George O'Brien swaps his usual cowboy gear for a coonskin cap to play Daniel Boone. It's an "eastern western", as he leads a wagon train over the Appalachian Mountains to found a settlement in Kentucky. In the course of the movie, he must court Heather Angel, deal with vengeful and effete Ralph Forbes, escape from Indians who want to burn him alive, under the command of renegade John Carradine, and an attack of the settlement.It's a well done B under the direction of David Howard, with some lovely compositions by cinematographer Frank Good. In story terms, it hearkens back to LAST OF THE MOHICANS, with a faithful, if brutal Indian companion, played by George Regas. Modern viewers may be upset by scene-stealing Clarence Muse, playing a slave; he does so with enormous dignity. For fans of Mr. O'Brien, it will be a delight.

1936's "Daniel Boone" benefits from the casting of George O'Brien in the title role, still a few years away from retirement. An accurate portrait of the rigors of life on the Kentucky frontier, complicated by omnipresent evildoer Simon Girty (John Carradine), leading a band of renegade Indians that indulge in murder and rape. Also conducting villainy from a safe distance is prissy British aristocrat Stephen Marlowe (Ralph Forbes), supported by the Virginia legislature in confiscating the land built up by Boone's people. Love interest is provided by Heather Angel, solid support from George Regas and Clarence Muse. Later appearing as a murderer on the 60s teleseries DANIEL BOONE ("The Witness"), Carradine, on loan from Fox, excels in one of his flashier villain roles; too bad the picture sags a bit when he's off screen too long (he appropriately wears a skunk-skin cap, as opposed to Boone's traditional coonskin).

Seeing the film today gave me an interesting perspective on our country's history, as the events took place one year before the Declaration of Independence. With the Revolutionary War in full swing, an entirely different battle was being waged on the near Western frontier of 'Kain-Tu-Kee', the Indian name for a 'dark and bloody ground'. It was here the legend of Daniel Boone was born, and the film states it tries to remain true to the core of the frontiersman's legacy.I was intrigued by a number of the portrayals in the film that had nothing to do with the main characters. Women in particular were shown chopping wood, spading hard ground and fording rivers on horseback carrying babies in the cause of civilization. The film also depicted blacks respectfully, though in typically subservient roles; it was the black character Pompey (Clarence Muse) who offered the suggestion for the name of Boonesborough.There's an interesting scene where Pompey and Black Eagle (George Regas) have a conversation about the similarities of 'black' and 'red' men. Pompey's take on it is that both were baked by the sun, but the Indian was 'underdone'! Boone is ruggedly portrayed by George O'Brien in a characterization that reminded me of George Reeves' Superman, to me he looked like two different people with and without his coonskin cap on. His first encounter with the renegade white Simon Girty (John Carradine) offered a comedic touch with the knife swallowing gimmick. Later on, his shirtless physique takes center stage when captured by hostiles and relegated to a burning stake, most assuredly one of film's early recognitions of the beefcake factor in heroic movies.My prior introduction to Heather Angel involved her role as Miss Phyllis Clavering in the 'Bulldog Drummond' franchise, a series of detective mysteries of the same era. Here she balances her affections between British royal Stephen Marlowe and the adventurer Boone until Marlowe realizes he's second string. Her young brother Jerry is played by Dickie Jones, who in the 1950's became Range Rider's sidekick and later starred as Buffalo Bill Jr. in a couple of early TV Westerns.For an early talkie "Daniel Boone" seems to handle it's subject fairly well with a nice blend of action, adventure and insight into early frontier life. It does seem to leave a question mark for an ending though, as the pioneers are shown heading out once again in search of new territory. One must assume that the governor in Richmond fully intended to deny squatters rights to the settlers, on land annexed to Virginia for the glory of the Crown.

A well-crafted script efficiently sets up three areas of conflict: white settlers in 1775 Kentucky vs. local Indians stirred up by a renegade named Simon Girty; these same white settlers vs. corrupt officials back in Richmond; and he-man Daniel Boone vs. fancy-man Stephen Marlowe for the affections of the beautiful Virginia Randolph. These conflicts are woven together into a briskly-paced frontier drama which, while showing its age, still holds one's interest. Its chief fault is an ending which, at least on the tape available, seems unfocused and a bit confusing.Though not well remembered today, leading man George O'Brien was a popular actor in late silents and early talkies. During a fight scene in 1924's "The Iron Horse" his shirt was torn off and audiences got an uncommon eyeful of "beefcake" which earned for O'Brien a nickname: the Chest. Though only 35 or 36 years old when he filmed "Daniel Boone," O'Brien shows signs of middle-age in the form of a somewhat expanded waistline but he's still featured in an extended "beefcake" scene. Captured by Indians he's tied, shirtless, to a post and soon surrounded by burning piles of wood. His bindings allow him to move in a tight circle around the post, (an authentic touch), so O'Brien sweats and squirms as he tries to avoid the tongues of flame. It's a good scene but cut far too short by an all-too-easy rescue. (A shirtless O'Brien also suffered through a prison flogging in 1928's "Honor Bound" but prints of this movie seem to be unavailable.)John Carradine makes a hissable villain and Heather Angel is an appropriately pretty heroine but Ralph Forbes seems a bit "too, too" as the no-good Stephen Marlowe. No woman would regard him as a serious competitor for George O'Brien! Black actor Clarence Muse has a role surprisingly free of most of the era's usual stereotypes.