THE SWAMP FOX (1959-1961) – With the 4th of July fast approaching, it’s past time for a seasonal post. The Swamp Fox is a piece of Forgotten Television that ran sporadically on Walt Disney’s programs. Eight episodes were produced over two years with Leslie Nielsen in the lead role and each one filled a 1-hour time slot.
For people unfamiliar with this hero of the Revolutionary War, he was a Colonel (later a General) and his real name was Francis Marion. He was a guerilla leader fighting against the British army during their occupation of South Carolina during the war.
Marion and his men knew the South Carolina swamplands like the proverbial backs of their hands and could strike the British then disappear deep into the swamps, foiling any pursuit. Obviously, as a television production The Swamp Fox featured a very romanticized version of Marion and his escapades.
In the starring role Leslie Nielsen is good but not great and is sometimes so solemn that the supporting cast members overshadow him. Given his later comedy career a viewer can’t help but expect Nielsen to say things like “I am serious. And don’t call me Francis.” Continue reading
DARK INTRUDER (1965) – This thoroughly enjoyable piece of Forgotten Television was a failed pilot for a series. Supposedly the network passed on it because they thought it was too scary and gruesome for tv viewers of the time. Instead they released this 59-minute black & white gem to theaters as the second title for double features. 
Brett Kingsford maintains a quasi-secret identity. On the surface he’s known in San Francisco as a bon vivant and ladies’ man and when the police want to consult him over something supernatural he dons various disguises to rendezvous with them. That way nobody in his usual social circles is made aware of his connections with the cops. 
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