With the unbelievable success of Davy Crockett the Walt Disney Studios had to do something to revive the coonskin frontiersman. As we all know Davy was killed at the Alamo in history and on Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color.
The answer was to ignore history and just go back to the past and Disney had Fess Parker and his companion Buddy Ebsen just relive some earlier adventures such as this one where Davy Crockett and George Russell get involved in another man's game.
The other man is legendary flatboat captain and self styled King of the River and that would be the Mississippi and any of its tributaries. Mike Fink is played lustily and expansively by Jeff York and he's a worthy adversary for Parker.
The two get into a race and Crockett and Russell have put up a year's worth of furs just to shut Mike Fink's big mouth. Crockett is every bit the stand up hero, but he is playing another man's game.
Much as Fess Parker continued on as the ideal of American youth, this and the next film are stolen by Jeff York who got his career role as Mike Fink. There's also a nice bit by old flatboat captain Clem Bevans who's there to offer technical advise to Davy Crockett.
Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race holds up very well after 60 years, it will be great viewing for kids for generations to come.
The answer was to ignore history and just go back to the past and Disney had Fess Parker and his companion Buddy Ebsen just relive some earlier adventures such as this one where Davy Crockett and George Russell get involved in another man's game.
The other man is legendary flatboat captain and self styled King of the River and that would be the Mississippi and any of its tributaries. Mike Fink is played lustily and expansively by Jeff York and he's a worthy adversary for Parker.
The two get into a race and Crockett and Russell have put up a year's worth of furs just to shut Mike Fink's big mouth. Crockett is every bit the stand up hero, but he is playing another man's game.
Much as Fess Parker continued on as the ideal of American youth, this and the next film are stolen by Jeff York who got his career role as Mike Fink. There's also a nice bit by old flatboat captain Clem Bevans who's there to offer technical advise to Davy Crockett.
Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race holds up very well after 60 years, it will be great viewing for kids for generations to come.
