Well Deserved Praise

just watch it!

Absolutely Fantastic

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The battle for territory in the wilds of the old west gets a hand from settlers who obviously want to wipe the natives out, not smoke the peace pipe with them. The Shawnee tribe has gotten to the point here where they attack before they can be attacked, and even the peace-loving Daniel Boone (Bruce Bennett, best remembered for his role as Mildred Pierce's estranged husband) can't stop them, even though he tries desperately.The film opens with a truly brutal massacre of several scouts, resulting in scalping, and has an intense scene where Bennett must prove his worthiness to Shawnee chief Lon Chaney by running through two rows of Indians and survive as they attack him. Peace rules briefly, but a scheming Frenchman desperately wants to prevent this from continuing, causing more conflict by poisoning Chaney's mind against the Americans moving westward.This rather cloudy color western is an enjoyable action film with a few songs thrown in. The script tries to soften the brutality of the Shawnees by showing us their motivations behind the attacks.

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

**Some Spoilers**Good B western with plenty of action and good acting. Mexican locations standing in for Kentucky are also very pleasing to look at. Bruce Bennett as Daniel Boone is strong and stoic. I especially liked his interplay with his wife and many children. Lon Chaney Jr. is surprisingly good as the Indian Black Fish. The film is a little too short at 76 minutes, but what we get moves at a good clip. Most of the film was shot outdoors which is a definite plus. The final battle scene is well staged and exciting. We don't have a clue how Daniel and his group are going to survive but rest assured Daniel uses his brains to save everyone from a massacre.A good film for western fans ages 8 and older(the younger ones might be a little bothered by some of the killings and occasional scalping). I give it 6 trail blazers out of 10.

This picture is an interesting saga of the struggle of pioneers led by Daniel Boone in the wilderness of Cumberland Gap while being threatened by hostile Indians. A treacherous Frenchman is the cause of all the trouble between the settlers and the red men while Boone tries to convince the Indians that the pioneers only want to build homes and live in peace. The film has a certain appeal because it is not a polished production but there are good action scenes, although somewhat violent for its time. The cast is comprised of B actors but they are all good, especially Lon Chaney as the Indian chief. Bruce Bennett is okay as Boone but is a bit too clean cut and soft spoken to be believable as a frontiersman. The dialogue is rather trite but the scenery lends itself to the realism of the Kentucky backwoods.