Watched the new version today. 1992 I think. I don't seem to remember that much pioneer nookie on display in the first one.
I had to go look at the pics of the various versions of this (1936, 1997, 1992.) I read the book (and the Leatherstocking Tales) years ago, but I've not seen a single one of the movies. You would think that it would have made the regular rotation on tv's Sunday Matinee Movies. They aired Mutiny on the Bounty often enough, and the original was filmed at the same time this movie was.
@John Brunner: Read the book. Disturbing. Saw the movies. Wasn't aware of a 1997 version. Who was in it? Who directed? The 1992 version moved me. The final scenes were amazing.
I had to go look. It was a Made-for-TV movie with Steve Forrest, Ned Romero, Andrew Prine, Don Shanks. The production company also made The Deerslayer (for TV) a year later. Now I gotta track down the original and the 1992 one. (My rural internet won't support on-line viewing.)