Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans
1957 - United StatesBased on John Fennimore Cooper's character, who battled the Huron Indians in the northern frontier of upstate New York during the 1750's, Hawkeye was played by John Hart, who had previously taken the reins from Clayton Moore -but only temporarily, of another Western hero, The Lone Ranger.
Hawkeye was a trapper, fur trader and scout for the US Cavalry and was joined on his adventures by his redskin 'bloodbrother', Chingachgook, the 'Last of the Mohicans' of the title, played by Lon Chaney Jnr. Chaney's father had been a famous Hollywood actor who was known as The Man of a Thousand Faces (James Cagney portrayed him in a 1957 film of the same name), playing amongst others, The Phantom of the Opera. Junior had reluctantly followed his father's footsteps into the same movie genre, appearing in the 1941 Universal production of The Wolfman.
Published on December 20th, 2018. Written by Laurence Marcus for Television Heaven.