George O’Brien is the famed frontiersman, leading a wagon train of settlers to Kentucky, where they form a new community they decide to name in his honor.
Heather Angel is Virginia Randolph, the pretty young lady who falls for him during the trip West; Dickie Jones is the younger brother who does everything he can to encourage the romance because he’s so taken with Daniel.
But there are plenty of obstacles to deal with, beyond creating a new settlement in the wilderness.
The Indians are on the warpath, led by a white renegade named Simon Girty (John Carradine). His preferred method of torture is to burn white men at the stake.
And Daniel’s band includes Stephen Marlowe, who also has his eyes on pretty Virginia.
He winds up being driven out of the wagon train after his reluctance to follow orders leads to the death of three colleagues.
But he’s a devious sort, with plans to file on the new land that’s being settled and steal it out from under the settlers.
George O’Brien as Daniel Boone, ready to lead settlers to a rich valley he’s found in Daniel Boone (1936)
Heather Angel as Virginia Randolph, the girl who steals Daniel Boone’s heart in Daniel Boone (1936)
Review:
This is a 1930s film that dates badly. At one point, Girty and the Indians capture Daniel and try to burn him at the stake. But his ropes are tied so loosely, he’s able to wriggle around with relative ease.
And he escapes through a full tribe of Indians after his sidekick Black Eagle flings a tomahawk from a nearby hill, through the throng, and manages to snap the rope around Daniel’s hands right in half.
Next, the Indians attack the settler’s fort and seem to have the white settlers licked. They’ve even set the stockade ablaze. Then a timely thunderstorm puts out the fires, prompting everyone but Girty to give up the fight. And setting the stage for the final showdown, of course.
Dickie Jones, who plays the younger brother, got his start in show business at age 6, performing tricks in a rodeo owned by Western star Hoot Gibson. One of George O’Brien’s first big roles came in John Ford’s first film, the silent “The Iron Horse” (1924).
John Carradine as Simon Girty, the renegade white who leads Indian raids in Daniel Boone (1936)
Ralph Forbes as Stephen Marlowe, a well-off gentleman joining the expedition to stay close to Virginia and steal land titles in Daniel Boone (1936)
Directed by:
David Howard
Cast:
George O’Brien … Daniel Boone
Heather Angel … Virginia Randolph
John Carradine … Simon Girty
Ralph Forbes … Stephen Marlowe
George Regas … Black Eagle
Dickie Jones … Jerry Randolph
Clarence Muse … Pompey
Huntley Gordon … John Randolph
Harry Cording … Joe Burch
Aggie Herring … Mary Burch
Crawford Kent … Attorney general
Keith Hitchcock … Commissioner
Baron James Lichter … Ben Stevens
Runtime: 75 min.
Keith Hitchcock as the commissioner who’s in cahoots with Marlowe to steal title to the new land in Daniel Boone (1936)
Huntley Gordon as John Randolph, father of Virginia and Jerry, leading them West in Daniel Boone (1936)
Memorable lines:
Joe Burch, upon meeting Girty: “Well, well, if it isn’t the great scalper. Time you had a haircut of your own, Girty.”
Daniel Boone: “You’re free, Girty. Get back to your tribe and don’t ever show your face in a white settlement again.”
Girty: “And if you take my advice, Boone, you’ll never show your face outside a white settlement again.”
Pompey: “I can see why the Indian don’t like the white man. They ain’t got nothing in common. Now the colored man and the red man, they’re different. They all belong to the same family.”
Black Eagle: “Huh?”
Pompey: “What I mean is, they both has been baked by the sun. The Indian is just a little bit under done.”
George Regas as Black Eagle and George O’Brien as Daniel Boone, scouting for Indian trouble in Daniel Boone (1936)
Clarence Muse as Pompey, explaining the similiarities between Indians and blacks to Black Eagle in Daniel Boone (1936)
Heather Angel as Virginia Randolph, trying to console her brother Jerry as Daniel heads off on a dangerous journey in Daniel Boone (1936)
Dickie Jones as Jerry Randolph and George O’Brien as Daniel Boone, celebrating the dedication of Boonesborough in Daniel Boone (1936)
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