Always one of my favorites, I was full of glee one day while visiting a friend in Knoxville when he took us to the area where some of the Disney show was filmed. I actually stood on the rock where Davy shot an Indian off of to fall into the water.
Wow. Very nice collection of Crockett collectibles, they make quite a tribute to Fess Parker. If anyone else played him (must have done) over the years, Parker is the only one I remember. Say, did I spot ol' Mike Fink in the background there?
All from your personal collection, I'm sure. Very nice. I feel the loss of Fess Parker. When I passed through Santa Barbara in 1988 I stopped at his Red Lion Inn motel and visited the gift shop, hoping for some kind of Davy Crockett item. Zilch. The sales clerk said they sometimes stocked coonskin caps, but were out.
Rick, a lot of people played Davy over the years. Arthur Hunnicutt comes to mind. Brian Keith. James Arness. These are off the top of my head. I'm sure Dave can supply more names, or correct me if I'm wrong.
Walt Disney reportedly considered James Arness for Crockett, but liked Fess better. Arness later played Bowie, but I don't believe he was ever Davy.
Movie & TV Davys I'm aware of (in order of appearance): Charles K. French Hobart Bosworth Ray Myers A.D. Sears W.E. Browning Dustin Farnum Cullen Landis Jack Perrin Lane Chandler Sterling Waters Robert Barrat Trevor Bardette Fess Parker Arthur Hunnicutt James Griffith George Dunn John Wayne Fred Gwynne Jerry Reed Richard Young Brian Keith Mac Davis Merrill Connally Tim Dunigan Johnny Cash John Schneider Scott Wickware Billy Bob Thornton
Great tribute! Fred Gwynne's filmography on imdb doesn't cite a Crockett portrayal. I suspect Fred donned a coonskin in some Munster episode as a spoof. Art Scott
My source for Gwynne-as-Crockett is Ed Andreychuk's book American Frontiersman on Film and Television. The other frontiersmen featured are Jim Bowie, Daniel Boone, Sam Houston, Jim Bridger and Kit Carson.
Gwynne pops up in a discussion of the CBS show You Are There, which evolved from the radio show of the same name. Andreychuk notes that they first aired a TV version of the Alamo battle in 1953, but lists none of the players. Then, he says:
"You Are There returned as a weekly series in September 1971, and it ran until May 13, 1973. Once more Cronkite was the host, with Vern Diamond producing. The color episode "The Siege of the Alamo" aired on October 9, 1971. Fred Gwynne (of television's Car 54, Where Are You? and The Munsters ( played Davy Crockett in this later episode."
The revamped show, he says, aired on Saturday afternoons and was geared for children. He does not mention who played Bowie or Travis.
That's a hell of a tribute Evan. Excellent!
ReplyDeleteWonderful tribute.
ReplyDeleteLost another part of my childhood, God speed Fess.
Nice tribute.
ReplyDeleteAlways one of my favorites, I was full of glee one day while visiting a friend in Knoxville when he took us to the area where some of the Disney show was filmed. I actually stood on the rock where Davy shot an Indian off of to fall into the water.
A lovely tribute.
ReplyDeleteNice dispatch and this enter helped me alot in my college assignement. Say thank you you on your information.
ReplyDeleteWow. Very nice collection of Crockett collectibles, they make quite a tribute to Fess Parker. If anyone else played him (must have done) over the years, Parker is the only one I remember. Say, did I spot ol' Mike Fink in the background there?
ReplyDeleteAll from your personal collection, I'm sure. Very nice. I feel the loss of Fess Parker. When I passed through Santa Barbara in 1988 I stopped at his Red Lion Inn motel and visited the gift shop, hoping for some kind of Davy Crockett item. Zilch. The sales clerk said they sometimes stocked coonskin caps, but were out.
ReplyDeleteRick, a lot of people played Davy over the years. Arthur Hunnicutt comes to mind. Brian Keith. James Arness. These are off the top of my head. I'm sure Dave can supply more names, or correct me if I'm wrong.
Walt Disney reportedly considered James Arness for Crockett, but liked Fess better. Arness later played Bowie, but I don't believe he was ever Davy.
ReplyDeleteMovie & TV Davys I'm aware of (in order of appearance):
Charles K. French
Hobart Bosworth
Ray Myers
A.D. Sears
W.E. Browning
Dustin Farnum
Cullen Landis
Jack Perrin
Lane Chandler
Sterling Waters
Robert Barrat
Trevor Bardette
Fess Parker
Arthur Hunnicutt
James Griffith
George Dunn
John Wayne
Fred Gwynne
Jerry Reed
Richard Young
Brian Keith
Mac Davis
Merrill Connally
Tim Dunigan
Johnny Cash
John Schneider
Scott Wickware
Billy Bob Thornton
I've seen no more than a dozen of them.
I was close. Arness played Jim Bowie. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around Fred Gwynne as Davy. Can't do it.
ReplyDeleteI knew Fred Gwynne would rock you down to your socks, Cap'n.
ReplyDeleteI just knew YOU would have the best tribute and I was right. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGreat tribute! Fred Gwynne's filmography on imdb doesn't cite a Crockett portrayal. I suspect Fred donned a coonskin in some Munster episode as a spoof.
ReplyDeleteArt Scott
My source for Gwynne-as-Crockett is Ed Andreychuk's book American Frontiersman on Film and Television.
ReplyDeleteThe other frontiersmen featured are Jim Bowie, Daniel Boone, Sam Houston, Jim Bridger and Kit Carson.
Gwynne pops up in a discussion of the CBS show You Are There, which evolved from the radio show of the same name.
Andreychuk notes that they first aired a TV version of the Alamo battle in 1953, but lists none of the players. Then, he says:
"You Are There returned as a weekly series in September 1971, and it ran until May 13, 1973. Once more Cronkite was the host, with Vern Diamond producing. The color episode "The Siege of the Alamo" aired on October 9, 1971. Fred Gwynne (of television's Car 54, Where Are You? and The Munsters ( played Davy Crockett in this later episode."
The revamped show, he says, aired on Saturday afternoons and was geared for children. He does not mention who played Bowie or Travis.