Fess Parker, the Texas actor who played Davy Crockett in the 50's TV series, and later, Dan'l Boone, in another series, died at his home in California. He was 85.
I watched Davy's adventures. I never had the coonskin cap, but like I expect ten thousand other boys did, I named my first BB gun after his rifle, ole Betsy ...
Parker retired from acting in the 7o's, opened a hotel in Santa Barbara, and a winery, and was a successful businessman who people recognized the rest of his life. He once said it was interesting to watch the double-takes when they walked into the hotel and saw him and came to realized who it was:
Holy crap -- It's Davy Crockett!
That's Buddy Ebsen to Parker's right in the picture, who starred as Davy's sidekick, Georgie. He went on to do The Beverly Hillbillies and Barnaby Miller. And who, if he hadn't been deathly allergic to the silver paint makeup, would have starred as the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz ...
Adios, Mr. Parker.
Great minds think alike...
ReplyDeleteI put him up on dojo Rat today also, but as Daniel boone.
And yes, I had a coonskin hat, and I actually have a bottle of his wine that I haven't opened yet!
No wine but I did have a coonskin cap AND a set of kid-sized buckskins--fringed vest, pants--and a set of moccasins, which I do believe I wore to Disneyland.
ReplyDeleteOh, I definitely had the coonskin hat! I was LITTLE when Daniel Boone was on (I was born in '62) and missed the Davey Crockett shows altogether. On to the next adventure, Fess.
ReplyDeleteP.s.
ReplyDeleteBuddy Ebsen was also in an even older show called "Northwest Passage
I remembered it as a kid, then I bought my wife a collection of old westerns on DVD and Northwest Passage was one of the shows.