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Daniel Boone, Trail Blazer
USA 1956
produced by Albert C. Gannaway, Ben Costanten (executive), C.J. Ver Halen jr (executive) for Republic
directed by Albert C.Gannaway, Ismael Rodríguez
starring Bruce Bennett (= Herman Brix), Lon Chaney jr, Faron Young, Kem Dibbs, Damian O'Flynn, Jacqueline Evans, Nancy Rodman, Freddy Fernández, Carol Kelly, Eduardo Noriega, Fred Kohler jr, Gordon Mills, Claudio Brook, Joe Ainley, Lee Morgan
screenplay by Tom Hubbard, John Patrick, music by Raúl Lavista
Daniel Boone
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Always make sure of DVD-compatibility!!!
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Kentucky during the American Revolutionary War (1775 - 83): Daniel
Boone (Bruce Bennett) is adamant to make fort Boonesborough into a
permanent settlement, despite the fact that Boonesborough is on Shawnee
country and the fort's commander Andy Callaway (Damian O'Flynn) is more
than willing to give everything up and return to civilisation. But Boone
is good friends with Shawnee chieftain Blackfish (Lon Chaney jr) ... that
is, until Blackfish finds a new best friend in Simon Girty (Kem Dibbs), a
commander of the British army, who would like to see nothing rather than
the American settlement to be overrun by the Shawnee - and he thinks he
has reached his goal when the Shawnee take Boone prisoner. But Blackfish
is a thoughtful and sombre man, and he gives Boone a chance to save his
life and freedom, if he manages to fight his way through 40 Shawnee
warriors armed with tomahawks ... and of course, Boone succeeds. Girty
though isn't one to give up easily either, so when Blackfish's sons are on
a scouting mission, he has them all shot by the British army and blames it
on the Boonesborough settlers. And soon enough, Blackfish's men are up in
arms and move against the fort, vastly outnumbering its soldiers and
settlers. What Girty doesn't know though is that Boone has saved the
life of one of Blackfish's sons, the heavily wounded White Fox, who could
testify against the British. But unfortunately, White Fox dies from his
injuries during the attack. Still, Boone uses the body of the young Indian
to trick Girty into betraying himself in front of Blackfish ... which
spells Girty's end and peace between the Shawnee and the settlers.
Tired underbudgeted epic from a time called the 1950's, when American
movieproducers (including Republic, obviously, which once had a
sure hand in B-movie production) had obviously forgotten how to make
decent B-Westerns. So instead of a solid action piece, Daniel Boone,
Trail Blazer has all kinds of soap opera-style subplots thrown into
the proceedings, like lovestories between its supporting characters that
clearly lead to nowhere, and even a handful of songs that detract from the
main plot. And the finale, in which Girty is finally revealed as teh
traitor he is, clearly leads to nowhere ... Not worth your while.
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