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Post by neferetus on Feb 9, 2007 20:02:40 GMT -5
While glancing through an old children's book (Favorite Stories Old And New, Selected by Sidonie Matsner Gruenberg Doubleday & Company, 1942) I happened upon this story on page 398 called DAVY CROCKETT, A Tale Of The U.S.A., by Michael Gorham. Anyhow, while reading the opening paragraphs, I was taken rather aback, as it sounded doggone familiar. Here are those two opening paragraphs:
[glow=red,2,300]The best way to get acquainted with Davy Crockett is to listen to what he said about himself.
"I'm a screamer," Davy said. By that he meant that he could outshout and outtalk anybody on the whole Kentucky frontier, and there were plenty of screamers there---take my word for it.
"My father can lick any man in Kentucky," Davy said, "and I can lick my father. I can run faster, dive deeper, stay under longer and come out drier than any man this side of the Mississippi. I can carry a steamboat on my back and wrassle a lion. I can walk like an ox, run like a fox, swim like an eel, yell like an Indian, fight like a devil, and swallow a congressman if you butter his head and pin his ears back."[/glow]
Sounds sort of like Nimrod Wildfire, The Lion Of The West, at the beginning of THE ALAMO (2004), doesn't it? Maybe the screen writer may've read this book when he was a youngster and then been subconsciously influenced by it. What do you think?
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Post by Bromhead24 on Feb 10, 2007 8:54:59 GMT -5
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Post by Greg C. on Feb 10, 2007 10:16:40 GMT -5
i wonder if jl hancock read that poem?
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Post by neferetus on Feb 10, 2007 13:30:41 GMT -5
Perhaps. But, I must admit that I never heard the term
'screamer', before seeing THE ALAMO (2004).
Now, if Crockett had said "I'm a ring-tailed roarer,"
to Santa Anna, I would've been more comfortable
with it. As it is, most people in the theater audience
must've left just scratching their heads over it.
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Post by neferetus on Sept 26, 2007 14:16:44 GMT -5
Another 'Crockettism' that might've worked better is the more familiar, "I'm half horse, half alligator and just a little tech of the snappin' turtle!"
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Post by Greg C. on Sept 26, 2007 14:45:25 GMT -5
It may have been a catchy line but I highly doubt that those would have been Crockett's last words if he was in that position.
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Post by powderkeg on Mar 19, 2008 19:40:12 GMT -5
In his circumstances, my last words may very well have BEEN a scream...  |
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Post by seguin on Mar 20, 2008 1:20:02 GMT -5
I know for sure my first "words" were a scream... ;D
Yes, Hancock must´ve read that "screamer" bit about Davy somewhere. It can´t be fluke...
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Post by Greg C. on Mar 20, 2008 15:43:56 GMT -5
There may be a variation of this article in my book...
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Post by rlcgttsbcglobalnet on Dec 5, 2008 21:40:52 GMT -5
While glancing through an old children's book ( Favorite Stories Old And New, Selected by Sidonie Matsner Gruenberg Doubleday & Company, 1942) I happened upon this story on page 398 called DAVY CROCKETT, A Tale Of The U.S.A., by Michael Gorham. Anyhow, while reading the opening paragraphs, I was taken rather aback, as it sounded doggone familiar. Here are those two opening paragraphs: [glow=red,2,300] The best way to get acquainted with Davy Crockett is to listen to what he said about himself.
"I'm a screamer," Davy said. By that he meant that he could outshout and outtalk anybody on the whole Kentucky frontier, and there were plenty of screamers there---take my word for it.
"My father can lick any man in Kentucky," Davy said, "and I can lick my father. I can run faster, dive deeper, stay under longer and come out drier than any man this side of the Mississippi. I can carry a steamboat on my back and wrassle a lion. I can walk like an ox, run like a fox, swim like an eel, yell like an Indian, fight like a devil, and swallow a congressman if you butter his head and pin his ears back."[/glow] Sounds sort of like Nimrod Wildfire, The Lion Of The West, at the beginning of THE ALAMO (2004), doesn't it? Maybe the screen writer may've read this book when he was a youngster and then been subconsciously influenced by it. What do you think? This may well have been in a children's book, Nef, but the passage verbatum is from 1830's contemporary stuff -- including "I'm a screamer." John Lee did not copy it from this. He used it because this is a phrase that was put in Crockett's mouth while he was alive. That's why he wanted to write his own book. |
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Post by TexasMacatWork on Dec 4, 2009 10:15:05 GMT -5
If my salvation from an execution was unlikely and I had time to say something, then I would probably let fly whatever. I don't think what the character David Crockett said in the 2004 movie was unrealistic.
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Post by sitges on Mar 30, 2010 17:20:42 GMT -5
I think "I can whip my weight in wildcats" would have made the masses "get it" but I really like "I'm a screamer"
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