Toon Talk: Walt Disney Treasures - Elfego Baca & The Swamp Fox and The Adventures of Spin & Marty
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Disc 1 wraps up with its bonus features, including the new Maltin interview segment, The Many Lives of Robert Loggia, wherein Loggia recalls auditioning for Walt (who originally considered Ricardo Montalban in the role) and how he had to learn to ride a horse and shoot a gun for the part. Like Davy Crockett, both Elfego Baca and the Swamp Fox had their own theme songs, released on Disneyland Records, as seen in the Merchandise Gallery, along with comic books and board games inspired by both series. In addition, behind-the-scenes shots can be found in the Production Photo Gallery.

From the Wild West to the Colonial South, disc two centers on Lt. Col. Francis Marion (1732-1795), the rebellious freedom fighter who was the “Robin Hood of the American Revolution.�? Dubbed the “Swamp Fox�? due to his crafty outfoxing of the British, the efforts of Marion and his militia, with their “hit and run�? raids, were instrumental in keeping the fires of revolution burning during a crucial time during the war.

In the role of Marion, Walt cast Leslie Nielsen, best known at that time for the sci fi classic Forbidden Planet (and years before his comedic evolution in Airplane!, Police Squad!, et al!). As could be expected, Nielsen is more drab then Drebin here (i.e.: a plethora of patriotic pronouncements), but his performance picks up as the story progresses. Unfortunately, like Elfego Baca, there are only three episodes in this set (a total of eight Swamp Foxes were produced between 1959 and 1961), and a juicy revenge plot arises just at the close of the third episode, leaving quite a cliffhanger for most viewers of this DVD. One can only hope that the remaining five Foxes (as well as the remaining seven Bacas) will be made available some day. If so, then maybe Nielsen will decide to participate; his absence from any bonus materials in this set is greatly noticeable. What, was he too busy make Arizona Federal Bank commercials?

The first episode is titled, naturally, “The Birth of the Swamp Fox�? (original airdate October 23, 1959) and is typical of most “origin�? stories: a lot of set-up. Livening up the proceedings in this and the next episode is Richard Erdman as a wily British compatriot of Marion’s.

Not all American colonists supported the revolution; those loyal to the crown of England, called Tories, were often more dangerous then the British soldiers. And, like the Civil War to follow, the war often found “Brother Against Brother�?, as the second episode is titled (original airdate October 30, 1959). The conflict between Marion’s supporters and the Tories comes to a head in this installment, continuing in the third (“Tory Vengeance�?, original airdate January 1, 1960), ratcheting up the drama considerably when Marion’s nephew, Young Gabe (Tim Considine, post-Spin & Marty), is kidnapped, leading to the tragedy that leaves you hanging, with only previews for the next episode to satisfy.

Like Elfego Baca’s portrayals of Mexican-Americans, Swamp Fox presents black characters that are shown in a positive light (although they are most likely slaves), displaying just as much bravery as Marion. Alas, other clichés seep in, most annoyingly with the composer’s insistence of always playing the strains of “Rule Britannia�? every single time the English appear onscreen. However, aside from some obvious stock footage, the production values are just as accomplished as those in the Baca series.

Disc two’s sole bonus feature is an informative overview of Walt’s early forays into television, with a particular emphasis on action heroes Davy and company. Titled Walt Disney Presents Heroes of the American Frontier, the featurette features several historians (both Disney- and American-) offering intriguing ruminations on how these programs presented the past through the morals of their time, the mid- to late-50’s. A few trivia tidbits are revealed (such as how Audie Murphy was originally considered for the Swamp Fox), and allowances are expressed on how these shows may not have been entirely historically accurate, but they did inspire interest in their real-life subjects.