Fess Parker had that cool coonskin cap -- who needs an Emmy?

Fess Parker never won an Emmy, but he was a player at TV's top awards.

TV academy voters couldn't ignore him when he emerged as a sudden superstar leading a national craze for Davy Crockett lore. The Emmys nominated Fess Parker for best new personality of 1954, but he lost to George Gobel.

Parker's TV show "Davy Crockett" wasn't a stand-alone program. It was comprised of several one-hour dramas that were part of "Disneyland," an anthology series that also included mysteries, family dramas and cartoons. One of its Fess Parker segments, "Davy Crockett and River Pirates," got nominated for best single program of 1955, but lost to Mary Martin's classic "Peter Pan."

The huge popularity of the "Davy Crockett" segments helped "Disneyland" to win best action or adventure series of 1955, beating "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Dragnet," "Gunsmoke" and "The Lineup."

Fess Parker's other hit TV series, "Daniel Boone," was never nominated for Emmys.

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Photo: Disney

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Fess Parker had that cool coonskin cap -- who needs an Emmy?