Welcome to my weekly discussion of the animated films of the Walt Disney Studio. I’m proceeding mostly chronologically. The title comes from a quote from Walt, “I never called my work an ‘art’ It’s part of show business, the business of building entertainment.”
Title: Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier
Year: 1955
Source materials : Fictionalized account of the American Congressman and Adventurer
Box office: $2,150,000
Plot: Two Tennessee wilderness settlers, Davy Crockett and his best friend Georgie Russell, volunteer to fight with General Andrew Jackson and Major Tobias Norton in the Creek War. They return home after a successful battle, rejoining a year later to find the Americans at a stalemate against the Creeks. Against Norton’s orders, Crockett and Russell scout for Creek positions, and Russell is captured. Crockett tracks the Creeks to their camp, where he challenges the remaining Creek chief, Red Stick, to a tomahawk duel for Russell’s life. Crockett wins, but agrees to spare Red Stick’s life in exchange for his signing the American peace treaty.
Crockett and Russell head west to scout virgin territory being opened for settlement, where they acquire a claim after beating Bigfoot Mason in a shooting contest. They learn that Mason is running Native Americans off their land in order to resell it, and befriend a family of Cherokee refugees Mason has victimized. Crockett offers to become the magistrate for the area. Crockett defeats Mason in hand-to-hand combat before arresting him and his accomplices.
After learning of his wife’s death, Crockett decides to run for the state legislature against Amos Thorpe, a corrupt politician in league with men trying to claim Cherokee lands, who is running unopposed. Crockett wins handily and becomes a popular member of the U.S. House of Representatives, where he reunites with Norton and newly-elected President of the United States Jackson. Norton, trying to pass a bill to usurp Native American treaty lands, has Crockett embark on a speaking tour across the eastern United States to distract him, but Russell learns of the bill and brings Crockett back to Washington to argue against it. Crockett tears the bill in half before leaving, ending his political career.
Crockett decides to join the Battle of the Alamo, joined by a reluctant Russell. While traveling to San Antonio, they are joined by Thimblerig, a riverboat gambler, and Busted Luck, a Comanche tribesman. Reaching the Alamo, the Texan garrison withstands several attacks from Mexican troops before being overcome. Russell, Thimblerig, Busted Luck, and a bedridden Colonel James Bowie are all killed, leaving Crockett the sole survivor. Crockett kills several Mexicans, though the surrounding Mexican army will inevitably kill him as well.
Background: It is an edited compilation of the first three episodes of the Davy Crockett television miniseries, Davy Crockett Indian Fighter, Davy Crockett Goes to Congress, and Davy Crockett at the Alamo, which aired on ABC from 1954–1955 in one-hour episodes, on the Disneyland series. Disney produced weekly one-hour television programs for ABC as part of a deal that allowed him to build the Disneyland theme park. The show was filmed in color at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at the Mountain Farm Museum adjacent to the visitor center at Oconaluftee, near Qualla Reservation’s entrance and Janss Conejo Ranch, California.
Disney capitalized on its success by licensing the sale of various types of Crockett paraphernalia, including coonskin caps and bubble gum cards. In his Archive of American Television interview, Fess Parker noted that his contract called for a percentage of the merchandising sales from Disney’s company but that this was voided by his contract being with Walt Disney personally rather than the company itself, costing him millions of dollars from the runaway bonanza of Crockett merchandising.
Changes from the Source Material: The film paints Crockett’s life in broad strokes. The facts are: He grew up in East Tennessee, and was made a colonel in the militia of Lawrence County. He was elected to the Tennessee state legislature in 1821, and 1827, he was elected to the U.S. Congress where he vehemently opposed many of the policies of President Andrew Jackson, especially the Indian Removal Act. In early 1836, he took part in the Texas Revolution and was killed at the Battle of the Alamo in March.
Songs:
- “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” – Lyrics by Tom Blackburn, music by George Bruns, sung by The Wellingtons
- “Farewell to the Mountains” – Poem by Davy Crockett, music by George Bruns, sung by Fess Parker
Cast:
Fess Parker 1 as Davy Crockett. He had small roles in films such as Springfield Rifle, Island in the Sky, The Bounty Hunter, Battle Cry, and Them! After Crockett, Parker starred as Daniel Boone. Buddy Ebsen 2 as George “Georgie” Russell. His most famous roles were as Jed Clampett in The Beverly Hillbillies and the title character in Barnaby Jones. He started as a dancer in Broadway Melody of 1936. He was the original choice for the role of the Tin Man The Wizard of Oz, but fell ill due to the aluminum dust in his makeup and was forced to drop out. He appeared in Captain January, They Met in Argentina, Sing Your Worries Away and Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
William Bakewell 3 as Tobias Norton. He appeated in All Quiet on the Western Front, Dance, Fools, Dance, Gold Diggers of Broadway and Gone with the Wind. Heguest starred in numerous situation comedy television series, including Guestward, Ho!, Pete and Gladys, Bringing Up Buddy, The Tab Hunter Show, Mister Ed, Leave It to Beaver, The Jack Benny Program, Petticoat Junction, and Hazel. Basil Ruysdael as Andrew Jackson. He appeared in The Cocoanuts, Pinky, The File on Thelma Jordon, Colorado Territory, Broken Arrow, People Will Talk, Carrie, The Violent Men, Blackboard Jungle, The Last Hurrah and The Horse Soldiers.
Pat Hogan 4 as Chief Red Stick. He guest-starred in such programs as The Rifleman, Gunsmoke, Broken Arrow, Crossroads, Zorro, Daniel Boone and Texas John Slaughter. His last appearance was in the film Indian Paint with Jay Silverheels. Mike Mazurki as Bigfoot Mason. A prolific character actor, he appeared in Murder, My Sweet, Dick Tracy, Night and the City, and Some Like it Hot. Heb appeared in several television shows such as My Friend Flicka, The Untouchables, Bachelor Father, Daniel Boone, Gilligan’s Island, The Munsters, I Dream of Jeannie, Bonanza, and Gunsmoke.
Hans Conried returns as Thimblerig. We profiled him earlier as he provided the voices of George Darling, and Captain Hook in Peter Pan Don Megowan 5 as William B. Travis. He appeared in several action films and westerns: The Great Locomotive Chase, Tarzan and the Valley of Gold, The Devil’s Brigade, and Blazing Saddles. He guest starred in various programs such as Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, The Californians, The Tall Man, Maverick, Cimarron City, Have Gun–Will Travel, Tales of Wells Fargo, The Rifleman, Lawman, Cheyenne, Colt .45, Bonanza, The Americans, Rawhide, and Daniel Boone.
Helene Stanley returns as Polly Crockett. She was the live-action model for Cinderella and Aurora.
Critical Reception: The shows sparked heated debate, with many questioning whether Crockett was really deserving of the amount of attention that he was receiving. Letter writers also questioned the series’ historical accuracy.
Legacy: The film remains Disney’s most successful television film project, inspiring two prequel episodes for the television series which were later released in theaters as Davy Crockett and the River Pirates, which is worth it just for Jeff York’s outrageous performance as Mike Fink. 6Coonskin caps can still be purchased in Frontierland. Disneyland has the Davy Crockett river canoes. Disneyland Paris has the Davy Crockett Resort and YOU GUYS CHECK OUT THIS POOL!
My take: I have always loved Davy Crockett, ever since I was a kid. It’s just silly goofy fun. The depiction of the Creek warriors seem rather stereotypical, and the morality is very black and white.
Next Week: Johnny Tremain
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