# Tall Tales & Legends

Tall Tales & Legends (also known as Shelley Duvall's Tall Tales & Legends) is an American folklore anthology television series of 9 episodes created by television and film actress Shelley Duvall, who also served as executive producer and presenter, alongside Fred Fuchs, following her success with her first anthology series, Faerie Tale Theatre.
Adapting various American-based folk tales and stories of bravery, the series ran from 1985–1987 on Showtime, as well as the Disney Channel. The series was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. It was succeeded by a four-part anthology series, titled Nightmare Classics.

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original airdate |
| 1 | "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" | Edd Griles | Story by : Washington Irving Teleplay by : Lon O'Kun | September 25, 1985 (1985-09-25) |
| Timid schoolteacher Ichabod Crane (Ed Begley Jr.) faces a headless horseman one dark Halloween night. Co-starring: Beverly D'Angelo as Katrina Van Tassel, Charles Durning as Uncle Duffue/Narrator, Tim Thomerson as Brom Bones, Barret Oliver as Heinrich Van Tassel, Diana Bellamy as Mrs. Van Tassel |||||
| 2 | "Annie Oakley" | Michael Lindsay-Hogg | Pamela Pettler | December 24, 1985 (1985-12-24) |
| Young Phoebe Mosey (Jamie Lee Curtis) defies expectations and proves herself to become "Little Miss Sure Shot" Annie Oakley, the legendary sharpshooter and "Wild West" icon. Co-starring: Brian Dennehy as Buffalo Bill, Cliff DeYoung as Frank Butler/Jim Oakley, Nancy Lenehan as Lyda, Lu Leonard as Queen Victoria, Joyce Van Patten as Ma, Nick Romus as Sitting Bull |||||
| 3 | "Pecos Bill" | Howard Storm | Alister Berry Nancy Steen Neil Thompson | January 1, 1986 (1986-01-01) |
| Raised by coyotes, Pecos Bill (Steve Guttenberg) grows up to be the cowboy who puts the "wild" in the Wild West. His daring adventure to save the state of Texas from drought proves that acts of selflessness and bravery are never forgotten. Co-starring: Rebecca De Mornay as Rose Peasley (Slue-Foot Sue), Martin Mull as Gov. Ambrose Peasley, Peter Billingsley as Kevin, Dick Schaal as Bob Watkins, Elizabeth Gorcey as Pansy Peasley, Megan Mullally as Posy Peasley, Claude Akins as Grandfather/Narrator |||||
| 4 | "Casey at the Bat" | David Steinberg | Teleplay by : Andy Borowitz Poem by : Ernest Lawrence Thayer | January 20, 1986 (1986-01-20) |
| Down-on-his-luck baseball player Casey Frank (Elliott Gould) follows his dreams to become the biggest star in the game. Co-starring: Carol Kane as Barbara Dent, Hamilton Camp as Undercrawl, Rae Dawn Chong as Circe Lafemme, Bill Macy as Pop Gumm, Mina Kolb as Widow Bleacher, Charles Gray as Mr. Dent, Howard Cosell as Ernie/Narrator, Bob Uecker as Joe |||||
| 5 | "Darlin' Clementine" | Jerry London | Nancy Sackett | February 8, 1986 (1986-02-08) |
| Clementine (Shelley Duvall) is the sole woman in her mining camp who cares for everyone around her until her selfish father (Ed Asner) learns a valuable lesson. Co-starring: David Dukes as Levi, Gordon Jump as Mr. Ripple, Michael Richards as Sneaky Pete, Randy Newman as Narrator |||||
| 6 | "Johnny Appleseed" | Christopher Guest | Mark Curtiss Rod Ash | October 31, 1986 (1986-10-31) |
| Johnny Appleseed (Martin Short) travels across the land with a cooking pot on his head and pockets filled with apple seeds and shows that there’s nothing wrong with being different. Co-starring: Rob Reiner as Jack Smith, Molly Ringwald as Jenny Smith, Michael McKean as Mac Macintosh, Lewis Arquette as Jimbo Smith/Narrator, Anne Jackson as Betty Nature, Will Sampson as Chief |||||
| 7 | "Ponce De Leon and the Search for the Fountain of Youth" | Sheldon Larry | Mark Curtiss Rod Ash | November 16, 1986 (1986-11-16) |
| The famed Spanish explorer (Michael York) goes on his famous quest to discover the legendary "Fountain of Youth", which is botched by the actions of Lucy the Pirate (Sally Kellerman). With a little help and guidance from the "Mysterious Stranger" (Dr. Ruth Westheimer; Dr. Ruth), the two learn that eternal youth is not all it's cracked up to be. Co-starring: Paul Rodriguez as Julio, Edward Duke as Rudolpho, Lewis Arquette as George, Fisher Stevens as Indian chief, Charles Fleischer as Balboa, Warren Berlinger as Herb/Narrator |||||
| 8 | "John Henry" | Ray Danton | Samm-Art Williams | December 1, 1986 (1986-12-01) |
| Former slave John Henry (Danny Glover) stands up to his boss (Barry Corbin) and his new steam drill. Vowing not to be replaced by a machine, Henry challenges the drill to a one-on-one competition. Co-starring: Tom Hulce as Quinn/Narrator, Lynn Whitfield as Pollie Ann, Lou Rawls as Jim Wallace, Thelma Houston as Edna Wallace, James Louis Watkins as Spike Wade |||||
| 9 | "Davy Crockett" | David Grossman | Susan Denim Jack Carrerow Lisa A. Bannick | January 2, 1987 (1987-01-02) |
| Junior high teacher Mr. Wallace (Michael McKean) gives bored delinquent Ben Parker (Adam Carl) a magical book, which takes him back in time to the open 1820s American frontier, where Davy Crockett (Mac Davis) earns a reputation for bravery and courage, proving that anything is possible. Co-starring: McLean Stevenson as Andrew Jackson, Jennifer Joan Taylor as Polly, Daniel Davis as Congressman, Mimi Kennedy as Mrs. Parker, Gino De Mauro as Whitey |||||

## Home media

Several episodes were issued on VHS by CBS/Fox Video in the 1980s. Lyrick Studios made it a nine video series on VHS in 1998. Koch Entertainment issued the entire series on DVD in 2005. The episodes were available as separate DVDs or together as a nine-disc box set. The complete series was issued again, this time in a three-DVD set, by E1 Entertainment in 2009.