American Legends Series: Pecos Bill (Revised & Restored)

My, my what a difference 50 years can make. Case in point: Disney's Pecos Bill, part of the 1948 feature-length compilation of animated shorts Melody Time (now available on home video for $22.99). Narrated/sung by Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers, this homage to the "rootin'est, tootin'est, sharp-shootin'est cowboy of 'em all," Pecos Bill (a tall tale that began life in a 1923 piece for Century Magazine by Edward O'Reilly), conjures up deeply divided feelings circa 1999. Sporting classic Disney animation, the rip-snortin' story of Bill's fallin' off the wagon (literally) as a baby traveling West with his family, consequent upbringing by coyotes, amazing feats as a young man (he created the Rio Grande with a sharp stick), and adventures with his horse Widowmaker and sweetheart Slue Foot Sue, is very nicely animated and mostly fun to watch. Unfortunately, 75% of the time, Bill is seen either a) fistfighting or, more often, b) shooting off his guns. Out on the open prairie, or even riding through a populated town, our hero is constantly shown with a blazing six-shooter in each hand. These disquieting images bespeak not so much an "American legend" as a young adult male with an itchy trigger finger. For my money, the Rabbit Ears production of Pecos Bill ($9.95) starring Robin Williams is still the best, story-wise and budget-wise. The other titles in the American Legends series are: The Legend of Johnny Appleseed, The Saga of Windwagon Smith, Paul Bunyan (all have been or are available on home video collections) and a new overview video, American Folklore. The series price of $249 brings the per unit cost down to under $50. Libraries may want to consider the other volumes (where firearms are not an issue), but we can't recommend Pecos Bill for an educational setting, and most public libraries will already have the parent tape Melody Time anyway. (R. Pitman)