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Walt Disney Treasures - The Complete Davy Crockett Televised SeriesRating:
Release Date: 04 December, 2001 Retail Price: $32.99 Sorry, this product is not currently available. Cast: Complete Cast (6 total) |
Walt Disney Treasures - The Complete Davy Crockett Televised Series Reviews
Correcting an uninformed review
Regarding the review, below, written by "crazysunseteacher", this complete TV series DVD set is nothing at all like the two theatrical film releases. It contains the full, uncut original television episodes, as they were originally broadcast on "Disneyland" in the 1950s. These five TV programs included considerably more footage than the theatrical film releases.
The theatrical film releases have been available previously on VHS (and now on DVD) and anyone who bothered to watch them and compare them to the TV series DVD set would know immediately that there is considerable additional footage in the TV series, as released on this grand DVD set. There are even different musical cues in "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" in the film version that were specially written to accompany new film transitions. For starters, the very beginning of the film version omits the scene at Crockett's cabin with his family. How could you miss that if you watched the two versions at all?
The reviewer in question clearly did not bother to watch and compare carefully the two versions before posting the review. Please do not let this uninformed, inaccurate review dissuade you from buying this DVD set.
King of the Wild Frontier
Walt Disney made five television shows about Davy Crockett with Fess Parker in the title role and Buddy Ebsen as his sidekick George Russel. You can now own all five of these television shows in two versions. This version presents all five television shows as they were first presented on ABC in the mid-1950s. There is also a two-movie version that combines these five television shows into two movies. I personally prefer the Disney Treasures version. This version also includes additional material that may be interesting to a fan of the series. The gem of the additional material is the interview with Fess Parker.
The television shows in this set are diverse in style. The first three television episodes are "Davy Crockett - Indian Fighter," "Davy Crockett Goes to Congress," and "Davy Crockett at the Alamo." These television shows have some basis in historical fact, though many of the things portrayed in these shows are wrong. For example, Davy left the rifle he called "Betsy" back in Tennessee when he went to Texas.
What is amazing about these television shows is the response of Americans. Suddenly children everywhere were sporting coonskin caps and carrying replicas of muzzle-loading rifles. It became unfashionable to be a Native American, and very fashionable to say "bar" instead of bear.
Though Davy did not survive the events at the Alamo, Davy's popularity was such that Walt Disney brought Davy back in two additional television adventures, "Davy Crockett and the Keelboat Race" and "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates." According to Walt Disney, this second set of adventures was based on stories created about Davy Crockett, who had become a legend in his own time. The stories were more humorous than the first three, and showed an even larger-than-life version of Davy Crockett than the first three adventures.
What is most remarkable about these television shows is how well they hold up. The story of Davy Crockett is timeless. Davy's attributes are those that form the basis of how Americans see themselves. Self-reliance, honesty, keeping your word, and being plain-spoken remain characteristics that most Americans value.
A viewer does have to forgive several things that we now regard as politically incorrect, particularly in the first part of the first movie, where Davy seems to have little regard for Native Americans. However, in later episodes Davy clearly values his friendship with Native Americans and attempts to honor the commitments the U.S. government made to them.
I allowed my children to watch these movies when they were very young. Yes, there is some violence in these movies. However, Davy and George Russel used violence only when there appeared to be no other reasonable way out. Given that the era depicted in these movies was violent, I think the movies were directed and produced well.
These movies are a great way to introduce your children to an era when the American ethic for honesty, hard work, and trust were formulated. Davy Crockett was instrumental is being an example we can all follow, perhaps now more than ever. This movie is a must for every family film library. Enjoy!
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