Disney: Some Davy Crockett Photos
Recently I’ve had some opportunities to revive a presentation I gave when I was employed full-time (and later, as a consultant) at The Walt Disney Company. Titled “Walt Disney’s Life Lessons,” the seminar focuses on Walt’s personal and business values in the context of several company milestones, from his earliest days in Kansas City through the end of his life.
This entailed digging through my Disney files again, which was a lot of fun. Creating sessions such as “Life Lessons” requires a good working knowledge of the company’s vast history, and to that end I’ve amassed thousands of Disney books, special publications, magazines and internal newsletters as well as reams of press releases, posters and photographs. Oh, and plenty of pinback buttons and lanyards.
Now that I have this blog, I thought it might be fun to periodically post some of the photos, along with some other things. Of course, the blogosphere is filled with Disneyphiles posting marvelous information and cool stuff everyday, and I can’t pretend to rival anything some of them put out. I’ll just feature stuff I’ve picked up preparing for and hosting events, as well as elsewhere in my Disney travels.
Quick side note: Click HERE to watch (and listen to) the “Ballad of Fess Parker,” a parody song I wrote and performed prior to an interview I conducted with him at the 2004 Walt Disney Art Classics Convention.
Here are some photos related to Disney’s production of Davy Crockett and the pop culture craze which ensued (just click to enlarge them. They’re pretty big). First off, many have seen this photo of Fess Parker as Davy Crockett in black and white…
…but here’s a slightly different pose (chin a bit higher, “Old Betsy” at a different angle) in marvelous color. Yes, that’s Disneyland’s very own Rivers of America in the background, somewhere between Bear/Critter Country (not when this shot was taken, of course) and the “mechanical” Indian Village (only a quick backstage hike through the trees from present day Toontown). This color shot was used for (among other things) the cover of the Three Adventures of Davy Crockett LP released on Disneyland Records (DQ-1315, itself a reissue of ST-1926 with a different cover).
Here’s a few more…
(above) At this live appearance, Fess Parker gets the drop on a whole troop of coonskin clad Crockett fans. Check out the kid in the back row center who is drawing a bead on the photographer. (below) In this staged promotional photo, Walt Disney reviews the Davy Crockett “script” with star Fess Parker and director Norman Foster. Parker looks a little happier — or at least less pensive — holding the gun than the guitar.
Finally, here’s one of my favorite Walt Disney photos (below), taken at “Disney Night at the Hollywood Bowl” on August 1, 1958. Walt dons the famous headgear as he addresses the audience. Check out the smarmy look on the face of the man to his right. I love it!
That’s all for now. But just in case you missed my post (odds are you did) on a WDAC event I did with Fess Parker (who appeared in full color), click HERE.
All images, of course, are copyright The Walt Disney Company, with all rights reserved.
Craig Hodgkins
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