"Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans" (1957) TV series

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Sam Newfield

Writers:

Mortimer Braus (story)
Doreen Montgomery (writer)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

3 April 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Western

Plot:

Nat Cutler, known as Hawkeye, is a fur trader. With his faithful Indian companion Chingachgook, the last of the Mohican tribe...

Plot Keywords:

Native American | Frontier | Based On Novel | Character Name In Title

Cast

John Hart	...	Nat 'Hawkeye' Cutler (39 episodes, 1957)
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Chingachgook (39 episodes, 1957)

Also Known As:

"Hawkeye"
"Last of the Mohicans" (Canada: English title)

Runtime:

Canada:30 min (39 episodes) | USA:30 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

Valley Farm Rd, Pickering, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Who Shot Patakango? (1989)

Colonial Adventure

This one year series which seemed to run in syndication for quite some time as I remember starred John Hart as James Fenimore Cooper's legendary frontiersman Hawkeye. His companion is Chingachgook, the last member of the wiped out Mohican tribe played by Lon Chaney, Jr.

In the 39 episodes of the series, I do remember that it had the same failing as the later Daniel Boone series where Boone is on everything from the defeat of Braddock and before that in the French and Indian War right up to and including Aaron Burr's conspiracy to do something. Of course Boone was a real person and the fictional Hawkeye and Chingachgook could be adapted to any situation.

John Hart did a stint as the Lone Ranger when Clayton Moore had a contract dispute and walked out on the series for a season. The show was modeled exactly like the Lone Ranger with Hawkeye and Chingachgook roaming the frontier, righting wrongs from both the white and red point of view.

The two wanderers are doing this after the action of The Last Of The Mohicans takes place. Chaney's Chingachgook has an air of incredible sadness about him, it's what I remember best of the series. He saw himself become the last of his tribe in The Last Of The Mohicans, belonging to nowhere in the Indian world and not being accepted in the white one. His only friend is Hawkeye who prefers the wilderness solitude to civilization.

Hawkeye And The Last Of The Mohicans was a good introduction for young people to check out the writings of James Fenimore Cooper. I know I did back as a lad and hope a few of my peers did as well.