Fess Parker shot to stardom in 1950s Disney TV movies as Davy Crockett, the hero of the Alamo who, according to legend (and his hit theme song), ''kilt him a [bear] when he was only 3.'' Several years later, Parker put on his famous coonskin cap again as Daniel Boone, another frontier hero with a catchy signature tune (''Daniel Boone was a man/Yes, a biiiig man...''). When the Revolutionary War-era Kentuckian wasn't surveying the land, he tussled with hostile natives, pirates, and other ne'er-do-wells. His companions included college-educated Cherokee Mingo (crooner Ed Ames, who showed off his tomahawk-throwing skills in a side-splitting Tonight Show moment with Johnny Carson in 1965), his wife, Rebecca (Patricia Blair), daughter Jemima (Veronica Cartwright), and fugitive slave Gabe Cooper (gridiron great Rosey Grier). The 1964-70 NBC adventure also boasted first-rate guest stars; among those who appear in this month's TV Land episodes are Vincent Price, Jim ''Mr. Magoo'' Backus, The Addams Family's Ted ''Lurch'' Cassidy, Ricardo Montalban, and a very young Kurt Russell. Take your faux coonskin cap out of the closet and enjoy.
Write a recap, start a fan group, or challenge other fans on EW.com's TVFan
You Might Also Like
- Television News ''Davy Crockett'''s TV success | Jess Cagle
- Movie News The latest craze in celebrity endorsements | Casey Davidson

Home

