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

[cinemalover]

I picked up the Season One DVD set of Daniel Boone starring Fess Parker. This had been on my wishlist for quite some time and I found a used one for a very reasonable cost. This is a series that I have not seen since the original broadcast dates from 1964 until 1970. I would have been 5-11 years old when viewing them. I really enjoyed them as a child, but I wasn't sure how well the series would hold up to my adult eyes. Unlike most of my other western childhood favorites (such as The Wild Wild West, Bonanza, Have Gun Will Travel, Maverick, etc..) that I have seen repeatedly in syndication over the years, I'd never seen poor ole' Daniel resurface. Absence makes the heart grow fonder as they say. On this thread I'm going to review each episode of that first season as I watch them. Any thoughts you may have about the series are more than welcome, but, if not, I'll just be rambling on about my thoughts.

Date watched:5/20/2007
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: Ken-Tuck-E Originally aired: 9-24-1964

Casting Fess Parker as Daniel Boone was a stroke of marketing genius as he was coming off his rock-star like popularity of playing the similar Davy Crockett for Disney.

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)

Plot: Boone (Parker) is under orders from General George Washington (Stephen Courtleigh) to built a fort in Kentucky. This area is very dangerous because the local Shawnee Indians are being armed by the British to fight the Colonials. When Daniel is captured by the Indians it appears his mission may be doomed before it ever gets off of the ground.

Also in this episode we learn how Daniel and Yadkin (Salmi, as Daniel's constant companion) get to know and bond with Mingo (Ames), the Oxford-educated half-Cherokee Indian. We learn that Ken-Tuck-E in Cherokee means land of plenty.

Mingo's thoughts on the white man as a whole, "The red man kills to live. The white man often lives to kill."

There is a healthy use of wide open outdoor spaces which makes it feel like a big-budget production. Parker is very engaging and a perfect personality to wrap a series around. Ed Ames plays a proud, intelligent Indain figure, a nice contrast to most interpretations. Albert Salmi's Yadkin is a very colorful character that can keep the mood light and advance the storyline simultaneously. Patricia Blair's Rebecca doesn't get much to do in the series premiere, but if I remember correctly she develops into a very strong feminine role model. A wonderfu family themed show.

The use of single shoot and load muskets is already being set up as a key plot and timing point for the rest of the series.

The show even comes equipped with one of those theme songs that are impossible to flush from your mind once you hear them. Bits and pieces of the theme are used throughout the episode as narrative commentary.

"What a Boone, what a do-er,
What a dream come tru-er"

Other guest stars: Bobby Horan, Gregory Morton, Robert F. Simon.

The show also lasted longer than I thought. It ran 6 seasons for a total of 165 episodes. This compares favorably to The Rifleman's run of 168 shows.

7* (out of 10) I enjoyed my time with Mr. Boone and company, this episode had plenty of action and adventure while still introducing all the primary characters and situations for the future.

[mrsl]

Hi Cinemalover:

I watched Daniel Boone often but not on a regular basis until the last couple of seasons. I always wondered why I knew who Albert Salmi was, but didn't recall him from this until you mentioned it. He's one actor I never cared for, mainly because except for Boone, he was always not only a bad guy, but a gross bad guy.

I'll be looking forward to your comments, glad you're doing it!

Anne

[cinemalover]

mrsl,
Welcome aboard the Boone express. Good old Albert Salmi gets the opportunity to play the sidekick to the good guy and with an interesting accent to boot! It is strange to see a series after so many years. Parts of it feel very familiar but the details seem fresh. I think I'll enjoy this series but time will tell. Now where is my coonskin cap? I think I had a Daniel Boone plastic musket at one point too.

[MikeBSG]

Several months ago, TVLand showed a bunch of "Daniel Boone" episodes because the series was coming out on DVD.

I watched one episode from Season One and was struck by how little it matched up with what I remembered of the show. I guess I only started watching it around 1968 or so. Still, I'll have to catch up with this series some day. I liked it a lot.

[cinemalover]

MikeBSG,
I didn't realize that Boone had shown up on TV Land. I thought it had completely dropped off the face of the Earth. But I'm glad it has resurfaced on DVD with the first two seasons out. I watched a second episode that I'll have to compose my thoughts about, but it was just as enjoyable as the first.

[cinemalover]

Date watched:5/22/2007
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: Tekawitha McLeod Originally aired: 10-1-1964

This first season was filmed in glorious black and white.

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)

Daniel Boone was a man,
yes, a big man......

Guest stars in this episode:
Chris Alcaide--Flathead Joseph
Lynn Loring--Tekawitha McLeod
David Cadiente--Telequah
Robert Foulk--Sledge Clayton
Donald O'Rourke--Timmy Kincaid
Edna Skinner--Sadie Clayburn

Plot: The settlers of Boonesborough are whooping it up in a community celebration when they are interrupted by Flathead Joseph (Alcaide), a trader that specializes in slaves. He wants to trade his prisoner, Tekawitha (Loring), a white girl raised as a Cherokee pro=incess. Daniel agrees to trading provisions for Tekawitha just to get her away from this human garbage.

Tekawitha's Cherokee father, the powerful Telequah (Cadiente), calls a war council to decide how to get her back. At Boonesborough the settlers are divided on the fate of Tekawitha. Some belief it would be wrong to return a white girl to the Cherokees, while others are only concerned about the battle it would cause if they don't return her. Tekawitha wants to return to her Cherokee family. It turns out that Daniel knew her mother before she was killed and Tekawitha was captured and raised by the Cherokees. Will this shade Daniel's judgment? Perhaps Mingo can help the process.

Once the settlers, with Daniel's guidance, decide to keep the girl:
Daniel, "Like it or not, we're all the kin she's got."
Yadkin, "Well, that figures to tie the rag right off the bush, nothing for it but to bring in (inside the fort) the livestock and the women!"
Female settler, "Women first! Then the livestock!"

7* (out of 10) A nice morale dilemma, intelligently handled, with shades of the The Searchers. Another solid, well-produced episode.

[cinemalover]

Date watched:6/2/2007
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:
A Short Walk To Salem Originally aired: 10-8-1964

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:
James Westerfield--Simon "Pa" Girty
Dean Stanton--Jeb Girty
Charles Biggs--Hiram Girty
Robert Surrells--Luke Girty
William Fawcett--Ben Pickens

From his coonskin cap on the top of ol' Dan,
To the heel of his rawhide shoe...

Plot: Simon Girty and his three boys like to collect pelts the easy way, they steal them. They ambush Yadkin as he's headed to Boonesborough with his collection of pelts. He's headed there because the townsfolk are going to send all of their pelts to salem together because they think it will be safer and more profitable. After the Girty's rob him we see Yadkin standing next to a noose, neck high and assume he's in serious trouble. Cut to the next scene and we see Daniel trotting through the woods when he stumbles upon Yadkin. Yadkin is hanging by his ankle from the noose, dangling in the wind. This was a very well executed set-up. Daniel and Yadkin hurry back to Boonesborough to catch the Girty family trying to rob the entire fort. The Girty's are tossed in the river for their efforts.

Daniel and Yadkin are set to take all the pelts to Salem in their canoe. Daniel's young son, Israel wants desperately to go along. Daniel has to convince his wife Rebecca that the trip would help Israel understand how to survive in the wilderness so she agrees.

Along the way the Girty's are laying in ambush just licking their chops to get revenge as well as the stack of pelts. Israel ends up alone in the woods and Daniel and Yadkin get staked to the ground. Where, oh where, is Mingo when you need him?

Another fun, adventure-filled episode. The chemistry of the entire cast is a joy. There is one scene in the episode that bothered me a little. The plot calls for Daniel to take the canoe through some very serious rapids, with Israel aboard. Daniel even lies to Yadkin, saying that the upcoming waters are "as calm as a mill pond". It seemed contrary to the spirit of the show that Daniel would willingly put his son at risk when there were other options. A minor point, but most shows today wouldn't attempt it for fear of audience reprisals.

6* (out of 10) A very entertaining family show (other than endangering your youngest child). Well worth revisiting.

[cinemalover]

Here are the mind-numbing words for the entire theme...

Daniel Boone was a man,
Yes, a big man!
With an eye like an eagle
And as tall as a mountain was he!

Daniel Boone was a man,
Yes, a big man!
He was brave, he was fearless
And as tough as a mighty oak tree!
From the coonskin cap on the top of ol' Dan
To the heel of his rawhide shoe;
The rippin'est, roarin'est, fightin'est man
The frontier ever knew!

Daniel Boone was a man,
Yes, a big man!
And he fought for America
To make all Americans free!
What a Boone! What a doer!
What a dream come-er-true-er was he!

Daniel Boone was a man!
Yes, a big man!
With a whoop and a holler
he c'd mow down a forest of trees!

Daniel Boone was a man!
Yes, a big man!
If he frowned at a river
In July all the water would freeze!
But a peaceable, pioneer fella was Dan
When he smiled all the ice would thaw!
The singin'est, laughin'est, happiest man
The frontier ever saw!

Daniel Boone was a man!
Yes, a big man!
With a dream of a country that'd
Always forever be free!
What a Boone! What a do-er!
What a dream-come-er-true-er was he!

Now sing that to yourself a couple of times and then see if you can get it out of your head before the weekend is over!

[CoffeeDan]

Chris, your post with the Daniel Boone lyrics just reminded me of the parody we sang as kids (anybody else remember this?) -- which I'm reluctant to post here because it contains a racial epithet. But you've got me singing the darned thing, and it won't go away! ARGGHH!!

[cinemalover]

Coffeedan,
I do apologize. It can be worse than It's A Small World. I have caught myself humming Daniel Boone at work... oh the shame!

[cinemalover]

Date watched:6/10/2007
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:
Lac Duquesne Originally aired: 11-5-1964

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:
Emile Genest--Lac Duquesne
Barry Kelley--Mr. Butters
Sarah Selby--Mrs. Butters
James Griffith--Feathers

Daniel Boone was a man,
Yes, a big man.....

Plot: River pirate Duquesne (Genest) intercepts a shipment of 50 rifles bound for Boonesborough. Duquesne plans on selling them to the Shawnees to use against Boone's settlers.

Daniel, Mingo and Yadkin set out to get the rifles back.
A worried settler, "But what about our own cabin?"
Rebecca Boone, "If Daniel doesn't fetch back them rifles, you won't need one. NONE of us will!"

The Boonesborough trio track the pirates to their camp. Yadkin's description of the pirates:
"Swamp scum would be closer to it!"

Their snooping is not quite sneaky enough and the pirates capture them. They manage to escape but find themselves weaponless in Shawnee territory. They have to decide whether to continue the pursuit of the rifles or to go home safely while they have the chance.

Daniel, "We've come a long ways. It'd be a shame to leave without a try. Mingo?"
Mingo, "Well, I expected some kind of fight."
Yadkin, "SOME kind of fight? This won't be a fight, this'll be a massacre. And a massacre I don't like...especially when it's me that's gettin' it done to!"

The warm comraderie between the three leads makes every scene they are in together a treasure. Mingo is the stoic realist. Yadkin is the pessimist and Daniel is the manly medium.

6* (out of 10) Another entertaining adventure with a larger than life pirate on the bad side.

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Glad to see you're enjoying Daniel Boone. I was a very faithful viewer for several years.

I also remember Salmi as a character who was integral to the show, as well as Ames as Mingo.

I really enjoyed reading your posts and thoughts about the storylines and characters.

[cinemalover]

Thanks SueSue.
It's nice to be able to revisit shows that I enjoyed as a child and find that they hold up and are still entertaining 40 years later. I am in love with the idea of DVD TV box sets. To be able to see unedited episodes at my leisure is a wonderful luxury.

[Sue Sue Applegate]

It really is, cinemalover. Have a great weekend.

[cinemalover]

Thanks Christy,
Even though the weekend is now winding down I hope yours was a pleasant one!

Chris