This was the second of two Disney Crockett theatrical features, edited from a pair of Disneyland TV episodes during that show's second season. The first three Crockett stories, run during the first season and then later released theatrically as a mini-epic, were all at least in part based on Crockett's life, as the opening image - his journal allowing us to slip inside - makes clear. The follow-ups were based on the famed Almanacks that appeared after Crockett's death in 1836, and so are right filmed in a much broader style, visually suggesting a tall tale rather than a fact based adventure. In the first half, Davy (Fess Parker) and pal Georgie (Buddy Ebsen) engage in a legendary keel boat race with Mike Fink (Jeff York). Lots of good natured action-fun. In the second part, they join forces to eradicate the wicked river pirates who not only prey on innocent passersby but blame their wicked deeds on the innocent Indians. That allows for a highly effective message, much like that in the first film, whereby Crockett becomes a spokesman for Indians' rights. As always in Disney, the entertainment qualities are balanced with an attempt to educate the audience on the greatness of ethnic diversity. Some fifty years after its release, this is still a delight.
21 Reviews
A sequel on the same level of fun as its predecessor
TheLittleSongbird20 February 2017
'Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier' may not be a masterpiece, and there are better Disney live-action films and Disney films overall. It is a however impossible to dislike film and it was easy to see why anything to do with Davy Crockett was such a phenomenon in the 50s.
The same goes for its sequel 'Davy Crockett and the River Pirates'. Sequels don't always match their predecessors and even more rarely even better, with numerous examples of vastly inferior (polar opposite in quality) ones. 'Davy Crockett and the River Pirates' is every bit as good, with two improvements over its predecessors, it is not quite as episodic (while still feeling like a film of two halves) and it flows a little.
It is not perfect. The dialogue is even sillier and more childish in places than in 'Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier', and a couple of the action sequences in the second half are still exaggerated and more cartoonish than epic.
As hoped though, 'Davy Crockett and the River Pirates' has a lot to like and is very difficult to hate. It is a good-looking film, with gorgeously epic scenery and evocative production design that looks like a lot of care and homework went into it, all handsomely filmed. The music is rousing, especially the timeless theme song that is one of Disney's and childhood's best and most memorable theme songs.
There is some endearingly-good natured dialogue, and as said the story is eventful and often exciting. A lot happens, especially in the first half, and never does it lull. The characters are a lot of fun, with a charismatic and likable hero in Davy Crockett, and direction is breezy and bright.
Fess Parker is jovial, charismatic and immensely likable in the title role and Buddy Ebsen counteracts with him very nicely. The acting may not be "great" but hardly bad, more than competent. A splendidly hammy Jeff York stands out in support.
Overall, a very enjoyable sequel with a huge amount of appeal. 8/10 Bethany Cox
The same goes for its sequel 'Davy Crockett and the River Pirates'. Sequels don't always match their predecessors and even more rarely even better, with numerous examples of vastly inferior (polar opposite in quality) ones. 'Davy Crockett and the River Pirates' is every bit as good, with two improvements over its predecessors, it is not quite as episodic (while still feeling like a film of two halves) and it flows a little.
It is not perfect. The dialogue is even sillier and more childish in places than in 'Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier', and a couple of the action sequences in the second half are still exaggerated and more cartoonish than epic.
As hoped though, 'Davy Crockett and the River Pirates' has a lot to like and is very difficult to hate. It is a good-looking film, with gorgeously epic scenery and evocative production design that looks like a lot of care and homework went into it, all handsomely filmed. The music is rousing, especially the timeless theme song that is one of Disney's and childhood's best and most memorable theme songs.
There is some endearingly-good natured dialogue, and as said the story is eventful and often exciting. A lot happens, especially in the first half, and never does it lull. The characters are a lot of fun, with a charismatic and likable hero in Davy Crockett, and direction is breezy and bright.
Fess Parker is jovial, charismatic and immensely likable in the title role and Buddy Ebsen counteracts with him very nicely. The acting may not be "great" but hardly bad, more than competent. A splendidly hammy Jeff York stands out in support.
Overall, a very enjoyable sequel with a huge amount of appeal. 8/10 Bethany Cox
The Prequel
Hitchcoc15 December 2016
Capitalizing on the popularity of the Davy Crockett phenomenon, Disney produced a story that had to take place at an earlier time. Mike Fink is a keel boater (boats that are pushed with poles), the best around. Georgie Russell (Buddy Ebsen) makes a bet with Fink, banking on the ingenuity of Crockett who has never pushed a keel boat. If they don't win the race, they will lose several month's work. The race is fun with Fink using every method he can to take away Davy and Georgie's chances of winning. The two manage to endure and the first half ends. What the heck. But what happens is an alliance among the three men. River pirates have been robbing the hard working people who depend on the waterway for their business. They must find a way to stop them for everyone's benefit. If this phenomenon had been in more recent times, we would have had a series, starring Fess Parker, that would have lasted a long time. It was a different time, obviously.
A Great Family Adventure
GEM-201 February 2000
"Davy Crockett And The River Pirates" was originally produced for television and was broadcast on ABC as two episodes of the "Disneyland" series in 1955.
It is very easy to see why there was a Crockett phenomenon at the time. Fess Parker is perfect as Davy, and his sidekick, Georgie Russel, is played by Buddy Ebson, a few years before "Beverly Hillbillies". They play off of each other like a perfectly matched pair of shoes.
This film is wonderful and makes me wish that Disney had made more of them back in the 1950's. Unfortunately, however, the interest in Crockett was winding down by the time this one played in the theaters, and Disney used Fess Parker in other movies, like "Old Yeller" and "Westward Ho! The Wagons"
Still, this is a great film that is a lot of fun. The boats were later taken to Disneyland and utilized as the Mike Fink Keelboats ride.
-- One sidenote here: the keelboats were removed from Disneyland in 1996 following an accident that dumped a load of passengers into the water! --
As with most of the old Disney titles, I greatly recommend this film.
It is very easy to see why there was a Crockett phenomenon at the time. Fess Parker is perfect as Davy, and his sidekick, Georgie Russel, is played by Buddy Ebson, a few years before "Beverly Hillbillies". They play off of each other like a perfectly matched pair of shoes.
This film is wonderful and makes me wish that Disney had made more of them back in the 1950's. Unfortunately, however, the interest in Crockett was winding down by the time this one played in the theaters, and Disney used Fess Parker in other movies, like "Old Yeller" and "Westward Ho! The Wagons"
Still, this is a great film that is a lot of fun. The boats were later taken to Disneyland and utilized as the Mike Fink Keelboats ride.
-- One sidenote here: the keelboats were removed from Disneyland in 1996 following an accident that dumped a load of passengers into the water! --
As with most of the old Disney titles, I greatly recommend this film.
Sequel is even better
rdoyle2913 August 2017
Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen are back as Davy Crockett and his sidekick in another film culled from Disney's TV series. This time they encounter Mink Fink, King of the River captaining a boat on the Mississippi. They agree to race him to New Orleans, and then they team up with him to defeat pirates masquerading as Native Americans. This one is slightly superior to the original film mostly due to having a less episodic story.
Funny and fun adventures starred by Crockett/Fess Parker and his pal Giorgie/Buddy Ebsen against nasty river pirates
ma-cortes18 June 2018
This was a theatrical compilation of two episodes of Davy Crocket series that were aired on ABC TV Disneyland , 55-56 years , taking footage here and there . In this adventure and comical Western movie is narrated myths and legends in hilarious style of the famed American frontiersman and explorer . I deals with Davy and his colleague Georgie Russell , Buddy Ebsen, vying a boastful fatty called Mike Frank , Jeff York, nicknamed " the King of the river" in a boat race to city of New Orleans and along the way they encounter some nasty river pirates .After that , once the competition is finished , Crockett and Georgie supported by Mike take on the river pirates who are attempting to rob the sailors of their possessions .
The plot is is simple, the first part concerns about a fun race in which our friends compete against "The King of the River" and fight off each other to win the risked competition ; second part deals with the three allied friends battling pirates who disguising as Native American to take earthly supplies from naive boat passengers ; this plot bears remarkable resemblance to the classic film" How the West was won" by Ford , Marshall and Hathaway, in which mountain man James Stewart was robbed by river pirates In Cave-in-Rock , the same place where was shot this Davy Crockett and River Pirates . As usual, Fess Parker and and his sidekick Buddy Ebsen give sympathetic performances . They are accompanied by Jeff York as the sly , boastful Mike providing a lot of laughters and mayhem .York starred various chapters of Disneyland and "The great locomotive chase" along with Fess Parker .And an enjoyable support cast as Mort Mills, Kenneth Tobey , Clem Bevans, Douglas Dumbrielle and Hank Worden .This movie was actually 2 episodes of Disney TV show spliced together and released as feature movie .Walt Disney shot this show in color in spite of few color TV's were being sold, yet . As a result , these two Crockett episodes could be turned into an amusing picture by stitching them together .
This one contains agreeable musical score by George Bruns , Disney's regular ,including classic song "The ballad of Davy Crockett" sung by singer Bill Hayes , lyrics Thomas Blackburn , it had number 1 billboard pop hit in 1955 .Colorful cinematography by Bert Glennon , shot on location in Cave In Rock , Illinois and New Orleans, though is urgent necessary a perfect remastering .The motion picture was well directed by Norman Foster who directed various Disneyland episodes , adventure movies ,and numerous Western series and films such as Tombstone territory , Bat Masterson, Viva Cisco Kid , The sign of Zorro , Navajo , Crazy and Custer the untold story and Rachel and the stranger. Rating : 6.5/10 essential and indispensable watching for adventure fans and Davy Crockett series enthusiasts . Well worth seeing.
The plot is is simple, the first part concerns about a fun race in which our friends compete against "The King of the River" and fight off each other to win the risked competition ; second part deals with the three allied friends battling pirates who disguising as Native American to take earthly supplies from naive boat passengers ; this plot bears remarkable resemblance to the classic film" How the West was won" by Ford , Marshall and Hathaway, in which mountain man James Stewart was robbed by river pirates In Cave-in-Rock , the same place where was shot this Davy Crockett and River Pirates . As usual, Fess Parker and and his sidekick Buddy Ebsen give sympathetic performances . They are accompanied by Jeff York as the sly , boastful Mike providing a lot of laughters and mayhem .York starred various chapters of Disneyland and "The great locomotive chase" along with Fess Parker .And an enjoyable support cast as Mort Mills, Kenneth Tobey , Clem Bevans, Douglas Dumbrielle and Hank Worden .This movie was actually 2 episodes of Disney TV show spliced together and released as feature movie .Walt Disney shot this show in color in spite of few color TV's were being sold, yet . As a result , these two Crockett episodes could be turned into an amusing picture by stitching them together .
This one contains agreeable musical score by George Bruns , Disney's regular ,including classic song "The ballad of Davy Crockett" sung by singer Bill Hayes , lyrics Thomas Blackburn , it had number 1 billboard pop hit in 1955 .Colorful cinematography by Bert Glennon , shot on location in Cave In Rock , Illinois and New Orleans, though is urgent necessary a perfect remastering .The motion picture was well directed by Norman Foster who directed various Disneyland episodes , adventure movies ,and numerous Western series and films such as Tombstone territory , Bat Masterson, Viva Cisco Kid , The sign of Zorro , Navajo , Crazy and Custer the untold story and Rachel and the stranger. Rating : 6.5/10 essential and indispensable watching for adventure fans and Davy Crockett series enthusiasts . Well worth seeing.
The King of the Wild Frontier meets the King of the River
utgard1424 September 2016
The second Davy Crockett movie made from episodes of Disney's "Disneyland" television series. The first part has Davy (Fess Parker) and his comic relief sidekick Georgie (Buddy Ebsen) in a keelboat race with blowhard Mike Fink who calls himself the "King of the River." The second part continues from the first and deals with Crockett fighting river pirates Samuel Mason and Big & Little Harpe. It's a fun movie with a lot of action and humor. Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen are both great. The rest of the cast includes Kenneth Tobey, Jeff York, Clem Bevans, and Mort Mills. It's a beautiful-looking movie, with lovely scenery and filmed with that wonderful old-school Disney polish. Some cute songs in it, too. In addition to Crockett, some of the other characters, like Mike Fink and the Harpe brothers, are based on real people. Obviously this is no documentary so don't expect a history lesson. It's a fun movie that should appeal to the kid in all (well, most) of us. Definitely worth a look.
The first film is by far the best.
planktonrules20 February 2020
Like its predecessor, "Davy Crockett: Kinf of the Wild Frontier", this movie is actually a compilation of episodes of Disney's very popular "Davy Crockett" series on television. The show was so popular that folks filled theaters to see what already was on TV a year or so before! However, the timing of this episode is strange, in that Davy's death occurs in the prior movie!! I think in hindsight, Disney wishes they'd released "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates" first!
The two episodes of the TV show that preceded it all are about Davy and his friend, Russell, on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers in 1810. The initial portion of the movie is about Davy's bet with Mike Fink about who could get their river boat to New Orleans first. Then, with the help of Fink, they take on river pirates and have some adventures.
The first film was by far the best and most realistic. This second one is more comical...especially since the murderous pirates never get around to killing any of Crockett's and Fink's crew...and vice-versa. Odd murderous pirates, I know. Also odd is that Crockett's death at the Alamo (in the first film) happened in 1836....and this film is set in 1810...yet Crockett and Russell both look exactly the same age in both movies! Kind of sloppy...but still enjoyable. Overall, not a great film by any estimation but a reasonably well made and likable one.
The two episodes of the TV show that preceded it all are about Davy and his friend, Russell, on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers in 1810. The initial portion of the movie is about Davy's bet with Mike Fink about who could get their river boat to New Orleans first. Then, with the help of Fink, they take on river pirates and have some adventures.
The first film was by far the best and most realistic. This second one is more comical...especially since the murderous pirates never get around to killing any of Crockett's and Fink's crew...and vice-versa. Odd murderous pirates, I know. Also odd is that Crockett's death at the Alamo (in the first film) happened in 1836....and this film is set in 1810...yet Crockett and Russell both look exactly the same age in both movies! Kind of sloppy...but still enjoyable. Overall, not a great film by any estimation but a reasonably well made and likable one.
Vintage Disney that is still fun to watch
Marta27 January 1999
Warning: Spoilers
This film is a great big helping of raucous fun. It originally played on the Disney TV show as a two-parter. Fess Parker plays Davy, and Buddy Ebsen plays George Russell, his friend and traveling partner; they make a great team and this production shows Ebsen's considerable chops at comedy. They run afoul of Mike Fink and his crew; Mike is played by the wonderful and boastful Jeff York, who give the mythical character a larger than life persona. George mistakenly bets all their winter's fur inventory that Davy and he can beat Mike to New Orleans in a keel boat race. Mike tries all kinds of devious and underhanded ways to win, but Davy has his own mythos and can't be counted out. Mike is contrite at the end, and he and Davy become friends. In the second part, Mike and Davy take on the river pirates from the title, who've been posing as hostile indians and killing settlers coming downstream. If you're a fan of that epic Cinerama film, "How the West Was Won," you'll recognize the pirates river hideout as the cave Jimmy Stewart gets shanghai'd in while "lookin' for the varmint."
Mike's and Davy's crews are played by veteran Hollywood character actors, which Disney excelled at using to great effect. Kenneth Tobey plays Mike's right hand man, and believe me, if you've seen Ken as the staunch commander in the original "The Thing", you won't recognize him in this. He's a natural comedian, and with his expressive face and comedic body movements he's a source of constant amazement. Clem Bevans, who started out in vaudeville in 1900(!) and didn't make it to films until 1935, and then to TV in 1949, is stalwart as the captain of the keel boat Davy uses to race against Mike. Bevans was in just about every TV western series and even a Twilight Zone, and his career encompassed most of the different branches of entertainment in the 20th century; truly a veteran of the stage and screen. Hank Worden even shows up as a pirate, taking a break from his long string of John Wayne movies.
Adults may be the only ones in the 21st century who will watch this; anyone with fond memories of the Disney TV series should love it, however unpolitically correct it is. Kids today may not think much of it, and I'm not sure they should go near it. In fact, it may be argued that most of the films and TV from the past may not be good for them. Odds are that Davy may not have been a hero in real life, and Texas is busy passing laws that no one can say anything against the Alamo, leaving a racist history in place. This is a lot of baggage to attach to several episodes of Disney's "Wonderful World of Color," but the truth is that Disney often didn't tell the truth in his productions, and after his death the studio continued to put out films that pushed the white viewpoint while ignoring all others. Watching this production in 2021 is an exercise in frustration, despite the fact that I still love the show. You can say that this was a product of its time, and that is true, which is why it might not be something to show the kids unless you place it in context of the US's long history of whitewashing everything before you do.
That being said, "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates" is fast-paced and filled with lots of stunts and explosions, and Mike Fink's song is catchy and memorable. It's an artifact of the skewed history we all grew up in, and is as much a myth as the ones the ancient Greeks made famous.
Mike's and Davy's crews are played by veteran Hollywood character actors, which Disney excelled at using to great effect. Kenneth Tobey plays Mike's right hand man, and believe me, if you've seen Ken as the staunch commander in the original "The Thing", you won't recognize him in this. He's a natural comedian, and with his expressive face and comedic body movements he's a source of constant amazement. Clem Bevans, who started out in vaudeville in 1900(!) and didn't make it to films until 1935, and then to TV in 1949, is stalwart as the captain of the keel boat Davy uses to race against Mike. Bevans was in just about every TV western series and even a Twilight Zone, and his career encompassed most of the different branches of entertainment in the 20th century; truly a veteran of the stage and screen. Hank Worden even shows up as a pirate, taking a break from his long string of John Wayne movies.
Adults may be the only ones in the 21st century who will watch this; anyone with fond memories of the Disney TV series should love it, however unpolitically correct it is. Kids today may not think much of it, and I'm not sure they should go near it. In fact, it may be argued that most of the films and TV from the past may not be good for them. Odds are that Davy may not have been a hero in real life, and Texas is busy passing laws that no one can say anything against the Alamo, leaving a racist history in place. This is a lot of baggage to attach to several episodes of Disney's "Wonderful World of Color," but the truth is that Disney often didn't tell the truth in his productions, and after his death the studio continued to put out films that pushed the white viewpoint while ignoring all others. Watching this production in 2021 is an exercise in frustration, despite the fact that I still love the show. You can say that this was a product of its time, and that is true, which is why it might not be something to show the kids unless you place it in context of the US's long history of whitewashing everything before you do.
That being said, "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates" is fast-paced and filled with lots of stunts and explosions, and Mike Fink's song is catchy and memorable. It's an artifact of the skewed history we all grew up in, and is as much a myth as the ones the ancient Greeks made famous.
Davy Crockett and the River Pirates
jesssup24 June 2007
Davy Crockett and the River Pirates starts off with the credits at the beginning of the movie, so you know you are in for an old fashioned adventure.
Set in the 1800's, the dialog is based on the way words were spoken back then, so it might be a little hard for youngsters to maintain focused, I know it took me a little while to get used to the talk. Other than that, this movie is a fast moving fun story.
Davy sets out on a journey to sell some fur caps, and along the way comes into contact with pirates, Indians and many more fun situations.
The viewer can tell many of the scenes have been shot in a studio with the background added in, especially water scenes, but this shouldn't hinder any person's watching of the movie.
Set in the 1800's, the dialog is based on the way words were spoken back then, so it might be a little hard for youngsters to maintain focused, I know it took me a little while to get used to the talk. Other than that, this movie is a fast moving fun story.
Davy sets out on a journey to sell some fur caps, and along the way comes into contact with pirates, Indians and many more fun situations.
The viewer can tell many of the scenes have been shot in a studio with the background added in, especially water scenes, but this shouldn't hinder any person's watching of the movie.
The First Movie is Better
atleverton29 July 2023
This is the second Davy Crockett movie that Walt Disney released. And if you watched the first Davy Crockett movie, you have watched this one. The plot is a little bit different, but at least the first movie had some sort of momentum. This feels like an episode that was taken from in between the events of the first movie. And as both of these movies are just television episodes that have been edited into a film that would make sense. Because in real life Davy Crockett died in the Alamo, so there is no way that there could be a sequel to the first movie. At the end of the first movie there is narration that some say Davy Crockett died some say he's still alive, but you can think what you want so the narration kind of leaves it open , so how can you have a sequel then? Putting the strangeness of the existence of this movie aside for a moment, the movie has the same charms and flaws as the first. Which makes sense because it's exactly the same everything actors, writers, etc. So if you want to know what American kids were watching on their TVs in the late 50s, you can give this a watch, isn't worth your time otherwise.
Davy Crocett is a man of few words. Davy Crocett is not a man of few roundhouse kicks to the face.
fomlife77716 September 2008
Davy Crockett counted to infinity - twice.
If you found 'Davy Crocket: King of the Wild Frontier' a fun film, you probably liked it. 'Davy Crocket and the River Pirates' continues the fun and increases it as it flows more smoothly story wise then it's predecessor. It flows smoothly perhaps because there is a river in it, because rivers usually flow well if not roughly at times. Davy goes up against the King of the River Mink Fink in a race down the Ohio. I currently live near the Ohio river in Steubenville Ohio. It doesn't look as clean as it did back then, as everything looked cleaner back then if you take 50's films seriously.
After beating the tar out of each other, they take on the river pirates giving the Indians a bad name and beat the tar out of them. The action is more intense then the last time around, because it ignores the moral Mr. Smith dialogues in congress in favor of fists flying through the air. And the fight scenes believe you me, looks just as real as if Davy Crockett was fighting outside your local bar.
Davy Crocket is so suave and cool, basically because he just is and quite frankly he is humble about it which makes him more suave and cool. He doesn't brag or come up with wise cracks like some modern action heroes, he just goes and kicks butt wherever it is needed. Kinda of like Chuck Norris. But Davy has his own theme song, which they take time for in this production to sing as their going down the river. Mink Finch has his boys sing a song about him, but it never caught on in record sales.
The River Pirates deserves a place on your video library shelf, right next to the other Davy flick. Chances are they'll be on the same DVD, so you may have no choice in the matter.
What is the quickest way to mans heart? Davy Crockett's fist.
If you found 'Davy Crocket: King of the Wild Frontier' a fun film, you probably liked it. 'Davy Crocket and the River Pirates' continues the fun and increases it as it flows more smoothly story wise then it's predecessor. It flows smoothly perhaps because there is a river in it, because rivers usually flow well if not roughly at times. Davy goes up against the King of the River Mink Fink in a race down the Ohio. I currently live near the Ohio river in Steubenville Ohio. It doesn't look as clean as it did back then, as everything looked cleaner back then if you take 50's films seriously.
After beating the tar out of each other, they take on the river pirates giving the Indians a bad name and beat the tar out of them. The action is more intense then the last time around, because it ignores the moral Mr. Smith dialogues in congress in favor of fists flying through the air. And the fight scenes believe you me, looks just as real as if Davy Crockett was fighting outside your local bar.
Davy Crocket is so suave and cool, basically because he just is and quite frankly he is humble about it which makes him more suave and cool. He doesn't brag or come up with wise cracks like some modern action heroes, he just goes and kicks butt wherever it is needed. Kinda of like Chuck Norris. But Davy has his own theme song, which they take time for in this production to sing as their going down the river. Mink Finch has his boys sing a song about him, but it never caught on in record sales.
The River Pirates deserves a place on your video library shelf, right next to the other Davy flick. Chances are they'll be on the same DVD, so you may have no choice in the matter.
What is the quickest way to mans heart? Davy Crockett's fist.
Made me feel like a kid again
maccas-563677 August 2020
A bit too much slapstick comedy with this one, but nevertheless, it was entertaining and held my attention.
King of the Wild Frontier was one of my favourite movies during childhood. I watched it over and over. Fess Parker is great in his role as Davy Crockett, with Buddy Ebsen providing a lot of the humour as his ol' mate Russell.
River Pirates has a slightly odd vibe about it, given it feels like two movies rolled into one. Just as you feel one has ended, it goes off on a new adventure. The character of Mike Fink was pretty damn annoying and I wanted to see him get hit with the karma train - the payoff wasn't nearly satisfying enough.
The action scenes were a bit too comedic at times, but still, this movie succeeded in making me feel like a kid again. While not as good as King of the Wild Frontier, it managed to both entertain me and hold my attention - so for that I'm grateful.
The Davy Crockett song will be stuck in my head all week now!
King of the Wild Frontier was one of my favourite movies during childhood. I watched it over and over. Fess Parker is great in his role as Davy Crockett, with Buddy Ebsen providing a lot of the humour as his ol' mate Russell.
River Pirates has a slightly odd vibe about it, given it feels like two movies rolled into one. Just as you feel one has ended, it goes off on a new adventure. The character of Mike Fink was pretty damn annoying and I wanted to see him get hit with the karma train - the payoff wasn't nearly satisfying enough.
The action scenes were a bit too comedic at times, but still, this movie succeeded in making me feel like a kid again. While not as good as King of the Wild Frontier, it managed to both entertain me and hold my attention - so for that I'm grateful.
The Davy Crockett song will be stuck in my head all week now!
Better than "King of the Wild Frontier"...but still not very good
matthewssilverhammer29 March 2020
Disney's Davy Crockett (played by a man named Fess...for real) is one of the least interesting heroes in history. No downfalls, no conflicts, no personal demons; he reminds me of a contestant on The Bachelorette that would be let go in an early episode sheerly because the woman forgot he existed. Nonetheless, this is much better than the original movie...mainly because it's closer to actually, ya know, BEING a movie. Also, Mike Fink is kinda great.
Pirates of the Twain
tedg16 July 2007
Wow.
Sometimes a film is powerful because it WAS powerful.
This is an amazingly dumb movie but perhaps no dumber in extremes than today's. The reason it might be on your radar is because of how influential it was.
It was the first movie with multimedia tie-ins. You could buy Davey Crockett hats and weapons. And lunchboxes stuff like that. That wasn't all that extraordinary then. But this was also the first movie that was also a theme park ride. So it is the beginning of a food chain that leads us to the Depp pirate projects. That Davey Crockett ride lasted 40 years! (Incidentally, students of film will see blocking similarities between Depp's boat ride in the bayou and Parker's.)
Its also one of the movies most obviously designed for boys. Here you have guys pretending to be Indians and dying by falling down. You have water play. You have racing. You have tricksters.
And most of all, you have a juvenile version of that John Ford/ John Wayne meme: real men achieve honor through recreational fighting.
Seeing it again fifty years later is very strange. Young people watch movies more closely than adults I think. I remembered the smallest details, like the lettering on barrels, which incidentally was inspired by the Our Gang/Little Rascals cosmology that things become props by labelling them.
There are no "girls;" this is strictly boy's play. The only time girlie stuff appears is when the pirates try to attract Mike Fink's crew to an ambush. They do this by dressing up as floozies, which of course he cannot resist.
And its also an influential film in melding a certain collection of values to a certain collection of cultural carriers.
The values are honesty, plainspokenness, insight outside of book-larnin', loyalty (at least among men). The cultural carriers today are what's been labelled as "country" music (and its advertising affiliate, NASCAR).
Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.
Sometimes a film is powerful because it WAS powerful.
This is an amazingly dumb movie but perhaps no dumber in extremes than today's. The reason it might be on your radar is because of how influential it was.
It was the first movie with multimedia tie-ins. You could buy Davey Crockett hats and weapons. And lunchboxes stuff like that. That wasn't all that extraordinary then. But this was also the first movie that was also a theme park ride. So it is the beginning of a food chain that leads us to the Depp pirate projects. That Davey Crockett ride lasted 40 years! (Incidentally, students of film will see blocking similarities between Depp's boat ride in the bayou and Parker's.)
Its also one of the movies most obviously designed for boys. Here you have guys pretending to be Indians and dying by falling down. You have water play. You have racing. You have tricksters.
And most of all, you have a juvenile version of that John Ford/ John Wayne meme: real men achieve honor through recreational fighting.
Seeing it again fifty years later is very strange. Young people watch movies more closely than adults I think. I remembered the smallest details, like the lettering on barrels, which incidentally was inspired by the Our Gang/Little Rascals cosmology that things become props by labelling them.
There are no "girls;" this is strictly boy's play. The only time girlie stuff appears is when the pirates try to attract Mike Fink's crew to an ambush. They do this by dressing up as floozies, which of course he cannot resist.
And its also an influential film in melding a certain collection of values to a certain collection of cultural carriers.
The values are honesty, plainspokenness, insight outside of book-larnin', loyalty (at least among men). The cultural carriers today are what's been labelled as "country" music (and its advertising affiliate, NASCAR).
Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.
A good antidote for current "family" entertainment
fredit-430045 April 2022
No superheroes destroying cities and planets, no torture, no bathroom humor--in other words, nothing that characterizes current "family" films. I enjoyed this film when I was a child, and I still like it. You have to discard your knowledge of history and geography, though real place names (Ohio River and New Orleans) are used. For example, I doubt anyone ever poled a keelboat UP the river from New Orleans (too deep and the current too strong), and I am not sure there ever was any rapids in the Ohio River. But the point is not to give a homework assignment. Still a lot of fun.
Regular...
RosanaBotafogo23 April 2021
Old-Fashioned, Childish Fun
boblipton10 April 2022
It's absolutely bog standard Classics Illustrated nonsense, all well directed by Norman Foster, with some boisterous fun as Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen get in a keelboat race against Jeff York. Then it's off to some beautifully composed shots by Bert Glennon as they all combine forces against river pirates in a real rowdydow.
I loved this movie as a kid...and as an adult!
mmcglass-9004513 June 2018
Great Disney sequel to the first Disney movie on Davy Crockett. I enjoyed the characters, particularly Mike Fink, who gave the film a lot of humor. I particularly liked the scene when Mike Fink had to eat his hat after losing the keelboat race. Meaning, in Disney fashion, the "sort of" villain was actually a tough guy with honor. Of course, at the end, the King of the River and King of the Wild Frontier part as friends.
Excellent plot, good story, good action and a lot of good humor.
Excellent plot, good story, good action and a lot of good humor.
Possibly the Greatest Sequel Ever Made
ikrani26 April 2014
As far as unnecessary sequels go, this is probably the best. As far as any sequel goes, it's easily my favorite. Fess Parker, God bless his recently deceased soul, returns as Frontier Jesus himself, Davy Crockett. Buddy Ebsen is also back as Georgie Russel, Davy's best friend and comic foil for local wildlife. But by far the most entertaining character is Mike Fink, played by the ever-talented Jeff York. I don't know how, but they got the perfect amount of over-the- top with his character: he's always drinking or smoking or getting into fights, his mouth is always open, NOTHING he does is subtle, and his overblown expressions alone are worth checking out in this movie.
King of the Wild Frontier suffered from being a bit dark and kind of awkward at times with Davy Crockett going throughout his life and experiencing both highs and lows. In The River Pirates, there are no lows to bring you out of the glorious legend that is Davy Crockett. Even though the stories are kind of lame, this is one of those movies where you could watch the characters sit down and play cards for an hour, and you'd STILL be entertained.
If you haven't seen the Disney Davy Crockett movies, first off, shame on you. These are a must-see for anyone who dares call themselves a Disney fan. Second, while I can't really recommend the first movie to everyone, as it does have a somewhat inconsistent tone, this one I highly recommend to EVERYONE: kids, teens, and adults alike. It's a ton of fun every time I watch it, and even today it still oozes with Walt's magic.
King of the Wild Frontier suffered from being a bit dark and kind of awkward at times with Davy Crockett going throughout his life and experiencing both highs and lows. In The River Pirates, there are no lows to bring you out of the glorious legend that is Davy Crockett. Even though the stories are kind of lame, this is one of those movies where you could watch the characters sit down and play cards for an hour, and you'd STILL be entertained.
If you haven't seen the Disney Davy Crockett movies, first off, shame on you. These are a must-see for anyone who dares call themselves a Disney fan. Second, while I can't really recommend the first movie to everyone, as it does have a somewhat inconsistent tone, this one I highly recommend to EVERYONE: kids, teens, and adults alike. It's a ton of fun every time I watch it, and even today it still oozes with Walt's magic.
Crockett and Fink were real men
oscar-3519 July 2011
Warning: Spoilers
*Spoiler/plot- 1956, The story contains two major plots, both dealing with American river history. Mr. Crockett meets and become friends with Mr. Fink on the Ohio & Mississippi Rivers after a challenge of a river race to New Orleans. Then, both heroes team up to clean-up outlaw river pirates that are threatening the peace with the local river Indian tribes.
*Special Stars- Fess Parker, Buddy Ebsen, Jeff York, Kenneth Tobey
*Theme- Honesty will win out every time.
*Based on- Crockett and Fink legendary tales of history
*Trivia/location/goofs- Crockett and Fink were real men and historical folk heroes. This is the second feature film released from Watt Disney Buena Vista Productions consisting of several Disneyland ABC TV show episode material. The Mike Fink keel boat race was one TV episode and the river pirates were another TV episode. The first Davey Crockett feature film was 'Davey Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier'. Davey Crockett and the River Pirates were filmed on the actual locations of the Ohio River and other great American rivers. The 'Davey Crockett' fan mania was huge in America due to the popularity of Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen with this TV show. Disney went on to create more of these public fan 'mania' with Guy 'Zorro' Williams and many other folk heroes. These actors were now for making personal appearances at Anahiem's Disneyland theme park and across the country. Look for the typical Disney on screen non-violence in the fight scenes and the obvious moral to the actions of the series heroes at the episode's end scenes.
*Emotion- Rather well made movie and thoroughly enjoyable especially for those who lived through this era of Disney TV history in the first ABC network series. Full of fun and good memories for the 'Baby Boomer' crowd, hopefully new ones for the younger set.
*Special Stars- Fess Parker, Buddy Ebsen, Jeff York, Kenneth Tobey
*Theme- Honesty will win out every time.
*Based on- Crockett and Fink legendary tales of history
*Trivia/location/goofs- Crockett and Fink were real men and historical folk heroes. This is the second feature film released from Watt Disney Buena Vista Productions consisting of several Disneyland ABC TV show episode material. The Mike Fink keel boat race was one TV episode and the river pirates were another TV episode. The first Davey Crockett feature film was 'Davey Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier'. Davey Crockett and the River Pirates were filmed on the actual locations of the Ohio River and other great American rivers. The 'Davey Crockett' fan mania was huge in America due to the popularity of Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen with this TV show. Disney went on to create more of these public fan 'mania' with Guy 'Zorro' Williams and many other folk heroes. These actors were now for making personal appearances at Anahiem's Disneyland theme park and across the country. Look for the typical Disney on screen non-violence in the fight scenes and the obvious moral to the actions of the series heroes at the episode's end scenes.
*Emotion- Rather well made movie and thoroughly enjoyable especially for those who lived through this era of Disney TV history in the first ABC network series. Full of fun and good memories for the 'Baby Boomer' crowd, hopefully new ones for the younger set.
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