Product Details

• Actors: Fess Parker, Buddy Ebsen, Basil Ruysdael, Hans Conried, William Bakewell
• Directors: Norman Foster
• Writers: Thomas W. Blackburn
• Producers: Bill Walsh, Walt Disney
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, Live, NTSC
• Language: English, Spanish
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Walt Disney Video
• VHS Release Date: August 26, 1997
• Run Time: 93 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00000623Y
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #168,445 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The original Disney trilogy of Davy Crockett adventures, April 14, 2003

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Davy Crockett: King of Wild Frontier [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I missed out on the Davy Crockett craze, which means I did not have a coonskin cap and was not running around the neighborhood singing 'The Ballad of Davy Crockett" over and over again. By the time I was watching television Fess Parker was Daniel Boone and not Davy Crockett, so it took a bit of mental rearrangement to get my young mind around the idea that he was both when "The Wonderful World of Disney" rebroadcast the three adventures of Davy Crockett that were combined into the theatrical film, "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier." They made enough of an impression that my brother and I compelled our parents to buy us the Disney record that had audio versions of the three adventures. So it has been nigh on thirty, thirty-five years since I done seen these original adventure of Davy Crockett and I was a might surprised to learn they hold up pretty well.

"Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier" combines "Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter," "Davy Crockett Goes to Congress," and "Davy Crockett at the Alamo." Davy and his sidekick Georgie Russell (Buddy Ebsen) stop a Creek uprising and convince Chief Red Stick (Pat Hogan) to return to the ways of peace despite the help of Captain Norton (William Bakewell) and with the tactic approval of General Andy Jackson (Basil Ruysdael), spends some time speechifying in the United States Congress, and then joins the small band of volunteers led by Jim Bowie (Kenneth Tobey) defending the Alamo against the Mexican army of General Santa Ana. The middle part of the trilogy is the weakest of the adventures seeing as how Davy has to dress up in fancy duds to walk around the halls of Congress. The conclusion at the Alamo is the most memorable sequence, having a more serious tone and some impressive production values when you consider the entire battle is being shot on a soundstage (for years when I drew the Alamo it was the Disney version and not the real one that I was drawing).

Directed by Norman Foster and written by Thomas Blackburn, the biggest surprise in these episodes is Davy's attitude towards the Indians. Instead of just killing Red Stick in their tomahawk duel Davy persuades the chief to return to the land. He stops Bigfoot Mason (Mike Mazurki) from stealing the land of Charlie Two Shirts (Jeff Thompson), gives a speech in Congress defending the right of Indians to their tribal lands, and befriends the brave Busted Luck (Nick Cravat) on the way to the Alamo. The climatic battle has an appropriate gravity and does a tolerable job of sticking to history beyond reducing the role of Colonel Travis (Don Megowan). When Davy sings a final song on the last night of the battle there is an unexpected poignancy, which contrasts well with the simple determination to stay there until the end. The sight of Davy swinging old Betsy as a club while about to be overwhelmed by the Mexican troops is a memorable final image of our hero.

Ultimately the main strength of these stories are the performances of the two leads. Parker completely natural in the role and Ebsen shows an understated comic touch throughout. The friendship between Davy and Georgie becomes the one constant throughout the adventures. There are several fine supporting performances as well, particularly Ruysdael as Andy Jackson and Tobey as a fatalistic Jim Bowie. Veteran character actor Hans Conreid plays Thimbelrig, a gambler the boys pick up on their way to Texas. Granted, the nostalgic aspects of "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier" is going to be a strong part of the entertainment value here, but these are very good yarns for the Fifties. Walt Disney made two more adventures in the series, "Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race" and "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates," both of which are much more comedic than the original trilogy while making more of an attempt to present Davy as a proper role model for the younguns.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What Legends Are Made Of, October 18, 2000

By 

gobirds2 (New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Davy Crockett: King of Wild Frontier [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Davy Crockett is one of Walt Disney's most endeared and remembered live action characters from the television and silver screen as personified by Fess Parker. This colorful and entertaining film was re-edited from three segments of Disney's TV show for theatrical distribution. Parker, with his coonskin cap and homespun drawl and witticism created a nationwide phenomenon in 1955. Who can forget "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett" composed by George Bruns and Tom Blackburn. Buddy Ebsen played his sidekick George Russel, whose adventures take them from Tennessee to Washington, D.C. to the Alamo. The film's third act focusing on the defense of the Alamo, though well remembered, is somewhat labored until we see the final image of Davy Crockett passing into legend and glory. This straightforward and beautifully photographed film expounds the virtues of honesty, integrity and bravery. Highly recommended family viewing personally produced by Walt Disney.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What Legends Are Made Of, June 4, 2002

By 

gobirds2 (New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Davy Crockett [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Davy Crockett is one of Walt Disney's most endeared and remembered live action characters from the television and silver screen as personified by Fess Parker. This colorful and entertaining film was re-edited from three segments of Disney's TV show for theatrical distribution. Parker, with his coonskin cap and homespun drawl and witticism created a nationwide phenomenon in 1955. Who can forget "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett" composed by George Bruns and Tom Blackburn. Buddy Ebsen played his sidekick George Russel, whose adventures take them from Tennessee to Washington, D.C. to the Alamo. The film's third act focusing on the defense of the Alamo, though well remembered, is somewhat labored until we see the final image of Davy Crockett passing into legend and glory. This straightforward and beautifully photographed film expounds the virtues of honesty, integrity and bravery. Highly recommended family viewing personally produced by Walt Disney.