Fess Parker Dies – Played Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone
Fess Parker, who died earlier today of natural causes at the age of 85, was mostly known for his television work. "Davy Crockett," which aired as part of the Disneyland anthology series, was a major hit in the ’50s, and Daniel Boone was quite successful in the ’60s.
Parker, however, also appeared in a number of feature films, most notably in the 1959 Disney production Old Yeller, co-starring Dorothy McGuire. He also had a supporting role in the horror movie Them! (1954), about giant ants. Reportedly, that stint as a terrified ant victim led to his TV stardom in "Davy Crockett."
"I left the business after 22 years," he told The Associated Press in 2001. "It was time to leave Hollywood. I came along at a time when I’m starting out with Gary Cooper, John Wayne, Sterling Hayden and Gregory Peck. Who needed a guy running around in a coonskin cap?" (Actually, Cooper started out in the ’20s, Wayne in the ’30s, and Hayden and Peck in the ’40s. Parker’s up-and-coming contemporaries were more like Rock Hudson, Robert Wagner, Jeffrey Hunter, and Charlton Heston.)
After quitting show business in the early ’70s, Parker went into real estate and grew wine grapes.
ALICE IN WONDERLAND Box Office: 21% Drop on Wednesday
Helena Bonham Carter in Alice in Wonderland (top); Emilie de Ravin, Robert Pattinson in Remember Me (bottom)
Every movie among the top twelve on North America’s box-office chart suffered [...] Continue Reading…
Leave a Comment
Sandra Bullock Backstage at the Oscars: Jesse James, George Clooney, Tom Cruise
Sandra Bullock, Jesse James (Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.)
Sandra Bullock Backstage at the Oscars Part I: Kissing Meryl Streep; Ryan Reynolds Naked
Q. Sandra, congratulations.
A. Thank you.
Q. I just would love to hear the story about [...] Continue Reading…
Sandra Bullock Backstage at the Oscars: Kissing Meryl Streep; Ryan Reynolds Naked
Best Actress Oscar winner Sandra Bullock (Rick Salyer / ©A.M.P.A.S.)
Sandra Bullock’s chat with entertainment reporters can be seen below following her Academy Award win on March 7. Bullock discussed the unexpected success of [...] Continue Reading…
Sandra Bullock, Jesse James & the Oscar Curse (Nonsense)
Sandra Bullock’s separation from reality show personality Jesse James, her husband of nearly five years, has become major news because the actress has just won a Best Actress Academy Award. Just yesterday, she canceled her appearance at the London [...] Continue Reading…