Wizard-8 "Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier" may have been the first made for television production to be deemed worthy of a theatrical release. Walt Disney was shrewd enough to have filmed the production in color, as well as to have given the movie strong enough production values so that the end results certainly don't look like a typical television production at the time. And the movie is certainly entertaining. It's certainly not perfect - the movie feels very episodic due to the editing of three TV episodes together, some depictions of Native Americans don't feel very PC, and the character of Davy Crockett in some aspects feels kind of thin. But the movie is never boring, having some good action sequences (especially the Alamo segment), some welcome comedy relief here and there, and while episodic, does feel breezy and without any lulls. It's no wonder this made an impression on me when I first saw it as a child during a theatrical reissue in the 1970s.

utgard14 I'm far too young to have experienced the Davy Crockett craze that kids in the '50s got to experience. However, I did first see this movie (which is compiled from three episodes of the TV series "Disneyland") as a boy. In the small town where I grew up, teachers would often show movies to us kids whenever it was raining outside and we couldn't go out for recess or if there was a substitute teacher or maybe if the regular teacher just didn't bother with a lesson plan that day. Whatever the reason, they would show us movies and cartoons from time to time. Usually these were Disney movies and among the ones I have the most distinct and pleasant memories of is Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier. As I said, the movie is compiled of three episodes from TV so it's broken into three parts. The first part deals with Crockett the Indian fighter. The second part is about Crockett the politician. The third part is about Crockett at The Alamo. Not surprisingly, this final part is the best and most exciting of the three. The first part is fun, too, if you're not an easily offended type. The second part is a little dull but amusing at times. Fess Parker is great in the role of his career. Buddy Ebsen is fun as his comic relief sidekick. Hans Conried, Kenneth Tobey, Mike Mazurki, and Don Megowan are all part of the good cast. It's a beautiful-looking movie, filmed on location with that wonderful Disney polish. Love the timeless theme song, too. It's a little corny and aimed at kids but lots of fun if you're in the right frame of mind for it. Those with sanctimonious attitudes towards historical figures will hate it.

mail-2978 I first saw this film as a nine year old living in London back in 1955. This was at a matinée performance and the cinema was filled to the rafters with kids and we loved it. This was the era of the baby boomers and we youngsters had no shortage of friends to play with. After the film about thirty of us went to our local park and re-enacted scenes from it even forming two sides, Mexicans and Americans, for the attack on the Alamo, an old air raid shelter. But my most prominent memory is of the Davy Crockett hat my Dad made me. This was the 'must have' of 1955 for us kids and so many were made it led to a very sharp decline in the cat population. My dad also made me a very credible musket that I kept for years. Happy memories of a great movie and a great time to be young.

petersj-2 I had not seen the movie since I was a kid. I purchased the DVD and wondered if it would remain on the shelf forever with the many "I must watch one day" movies. At first I thought how bad the movie was. I have found before that Disney early movies were not really well made and the effects are pretty awful. There are scenes that are terrible, such as the "alligator attacking "sequence. Even the late, great Steve Irwin was not that good.The early scenes of the Indians were terrible.The white guys come across as racist bigots. I found myself just hoping the indians would win. I felt angry with Crocket for killing a beautiful bear. The world has changed and so have our attitudes. Thank heavens. At first I thought that this movie is terrible and in many ways it is. The history is woeful. The funny thing is that as the movie grows on you and you start to warm to it. The reason is simple. Fess Parker is delightful. It is him and him alone that carries the film. THe man is handsome and gives a superb under stated performance. He is Davey Crocket. Buddy Epstein is great too. There are scenes that are just too awful for words but sit back and enjoy the central performance. He is superb and very under rated. THe scenery is lovely; I wonder if its covered by real estate today. I hope not.