David Crockett

Rating: Null/10 (24 December 2007)

I found this motion picture very interesting, and discovered that the producers had exerted some admirable effort in attempting a more authentic look, feel, and historical interpretation to a story that has been extensively researched and debated for more than a century by experts and amateur historians alike.
I have visited the original Alamo in San Antonio, and I was very closely involved with one of the finest exhibits on the life and times of David Crockett compiled and constructed by the Tennessee State Museum in the 1980's. One of the minor controversies that continues to bother me about these films is the use of the name "Davy" as a nickname for Mr. Crockett.
The name Davy got its start in the stage shows that idealized the life of Tennessee's Congressional Representative while allowing a hefty dose of entertainment. In the 1960's, Walt Disney Productions took the name, and engraved it upon the American psyche to such a degree that film makers hesitate to simply discard a name that does not appear to have been Crockett's choice. If you read his autobiography, you will not see it mentioned. Not once. Crockett's book is a wonderful work by a masterful politician, and admitted humanitarian. It is well worth reading.
That being said, I will recommend this film for what it is, .... a much better attempt at telling a part of American history with less legend and more fact. What a grand method of bestowing the gift of history to children! Perhaps it might even inspire them to read a good book on the subject.