"Elfego Baca", set in 1880s New Mexico, tells of the improbable but mostly true adventures of a Mexican American man who earned a reputation for being difficult to kill, became sheriff of a town, and then an underdog-defending lawyer. Elfego is not the type of individual you'd read about in history books, but he (at least in Walt Disney's version) is principled and brave, like any hero should be. In its first two episodes, Disney's series can easily be labeled a Western, but those whom the genre immediately turns off, will soon discover (should they give it a chance) that in spite of the untamed West setting of just-north-of-Mexico, the series offers quite a bit more than cowboys, Indians, saloons, and gunplay. All four of those elements do figure in the three chosen episodes and you might be surprised by the levels of violence in a 1950s television program bearing Walt Disney's name and introduction, but comedy, drama, adventure, crime, and mystery are also seamlessly weaved in alongside the involving gunplay.

By today's standards, the acting in "Elfego Baca" is generally pretty weak with one major exception. That exception is Robert Loggia, a young Italian American man from Staten Island, New York, who in the lead role of Elfego had one of his first professional filmed acting gigs. Loggia has had quite an active career since and, now in his mid-70s, is still performing in films and television. Here in his late 20s, Loggia oozes with charisma and just the right amount of confidence, which is good because he's in almost every scene. He makes for a surprisingly convincing Latino and assures that Baca is a hero you can stand behind. Elfego is quite the compelling protagonist, one who doesn't take himself too seriously and isn't upstaged by his nemesis or anyone else.

A total of ten episodes of "Elfego Baca" were produced; this DVD contains the first two and #5. The selected shows provide the all-important incident that had some (including the obligatory theme song men) calling Elfego "El Gato" and a look at Baca's lives as unorthodox sheriff and unrelenting attorney. In the former, Elfego is accompanied by his deputy sheriff Ed Morgan (Robert F. Simon). In the latter, he's joined by senior partner J. Henry Newman (James Dunn). The roles are somewhat interchangeable as mere straight men to Elfego's sensible quirks; Newman is at least defined as an old bachelor. Nonetheless, the show obviously belongs to Elfego and the stories surrounding him are quite compelling. Whether he's tracking down a wanted criminal, trying to prove the innocence of another, or fighting for his life in a hucal, Elfego's encounters with those around him are interesting and entertaining almost entirely due to the character's (and actor's) charm.

Twelve months after introducing Elfego Baca, Walt turned his attentions to the East Coast just over a hundred years earlier. Then existed times of change, with the British-owned American colonies having proclaimed their independence and revolted against the King of England. War persisted, though, and not all Americans saw eye-to-eye on its necessity. In South Carolina, a man named Francis Marion strongly believed in his people's independence. He headed a small but effective group of soldiers and, on account of his elusive tactics, was dubbed the "Swamp Fox" (hence, the series' title) by his foes, which included British commander Banastre Tarleton.

"The Swamp Fox" is strictly an episodic Revolutionary War drama, adapted from the book Swamp Fox by Robert Bass. Whether historically accurate or not, this series places its interest more strongly into the battles and campaigns conducted by patriots like Marion than in any of the individual characters who might have figured into its stories. This focus on strategy, coupled with the physical similarities among the predominantly white male cast, makes it hard (at least for this modern viewer, seeing the show for the first time) to connect emotionally with the individual characters or invest too much into what happens. Next to "Elfego Baca" and "Davy Crockett", this series is considerably slower and dryer, in spite of the presence of guns and the inherent drama of galloping horses. It is dated and its historical origins seem to lend to only so much of more than minimal excitement.

Marion himself seems to have his heart in the right place and his actions are largely praiseworthy, but he is not the most charismatic protagonist as played by Leslie Nielsen. Nielsen, who has been known for the past 25 years as purely a comedy actor, rarely cracks a smile in the three selected episodes, a fact which contributes to the all-too-serious nature of the dated proceedings. With its attentions held steadfastly to a war now rarely considered for the majority of the year, "The Swamp Fox" is most entertaining in its subplots, where the slightest bit of humanity is enabled to show forth. To this end, there is Sergeant Jasper (Richard Erdman), an excessively theatrical ally of Marion's who gets his jollies by misdirecting the British with a phony contempt for the Swamp Fox and other patriots. There is also Young Gabe Marion (played by Tim Considine of Disney's original The Shaggy Dog and before that, "Mickey Mouse Club" serials "Spin & Marty" and "The Hardy Boys"), Francis's teenaged nephew who yearns to perform heroics for a cause like his Uncle. Finally, there is Marion's girlfriend Mary Videau (Joy Page in the first two episodes, Barbara Eiler thenceforth) whose parents are devout Tories (i.e. British Loyalists), making the face of the enemy potential family for the righteous Marion.

The real Marion would have been nearly fifty during the encounters depicted in Disney's series, quite a bit older than the clean-cut 33-year-old Nielsen. The Swamp Fox was the inspiration for Mel Gibson's character in the 2000 film The Patriot, which, it is said, was supposed to be about the actual Marion until historians cried foul over some questionable actions among Marion's life, such as his mistreatment of slaves and slaughtering of Native Americans. These claims have gone largely unsubstantiated -- which explains why the state-supported Francis Marion University in South Carolina has not changed its name -- and you can be certain that nothing of this sordid sort is depicted in Disney's filming. A little bit of controversy might have given more impact to a modern-day viewing of "Swamp Fox", but alas, it is as inoffensive and bland as any family-friendly drama that manages to cover war and be conscious of its human costs can be.

PACKAGING

True to the Treasures line, Legendary Heroes is presented in a double-width keepcase housed inside a silver tin. The case's color and disc-holding have endured minor changes, but the good stuff inside remains good. The inserts include an individually-number certificate of authenticity (a modest total of 125,000 copies of the set were produced) and an 8-page booklet with basic background on Walt, a listing of the discs' contents, and a Maltin-penned introduction to the set. There is also a collectible card, which appropriately enough, reproduces the cover art for the December 1959 - February 1960 issue of the Walt Disney Presents comic series promising tales of both of the set's featured protagonists.

DISC 1

The first disc opens with an "Elfego Baca"-tailored introduction (2:45) from Treasures host and film historian Leonard Maltin. He discusses the real-life inspiration, how this series followed in the mold of earlier anthology mainstay "Davy Crockett", and two key players involved in the series, star Robert Loggia and "Crockett" director Norman Foster. The set's three "Elfego Baca" episodes all appear on Disc 1. They are available to select individually or with a "Play All" button. While the episodes are not individually introduced the way other Treasures composed of television programming have been, they are divided into about 5 or 6 chapters each, where one assumes commercial breaks would have been, an assumption that the significant fadeouts would seemingly agree with.

BONUS MATERIAL

While many people associate the Walt Disney Treasures with being overflowing with special features, this set proves that is not always the case. But there has yet to be a Treasure barren in the bonus department and Legendary Heroes does not end that trend.

Two supplements can be found on Disc 1. First is about the coolest newly-produced "Elfego Baca" piece you could hope for. That's right -- an interview with the star in "The Many Lives of Robert Loggia" (16:30). Lifelong Disney fan Leonard Maltin catches up with the actor, who you're apt to know more from Big, Scarface, or Independence Day, as Loggia turns on the memory machine (Maltin's phrase, not mine). He recalls developing the character of Elfego with Walt, having had no prior experience with horse-riding or other ways of the West, appearing at Disneyland in 1959, and other occurrences tied to his breakthrough television role. There are a few noticeable (and probably unnecessary) edits to the interview, which result in tone changes in the middle of statements and Loggia saying a grand total of one sentence on voicing Sykes in Oliver & Company. On the whole, though, it's still very neat to hear Maltin chat with Loggia, who clearly holds fond (and vivid) memories from the series. Loggia even shares a funny anecdote about when the "yuppies" finally noticed him. Plus, he puts on his old hat and points his old gun at old Lenny, making this one bonus you definitely won't want to miss.

Next and last on Disc 1 is that Treasures staple: Galleries! There are a grand total of three collections of images to choose from. There's one for Elfego and one for Swamp Fox, holding 26 and 27 black and white photos of production and action. Most interesting is the Merchandise gallery, containing 17 stills primarily of Walt Disney Presents magazine covers plus a few promotional photos, and a couple of pictures of a Swamp Fox board game. (Let's hope it was more rousing than the series!)

In typical Treasures fashion, Disc 1's menus are low-key but sufficient. Each selection screen, aside from the Episode Selection page, is accompanied by music but not animated. There is the curtains-opening animated introduction and the ability to "Play All" episodes, as well.

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ONTO PAGE TWO, DISC 2, and "THE SWAMP FOX"