A Conversation with Fess Parker Page #2

---

Ahh! Kinda tasty, ain't it?

...pink whiskers...

That'd grow pink whiskers

on a hound dog.

Also, Basil Ruysdael.

There's another veteran.

People... no one today

would know Basil Ruysdael.

He was a light opera

performer...

he sang and was

a great character actor.

Enjoying yourself, Davy?

That was a mighty fine

supper, Mr. President.

Only the best in

the presidential palace.

Since you put that

new portico up in front...

and got her fresh painted...

folks are calling her

the White House.

Yeah. Sounds better at that.

Yeah, that's what

she'll be from now on.

And I remember when

we got close to the scene...

where Davy Crockett goes in...

and makes his speech

before Congress...

he casually asked me

on the set one day...

"Are you ready to do

that scene that's coming up?"

I said, "Well, I think so".

He said, "Would you like to run

the lines with me a little bit?"

And I said,

"Sure. I'd love to".

Basil introduced me

to some concepts...

of how to do that scene

that frankly...

I hadn't the experience

nor had I recognized.

So he was a great help...

and we continued

our friendship...

until he passed away.

All right, now let's

talk about Jeff York.

He is so wonderful as Mike Fink.

And later on in "Old Yeller"...

and

"The Great Locomotive Chase"...

and all those films...

that we had

a lot of fun doing.

Well, you know,

Jeff was an interesting person.

Ha ha!

Ain't he forgive me yet?

Nope. But he'll get over it.

Well, lucky just

his feelings got hurt.

You know, Davy,

you showed rare good sense...

in getting old Mike Fink

to help you.

So, he was a character

playing a character?

Girls run and hide

Brave men shiver

I'm Mike Fink

King of the river

I don't know if you call it

typecasting or not...

but again, Mike Mazurki

just seems the perfect choice...

for that character.

Mike introduced me

to the concept...

that I could be a rag doll.

We had no stunt doubles.

When we had to do our fight.

We had to make it up

and all that.

And Mike and I were

wrestling and fighting...

and he would just

pick me up and throw me...

like I said, like a rag doll.

And at one point,

he was going to throw me...

into a split rail fence...

which we had decided

would be nice...

if I knocked the rail down.

And so the first time

he threw me into it...

I had no padding...

and the rail was much stronger

than we anticipated...

and it really hurt.

So we took the blanket

off the camera...

and stuffed it in

the back of my pants...

and we did it again

and it worked.

He spent

many years as an actor...

but many years as

a wrestler as well.

Absolutely.

And I have great respect

for his physical prowess.

It wasn't until we got

to "The River Pirates"...

that someone thought about...

having some

stunt doubles there.

But by that time,

we were accustomed...

to doing most of

the things ourself.

Well, do you remember

your first inkling...

that Davy was becoming

a phenomenon?

Unlike some of the other

phenomenons that followed...

they tended to be more

pointed in their audience.

This seemed to be mostly

from the old to the young...

or vice versa.

And everybody in-between.

Briefly.

How quickly did they

put you on a regimen...

of making personal appearances

as Davy Crockett?

My first stop

was Oklahoma City.

And this is the way it went.

I got dressed in the restroom...

on a small

commercial airplane...

went down the stairs,

there was a limousine...

and six motorcycle policemen...

and we went as fast

as you can go...

to a horse show in progress.

Got out of the limousine...

I had my rifle and my hat

and my costume on...

and they said,

"Here's your horse".

And I said, "What'll I do?"

They said, "Go in,

ride around the arena...

"wave to the kids...

"come out to the middle,

sing Davy Crockett...

"and anything else

you'd like to do".

Then that's the way we started.

And were you kept pretty busy

doing that for a while?

42 cities, 13 countries later.

Wow.

But I basically didn't

mind doing the P.R...

for the studio.

Walt had given me 10%...

of the Davy Crockett

merchandising.

That is, the Walt Disney

Davy Crockett merchandise.

So I enjoyed doing

those personal appearances...

and going to Hudson's

Department Store in Detroit...

and Pizitz in Birmingham.

It was a great adventure.

I enjoyed it.

And then you were at

opening day of Disneyland...

which was another,

I'm sure, memorable day.

Yes. In my wildest dreams...

I didn't expect to sing and

dance on live television...

but we did.

Such as it was.

I was ridin'through the woods

To trade off skins

for boughten goods

40 arrows hit a tree

I knew the Sioux

were out for me

I had the great pleasure

of riding with Walt...

in the first parade...

and then going over

to the fire station...

and having a little libation...

and sliding down

the fire pole.

I think a very exciting and

memorable moment for me...

was Walt standing out

with his Hawaiian shirt...

in the crowd...

and looking and seeing

what he had put together.

And then his first speech.

I always thought

he made great speeches.

He had a knack

of communicating...

verbally, personality-wise.

He was a good salesman.

- He was a great communicator.

- He was.

What was the best thing...

about being part of

that Walt Disney family?

I've had the friendship

and the interest...

of so many people

and in such a broad way...

because Disney is not...

just a popular product

in America...

it's a popular product

in the world.

And so to be a part of

something of that nature...

and to share that

with the individuals...

that created it...

I often feel, you know...

that I'm being congratulated

for Bill Walsh and Bakewell...

and Walt and all the people.

And it's been

a wonderful experience.

I've seen no negative.

The only thing

I'm looking forward to...

is to go to Disneyland...

on the 50th anniversary

of Disneyland.

A worthy goal.

Yes.

Fess, I want to thank you...

for letting us visit

your beautiful winery...

and for sharing all

those wonderful memories.

Cheers to you.

It's a pleasure on behalf

of the Fess Parker family.

And I'd like to invite you...

into the little village

of Los Olivos...

here in Santa Barbara

County for lunch.

I think I will agree.

Thank you very much.

OK. Beautiful.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes