DANIEL BOONE WAS A HIT, YES A BIG HIT

Fess Parker was an unknown when Walt Disney saw him in a small role in the sci-fi film Them. It appears on TCM a lot, and you can really see that he was a standout even then. As Davy Crockett, Parker became an international star, made several fine Disney features, The Great Locomotive Chase and Old Yeller (for which he narrated Disneyland Records’ first Storyteller with actual film dialogue). He also played Margie’s boyfriend on My Little Margie and a sheriff on what appears to be a series pilot on Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

To TV viewers throughout most of the sixties, he was Daniel Boone on NBC from 1964 to 1970. In addition to having the presence of Parker in the title role, Ed Ames was the Spock to Boone’s Kirk. He was a seasoned, classically trained actor in addition to a great singer, whose big hit was “My Cup Runneth Over.” Seeing a family friend, Dal McKennon, in almost every episode as Cincinnatus is a joy. I wrote a tribute to Dal for Jerry Beck’s Cartoon Research here.

Expecting a series that is over a century old to be in tune with today is Pleasantville time-machine fantasy. The reality is that there is still a lot to be said for how the series tried, as many sixties series did, to address some issues in a way, while dealing with sponsors, pressure groups, and networks, especially in a family series. What is true is that the series did evolve as it approached the seventies.

The scenery is magnificent, and the sets, being a Fox series, are a bit reminiscent of, yes, Lost in Space, which was filming at the same time. All the Fox series had the same art direction and tech crew, plus there were about three times the episodes as there are today, so kudos to the writers, cast and staff for the effort.

The memorable theme song was recorded by Parker for RCA Records and is currently available on most streaming services in addition to the entire album. The complete series is on DVD.