With history coming into their very own living rooms, American children could actively participate in frontier adventures. They could act it out, dress the part, and be a part of history without leaving their homes. This fit perfectly into Walt’s theme park plans, for that was precisely what he wanted Guests to be able to do, to enter adventures in the confines of comfort.
Banking on the popularity of the Crockett films, Walt Disney invited Fess Parker, aka Davy Crockett, to ride alongside him in Disneyland’s opening day parade (see photo at top). While no current Disneyland attraction honors this American hero, his persona is evident throughout Frontierland. Several years ago, the Mike Fink Keelboats (based on a race in one of the movies) used to be called the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes, and the Davy Crockett Arcade is the main store in Frontierland. On the 50th anniversary of the first Davy Crockett episode, Fess Parker was honored with a proprietor’s window. His, unlike most, is not located on Main Street, USA. It instead adorns Frontierland’s Crockett & Russel Hats storefront. [Photo at right from Disney Parks blog.]Today’s Takeaway:
The third Davy Crockett installment took viewers to the Alamo and to the death of Davy Crockett. By the time it aired, the national craze was in full swing, so Disney edited all three into one feature film, “Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier,” released in May of 1955. Disney also produced two prequels to air during the second “Disneyland” season that were also later combined into the 1956 feature film, “Davy Crockett and the River Pirates.”
In December 1835, Ben Milam led Texan volunteers in a victory against Mexican General Martín Perfecto de Cós and his troops, then occupied the Alamo. General Antonio López de Santa Anna’s army arrived outside San Antonio on February 23, 1836. The Texan group of Alamo defenders included Colonel William B. Travis, James Bowie, and David (Davy) Crockett, and numbered nearly two hundred men. They held out for thirteen days against Santa Anna’s army. Legend states that Colonel Travis drew a line on the ground and challenged the men willing to stay and fight to step over. All but one did. As the defenders saw it, the Alamo was the key to the defense of Texas, and a major component to gaining Texas’ independence from Mexico, and they would rather die than surrender to General Santa Anna and his 20,000 troops. March 6, 1836, the Alamo fell to Mexican forces in a predawn assault.
Then discuss the following:
SCHOOL SUBJECT: History
SKILL LEVEL: High School
The post Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier originally appeared on Magical Mouse Schoolhouse. Think outside the textbook and expand your home classroom with Walt Disney entertainment! ©2012 Magical Mouse Schoolhouse