Maestro
Moderator
Stumbled on an old box of my mom's Kodachrome slides and converted them to digital. Thought you guys would get a kick out of this pic of me from 60 years ago. Davy Crockett was all the rage!
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Davy Crockett - the first American TV fad
- Thread starter Maestro
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Oh, man, does that bring back memories.
I wanted a coon skin cap so much, but my parents couldn't afford it at the time.
Every episode had me off fantasizing about living in the woods instead of the big city I was in.
Ron
I wanted a coon skin cap so much, but my parents couldn't afford it at the time.
Every episode had me off fantasizing about living in the woods instead of the big city I was in.
Ron
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What a great photo! I remember the craze. Every roadside tourist stop along Route 1 had coon skin caps. I wonder what they were made of? It sure wasn't anything involving the animal kingdom. :grin: Thanks for sharing.
Jeff
Jeff
I can still remember the smell of the hot iron coming in contact with the old sweat shirt as my mom applied the Davy Crockett iron on's! My granddad had built me a hobby horse that I would literally rock grooves into the hardwood flooring! Too many siblings to afford the coon skin cap, Such excitement!
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My parents, since passed, had a small phonograph record of me singing The Ballad of Davy Crockett. They said they took me to a recording studio in Phoenix, where they had me sing it, as a keepsake. I really don't remember doing it. I must have been about 3 or so.
Maestro
Moderator
I had the 45 record of the Ballad of Davy Crockett when I was a kid - I just looked up to see who sang it and came up with this from WiKipedia:
The song was introduced on the television miniseries Davy Crockett, first telecast on December 15, 1954, on ABC's Disneyland. Fess Parker played the role of Davy Crockett and continued in four other episodes made by Walt Disney Studios. It was sung by The Wellingtons. Buddy Ebsen co-starred as George "Georgie" Russel, and Jeff York played legendary boatman Mike Fink.
The first album version was recorded by Bill Hayes, quickly followed by versions by Fess Parker[1] and Tennessee Ernie Ford (recorded February 7, 1955). All three versions made the Billboard magazine charts in 1955: Hayes' version made #1 on the weekly chart (from March 26 through April 23) and #7 for the year, Parker's reached #6 on the weekly charts and #31 for the year, while Ford's peaked at #4 on the weekly country chart and #5 on the weekly pop chart and charted at #37 for the year. A fourth version, by bluegrass singer Mac Wiseman, reached #10 on the radio charts in May 1955.[2] The song also reached #1 on the Cash Box charts, from March 26 through May 14, 1955. A contemporary version also exists of the Western singing group the Sons of the Pioneers. Over ten million copies of the song were sold.[3]
Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.[4]
All those versions hit the pop charts that same year! I have no idea which one I had on 45. Far cry from what the pop charts are today!
The song was introduced on the television miniseries Davy Crockett, first telecast on December 15, 1954, on ABC's Disneyland. Fess Parker played the role of Davy Crockett and continued in four other episodes made by Walt Disney Studios. It was sung by The Wellingtons. Buddy Ebsen co-starred as George "Georgie" Russel, and Jeff York played legendary boatman Mike Fink.
The first album version was recorded by Bill Hayes, quickly followed by versions by Fess Parker[1] and Tennessee Ernie Ford (recorded February 7, 1955). All three versions made the Billboard magazine charts in 1955: Hayes' version made #1 on the weekly chart (from March 26 through April 23) and #7 for the year, Parker's reached #6 on the weekly charts and #31 for the year, while Ford's peaked at #4 on the weekly country chart and #5 on the weekly pop chart and charted at #37 for the year. A fourth version, by bluegrass singer Mac Wiseman, reached #10 on the radio charts in May 1955.[2] The song also reached #1 on the Cash Box charts, from March 26 through May 14, 1955. A contemporary version also exists of the Western singing group the Sons of the Pioneers. Over ten million copies of the song were sold.[3]
Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.[4]
All those versions hit the pop charts that same year! I have no idea which one I had on 45. Far cry from what the pop charts are today!
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After the Davy Crockett fad had died down a little; I managed to talk my Mom into buying a cap gun flintlock rifle, a coonskin hat, and even a fringed leather jacket at local rummage sales.
I'm sure she got them for pennies on the dollar, as my allowance was only 25 cents a week, and I had to work long and hard for that. That toy long rifle set off a desire to have a real long rifle, and a road trip to Dixie Gun Works when I was 16.
I'm sure she got them for pennies on the dollar, as my allowance was only 25 cents a week, and I had to work long and hard for that. That toy long rifle set off a desire to have a real long rifle, and a road trip to Dixie Gun Works when I was 16.
DOUBLEDEUCE 1
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I was visiting the Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio, San Francisco. I learned that with the popularity of the Davy Crockett series, the coon skin cap sales skyrocketed. They sold so many of the caps initially, there was a genuine concern that the raccoon population would be wiped out just to fill the need for the tails on the caps. 
Later they switched to a synthetic tail.
Later they switched to a synthetic tail.
GreyWhiskers
69 Cal.
You haven't aged a bit! :bull:
I had an old '57 Chrysler in the shop a few years back. It had a factory record player in it. The record that came with the car was "Davy Crocket - King of the Wild Frontier"
GW
I had an old '57 Chrysler in the shop a few years back. It had a factory record player in it. The record that came with the car was "Davy Crocket - King of the Wild Frontier"
GW
DOUBLEDEUCE 1
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I think your use of the word "old" might be offensive to some people :slap:
According to one university, "old" is not acceptable. "People of age" is more PC. :grin:DoubleDeuce 1 said:
Ron
I didn't know a '57 Chrysler was a people. :shocked2:
I've heard them called a lot of things, especially when their push button automatic transmission selector buttons went haywire so most of the Chrysler's I knew wouldn't be at all offended by something as tame as being called, "old". :grin:
I've heard them called a lot of things, especially when their push button automatic transmission selector buttons went haywire so most of the Chrysler's I knew wouldn't be at all offended by something as tame as being called, "old". :grin:
GreyWhiskers
69 Cal.
Deuce, you and I are both "people of age" now. :surrender: :surrender: GW
DOUBLEDEUCE 1
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Speechless......... :slap: :idunno: :rotf:
Kapellmeister, I drank that same Kool-Aid and had the coonskin cap as well.
I remember what a soothing voice Fess Parker had -- almost as soothing as the voice of another 1950s hero of mine -- Clint Walker/Cheyenne Bodie.
I remember what a soothing voice Fess Parker had -- almost as soothing as the voice of another 1950s hero of mine -- Clint Walker/Cheyenne Bodie.
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I can't get over how much Davy Crockett looked just like a young Daniel Boone. :grin:
Disney had a few more made for TV short series' that fit the muzzle loading age. Zorro was probably the most memorable, Swamp Fox about Frances Marion was a good one. The Saga of Andy Burnett was one which should have been a good one, but it bombed. I loved 'The Long Rifle' by Stewart Edward White, which the series was based on. It was probably my favorite book when I was about 13 or so. It was what started my interest in MM.
Disney had a few more made for TV short series' that fit the muzzle loading age. Zorro was probably the most memorable, Swamp Fox about Frances Marion was a good one. The Saga of Andy Burnett was one which should have been a good one, but it bombed. I loved 'The Long Rifle' by Stewart Edward White, which the series was based on. It was probably my favorite book when I was about 13 or so. It was what started my interest in MM.
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