Daniel Boone (TV Series) The Ben Franklin Encounter (1965) User Reviews

Helping Ben Franklin Escape the British

[gordonl56 · 8/10 · 21 April 2014]

DANIEL BOONE – The Ben Franklin Encounter - 1965

This is the 23rd episode of the long running 1964-70 series about the life of American frontiersman and explorer, Daniel Boone. The lead is played by Fess Parker. Also in the mix are Albert Salmi, Ed Ames, Patricia Blair, Veronica Cartwright and Darby Hinton.

Fess Parker and Ed Ames are making a visit to Virginia to see about getting some gunpowder laid on for Fort Bonnesborough. The British are not shipping supplies out to the frontier over fears the items might be used against them if rebellion comes.

Anyways, Parker and Ames, through no fault of their own, become embroiled in a mix up with British soldiers, French spies, several women and Ben Franklin. The British are trying to catch Franklin before he is whisked away by the French to Paris. Anna Lee and Vicki Harrington play a couple of wealthy types, helping Franklin escape. Edward Mulhare is the dastardly British officer trying to catch Franklin. He wishes to string the man up as a traitor to the King.

Parker and Ames are forced to bang a few heads and the like in order to help Franklin get away. Franklin, in order to thank Parker, gives him information on where he can find all the gunpowder he needs.

The whole episode takes place at night in a big house. There are plenty of guns being drawn and folks getting clubbed in the back of the head etc. Great fun! A very entertaining episode, that is handled smoothly by veteran B-film helmsman, Nathan Juran. Juran had a good reputation for turning in good B-films, even when saddled with shoestring budgets. Examples of his work include, THE BLACK CASTLE, DRUMS ACROSS THE RIVER, LAW AND ORDER, HIGHWAY DRAGNET, THE CROOKED WEB, GOOD DAY FOR A HANGING, 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH, THE DEADLY MANTIS, ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN and THE 7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD.

Saving Bonhomme Richard

[militarymuseu-88399 · 9/10 · 25 December 2023]

Daniel and Mingo are in Virginia (location indeterminate, but on the coast), and a chance road encounter leads them into a plot to smuggle Benjamin Franklin to France in support of the Patriot cause.

The series gets back into high gear by launching the protagonists into Revolutionary intirigue, though the history scaffolding has weak points. Australian Laurie Main, in the first of four DB guest shots, does a passable black and white Franklin portrayal. British Hollywood colony expatriate Edward Mulhare, more recognizable to 80's viewers from "Knight Rider," is a sufficiently foppish British Admiral determined to bring Franklin to Crown justice. The action largely takes place at the mansion of colonial belle Anna Lee, later soap grande dame Lila Quartermaine on "General Hospital.

Plenty of narrow escapes, Redcoat fights, Rebel girl-British officer romance and derring-do; much of the fun is seeing Commonwealth natives Main and Mulhare play off each other. Mingo gets to lurk around for a chance yo intervene, and as always the black and white format when deployed indoors makes things somewhat more believable.

Dissecting the history component -

* Time is indeterminate as well - reference is made to the "rebellion," which rules out the 1770's runup period, but incongruous to have British troops in a Va. Coastal town (Norfolk?) this early in the war.

* Accuracy points for Boone and Franklin discussing their mutual connection to the French & Indian War's Braddock expedition against Fort Duquesne, Pa.; in reality Boone was a teamster and Franklin a supply agent.

* Reference is made to the Second Continental Congress, which convened after the outbreak of hostilities in April 1775.

* Franklin was not dispatched to France until after the Declaration of Independence (no reference during the hour) was signed in 1776, and was able to sail directly from Philadelphia on an American ship.

* Franklin was ensconced in Philadelphia during the early war period, no trips to Virginia.

* The escape ship is referred to as a sloop; but depicted looks more like a brig or brigantine.

Redcoat report - about eight. Regiment also undetermined with certainty due to black and white format, but unlikely for a British Admiral (reasonably kitted out in what we can guess to be to be commanding infantry instead of sailors and Royal Marines. Plus, Mulhare's detachment is wearing dragoon helmets while carrying infantry muskets - impossible for an 18th-century horse soldier, too clumsy. But we do get to see dragoons in action, a rarity on DB where most of the action is on foot.

Franklin will turn up again in another season late in the series, and one wishes this hour had been saved for the color years, but its still great fun. Another high point for DB's inaugural season.