DAVID BIANCULLI

Founder / Editor

ERIC GOULD

Associate Editor

LINDA DONOVAN

Assistant Editor

Contributors

ALEX STRACHAN

MIKE HUGHES

KIM AKASS

MONIQUE NAZARETH

ROGER CATLIN

GARY EDGERTON

TOM BRINKMOELLER

GERALD JORDAN

NOEL HOLSTON

 
 
 
 
 
1954: ABC's Anthology Series 'Disneyland' Presents 'Davy Crockett'
December 15, 2020  | By David Bianculli  | 21 comments
 
On this day in 1954, ABC's anthology series, Disneyland, aired the first installment of Davy Crockett.

Born on a montaintop in Tennessee,

Greenest state in the land of the free.
Raised in the woods, so's he knew every tree,
Killed him a b'ar when he was only three:
Davy, Davy Crockett,
King of the wild frontier...

When you think of Davy Crockett, that theme song, "The Ballad of Davy Crockett," is not only the first thing you think of. It's the first thing they thought of.

When the first episodes of Davy Crockett were in the early planning stages for the anthology series Disneyland, Walt Disney commissioned staff composer George Bruns to work with the show's scriptwriter, Tom Blackburn, and create some music and lyrics that could serve to bridge the various scenes in the story. Bruns wrote the music and chorus, Blackburn wrote the rest of the lyrics, and a singer named Bill Hayes recorded and released the song as a record several months before the first episode of Davy Crockett was televised. The musical result was a surprise runaway hit: seven million copies sold in the first six months, making it, at that time, the fastest-selling record in history.

The mania continued when Davy Crockett premiered on Disneyland, catapulting Fess Parker to instant stardom — thus giving a whole new meaning to the term "Fess up." Buddy Ebsen, as sidekick George Russel, went along for the ride, and provided an early prototype for his Jed Clampett character on The Beverly Hillbillies.

Disney-approved replicas of Davy's coonskin caps sold in the millions, but Disney was less astute when it came to capitalizing on the TV show itself. Originally, there were only three episodes of Davy Crockett planned, and in the last one, "Davy Crockett at the Alamo," he was killed.

Shown a month apart, it wasn't until the final episode — the key word being final — that Disney realized what a hit he had on his hands. Unable to carry the story line forward, he follwed it backward, and before long there were two additional Davy Crockett episodes dramatizing his earlier exploits.

So, in addition to "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" and the coonskin caps, Disney's Davy Crockett gave us two TV milestones. The first three episodes of Davy Crockett, with the very finite "Alamo" ending, formed network TV's first original miniseries. The later, "earlier" episodes (if that makes any sense) formed the first recorded instance of what's now known as the "prequel."

And in one final example of Disney marketing saavy, all five episodes were recycled as theatrical films: The first three under the title of Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier, and the final two under the title Davy Crockett and the River Pirates. With Davy Crockett, Walt Disney didn't waste anything — except a lot of raccoons.

—Excerpted from Dictionary of Teleliteracy: Television's 500 Biggest Hits, Misses and Events

 
 
 
 
 
Leave a Comment: (No HTML, 1000 chars max)
 
 Name (required)
 
 Email (required) (will not be published)
 
JRAOH
Type in the verification word shown on the image.
 
 
 Page: 1 of 2  | Go to page: 
21 Comments
 
 
We’re here to help you handle unexpected breakdowns with ease, so you can get back to your day without further hassle.
Sep 18, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
The musical result was a surprise runaway hit: seven million copies sold in the first six months, making it, at that time, the fastest-selling record in history.
May 2, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
Very good Article, We are a major believer throughout putting up responses in internet sites for you to let the web site freelance writers be aware that they’ve included a thing helpful for you to virtual reality!
Apr 30, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
With thanks to get furnishing recently available posts in connection with the dilemma, I actually look ahead to learn extra.
Apr 1, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
Thank you for sharing a bunch of this quality contents, I have bookmarked your blog. Please also explore advice from my site. I will be back for more quality contents.
Mar 17, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
Great job for publishing such a beneficial web site. Your web log isn’t only useful but it is additionally really creative too.
Mar 17, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
I read that Post and got it fine and informative.
Mar 5, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
I read that Post and got it fine and informative.
Mar 5, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
This is very educational content and written well for a change. It's nice to see that some people still understand how to write a quality post.!
Mar 4, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
This approach is an excellent content Document personally seen merit to present the software. Propose being very careful the things I needed to work out intend for long term future you should maintain just for stating a very remarkable content.
Mar 3, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
You have a good point here!I totally agree with what you have said!!Thanks for sharing your views...hope more people will read this article!!!
Mar 2, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
Wonderful blog! I found it while surfing around on Yahoo News. Do you have any suggestions on how to get listed in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Appreciate it.
Feb 28, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
Fine Posting, We're an important believer around writing commentary for web pages so that you can allow the site freelancers realise that they’ve increased a little something valuable so that you can the ether!
 
 
it is certainly wonderful along with meanful. it is certainly neat web site. Backlinks is incredibly valuable issue. you've got genuinely made it easier for some people whom pay a visit to web site and still provide these people usefull data.
Feb 19, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
it is certainly wonderful along with meanful. it is certainly neat web site. Backlinks is incredibly valuable issue. you've got genuinely made it easier for some people whom pay a visit to web site and still provide these people usefull data.
Feb 19, 2024   |  Reply
 
 
When it comes to sportswear, choosing the right name a top sportswear brand can make all the difference. With so many options on the market, it can be hard to know where to start. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the top sportswear brands out there and what sets them apart from the competition.
Nov 26, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
Our process begins with a thorough diagnosis to pinpoint the root cause of the problem.
Sep 4, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
I appreciate how this web design company paid attention to the small details. The website design is cohesive and polished.
Jun 25, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
We offer a wide range of services, so you can rest assured that your truck is in good hands.
Feb 20, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
We love screwing around with some stone and brick too.
Feb 19, 2023   |  Reply
 
 
 
 Page: 1 of 2  | Go to page: