Document details

Fess Parker
Uncroned King of America's Kids
Stewart J. Wolfe
Fess Parker, the tall, lean Texan who made Davy Crockett a byword of America's kids – through "Disneyland" and "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier" – has been brewing powerful good medicine in his unprecedented influence on the younger set. It took the magic touch of Walt Disney to bring to TV and movie screens the saga of fabled hero Davy Crockett and the highly moral humanity of Fess Parker – which made the character of Crockett come alive for millions of Americans. Disney, with the help of Parker, Buddy Ebsen and others, has made an important contribution to Americana in a powerful document of the best qualities of the pioneers. Recently Parker visited dozens of American cities to publicize "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier." Wherever he went, he was mobbed by thousands of eager youngsters whose most fervent desire was to exchange a few words with their hero. In company with actor Buddy Ebsen, who played the TV and movie role of Davy Crockett's partner, George Russell, Parker set a pace in a few short weeks that would have put a lesser man to bed with extreme fatigue for a long time. Not only did Parker come back smiling for more of the same, but immediately after the trip he went on location to make more Davy Crockett films for Disney. The answer to the unparalleled popularity of Fess Parker is the unusual fact that he is still completely unspoiled. He sets a moral pace that is a living example of the best in American manhood. Buddy Ebsen says, "Fess seems to bring out the best in everyone he meets." Fess Parker was no random choice to play the role of Davy Crockett. He was selected from thousands. For three months before he was notified of the Disney decision, he was observed and his private life completely checked. Parker's personal life was as good as the fabled Davy Crockett. […]

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Source

Title
Source type Magazine
Published
Language en
Document type Feature
Media type text
Page count 3
Pages pp. 4-6

Metadata

Id 2243
Availability Free
Inserted 2016-02-22