"The Tenderfoot" is a three-part live action television miniseries comedy Western film produced in 1964 for Walt Disney'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 of '' Shane'' (1953) and Disney veteran Brian Keith ('' The Parent Trap'') in the title roles. It aired in 3 parts over 3 consecutive weeks beginning on Sunday, October 18, 1964.AllMovie.com
/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 in principal roles. ''The Tenderfoot'' was aimed at teen boys and featured major character actors 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. On-location filming occurred on California's Santa Catalina Island and Channel Islands. 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 and '' Hud'' (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 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
/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. ''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 Doctor is an Academic degree, academic title that originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an Agent noun, agentive noun of the Latin verb 'to teach'. It has been used as an academic title in Europ ...

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. 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.

References

External links

* * *
''Arizona in the 50s'' Review and Background
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tenderfoot 1964 films Disney television films Walt Disney anthology television series episodes

Plot

Cast

Home media

See also

References

External links