Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-24
Fess Parker Says That Walt Disney
Knows Exactly What He's Doing in TV
'Dovy Crockett
Is Set for Two
More Films
BY HAL HUMPHREY
HOLLYWOOD.

Of TV sets recently and again
watched passionately the first
Of Walt Disney's three episodes
in the life of Davy Crockett.
It's safe to bet that most Of
them turned to their parents
afterward and cried out plain
lively, els Davy Crockett going
to die again."
If you parents still are
searching for the answer. I
can tell you that Davy
Crockett is far from dead. Oh.
sure. you and your offspring
will see Davy go to Congress
again on Wednesday and
you'll watch him fight to the
death at the Alamo two weeks
later MAY 1D-but Davy isn't
really dead. no sir!
In fact, I just had lunch
with him in the form Of Tess
Parker, the 27-year-old, g.
foot-5 Texan who has become
the biggest TV hero since
Hoppy first saddled up Topper.
Bigger, I reckon.
Tess, who walks with a Gary
Cooper stoop and talks Just
like the Davy Crockett you
know from TV, tells me that
the clamor raised by hundreds
of thousands Of children over
Davy's untimely demise has
forced Disney to change his
plans.
On the River
In June Tess, his sidekick
Buddy Ebsen, and Director
Norman Foster will head for
the Ohio River where they
will film 'Davy Crockett and
the River Boatmen," a two
part saga which Disney will
run for two consecutive weeks
on TV next November.
These two new shows, how
ever, will present Davy in fic-
tional or legendary adven-
lures, not historical.
In a sense Crockett and
the River Boatmen" will be
based on what might be called
actuality. Viewers may recall
that when Davy Crockett
goes to Congress and meets
President Andrew jackson,
the latter tells Crockett he
has been reading about him in
the dime thrillers of the day.
1t is true that many of the
paper books of that day, or
penny dreadfuls" as they
were called before imitation,
SUPPOSE, dealt with fictional
exploits of Davy Crockett.
Anyway, Disney researchers
are tapping these for the
River Boatmen" episodes.
Davy meets Mike Fink. king Of
the keelboat men on the Ohio,
and helps him to clean out the
river pirates. That should
raise the hackles on many a
young neck, come next Novem-
Der.
Wants No Series
Disney has hopes that these
two episodes with Davy will
satisfy what now appears to be
an Unsuitable appetite for
Crockett's exploits in any
form. He does not want to sue
cumb to a 39-week series for
Tess Parker in the role OF
Crockett, either on Disney
land" or as separate series.
Tess feels the same way. It
don't want to ride a good horse
to DEATH" he says, land I
figure Mr.. Disney knows what
he's doin'."
Tess, himself, still can't get
over what's happened to him.
It's been less than four years
ago that he came to Holly
wood from San Angelo, Tex.
and a good part of that time
he stood in line at a local
branch of the California State
Employment Offices collecting
unemployment checks.
II was mighty grateful, but
a fella's temper gets kinda
short when he's Twin on pea
nut butter sandwiches and
once in a while a macaroni
and cheese dinner" says Fess.
Discovered in Them
Since that September day in
1854 when Disney signed Fess
to play Davy Crockett, he's
been a lot more grateful, how
ever. Disney had spotted him
in the movie, Them" Tess
had only a small part, but
Disney was intrigued with his
appearance and accent.
HE was versatile, and could
play the guitar and sing folk
songs" says Disney. ION top
Of that our researchers dis
covered Tess even looked like
young Crockett"
Two other people who had q
hand in developing Fess's YER
satility were Burl Ives and
Adolph Menjou. Tess went to
an Ives concert while attend =
ing school in Texas. and was
so impressed, he bought a
guitar and learned to play 1t
himself.
II never did take a lesson.
Once in a while now ! learn
a new chord, and that tickles
me more'n anything else"
says Fess. in his soft Texas
drawl.