"The Tenderfoot" is a three-part
live action
Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ga ...
television miniseries comedy
Western
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*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
film produced in 1964 for
Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
's ''
The Wonderful World of Color
The Walt Disney Company has produced an anthology television series since 1954 under several titles and formats. The program's current title, ''The Wonderful World of Disney'', was used from 1969 to 1979 and again from 1991 to the present. The p ...
''.
It was broadcast over three weeks from October 18 to November 1, 1964. The show is based on
James Henry Tevis
James Henry Tevis (1837–1905) was an Arizona pioneer who founded Teviston, Arizona, later renamed Bowie, Arizona in 1910. His claim to fame was his book, ''Arizona in the '50s'', which was the basis for a TV mini series by Walt Disney in 1964. ...
' book ''Arizona in the '50s'', and was directed by Robert L. Friend and Byron Paul.
Starring
Brandon deWilde
Andre Brandon deWilde (April 9, 1942 – July 6, 1972) was an American theater, film, and television actor. Born into a theatrical family in Brooklyn, he debuted on Broadway at the age of seven and became a national phenomenon by the time he com ...
of ''
Shane
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'' (1953) and Disney veteran
Brian Keith
Brian Keith (born Robert Alba Keith, November 14, 1921 – June 24, 1997) was an American film, television, and stage actor who in his six-decade career gained recognition for his work in films such as the Disney family film '' The Parent T ...
(''
The Parent Trap'') in the title roles. It aired in 3 parts over 3 consecutive weeks beginning on Sunday, October 18, 1964.
[AllMovie.com](_blank)
/ref> It also starred James Whitmore
James Allen Whitmore Jr. (October 1, 1921 – February 6, 2009) was an American actor. He received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Theatre World Award, and a Tony Award, plus two Aca ...
, Richard Long, James Daly, and Nehemiah Persoff
Nehemiah Persoff (August 2, 1919 – April 5, 2022) was an American character actor and painter. He appeared in more than 200 television series, films, and theatre productions and also performed as a voice artist in a career spanning 55 years, be ...
in principal roles.
''The Tenderfoot'' was aimed at teen boys and featured major character actors
A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to be ...
of the period. This was typical of past Disney live action TV productions, most notable being ''The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh
The Reverend Doctor Christopher Syn is the smuggler hero of a series of novels by Russell Thorndike. The first book, ''Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh'' was published in 1915. The story idea came from smuggling in the 18th-century Romney ...
'' (1964). Also appearing was 15-year-old Disney regular Roger Mobley
Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ( ...
.
On-location filming occurred on California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
's Santa Catalina Island and Channel Islands
The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...
. Highlights include the roundup of wild mustangs and a climactic horse race.
Brandon deWilde had previously appeared in '' All Fall Down'' (1962) with Warren Beatty
Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker, whose career spans over six decades. He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including four for Best Actor, four for Best Picture, two for Best Director, ...
and ''Hud
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* ''Hud'' (1963 film), a 1963 film starring Paul Newman
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'' (1963) with Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...
. Brian Keith would be a scene stealer
A breakout character is a character in serial fiction, especially a member of an ensemble cast, who becomes much more prominent, popular, discussed, or imitated than expected by the creators. A breakout character may equal or overtake the oth ...
and filmed with deWilde for Disney again the following year in ''Those Calloways
''Those Calloways'' is a 1964 American family drama film, adapted from the 1950 children's novel ''Swiftwater'' by Paul Annixter. The film was produced by Walt Disney and directed by Norman Tokar. It was the last credit for veteran film composer ...
'', as his father.[RememberingBrandon.net](_blank)
/ref>
Song "The Tenderfoot" by Disney Legend
The Disney Legends Awards is a Hall of Fame program that recognizes individuals who have made an extraordinary and integral contribution to The Walt Disney Company. Established in 1987, the honor was traditionally awarded annually during a speci ...
Richard M. Sherman
Richard Morton Sherman (born June 12, 1928) is an American songwriter who specialized in musical films with his brother Robert B. Sherman. According to the official Walt Disney Company website and independent fact checkers, "the Sherman Brot ...
.
''The Tenderfoot'' would be released theatrically through Europe in 1966. It aired on the Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
as an edited-down 2-hour feature in the 1990s.
Tevis' ''Arizona in the 50s'', written in 1880 and not published until 1953 and out of print for the last 50 years, was later edited by Betty Barr and Dr. William J. Kelly and re-released.
Plot
Jim Tevis (Brandon deWilde), shortly after arriving in 1856 Arizona from the East, meets up with Mose Carson (Brian Keith), self-proclaimed big brother of legendary frontier scout Kit Carson
Christopher Houston Carson (December 24, 1809 – May 23, 1868) was an American frontiersman. He was a fur trapper, wilderness guide, Indian agent, and U.S. Army officer. He became a frontier legend in his own lifetime by biographies and n ...
. According to Mose, Kit learned everything from him and it should really be him that is famous. Mose consoles himself by staying drunk and avoiding Indian fights. Captain Ewell (James Whitmore) is a veteran Indian fighter and Paul Durand (Richard Long) is a misfit soldier and ladies' man. Carson and Ewell take a quick liking to the young Tevis and both agree to make him Mose's junior scout. Together they all wind up in a search for buried treasure with Captain Malcione (Nehemiah Persoff) as the primary villain.
Cast
Home media
''The Tenderfoot'' has never been released on home media by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc., doing business as Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, is the home entertainment distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company. The division handles the distribution of Disney's films, television series, an ...
.
See also
* List of Disney made for TV Movies
References
External links
*
*
*
''Arizona in the 50s'' Review and Background
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tenderfoot
1964 films
Disney television films
Walt Disney anthology television series episodes