The Last of the Mohicans

This remains for me the best film version by far of Cooper's improbable tale. I have vivid memories of it from its first airing. The somewhat stilted script was very much in keeping with Cooper's writing, as were the artificial situations, and melodramatic acting. "Dr. Who" veteran Philip Madoc brings real malice to his role as Magua. Uncas, beautifully acted by Richard Warwick (blue eyes and all)is a genuine leading character, as in Cooper's book, not a mere prop for Hawkeye.

I have been looking for a recorded version since first seeing it without success. I notice that an early comment on this board mentions a 13-part version on DVD. If anyone has any information on how to obtain copies, please post them here or email me!

Fortunately, several of the Masterpiece Theater productions are slowly being re-released on DVD, which is allowing those of us who loved the various stories to revisit them. I remember seeing The Last of the Mohicans when it previously aired in 1971, and loved the story so much, I bought and read the paperback and subsequent Hawkeye stories.

This production closely follows the book, and compared with today's production, it may seem dated, since the indoor scenes are filmed in a studio. Today's younger crowd will not appreciate it, but they have to remember that budget was a major factor in what could be done. The producers wanted to lovingly tell the tale as it was written. Today's productions are hacked up and condensed to the point that sometimes the intent of the author is lost. Also, today's directors/producers spend most of the budget for filming on location, at the sacrifice of the plot.

So try and overlook the production qualities and enjoy the story, the way James Fenimore Cooper basically wrote it.

I have read the Leatherstocking Tales several times over the years. This is my favorite book from that collection. I have seen several versions of this story adapted for film. This is by far the best. It follows the story line better than any other version. I grew up in the Lake George - Glens Falls area of New York where this story is set. I'm also a member of the Boy Scout of America Order of the Arrow. This story is part of my heritage. I first saw this film series in the early 1970's, broadcast on PBS (WMHT). I immediately found it to be enthralling. Unfortunately, it was in a time before home VCR's were available. If I had been able to, I would have saved it to view again in the future. I have been looking for it on VHS for several years. I hope that it will be released on DVD. I would certainly buy it and I would recommend it to everyone that I know.

This adaptation of the Cooper classic had a tremendous impact upon me as a young boy. I saw it twice on "Masterpiece Theatre", and have since not seen it for thirty years. It was a sweepingly beautiful film, and the actors were absolutly compelling. It would be great to see this production released on video or DVD format.

As a kid, I was moved by this version when it first aired in the 70's and again when I viewed it recently. The richness of dialog in the script and the quality of acting make this version my favorite by far. This is one for your bookshelf.