Like its predecessor Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier, Walt Disney's Davy Crockett and the River Pirates was cobbled together from two episodes of the weekly TV anthology Disneyland. Though it wasn't so labelled at the time, River Pirates is actually a "prequel" to the earlier film, detailing events that allegedly occured in Crockett's life before his rendezvous with destiny at the Alamo. Set in 1810, the first half of the story deals with a river race to New Orleans between Davy (Fess Parker) and his friendly enemy Mike Fink (Jeff York). Once this plot strand has run its course, the film segues into Davy and Mike's attempts to prevent an Indian war which is being fomented by a renegade white man. Linking these two episodes are the spirited ballads of Davy's pal George Russel (Buddy Ebsen). Like the first "Davy Crockett" venture, Davy Crockett and the River Pirates cleaned up at the box-office and increased department-store sales of those coonskin caps (remember?) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Field M. Gray - Art Director, Field Grey - Art Director, Carl Walker - Costume Designer, Norman Foster - Director, Stanley E. Johnson - Editor, George Bruns - Composer (Music Score), Bert Glennon - Cinematographer, Bill Walsh - Producer, Bertram Granger - Set Designer, Emile Kuri - Set Designer, Tom Blackburn - Screenwriter, Norman Foster - Screenwriter
Davy Crockett and George "Georgie" Russel are loaded with pelts as they make their way to the Mississippi River after a successful season of trapping and hunting in Kentucky. There they encounter Mike Fink, a blowhardkeelboatcaptain who refuses to take them downriver, unless they pay a ridiculously high fee. That evening, Fink gets Georgie drunk and convinces him to keelboat race down the Mississippi with the season's pelts as wager.
Crockett uses his notoriety to put together a crew and the race begins. Overcoming numerous obstacles along with Fink's dirty tricks, Crockett wins the race but amiably waives his claim on Fink's share of the wager. In gratitude, Fink challenges Crockett and Russel in a keelboat race to New Orleans, Louisiana.
River Pirates
Along the way, the men pick up a traveling minstrel named Colonel Plug who unknown to them is in league with local river bandits. On their way to get horses from friendly Chickasaw tribesmen, Crockett and Russel are kidnapped by a group of Chickasaws because white men have been murdering members of their tribe. Both Crockett and Fink discover that the river pirates led by Samuel Mason and the Harpe brothers are masquerading as Native Americans as they loot passing boats from a riverside Cave-In-Rock.
Crockett and Russel find their way into the lair, and in the ensuing battle several kegs of gunpowder are exploded, sealing the cave. The victorious heroes escape unscathed with the subdued villains in tow.
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