Long Live the King of the Wild Frontier

Sixty years ago Davy Crockett was not only king of the wild frontier on TV, he was king of the box office for Walt Disney. In 1954-1955, Walt Disney ‘s Disneyland five-part TV series starring coonskin capped Fess Parker cap was adapted into the international box-office smash, Davy Crockett King of the Wild Frontier. Released in May 1955, the film grossed $2.5 million and was just the sixth live-action Disney production. Davy Crockett had fans wearing coonskin caps around the world. With the success of the film, studio founder Walt Disney also made the made heroic live-action film a staple of Disney Studios. And for anyone whoever visited Disneyland in Anaheim, California, a visit to the Magic Kingdom was not complete without an adventurous escape through the gates of the Western fort into Frontierland. I always where you could enjoy a ride around Tom Sawyer’s Island on the Mike Fink Keelboats or the Indian War Canoes, which in 1971 became Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes (the ride I remember). Long live Davy Crockett, the King of the Wild Frontier!