Davy Crockett and the River Pirates facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Davy Crockettand the River Pirates |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Norman Foster |
| Produced by | Bill Walsh |
| Written by | Tom Blackburn Norman Foster |
| Starring | Fess Parker Buddy Ebsen Jeff York |
| Music by | Thomas W. Blackburn (lyrics) George Bruns Edward H. Plumb (orchestration) |
| Editing by | Stanley Johnson |
| Studio | Walt Disney Productions |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Film Distribution Co., Inc. |
| Release date(s) | July 18, 1956 |
| Running time | 81 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Davy Crockett and the River Pirates is an exciting adventure movie made by Walt Disney Productions in 1956. It's like a prequel to another movie called Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier. This film was created by combining the last two episodes of the Davy Crockett TV miniseries. These episodes were "Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race" and "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates". The movie stars Fess Parker as the famous Davy Crockett.
The film was shot in a real place called Cave-In-Rock, Illinois. Even though it was released after the first Davy Crockett movie, the story in Davy Crockett and the River Pirates actually happens before the events of that first film.
Contents
The Story of Davy Crockett and the River Pirates
The Keelboat Race
Davy Crockett, a famous frontiersman from Tennessee, and his good friend Georgie Russell are taking animal furs (called pelts) to Maysville, Kentucky. They had a great season trapping and hunting. While traveling on the Ohio River, they meet Mike Fink, who calls himself the "king of the river."
Fink won't let Davy and Georgie ride on his keelboat unless they pay him. But they don't have enough money. So, Fink challenges Davy Crockett and Georgie Russell to a big keelboat race all the way to New Orleans. The prize for winning is their furs and Fink's special title as "king of the river." Davy uses his fame to get his own crew for the race. He wins the race, even though there are many challenges and Fink tries to cheat. Davy lets Fink keep his "king of the river" title. In return, Fink kindly gives Davy and Georgie a free ride down the river.
Facing the River Pirates
After the race, Fink drops Davy and Georgie off along the river. They are looking for Chickasaw traders to buy horses. A Chickasaw hunting group captures them and takes them to their village. The Chickasaw people are getting ready to fight white men because they believe white men harmed some Kaskaskia people.
Davy and Georgie had seen an attack on Fink's keelboat earlier. They realize that the attackers are actually pirates pretending to be Native Americans. Davy and Georgie promise to catch these pirates and bring them to justice. In exchange, the Chickasaw agree to keep the peace and release them.
Mike Fink agrees to help Davy and Georgie. He pretends to be a banker carrying valuable Spanish gold. He stops in different towns along the Ohio River and brags about his gold to attract the pirates. The group meets a traveling performer named Colonel Plug. Davy agrees to take Plug to the next town. Davy suspects that Plug is secretly working with the pirates. These pirates are led by Samuel Mason and the dangerous Harpe brothers, and they are hiding at Cave-in-Rock.
Colonel Plug tells the pirates about the gold through a song. But he is stopped when he finds out the truth about the pirates. The pirates attack, but Fink's crew bravely defends the boat. Davy Crockett and Georgie Russell chase Mason and the Harpe brothers to their secret cave hideout. They manage to stop the Harpe brothers. Then, a container of gunpowder explodes, causing the cave entrance to collapse. This traps Mason inside. After making peace with everyone, Davy Crockett and Georgie Russell say goodbye to Fink and head back home.
Cast of Characters
- Fess Parker as Davy Crockett
- Buddy Ebsen as George "Georgie" Russell
- Jeff York as Mike Fink
- Kenneth Tobey as Jocko
- Clem Bevans as Captain Cobb
- Irvin Ashkenazy as Moose
- Mort Mills as Samuel Mason
- Paul Newlan as Big Harpe
- Frank Richards as Little Harpe
- Hank Worden as Fiddler
- Dick Crockett as Ben
- Troy Melton as Hank
- Douglass Dumbrille as Saloon owner (uncredited)
- Walter Catlett as Colonel Plug
- William Bakewell as Keelboat Race Master of Ceremonies (uncredited cameo)
- William Fawcett as Old Timer with Livestock (uncredited)
- George J. Lewis as Chief Black Eagle (uncredited)
Songs in the Movie
- "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" – Lyrics by Tom, Music by George, sung by The Griffin Family
- "King of the River" – Lyrics by Tom, Music by Bruns, sung by Jeff
- "Yaller, Yaller Gold" – Lyrics by Blackburn, Music by Bruns, sung by Walter Wellington
