Daniel Boone (TV Series) Empire of the Lost (1965) User Reviews

A Kingdom of Nothing

[gordonl56 · 8/10 · 9 May 2014]

DANIEL BOONE – Empire of the Lost -1965

This is the 30th episode of the long running 1964-70 series about the life of American frontiersman and explorer, Daniel Boone. The lead is played by Fess Parker. Also in the mix are, Ed Ames, Patricia Blair, Veronica Cartwright and Darby Hinton. This is from season two which was the first season to be filmed in colour.

Daniel Boone (Fess Parker) returns from a hunting trip and finds his cabin empty and family gone. He goes to Fort Boonesborough to look for same. The Fort is likewise empty of people. That is except for a small group of British regulars under Col. Edward Mulhare. The troops put the bag on Parker and all are soon on their way by canoe to Chickasaw country.

It seems that Mulhare intends to turn the local area into his own fiefdom. He wants Parker to sign over titles to the Fort etc. He is holding all the people from the fort, including Parker's family hostage. Parker is to sign, or Mulhare will let the Chickasaw's have their way with them.

Mulhare has arranged a deal with the local chief, Thomas Browne Henry, to deliver Parker to them. Parker and the chief's son, are not on what you might say, speaking terms. Parker had laid a beating on the buck several years before.

Mulhare, in a bragging mood, tells Parker that he intends to slaughter the Chickasaws after he lets them kill all the settlers from Boonesborough. He will set Parker and his family free if he signs the documents.

Mulhare takes Parker to where the British are holding the Boonesborough residents, and Parker's family. Parker agrees to sign the papers. He also knows that Mulhare has no intention of honouring his deal. Parker makes a break into the woods and swipes a canoe. He rows over to the Chickasaw camp.

He fills Chief Thomas Browne Henry in on Mulhare's plan. Needless to say the natives are now slightly restless. Parker leads the Natives back to Mulhare's camp and gets the drop on the swine. Mulhare's second in command, George Backman, places Mulhare under arrest when he hears about Mulhare's plans from Parker.

Everyone is freed except Mulhare. Peace is declared, and everyone heads for their respective homes. (colour)

Brit Bluegrass Bumbles

[militarymuseu-88399 · 8/10 · 15 January 2024]

Returning to Boonesborough after a long hunt, Daniel finds his cabin and the fort completely abandoned before he is captured by Redcoats under the command of Colonel Worthing (Edward Mulhare). Worthing demands Boone sign over title of Boonesborough to both enhance the Crown's position as the Revolution approaches and to benefit his land acquisition aspirations.

Season 2 of DB starts out turbocharged with color filming, high production values, and jazzier theme song (though a family-friendly push by NBC apparently discarded the scenes of Dan shooting a bear and attacking tribesman in favor of more innocuous outdoor scenes). Fess Parker sports more elaborate color-friendly costuming as well.

The hour makes effective use of Hollywood British expatriates by casting them as the Redcoats. In the second of his three DB guest shots, Mulhare is again a devious if not sinister enough commanding officer, and George Backman is his morally conflicted subaltern. Abel Fernandez of "The Untouchables" returns for another of his periodic series appearances as a tribal leader.

The story's setting is grander than usual for DB; the interior Boonesborough set is traded for two location stockades that seem to have been assembled in Southern California or Utah. Action is a bit sparing, as much of the hour centers on Dan escaping or matching wits with Mulhare. The Redcoats seem a bit immaculate for frontier service, but se la guerre for 1960's prime time.

As always in a DB historical episode, we deal with stockade chutes and ladders:

* The status of the Revolution is again kept vague - no reference to open fighting.

* To repeat, Boonesborough went up at the war's commencement in April 1775 - no run-up events prior to the Lexington skirmish in Kentucky.

* Mulhare states that the colonies will be controlled by the Crown holding Boonesborough and a Royal Navy blockade of the coast - a rather fanciful notion, Boonesborough really was too busy guarding itself to defend or threaten much else. Worthing's land-grab plan also has no real historical parallel.

* The action is taking place in Chickasaw country, which would be central Tennessee - an area of marginal interest to both sides during the Revolutionary War. It is accurate to eventually portray the Chickasaw as nominally friendly to American interests, however.

Redcoat report - about 10-12, a pretty large deployment for DB. And an unexpected bonus - the new color format shows they are uniformed with accurate white on red facings and labeled mitre caps as the British 40th Regiment of Foot. In Boston with General Gage's occupying army during 1775, but still, close enough for network shooting. We see some artillery and a representation of gun-spiking, but they appear on closer look to be hasty wooden props - the wheels are solid wood with molded spokes attached.

But overall, a pretty rousing kickoff to Season 2. Though its unfortunate to lose the rustic effect of black and white filming behind, we will now get to see at least some of the Revolution televised (in living color!).