were not enough, There are bonus features, like a featurette called "The Davy Crockett Craze." Leonard Maltin talks with Paul F. Anderson about the creation of the episodes, merchandise that was for sale, how Leonard loved it as a kid, the song, and the time period.
Another featurette is called "A Conversation with Fess Parker." Leonard joins Fess at his winery in California. Here they talk about Fess' experience with the show, director Norman Foster, and on publicity tour. He talks about being at Disneyland at opening day, and amazed that he would sing and dance on live television.
Third, there is a beautiful gallery of photos of the creation of the show, merchandise, and theatrical posters for the two movies. Davy sure has a lot to know about. There is a hidden easter egg too. I'll tell you where it is. It is on Davy Crockett's Coonskin Cap on the Supplemental menu.
The shows are in superb condition. They are in color and the sound is stuninng. That is why I give it five stars, but not just for that, for the material within as well. Davy Crockett pleased a whole generation. This will bring it for generations to come!
The five TV episodes aired when I was five and six years old, and I immediately became one of the millions of kids with coonskin caps, buckskin jackets, and toy flintlocks, and I spent days searching the woods for Indians and guarding the front porch from marauding Mexicans with their ladders. ... Now, almost a half-century later, I got to watch the originals again-and they seem as fresh and new as the first time I saw them. Davy and Georgie in one exciting adventure after another, just enough talking to sustain the plot, right triumphs over wrong, and an unforgettable song that ties everything together periodically.
The story is hardly historically accurate, but who cares? It's also not p.c.: Davy fought Indians and helped establish Texas, which for a short time was a slave state. If they made this movie today, I guess they'd have to drag the viewers through the p.c. mud. But in that sense, frankly, the movie is a refreshing change from the revisionist frontier dreck made today. ...
Davy's ultimate fall at the Alamo was well-staged and quite moving, perhaps a little much for the younger kids, and perhaps the impetus for the softer Mike Fink comedies that followed. And comedies they were, with dozens of comic elements inserted into supposedly serious stories: bad guys slipping on molasses, Mike Fink ripping the top off the bar, Mike's crew in comic book fights, and so on. And though the pirates dressed as Indians rain a hail of bullets on Mike, Davy, and the rest of the good guys, no one is ever hit. But I love it.
The VHS tapes were fine, but the DVD is clearly superior. For me, and I suspect a lot of others of my generation, these are true treasures.
It would be wonderful if Disney would also release on DVD or tape other Disney shows my father wrote. "Johnny Tremaine" was a wonderful show in which Johnny was an apprentice to Paul Revere. Another is "Andy Burnett, Mountain Man." I thought both series to be as good as Davy Crockett.
... I believe all are now out of print.
Now I told you a little bit of history, I'll finish at the end of the review. Now we have to do the features:
There are three shows on the first disc. When you put in the disc, after a brief stint at the Walt Disney Treasures preview, you are in the "Walt Disney Treasure Theater." When the curtain is up you see the Crockett Curtains. When those part, our host, Leonard Maltin, will tell us what we will see. Then the curtains close and open again at the main menu. If you have deaf or hard of hearing in the audience, go to Captions and put them on now. Then go to the adventures. Here you will see the first series of the Crockett Saga. Click on the first one, Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter. Leanord Maltin will tell you about the show, then you will see the classic "Disneyland" television show intros. Then Walt will tell you what you will see. After the famous "Ballad of Davy Crockett," he opens Davy's journal for the first story, the indian war. Watch the show to see what happens. The shows end just like they originally did. The same thing happens for the other two shows. These are "Davy Crockett Goes to Congress" and "Davy Crockett at The Alamo." The introductions to the shows are Black and White, but the Crockett portions are color, mostly.
The second disc is the second series of the saga, "Crockett Legends," and Supplemental Features. When you get there, go to the captions if you need them, then go to the adventures. Here you will see the two final shows of the series. The first one opens the same way like the ones on disc one, except that for some reason, Walt's introductions are color but the end is black and white. Anyway, the shows are the same way, here are the names, "Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race" and "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates." In these episodes, we have Jeff Kurti playing Mike Fink, King of the River. Then Kenneth Toby, the person who plays Jocko in this episode is the same person who played Jim Boye at the Alamo. It worked out great though. Now for the final features. The supplemental features menu features two featurettes, "The Crockett Craze" and "A Conversation With Fess Parker." There is also a gallery and an easter egg. The easter egg is the preview on the first "Disneyland" program for Davy Crockett and the gallery has photos, art, and theatrical posters and merchandise.
Here is the other half of the Crockett history:
Davy Crockett first aired in 1954 and was popular overnight. There were books, games, towels, coonskin caps, and records, toy guns, anything that you could do with Davy. Fess and Buddy were at the opening day of Disneyland which you could see on the "Disneyland USA" set. After all of this worn down, Walt created "Zorro" and the "Nine Lives of Elfego Baca." These shows were not as popular, but were fun. I enjoyed the entire series of Davy Crockett. It know you will too. So Davy Crockett is still, King of the Wild Fronteir!
Milan Brandon
I was disappointed in the Fess Parker interview. Perhaps Fess was not up to it the day he talked.
I did enjoy the talk about the Crockett Craze, as I found it fascinating. I did feel it was too short, however.
I also don't understand how come 2 discs were necessary; 1 disc should have held all 5 episodes plus the additional commentaries.
Still, a wonderful DVD.
Now, if only they will releaee "Follow Me Boys" on DVD.
While some reviewers didn't care for Leonard Maltin's commentary on the DVD's, I found it provided insight into the tone and characteristics of the 2 different "runs" of the show that I might not otherwise have known. The Fess Parker interview was also a nice addition. Sure I could look up this information and read about these from another source, but it fits in nicely with this format. For those who grew up with the Disney parks it's fun to see the connections to the early Frontierland.
Over all a great presentation.
This set of DVD's contains all five of the Davy Crockett episodes from the TV show Disneyland as they originally aired. This includes the opening show animation, Walt's intros and outros, and promos for next week's episode. They are presented here unedited and in their original order. Leonard Maltin introduces each episode and hosts the interviews on the second disc. Of those, the one about the Davy Crockett craze is ok, but hearing Fess Parker's memories is interesting, especially to a Disney fan like me. The picture and sound quality is great for something from the 50's, although I did notice that the picture does go to black and white once per episode.
Watching these for the first time over the weekend, I was captivated by the movies. The scenery is beautiful and the acting is good. There are a couple spots where a couple stories seem to drag, but they never last long. My favorites are the two on the second disc, particularly the keel boat race. Still, I plan to rewatch all the episodes on these DVDs many more times.
Any Disney fan will be pleased to have these in their collection. They are a fun trip to yesteryear for every generation to enjoy.
Born on a Mountain Top in Tennessee
Now, he comes complete on DVD
Remastered and restored, so wonderful to see...
For children from age three to ninety-three
Davy, Davy Crockett, new to the DVD frontier
The DVD itself comes in a dandy tin,
Fightin' off some Injuns is where they all begin
The second story has him doin some congressin'
The third is a the Alamo were Davy's finally done in...
Davy, Davy Crockett, the picture is remarkably clear.
With all five episodes, the series is complete
The fourth one is where Davy and Mike Fink meet...
The last one has pirates who they both must beat...
Action and adventure sit on the edge your seat...
Davy, Davy Crockett, A DVD to hold dear.
In 1954 and 1955, Davy Crockett was a mania. No piece of entertainment before or since had created such a stir. That statement is difficult to believe. But, this new DVD set (part of the Disney Treasures Series with Leonard Maltin), helps to explain and understand the event that would take people through part of the cold war with patriotism and a coon skin cap.
The series (later cut and combined into feature length features) is never spectacular, but quite well done for television. Often shot on location in Tennessee, North Carolina and the like, the shows have a realistic beauty that adds value to the productions. Davy Crockett and his sidekick George Russell are portrayed by Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen. They look like they are having fun and it is contagious.
The shows are well directed but might be too slow in pacing for older youth. Otherwise it is great family entertainment. And this deluxe DVD package helps to 'can' the mania into a stimulating DVD workshop. This is part of a series of Disney Treasures.
Davy, Davy Crockett, A great DVD to start the New Year...
The DVD quality here is both great and not so great.
1) First of all, [...it] indicates there is a hidden "Easter Egg", THE BALLAD OF DAVY CROCKETT sung by Fess Parker. I finally found it! "Right click" on the second selection on disc 2, which highlights Davy's cap. Then press ENTER.
2) The color on the DVD is superb, the sharpness is OK but the cleanliness of the films is less than I expected. I would have thought that every frame would have been digitally remastered, but no...some frames show spots, dirt and lines running down the screen.
3) Each show has multiple chapters as one would expect, BUT THE CHAPTERS ARE NOT LISTED ON THE MENU. Nor is there a detailed listing of the chapters and what they are about. I thought that was very strange.
(With the less than perfect frames and the lack of menu chapters, probably the Disney folks rushed to get this out before Christmas.)
4) In an earlier [...] customer review, someone indicated that there really was no George Russel. That's not true! He wasn't around all the time like Disney's Georgie, but he was indeed a friend of Davy's and written in Crockett's memoirs.
Now that Disney has given us Crockett fans what we wanted, we must force them to publish SONG OF THE SOUTH. The movie is no more politically incorrect than CABIN IN THE SKY or GREEN PASTURES, which are both currently in print. Michael Eisner ... what do you say?
Also avaible:
Silly Symphonies
Mickey Mouse in Living Color
Disneyland USA
Behind the Scenes At Walt Disney Studios
Mickey Mouse in Black and White
The Complete Goofy
Look for reviews by me at these products or go to my about me area for more.
As a seven year-old, I was among the tens of thousands of kids caught up in the wildest media frenzy of the mid-Twentieth Century. Davy Crockett, the King of the Wild Frontier, had become the king of TV and mass merchandising. Every boy, particularly, had to have his own coonskin cap. The matching buckskin pants and shirt helped, as well as the authentically licensed "Old Betsy" long rifle. And it occurred overnight, literally, that Dec. 15 evening.
Those way-back days are vividly alive in a fun and nostalgic double-DVD set just released as part of the new "Walt Disney's Treasures" series. Entitled "Davy Crockett, the Complete Televised Series," the 4 hour, 28 minute extravaganza features all five as-aired Crockett episodes with the original Walt Disney introductions and previews of next week's show. This set is a gotta-have for any baby boomer.
Before getting into specific episodes and supplementals, be advised that these Crocketts are not exactly as televised originally. In 1954 and '55, the "Disneyland" series had only black and white broadcasts, so these gorgeously restored Technicolor prints are an upgrade. Most of the introductions, however, are shown here in black and white. Interestingly, there are scattered moments during the fourth episode, the keelboat race, that switch to black and white. The existing color print of this episode is obviously a tad incomplete. It would have helped if liner notes would detail exactly what happened in this regard.
In fact, a downer about this set is that the liner notes barely tell anything about the Davy Crockett production. One has to get any inside info through movie guy Leonard Maltin, via his interviews that are included on the second disc. The other negative is that, although it is advertised on the cover that a recent interview with Buddy Ebsen is included, there is no such interview. It would have been super to hear his reminiscences about co-starring as Georgie Russell in the series.
At least the Disney people were visionary enough to film each episode in color, anticipating the soon-to-be color TV audience as well as theatrical showings. Speaking of such, the first three episodes were edited together, and released with profitable success to movie theaters as the feature film, "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier." I remember well the exasperation of my Dad when he, Mom, my sister and I watched the movie at the local drive-in. "Why," he vexed, "this is the same as we saw on TV!" Which it was, basically. We then sat back and enjoyed it in living color.
The set includes the trilogy, "Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter," "DC Goes to Congress," and "DC At the Alamo," plus "DC and the Keelboat Race" and "DC and the River Pirates." Although Fess Parker's Crockett history ended after fives shows, he wore a cookskin hat as TV's Daniel Boone, a non-Disney production, for six years thereafter. The amiable Parker, now 76, is interviewed at his vineyard and winery, located in Los Olivos, California. He has only good memories of his years at Disney, that began with the Crockett series. He recalls dressing as Davy and touring 42 cities and 13 countries for promotion in the mid-1950s. As incentive, Parker recieved 10 per cent of Crockett merchandising profits.
Author Paul Anderson ("The Davy Crockett Craze"), also interviewed, estimates that up to three thousand different Crockett items were available for sale at the time. Some choice Davy Crockett trivia is revealed on this DVD.
As Anderson muses, "Nothing anyone, including Disney, has done has come near it (the Davy Crockett popularity) before, during or since." That includes "Star Wars," "Harry Potter," and "Hopalong Cassidy."
Excellent for kids and adults... As can be expected from Disney, it's a very clean film... Some fights, but nothing real bad.....
The DVD will be released under the name "Walt Disney Treasures - The Complete Davy Crockett Televised Series" and will have a limited run of only 150,000 tins that will be numbered individually from 1 up to 150,000. You'll get all five episodes of the Disneyland TV show (1) "Davy Crockett Indian Fighter" 12/15/54, (2) "Davy Crockett Goes to Congress" 1/26/55, (3) "Davy Crockett At the Alamo" 2/23/55, (4) "Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race" 11/16/55 and (5) "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates" 12/14/55. Plus Bonus features: "Welcome and Introduction" by Leonard Maltin, "Episode Introductions", "Video Featurette: The Davy Crockett Craze" and "Easter Eggs" sung by Fess Parker.
The fun part is you don't have to wait until December to order yours, you can jump on over to Amazon.com and place your money down right now!
Thanks again to all the Davy Crockett fans that called in this past year to make this Deluxe Davy DVD a reality! You really gave'em what fer!
Happy Viewing,
Howard Bender
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This movie was great and the character of Mike Fink "King of the River" made it so. I've always been into characters and this made this movie better than the first. By meeting and making a near equal Disney provided a great foil for this movie. Mike Fink is a fun guy willing sneaky enough to cheat but also big enough to laugh at a joke on himself and not make excuses when he loses. The entire group of river men were fun. Buddy Ebson and Russel and of course Fess Parker as Davy Crockett played their roles to the hilt. (The scene of Russell and Jocko in the bar was tons of fun.) Again we see adventure and action and fair play win. And again we ALSO see more than meets the eye. We see the lesson about peer pressure (Russell and his wager) We see the virtue of helping out (the stranded farmer). We see its possible to fight and compete in a rough and tumble way, and shake hands later (a shocking discovery to the anti dodgeball crowd). And again we see in the 1950's the American indian shown with dignity instead of savages, helpless victums or saints their treated like MEN. (And wise enough to caputure the "KING OF THE WILD FRONTIER") Once again more than meets the eye. Watch this with your kids a few times. The third time point out each little lesson. It will pay off. P.S. Look for an old member of the John Wayne club Hank Worden as one of the villians in the cave.
Q: How does a hacker fix a function which
doesn't work for all of the elements in its domain?
A: He changes the domain.
Q: Why do the police always travel in threes?
A: One to do the reading, one to do the writing, and the other keeps
an eye on the two intellectuals.
