Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956)

Fess Parker is Davy Crockett and Buddy Ebsen his sidekick George Russel. After a successful year of fur trapping, they’re heading to the Ohio River, looking for a boat ride to Natchez to sell their goods.

In Maysville, Ky., the King of the Wild Frontier encounters Mike Fink (Jeff York), the self-proclaimed King of the River, a hard-drinking, boisterous strongman. He offers them a boat ride, for the exorbinant cost of $1,000.

Davy and George decide to ride the river with the elderly Capt. Cobb (Clem Bevans) instead, but they’ll have to help him round up a crew to do so.

Davy’s busy doing just that when George falls in with Fink’s men, winds up getting drunk, then winds up making a bet — a keelboat race to New Orleans with a winter’s worth of furs at stake.

Fink does his best to sabotage Davy’s voyage on the Bertha Mae. But Davy winds up being too smart and manages to keep pace with Fink’s Gully Whomper.

After selling the furs, Davy and George begin the journey home when they’re captured by Indians. And these Indians are in a not-so-friendly mood.

They’re being blamed for attacking boats traveling down the Ohio. War is on the verge of breaking out as a result.

Davy takes one look at an arrow embedded in one of those boats and decides white — pirates masquerading as Indians — are to blame.

Figuring Fink wants to keep the river safe for travel, he meets up with his new buddy again in a quest for stop those pirates.

Fess Parker as Davy Crockett, wondering what the heck George is doing riding a chandelier in Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956)

Buddy Ebsen as George Russel, looking for crew members and finding trouble in Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956)

Review:

Disney style fun featuring Fess Parker in his most famous role. And considerably more light-hearted than the previous year’s “Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier.”

That film ended with the desperate last stand at the Alamo. This one ends with plenty of action, but there’s a comic element — and plenty of Three Stooges style antics — running throughout.

First the pirates, dressed as Indians in canoes, attack Fink’s keelboat. Then Davy and George head for the cave the pirates are using as a hideout. Their mission: find the culprits behind the trouble-making.

One of the more memorable scenes comes when Fink gets George drunk. Davy walks into a tavern to find his sidekick sitting in a candelier of sorts, paddling it around in a circle as though in a rowboat.

Like “King of the Wild Frontier,” this feature was made by combining episodes of the Disneyland TV series.

Oh, and for the next 40 years, visitors to Disneyland in California could ride Mike Fink’s Keelboats — the actual boats used in the film.

Jeff York as Mike Fink, introducing himself as King of the River upon meeting Davy and George in Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956)

Mort Mills as Sam Mason, leader of the pirates, coming after Davy in Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956)

Directed by:
Norman Foster

Cast:
Fess Parker … Davy Crockett
Buddy Ebsen … George Russel
Jeff York … Mike Fink
Kenneth Tobey … Jocko
Clem Bevans … Captain Cobb
Irvin Ashkenazy … Moose
Mort Mills … Sam Mason
Paul Newlan … Big Harpe
Frank Richards … Little Harpe
Troy Melton … Hank
Hank Worden … Fiddler
Walter Catlett … Colonel Plug

Runtime: 81 min.

Songs:
“Ballad of Davy Crocket”
“King of the River”
“Yaller, Yaller Gold”

Clem Bevans as Captain Cobb, agreeing to give Davy a ride on the Bertha Mae, if he can help round up a crew in Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956)

Walter Catlett as Colonel Plugg, a scout for the pirates, trying to talk his way into a ride on the Gully Whomper in Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956)

Memorable lines:

George Russel, settling down by a campfire: “Hey, Davy. Davy! There’s something in bed with me.”
Davy Crockett: “Kiss it goodnight and go to sleep.”
At which point, a skunk sprays inside his blanket.

Mike Fink, convinced he’ll win the keelboat race to New Orleans: “My crew’s gonna look mighty fancy in coonskin caps.”

George Russel, carrying Mike Fink’s gold cannon, a gift to the keelboat captain: “If I’d knowed we had to tote this thing, I’d of argued for a pistol.”

George Russel as he and Davy enter the cave the pirates have used for a hideout: “This is worse than crawin’ in a holler log after a bear.”

Fess Parker as Davy Crockett and Buddy Ebsen as George Russel, looking for a ride down the river in Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956)

Kenneth Tobey as Jocko, one of MIke Fink’s men, lifting an Indian hairpiece off one of the pirates in Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956)

Frank Richards as Little Harpe and Paul Newlan as Big Harpe, pirates on the watch for trouble in Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956)

Fess Parker as Davy Crockett and Jeff York as Mike King, ready to set a trap for the pirates in Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956)