What a Boone, What a Do-er, What a Dream Come Tru-er

[cinemalover]

Date watched:7/1/2007
Title: Daniel Boone TV Show Season 1 Made: 1964-65
Genre: Western/Adventure Studio: Arcola Pictures
Format: DVD Extras: Booklet
# of times viewed: This is the first time I've seen these since the original broadcast (and this time I don't have to watch the commercials!)

This set is all 28 episodes on 8 discs from Season 1.
Episode watched:
Pompey Originally aired: 11-12-1964

Series regulars:
Fess Parker--Daniel Boone
Albert Salmi--Yadkin
Ed Ames--Mingo
Patricia Blair--Rebecca Boone
Veronica Cartwright--Jemima Boone
Darby Hinton--Israel Boone
Dallas McKennon--Cincinnatus (Innkeeper)

Guest stars:
Brock Peters--Pompey
Peter Whitney--Caleb Calhoun

Plot: Pompey (Peters) is an escaped slave on the run. Caleb Calhoun (Whitney) is the man hunting him down. Calhoun is an indentured servant himself, who is almost at the end of his commitment and will soon be free. However, he will have years added on to his service to equal the value of the slave he lost unless he can bring him back to his master.

Daniel and Yadkin come across Pompey in the wilderness and help him remove his leg irons. As soon as he is freed Calhoun approaches them with musket in hand, intending to take possession of his lost property. Before the matter can be resolved, the four men are attacked by a band of Shawnee Indians. The ensuing battle ends with an arrow through Calhoun's leg. The quartet makes their way back to Boonesborough to get Calhoun patched up.

Daniel makes his opinions on slavery quite clear, wishing to have Pompey set free. Calhoun threatens legal action against Daniel if he does anything to prevent Pompey's return to chains. So, a three way dilemma evolves. Daniel wants to free Pompey, but is threatened with jail himself if he does. Calhoun needs to bring Pompey back to the master to secure his own freedom, even though he knows it isn't fair. Pompey wants his freedom, but not at the possible cost of Daniel's freedom.

Calhoun's conscience begins to eat at him for what he must to to Pompey, but still concludes, "Right or wrong, it doesn't matter. It's way too late for it to matter!"
Pompey, "It matters! Late or not, it matters! Freedom's somethin' more than walkin' the land without anybody stoppin' ya'. It's a thing you carry around in your soul like a conscience, a clean conscience. A man can imprison himself with a mean act just as certain as he can with bars of iron. The only difference is he can sometimes escape chains and stone walls. But when he carries a prison around inside himself he can't ever get away."

Ultimately the Shawnee help provide a solution.

6* (out of 10) A serious subject matter handled very intelligently. Always a delicate topic, it would have been an even bolder statement on television in 1964 when it was broadcast, considering the stae of race relations at the time.

[cinemalover]

Date watched:9/1/2007
Title: Daniel Boone TV Show Season 1 Made: 1964-65
Genre: Western/Adventure Studio: Arcola Pictures
Format: DVD Extras: Booklet
# of times viewed: This is the first time I've seen these since the original broadcast (and this time I don't have to watch the commercials!)

This set is all 28 episodes on 8 discs from Season 1.
Episode watched:
The Choosing Originally aired: 10-29-1964

Series regulars:
Fess Parker--Daniel Boone
Albert Salmi--Yadkin
Ed Ames--Mingo
Patricia Blair--Rebecca Boone
Veronica Cartwright--Jemima Boone
Darby Hinton--Israel Boone
Dallas McKennon--Cincinnatus (Innkeeper)

Guest stars:
David Brian--Major "Big Russell" Horton
Richard Devon--Tice Fowler
Larry Chance--Indian Chief

Plot: The show starts out innocently enough when Daniel takes Jemima out to a stretch of open land and tells her that he is putting in a claim for it to be a wedding present for her the day she gets wed and start her own life.

Daniel to Jemima, "Dreams are made of moonbeams, Mima, catch enough of 'em and they'll come true."

It's a nice father daughter moment that is rudely interrupted by Daniel's leg getting injured by his axe. Daniel is unable to walk and they are too far from home to expect any immediate help. Jemmia comes to the conclusion that Daniel needs some red meat to keep up his strength and goes hunting. She must be quite the huntress because she nails a bear all by herself! She knows that the wound is getting infected and tries to produce a poultice to help the healing. While Daniel is passed out, his system trying to recover, their camp is stumbled upon by British Major Horton (Brian) who is on a secret mission with the help of guide Tice Fowler (Devon) and a couple of renegade Indians who work for Fowler.

When Daniel comes to he recognizes the sleazebag Fowler who would do anything for a profit.

Daniel, "What swamp did you crawl out of, Fowler?"

The Major can't have anyone leak word of his mission so he decides they must take Jemima with him as a hostage and they will leave Daniel there to die of his wounds. They obviously hadn't watched any previous episodes in the series or they would know that no wound is too fatal for our hero to overcome.

Another story that puts our hero in grave danger and puts Jemima in threat of rape and murder. More very serious subjects dealt with very maturely. I don't remember the series having this much danger attached to it, but I was watching it through a child's eyes, just waiting for the action and the coonskin cap!

7* (out of 10) Another winning episode that whets my appetite for more. Fess Parker was wonderful as a strong father figure who knew how to handle discouraging situations.