Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Forgotten TV: Hawkeye & the Last of the Mohicans (1956)

James Fenimore Cooper's Last of the Mohicans has been adapted for television a few times over the years, but with little success.

The first attempt came in 1956, and an independent producer thought it made sense to retitle it, Hawkeye & The Last of the Mohicans. Seems that this idea was counter-productive after all, as the show lasted just 1 season.

John Hart (ex-The Lone Ranger) top-lined as Hawkeye, partnered with Lon Chaney, Jr. as Chingachook, Hawkeye's "blood brother". You could tell Chaney was near the end of his storied career, just from the following video, and the fact that he was taking a lot of TV jobs in the 50's and early 60's.

The 2nd attempt was a syndicated miniseries that aired in the 70's,  but unfortunately may not be available on YouTube, though we're trying to figure a way to find it. The most recent version was titled, simply, Hawkeye, produced by Stephen J. Cannell, and starring Lee Horsley (ex-Matt Houston) and Lynda Carter, in her first series gig since teaming with Loni Anderson in Partners in Crime in the 80's, which was her only other post-Wonder Woman TV series.

For now, scope out a sample episode:



Rating: C.

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