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"DAVY CROCKETT" TURNS 50 AT DISNEYLAND. On the 50th anniversary of his debut as TV's "Davy Crockett," actor Fess Parker, pictured here with Walt Disney in 1955, will receive the ultimate Disneyland honor on December 15th when the park unveils a tribute window in recognition of the actor's contributions to the opening of Disneyland. Following its debut, Disney's "Davy Crockett" became a national phenomenon among young television viewers who yearned to dress like their frontier hero with the coonskin hat. (PRNewsFoto)
ANAHEIM, CA USA
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ANAHEIM, Calif., Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- On December 15, the 50th
anniversary of his debut as "king of the wild frontier," the man known to
millions of baby-boomers as legendary frontiersman Davy Crockett will receive
the highest honor Disneyland bestows, when the park unveils a tribute window
to beloved actor Fess Parker.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041209/LATH090)
"In his role as Davy Crockett, Fess Parker helped promote and open
Disneyland and through the years he has become a very special member of the
Disney family," said Matt Ouimet, president of the Disneyland Resort.
The tradition of honoring individuals with a personalized decorative
window was started on Main Street, U.S.A. by Walt Disney himself and has
continued throughout the Disney parks worldwide.
A Disneyland window is considered the ultimate honor anyone can receive
from "The Happiest Place on Earth" and unlike other Disneyland window
tributes, Parker's salute will also include an entirely rethemed building
facade which pays tribute to Parker's portrayal of Davy Crockett, along with
his sidekick Georgie Russell, played by the late actor Buddy Ebsen. Parker
and Ebsen were featured stars at the grand opening of Disneyland on July 17,
1955.
"Davy Crockett" quickly became a national phenomenon (attracting well over
52 million television viewers) and transformed Parker into a national idol.
The series' theme song, "The Ballad of Davy Crockett," sold over
three-quarters of a million copies of sheet music and over 10 million records.
At the height of the Crockett craze, 5,000 coonskin caps a day were sold.
The "Davy Crockett" series quickly established Parker as one of
Hollywood's top stars. While under contract to Walt Disney, he starred in six
motion pictures, all box office hits: "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild
Frontier" (1955), "Westward Ho the Wagons!" (1956), "The Great Locomotive
Chase" (1956), "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates" (1956), "Old Yeller"
(1957), and "The Light in the Forest" (1958).
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