Walt Disney Treasures: Davy Crockett - The Complete Televised Series
Available uncut for the first time, the five episodes ofDavy  Crockettthat aired on Walt Disney's "Disneyland" show (1954-55) launched  one of the great pop culture crazes of the '50s. An estimated $300 million worth  of Crockett merchandise was sold during the first eight months of the craze,  including 10 million "coonskin" caps. Disney didn't spend a lot on the  original episodes, but as host Leonard Maltin observes, the colorful location  and matte shots distinguishedDavy Crockettfrom the cheesy-looking  westerns of the 1950s. The three original episodes were later recut into the  theatrical featureDavy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier(1955); the  more comic adventures from the second season that introduced the flamboyant  riverman Mike Fink (Jeffrey York) becameDavy Crockett and the River  Pirates(1956). Tall and ruggedly handsome, if somewhat limited as an actor,  Fess Parker was effective as the laconic frontiersman. The more experienced  Buddy Ebsen (playing sidekick Georgie Russel) carried many of their scenes.  Fifty years later,Davy Crockettremains an engaging example of national  myth making. Younger viewers may be surprised to find this straightforward hero  retains much of his appeal in an uncertain time.--Charles Solomon