Daniel Boone: Frontier Trail Rider

It only took me about 30 minutes into the plot of this original 2-part TV episode before it all seemed deja vu. Boone gets supplies back from a crooked trader who has resold them and escorts them to the settlers who originally paid for them. He takes on some undesirables to help him out but they turn on him half way to his settlement because they are offered a bigger money reward from someone else who needs the supplies equally as bad. Yes, this is the plot of BEND OF THE RIVER, the 1952 Anthony Mann directed Jimmy Stewart flick. And just like the Mann movie, Boone's somewhat shady, but likable buddy turns on him when the urge to rake in more money gets too strong. In the Jimmy Stewart movie, this part was played to perfection by Arthur Kennedy, a frequent Stewart costar. D.D. 'Bud' Beauchamp is credited with the story and screenplay for the Boone TV movie, however, that distinction should probably go to Borden Chase who wrote the screenplay for BEND OF THE RIVER. Let's face it, not much was changed from the 1952 original.

This movie is two episodes put together from the Daniel Boone T.V. series "The High Cumberland parts 1 & 2" It depicts the origin of how Boone met his wife Becky and how he established the settlement. I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't seen those two episodes so I will leave you with that simple plot. I would watch it for sure if you fallow the series it will fill in some questions you probably would like to know about how certain things became in the series. It's like watching a series then in season 2 or 3 they show you the origin. You will not find this movie on youtube I searched forever then I decided to check the movie title out online and when I seen the characters and did a little research it was obvious why this title is not on youtube. Just search for "THE HIGH CUMBERLAND" in the Daniel Boone series season 2 episode 29 & 30 and watch it that way. I am pretty positive it is exactly both episodes spliced together and nothing extra from what I remember.