Fess Parker's star-making portrayal of frontiersman Davy Crockett on television in the mid-1950s made him a hero to millions of young baby boomers and spurred a nationwide run on coonskin caps.
Parker plays Davey Crockett in 1956. TV's "King of the Wild Frontier" touched off a merchandising frenzy: 10-million coonskin caps were sold, along with toy "Old Betsy" rifles, buckskin shirts, T-shirts, coloring books, guitars, bath towels, bedspreads, wallets -- anything with the Crockett name attached.
Parker is shown in a scene from the Walt Disney Treasures volume "Davey Crockett" from Walt Disney Home Video. Buddy Ebsen, playing Crockett's sidekick George Russel, is at left. TV viewers fell in love with the show's catchy theme song. Bill Hayes' version of "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" soared to No. 1 on the hit parade and remained there for 13 weeks.
Parker and actor Jay Silverheels have at it on an episode of "Daniel Boone" in 1965.
Copy and photo from Los Angeles Times.
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