[.ca] The Alamo

From Amazon.com:
John Wayne drew on what he learned from John Ford, Howard Hawks, and practically everyone who directed him during his long career when he made his own directorial debut on this labor of love. The Alamo is a sprawling, unabashedly patriotic epic of the sacrifice made by 187 men defending the Alamo from Santa Ana's bigger and better equipped army. Wayne stars as Col. Davy Crockett, the straight-talking, fun-loving frontiersman turned senator, with Laurence Harvey as the stiff, by-the-book Col. William Travis and Ricahrd Widmark as the legendary Jim Bowie who bristles under Travis's military protocol. The mix of regular army soldiers, Texican irregulars, scouts, and civilians makes for a volatile melting pot, but they all come together in a time of crisis in this metaphor for Wayne's heroic vision of America. Wayne spared no expense in this, one the last of the old fashion Westerns, re-creating the Alamo in exacting detail and corralling a cast of Western icons and old friends, including Richard Boone, Chill Wills (who earned an Oscar nomination), Hank Worden, Denver Pyle, Ken Curtis, and Olive Carey, in addition to teen heartthrob Frankie Avalon and Wayne's son Pat. Even old pal and spiritual godfather John Ford lent a hand shooting second-unit footage. Wayne is no Ford, but despite himself (and a talky script), he delivers an entertaining film full of intriguing characters and excellent action scenes, earning the film an Oscar nomination for Best Picture in 1960. Remember the Alamo! --Sean Axmaker

Still Waiting For the 2-Disc Special Edition:
One could easily say that seeing this film for the first time was a turning point in my life (it probably had a great impact on a lot of other 6-year old boys, too). To this day, John Wayne's "The Alamo" still has a firm grip on me emotionally. True, the film is not accurate to history, but I dare anyone to name a movie that is! As I stated in my review of "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc", Hollywood makes "movies", not documentaries (and most documentaries don't agree on the details of the Alamo, anyway). Movie producers, like John Wayne, try to make an "entertainment", to sell tickets and make money. Anyone who thinks film makers are honor-bound to tell the truth on the screen is kidding him or herself. So the question is: Does this movie entertain? Speaking subjectively, I say a resounding "Yes!". I guess there's still a lot of 6-year old in me. One suggestion I have for Ted Turner (or whoever makes the DVD decisions over at MGM) is to release the roadshow Director's Cut version on a 2-Disc Special Edition. Include the 40-minute documentary found on the current disc, and any other archival footage pertaining to the film (Oscars, premiere, interviews). I would also like to see the television special, "Spirit of the Alamo", that John Wayne hosted in 1960. A part of it was used in the aforementioned documentary, but it would be nice to see the program complete for a change. Perhaps the discs could also include a printed history of the Alamo and other events during the Texas Revolution, so viewers won't come away from the film thinking they just witnessed the truth.

Still Enjoyable:
Following the cinematic release of this years retelling of this factually based story, interest is renewed in this dated, but still hugely enjoyable John Wayne epic. An impressive, if diverse cast of A list stars (for the year of production) do much for the flavor and intensity of the picture, which although a little lumbering in places, is a very accomplished piece of film making. I will spare the synopsis, as most viewers and collectors will know the story, but think it is enough to say that this will go down as a classic in the genre. Waynes flag waving, and at times almost overbearing political ideals are very much apparent in the fabric of the picture, but this should not disuade you from a very entertaining western. I use that term a little loosely, as it is more than a western, and was groundbraking in more ways than one at the time of it's production. The DVD also contains a very intimate and interesting peek at the movies production in a special documentary which more than adds to the value of this (now keenly priced) release. A movie that will grace any home collection, and well worth the money.

Frankie Avalon in one of his 1st movie roles:
The movie is good and with Frankie Avalon in one of his 1st movie roles.

Fun to watch:
There are histories and histories. Until recent time's history was told by the winner and we could not help but adjust it to make it more interesting. Well this is one of those movies that will not let the facts stand in the way of a good story, a colorful story, one that you can still root for the good guys and maybe feel a little sad if they happen to lose. We all know the story of a hand full of Texans holding off General Santa Anna and the Mexican army in 1836. All your favorite actors play all your favorite characters which include John Wayne fun to watch as Davy Crockett, Richard Widmark as Jim Bowie, and Laurence Harvey as William Barrett Travis. Their fait is dependent on each other, as apposed to a particular hero. The film is made in Bracketivlle Texas, which gives it a feeling of reality. You may see a strange parallel between the Alamo scenario where a hand full of people (knowing they were doomed) hold on as long as they can to slow down the pace if the Mexican army. And the Tolkien tale of Middle earth where the elves knowing they were doomed fight and resist to the end. Order your version of this film with caution as there are many different cuts and enhancements. Be sure to watch the retaking of the Alamo in the movie "Viva Max." (1969) with Peter Ustinov.

A few good scenes, mostly nonsense:
The script of this movie is awful. There are so many historical inaccuracies. There's also a lot of schlock in the movie. Frankie Avalon didn't disgrace himself, but why was he in the movie, anyway? Smells like pandering to the younger generation! I couldn't believe The Duke as Davy Crockett. I always thought of him as Duke, rather than Crockett. You can't superimpose one big legend on top of another. Richards Widmark and Boone were good in their performances. Laurence Harvey as Travis was terrible! That accent was all over the place. Finally, in his last big speech he abandoned it altogether, sounding more like Laurence Olivier. This movie was long and bloated. I kept checking my watch. I'm thankful that I don't have to sit through the director's cut! Skip the first two-thirds of the movie and check out the last third, and you'll be just as well off!