Happy Birthday to 2 Davy Crocketts!!

Happy Birthday, Davy Crockett!  But which Davy Crockett? 

Today, August 16, is the birthday of the “Davy Crockett” known to millions on Walt Disney’s popular 1950s TV series and movie – actor Fess Parker (above), who would have been 95 years old today. Parker’s “depiction of Crockett in the Disney television miniseries of 1955-56 made him an overnight sensation...A reported 10 million coonskin caps – the Crockett signature – were sold...” Parker died in 2010. (*) 

Tomorrow, August 17, is the birthday of the real Davy Crockett (above), the Tennessee native, “American frontiersman, bear hunter, soldier and politician,” who moved to the colony of Texas, joined the effort to gain its independence from Mexico” and “died during the final heroic defense of the Alamo on March 6, 1836 at San Antonio, Texas... (*)  

Here’s a solution. Let’s celebrate both “Davys” with a sing-along to Disney’s theme song for “The Ballad of Davy Crockett”! If you’re old enough, you probably know the tune and lyrics. Sing along on YouTube! 

“The Ballad of Davy Crockett” from Walt Disney, 1955 :

Want to know more about the real Davy Crockett and enjoy the TV shows and books based on his life? Go to:

 www.midpointelibrary.org > Catalog Search > Davy Crockett

 

If you’re a TV fan, look for MidPointe’s extensive collection of TV shows on DVD including “Davy Crockett – The Two-Movie Set.” They’re all available for checkout.  

At MidPointe you’ll also find interesting resources about many historical figures — even the history of television! “The Platinum Age of Television – From I Love Lucy to The Walking Dead, How TV Became Terrific,” a source for this blog, was written by David Bianculli and published in 2016.

You’ll find even more items on MidPointe’s voluminous eLibrary of movies/TV shows, music, books, audiobooks, magazines, research databases available at: 

www.midpointelibrary.org > eLibrary  

All you need is a free MidPointe Library card to check out items onsite or via MidPointe’s eLibrary! Sign up for your card today at any MidPointe location : Middletown, West Chester, Trenton, Monroe, Liberty Township (2nd floor, Liberty Center) and onboard our Library On Wheels, formerly known as The Bookmobile. 

 

Sources/Images: 

(*) “2019 Chase’s Calendar of Events.” Available for checkout at MidPointe Library. 

All images appearing on today’s blog are from Google Images. However, the following images can be found in library materials:

The engraving of “Colonel Crockett, 1839…” by C. Stuart from the original 1834 portrait by John Gadsby Chapman” can be found in the biography, “Born On A Mountaintop – On The Road With Davy Crockett and the Ghosts of the Wild Frontier,” written by Bob Thompson and published in 2012 by Crown Publishers. It’s available for checkout at MidPointe Library.

The color illustration of Davy Crockett is from the cover of “Davy Crockett,” a biography by Emma E. Haldy, published in 2017 by Cherry Lake Publishing as part of the “my itty-bitty bio” series. It’s available for checkout in the MidPointe Library Children’s Department. 

“The Platinum Age of Television — From I Love Lucy To the Walking Dead — How TV Became Terrific” by David Bianculli, published in 2016 by Doubleday. It’s available for checkout at MidPointe Library.

“The Ballad of Davy Crockett” can be accessed on YouTube.