Cletus Mott (Slim Pickens) is a long hunter bent on vengeance against a black bear - "Three Toes" - who was wounded by his father prior killing him, and later Cletus' brother. Daniel's concern is the safety of Boonesborough, but Cletus demands first satisfaction to the point of dangerous derangement.
Season 3's debut of "Daniel Boone" starts out setting a pretty low bar which it then struggles to clear. Dominating the episode is guest Slim Pickens, an authentic Westerns icon largely wasted here as a boorish trapper who communicates mainly through shouting. His character is south of one-dimensional, and most viewers will conclude the Appalachian frontier would be a far better place minus the Mott clan; Three Toes is an early crowd favorite. Things are a bit redeemed by the presence of Cletus' hunting dog, a friendly mastiff. The smart canine trots off nonchalantly after finding the body of the second Mott casualty; at least one cast member has his priorities straight.
Likewise, the season starts with a heavy load of Boonesborough baggage. Patricia Blair reverts to nattering early, and seems to demand closeups in order to celebrate her vanquishing of Veronica Cartwright from the set. Israel's caterwauling is on max, and he has picked up a pet deer he inanely leads around on a rope; we may see it more fully grown and still ill-kept a few seasons away
Which takes us to the unfortunate realization that more than a few 1960's viewers might have formulated views on wildlife management based on this hour. Unlikely a bear in 1780's Kentucky would have embarked on a three year hunt for humans and forced an entire settlement to cower in a fort. A minor sideshow of the 1960's was a refinement of national views on wilderness and its predators; before the explosion of outdoor recreation in the 1970's a largely urban public saw bears as either bloodthirsty "Jaws"-like hunters of humans or cuddly pets (see the "Gentle Ben" or "Grizzly Adams" series.) The 1967 killings of two coeds by brain-damaged and naturally wounded grizzlies (spurred on by park management which encouraged zoo-like proximity) in Glacier National Park, Mt. Forced a tabloid-induced reckoning; yes, bruins could be dangerous, but it's incumbent in humans to give them needed space. The "killer bear" trope still breaks into low-budget productions, however.
The Kanab, Utah set is still being used for exteriors. And while I am usually tough on Fess Parker for skipping out on episodes, he should have been given a pass here and delegated things to Robert Logan; he has only motions to go through here. Let's be generous and assume this hour was a writer's leftover contractual obligation to clear away.
Season 3's debut of "Daniel Boone" starts out setting a pretty low bar which it then struggles to clear. Dominating the episode is guest Slim Pickens, an authentic Westerns icon largely wasted here as a boorish trapper who communicates mainly through shouting. His character is south of one-dimensional, and most viewers will conclude the Appalachian frontier would be a far better place minus the Mott clan; Three Toes is an early crowd favorite. Things are a bit redeemed by the presence of Cletus' hunting dog, a friendly mastiff. The smart canine trots off nonchalantly after finding the body of the second Mott casualty; at least one cast member has his priorities straight.
Likewise, the season starts with a heavy load of Boonesborough baggage. Patricia Blair reverts to nattering early, and seems to demand closeups in order to celebrate her vanquishing of Veronica Cartwright from the set. Israel's caterwauling is on max, and he has picked up a pet deer he inanely leads around on a rope; we may see it more fully grown and still ill-kept a few seasons away
Which takes us to the unfortunate realization that more than a few 1960's viewers might have formulated views on wildlife management based on this hour. Unlikely a bear in 1780's Kentucky would have embarked on a three year hunt for humans and forced an entire settlement to cower in a fort. A minor sideshow of the 1960's was a refinement of national views on wilderness and its predators; before the explosion of outdoor recreation in the 1970's a largely urban public saw bears as either bloodthirsty "Jaws"-like hunters of humans or cuddly pets (see the "Gentle Ben" or "Grizzly Adams" series.) The 1967 killings of two coeds by brain-damaged and naturally wounded grizzlies (spurred on by park management which encouraged zoo-like proximity) in Glacier National Park, Mt. Forced a tabloid-induced reckoning; yes, bruins could be dangerous, but it's incumbent in humans to give them needed space. The "killer bear" trope still breaks into low-budget productions, however.
The Kanab, Utah set is still being used for exteriors. And while I am usually tough on Fess Parker for skipping out on episodes, he should have been given a pass here and delegated things to Robert Logan; he has only motions to go through here. Let's be generous and assume this hour was a writer's leftover contractual obligation to clear away.
