John Wayne was, at the end of the 1950’s a major movie star. He could have stopped with that. He didn’t. He started the off the following decade, with the release of his passion project; The Alamo. It took awhile to make this spectacle. He put all of his effort and a lot of his money into it. He did something many actors don’t: he directed and produced the film. He was told by many friends and people in the industry, to not make this film. John Wayne, didn’t take the advice. He, like his many western film heroes, stood tall in the saddle. There were delays and many cost overruns. Despite everything, he made this film, about his hero, Davy Crockett’s sacrifice for freedom. The movie has a running time of almost three hours. It isn’t like many epic films, that should have been shortened or not made at all. This movie is a story of courage and sacrifice, that moves well.
The story of The Alamo is famous, and Wayne paints a good picture of its defenders. He is helped by the good script, by James Edward Grant. He wrote a few scripts for John Wayne in the past; most notably Sands of Iwo Jima and Hondo. Grant’s dialogues between Jim Bowie and Col. William Travis, are masterfully performed by Richard Widmark and Laurence Harvey. These two actors are underrated, and this film shows why they should get tremendous respect. The Alamo wouldn’t be a quality film without their presence. This doesn’t take away from John Wayne’s performance as Crockett. He successfully brings an American hero to the big screen. His character even acts as mediator between Bowie and Travis. There is an amusing scene in the film when Davy participates in a Tennessee game. He lets a man hit him as hard as he can. The man is astonished that Crockett didn’t fall down. He is also distressed because Crockett gets his turn, knocking the man down. The movie is made better, with John Wayne. It is a testament to John Wayne, that the film doesn’t put most of the emphasis on Davy Crockett. He lets you know that there were many brave men at The Alamo.
The actors who play the principle players stand out. There are others who help the film. Linda Cristal plays Flaca, a love interest for Crockett. She does well in her scenes with Wayne. She later was able to display her talent on the show, The High Chaparral. Frankie Avalon has an interesting role as Smitty. He wants to play his part in the fight for Texas independence. Crockett and company convince him to take an urgent message to Sam Houston, (Richard Boone). They do this to save his life, knowing he won’t make it back to The Alamo. Patrick Wayne, John’s son, played in several of his father’s films. He plays Captain James Butler Bonham, in this film.
John Wayne did well directing The Alamo. He hasn’t portrayed the Mexicans as villains. They are portrayed as soldiers, doing their duty. He even shows the women and children being allowed to leave, by Santa Anna. Captain Almeron Dickinson, (Ken Curtis), is killed. His wife, Sue, (Joan O’Brien), stays behind, with her child. They are later found, hiding under a bed, after the battle ends. They are spared, and sent out on a donkey, and survey the badly damaged Alamo, along with a late arriving Smitty. John Wayne gives long shots of the Mexican army, showing their size. He goes further in his depiction of the army. It is after a brief skirmish. The men inside are happy that they have given the army a defeat. He shows the grieving widows and mothers of the dead Mexican soldiers, bringing home the grim message of war. There is one scene, where one volunteer isn’t impressed by the army’s colorful uniforms. Another volunteer states that the army has been putting down uprisings for two years, and they know how to fight. John Wayne directed very few films, but did a fine job with The Alamo.
The Alamo and exactly how things happened aren’t quite clear. The accounts on both sides were told decades later. There are discrepancies in the accounts. Davey Crockett’s on screen death, by blowing up the gunpowder stores is heroic, as are Travis and Bowie’s deaths. It doesn’t really matter how these men died. The fact is that they gave their lives for freedom. The Alamo keeps the memory of these true heroes alive forever.