Daniel Boone, Trail Blazer (1956)

Simply Perfect

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Absolutely Fantastic

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

I'm not a big fan of the western genre - meaning I watch some of them but not a lot of them. So this review is coming from one that watches westerns on occasions - depending on who is in the film, recommendations and/or what the movie is about. It was Lon Chaney that attracted my attention to this film mainly but I am also interested in film biographies and histories.While this film maybe not be perfectly accurate it is a good film that gives us a fairly decent idea of what might have took place during the real Daniel Boone's life. I enjoyed the movie.There are 3 songs in the film - although it's not exactly a musical those scenes are like a musical. They could have left them out of the film but it did not take away from the film to me.Anyway - I liked this film and would watch it again.8/10

After Republic lost both John Wayne and its stable of B Picture cowboys to television the studio that Herbert J. Yates built was only marking time until its close. This particular film Daniel Boone, Trailblazer was produced independently and released by Republic and it was clearly an effort to capitalize on the gold mine in coonskin caps that Walt Disney found in Davy Crockett.Some ten years earlier Bruce Bennett might have been a good choice to play Boone in an A picture about his life. It was certainly a long and colorful one. As it is Bennett lends a certain dignity to the proceedings and fits what has come down to us in legend about Boone. He was a modest man in fact who did apparently think that colonists and Indians could abide in the same country. This film has Bennett trying to protect the new settlement of Boonesborough which he founded in the new frontier of Kentucky in 1775. The chief of the Shawnee Lon Chaney, Jr. is being egged on by Tory renegade Simon Girty played by Kem Dibbs who is in the pay of the notorious British commander of the Detroit garrison Colonel Henry Hamilton. Hamilton paid the Indians well for white settler scalps and he'd pay heavy for the scalp of Daniel Boone.Unfortunately Dibbs goes a bit too far in pursuit of his goals and pays in the end. In real life Simon Girty fled to Canada and lived almost as long as Daniel Boone who died in 1820 at the incredible age of 86 for that time.Country&Western singer Faron Young appears here as suitor for the hand of one of Boone's daughters and sings some songs, none of which gained any popularity. The cinematography was probably good in those lush greens of the forest, but the print I saw is in bad need of restoration. But Republic films are way down on the priority list for such work unless they have John Wayne starring in them.Not a bad adventure film from the early American frontier even if it does take a lot of liberties with the facts.

After hoo-hooing American Indians scalp number one son, frontiersman Bruce Bennett (as Daniel Boone) seems, at first, like he wants to get even; but, he really wants to make friends with the natives. When sad-eyed Indian chief Lon Chaney Jr. (as Blackfish) also loses number one son, it gets more difficult to clear up misunderstandings. Apparently, this was Republic Pictures' attempt to do for their "Daniel Boone, Trail Blazer" what Disney Studio's had successfully done with "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier" (1955).The "Dan'l Boone" song, whistled and sung by a group of children in a wagon, did not follow Fess Parker's "Davy Crockett" up the Hit Parade. Singer Faron Young (as Faron Callaway) doesn't perform the title song (perhaps wisely); he does sing "Long Green Valley", and makes a good impression as a blond boyfriend for Boone's daughter. But, Spanish actor Freddy Fernandez is the film's most valuable player. In a cute scene, Mr. Fernandez reminds Mr. Young the name of the character ("Susannah") he is supposed to be in love with.**** Daniel Boone, Trail Blazer (10/5/56) Ismael Rodríguez ~ Bruce Bennett, Lon Chaney Jr., Faron Young, Freddy Fernandez

I was looking forward to seeing this film due to Lon Chaney being featured as a member of the cast. I also am a fan of such films dealing with colonial expansion in the 1700's. The film was shot in beautiful locations. And it featured a signing son of Daniel Boone. That part of the film was odd and hard to take seriously. After I saw more of this film, I began to realize I had seen this same story line in an "A" film with a more famous cast. This was clearly a "B" film cast. It was somewhat enjoyable to watch. The lead actor was well cast and actually looked like red-haired Daniel Boone. That was a nice bonus to this film's credibility.