MovieChat Forums > Them! (1954) Discussion > Fess Parker

Fess Parker

posted 18 years ago by puirt-a-beul
5 replies | jump to latest

Sometimes, you wonder what producers see in specific performances.

Did anyone else think that Fess Parker was really hammy and hokey in this, as the Texan pilot who spots the flying ants ?

According to the trivia page, Walt Disney watched this movie, thinking to cast James Arness as Dan'l Boone in his upcoming TV show. And after watching the movie, decided to cast Fess Parker instead. WTF ???

Admittedly James Arness was nothing more than functional in a very undifferentiated role, so it would have been hard for him to make much impact, but Fess Parker ? There didn't seem anything in that performance that would suggest he could handle an ongoing lead role. (And I haven't seen "Daniel Boone" since I was a kid, so I don't remember whether he was any good after all or not.)

Any other thoughts ?

[–] igloo_slaymate 18 years ago

Walt Disney screened "Them" because he was looking for an actor to cast in the role of "Davy Crockett, King Of The Wild Frontier", not "Daniel Boone". You can now own both the entire "Davy Crockett" television series as well as Seasons 1-3 of "Daniel Boone" on DVD sets. -Just in case you decide to refresh your memory as to how very good an actor Fess Parker was after all...

[–] MrPie7 17 years ago

"Darn near scared me right outta mah pants! Beg yer pardon, Ma'am."

[–] rwsmith29456 16 years ago

I think it was more obvious that Parker would play a good back-woodsman.

[–] DM83TA-1 16 years ago

I didn't think Fess Parker was hammy or hokey in this movie. I think what Walt Disney saw was the charisma and “down-hominess” that Fess presented, which was perfect for Davy Crockett.

[–] liscarkat (18984) 10 months ago

Parker was terrific in this small role, displaying acting talent, subtle comedic skill, and a whole lot of charisma. This performance showed he had a lot of potential beyond the Boone/Crockett type stuff he was type cast in for most of his career.

As for Arness, this was his first big role, and he nailed it. He was charismatic, heroic, and very naturalistic. He, of course, ended up spending most of his career as Matt Dillon on television, a great character, but it's obvious from his performance in "Them!" that he could have been a leading movie star.