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Absolutely brilliant

A Major Disappointment

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

This is a vigorous handsome adventure about a determined and powerful figure in his days as an Indian fighter and his gallant stand in defense of the famous site , El Alamo , being packed with noisy action, thrills , colorful fun , and spectacular as well as tremendous battles .Another Disney splice of three episodes from the popular TV series chronicling the further adventures of our frontier man well played by Fess Paker who dons the regular coonskin cap as a virile Davy . Here Davy Crockett meets adventures along with George Russell, Buddy Ebsen , fighting Indians who are threatening the peace during the bloody Creek Indian War under command of General Andrew Jackson , subsequently US President . Later on , Davy is appointed to Nashville representative and then elected to Congress as a Congressman and he brings his rough-hewn manners to the house of representatives. Finally , Davy and George journey to Texas , Bejar , The Alamo where takes place the last stand , 1836, attacked by the Mexican General Santa Ana . There they encounter the place really besieged and the tough Col. William Travis , Don Megowan, and the ill Col. Jim Bowie , Kenneth Tobey, stricken by fevers .Here Fess Parker gives a fine acting who became a national figure incarnating the great frontiersman, an intrepid explorer with a welcome wry wit, including legends and myths . The action is swiftly presented , and in comic-book syle .It displays an attractive and sympathetic protagonist duo, Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen. Accompanied by a fine plethora of secondaries as Hans Conried , Kenneth Tobey ,Don Megowan , Nick Cravat and Basil Ruysdael as President Andrew Jackson . Paul Hogan would appear with Fess Parker in the TV series Daniel Boone in 1966 . The nimble and sharp episodes were spliced together, interlaced by wonderful songs and released as a profitable feauture film . Walt Disney shot in color even though few color TV's were being sold, yet . As a result , the 3 episodes could be turned into instant movie by stitching the chapters get together . As it was a compilation of 3 episodes : Crockett Indian fighter, Crockett goes to congress and Davy at the Alamo .This series aired on ABC television Disneyland 1954-55. It is followed by another compilation , a new blending that created the sequel " Davy Crocket and the river pirates" 1955 by Norman Foster with similar artistic and technical .And there is anotje cinematic rendition about this historical role " Davy Crockett Indian scout" 1950 by Lew Landers with George Montgomery , Ellen Drew , Noah Beery The film has a marvelous musical score by George Bruns , singer Bill Hayes had a top hit 1955 billboard with the song Ballad of Davy Crockett with music by Bruns and lyrics by Thomas Blackburn . And a brilliant and glimmer cinematography by Charles F Boyle .The movie was well directed by Norman Foster who made some good Westerns as TV as Cinema , such as " Crazy Horse and Custer the untold story , Tombstone territory , The legend of Custer , Bat Masterson , Navajo , Viva Cisco Kid , The sign of Zorro , Rachel and the stranger". Rating: 7. A catching and really enjoyable family adventure , essential and indispensable watching, the film helped spread Davymania among the kiddies of the fiftiies .

This was the classic Davy Crockett film by Walt Disney, an astonishing world success at the time, almost creating a cult lasting until the 60s, with an overwhelmingly realistic Alamo finale (end of siege today March 6th 1836 with all heroes fallen), inspired the mammoth "Alamo" film 5 years later with a bleak John Wayne in comparison with Fess Parker, while the great performance of that film was Richard Widmark as Colonel Jim Bowie. The Disney production was above all extremely well and carefully written originally for television, with such a success that is was turned into a major film, and Fess Parker's impersonation of the very simple and common but totally straight-forward frontier man is perfectly convincing, even and especially his appearances in congress. The film is wonderfully sincere in its simplicity, and you never forget the few but intimate family scenes. Buddy Ebsen as George Russell makes a perfect buddy all the way through, and Basil Ruysdael is a formidable Andy Jackson. There are also some great hard fighting fisticuff style, both with Indians and more blatant crooks, the Bigfoot scoundrel being perfect as a flamboyant villain. The music adds to the charm of the sincerity of the film, it's only one tune all along, with the exception of the more lyrical, intimate and unforgettable "Farewell to the Mountains" in the Alamo pause of fighting; but at one time the Davy Crockett song even masquerades in an arrangement for string quartet. In its simple adventure genre, it remains as a film a timeless classic, this is great film story telling, offering plenty of after-thought and all true, which it will always be a pleasure to return to in one decade after another...

In the early 1800s, fearless frontiersman Fess Parker (as David "Davy" Crockett) fights and kills a bear. His real job, however, is killing Native American Indians in the Mississippi Territory. During a break in battle, Mr. Parker goes home to see his wife and sons in Tennessee. He often wears his famous "coonskin cap". Back in action, Parker must rescue loyal side-kick Buddy Ebsen (as George E. Russel), who is captured by Indians. This leads to a confrontation where Parker cites the commandment "Thou Shalt Not Kill" and stops killing Indians. He begins to stand up for the Native Americans' right to a portion of land; he wants "Red" and "White Man" to respect each other's way of life...His fighting skills and ability to see both sides in a conflict leads Parker to politics. "Davy" becomes an advocate for Native American rights and American freedom, in general. Finally, Parker, joins the battle for the Texas Alamo...Quickly capitalizing on the "Davy Crockett" craze, producer Walt Disney commissioned this feature film edit from three episodes of his "Disneyland" television program. The studio does a nice job piecing it together, and it's presented in color. The TV show was, then, being broadcast only in black-and-white. Parker is endearing and the character grows to respect Native Americans. They aren't portrayed with a lot of dignity, however. "Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier" is not factual. However, the story gets an honorable pardon for acknowledging the fact when Parker dismisses, as fiction, a contemporary pamphlet purported to record "folk hero" Davy's adventures.***** Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier (5/25/55) Norman Foster ~ Fess Parker, Buddy Ebsen, Basil Ruysdael, William Bakewell

It took almost 50 years for films to get Davy Crockett right, when the latest Alamo film came out, Billy Bob Thornton came the closest to capturing the real Crockett. It's not Fess Parker by any means.But you ask any kid who was a baby boomer what his conception of Davy Crockett was you will inevitably find some 6 to 10 year old who back in the day insisted his parents get him a coonskin cap like Fess Parker wore on the Wonderful World of Disney. For better or worse its Fess Parker who is the image of the frontier scout who fought in the Creek War, went to Congress, and then died at the Alamo.Crockett's name is inevitably linked with the other legends of Texas who died in that mission in March of 1836. Of the group of them he was probably the best of the lot. He wasn't a compulsive womanizer like Travis, nor a land swindler/slave trader like Bowie.Davy Crockett was an ordinary fellow, Mr. Average Man, on the frontier who had a good record in the volunteer militia. Liked by his neighbors he got himself elected to local office and then, running as a supporter of Andrew Jackson, ran and won for Congress in 1826. Jackson himself, was the titular head of the Democratic political machine in Tennessee and at that time he had a lot of followers who competed for his favor. Crockett whatever else he was, never really learned the political game. He got outmaneuvered in the Jackson camp and eventually broke with Jackson when Jackson became president in 1828.Before he lost his seat in Congress for good in the 1834 off year elections, Crockett had drifted into the nascent Whig Party and was anti-Jackson. One issue that drove them apart was the Jacksonian Indian policy. Crockett fought the Indians, but felt we ought to respect treaty rights. Not a popular position to take on the frontier. He was an honest man.He drifted to Texas looking to pick up the pieces of his life after his political career ended in Tennessee. The part of the film devoted to that aspect was somewhat real, though Fess Parker was way to kind to Jackson here. In real life Crockett said some really nasty things about his former commander.Davy Crockett made Fess Parker although he could never escape the type casting. Eventually he gave in and became another coonskin hero Daniel Boone in a long running television series. The film also marked something of a comeback for Buddy Ebsen. Playing Georgie Russell, Crockett's sidekick, revived Ebsen's career. Ebsen eventually got two long running television series himself, The Beverly Hillbillies and Barnaby Jones.Walt Disney couldn't let the Crockett mania go even with Davy getting killed at the Alamo so he produced Davy Crockett and the River Pirates the following year. By that time the Crockett mania died down and Disney and Parker went their separate ways. Don't look at this film and think you're seeing the real Davy Crockett. But for the kid in all of us who once pestered their parents for a coonskin cap, it sure takes you back.