The Alamo (1960)

Director:

John Wayne

Writer:

James Edward Grant (original screenplay)

Release Date:

24 October 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | History | War | Western

Tagline:

They stood firing until they could stand no longer...156 MEN AGAINST A RAGING ARMY OF 7000!

Plot:

In 1836 General Santa Anna and the Mexican army is sweeping across Texas. To be able to stop him, General...

Plot Keywords:

Texas | Mexican | Army | Sam Houston | Mission

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 6 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

John Wayne	...	Col. Davy Crockett
Richard Widmark	...	Jim Bowie
Laurence Harvey	...	Col. William Travis
Frankie Avalon	...	Smitty
Patrick Wayne	...	Capt. James Butler Bonham
Linda Cristal	...	'Flaca'
Joan O'Brien	...	Mrs. Sue Dickinson
Chill Wills	...	Beekeeper
Joseph Calleia	...	Juan Seguin
Ken Curtis	...	Capt. Almeron Dickinson
Carlos Arruza	...	Lt. Reyes
Jester Hairston	...	Jethro
Veda Ann Borg	...	Blind Nell Robertson
John Dierkes	...	Jocko Robertson
Denver Pyle	...	Thimblerig (the Gambler)
Aissa Wayne	...	Lisa Angelica Dickinson
Hank Worden	...	Parson
William Henry	...	Dr. Sutherland (as Bill Henry)
Bill Daniel	...	Col. Neill
Wesley Lau	...	Emil Sande
Chuck Roberson	...	Tennesseean
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams	...	Lt. 'Irish' Finn (as Guinn Williams)
Olive Carey	...	Mrs. Dennison
Ruben Padilla	...	General Santa Anna
Richard Boone	...	Gen. Sam Houston
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ray Ackland	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Charles Akins	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Harold Allgood	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Lee Allison	...	Tennessean (uncredited)
D.E. Barentine	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Carol Baxter	...	Melinda (uncredited)
Abe Blankenship	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
F. Bode	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Danny Borzage	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Buff Brady	...	Tennessean (uncredited)
Paul Breen	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Jim Brewer	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Jim Burk	...	Tennessean (uncredited)
H.J. Canutt	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Tap Canutt	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
A.R. Carpenter	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Ed Carter	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Georges Cartes	...	Bowie's charro (uncredited)
Vincente Castro	...	Bowie's charro (uncredited)
Raul De Luna	...	Bowie's charro (uncredited)
LeJean Eldridge	...	Mrs. Guy (uncredited)
Rojelio Estrada	...	Mexican boy (uncredited)
Estill Ezell	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Manuel Farias	...	Bowie's charro (uncredited)
Rosita Fernández	...	Singer (uncredited)
Mickey Finn	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Gerry Fisher	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Karl Flenn	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Miguel Garza	...	Bowie's charro (uncredited)
Yndalecio Gonzales	...	Bowie's charro (uncredited)
Mike Goulla	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Fred Graham	...	Bearded volunteer (uncredited)
Joe Graham	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Big John Hamilton	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Robert H. Harris	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Chuck Hayward	...	Tennessean (uncredited)
Tom Hennesy	...	Bull (uncredited)
Frank Higgins	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Doug Hodges	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Junior Hudkins	...	Tennessean (uncredited)
Joe Jackson	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Leroy Johnson	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Elmo Jones	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Eddie Juaregui	...	Tennessean (uncredited)
Wayne Kendrick	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Jim Kennedy	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Charles Kone	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
David Kuykendall	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Ronald Lee	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Cliff Lyons	...	(uncredited)
Efrain Maldonada	...	Bowie's charro (uncredited)
Cy Malis	...	Pete (uncredited)
Bryan McAfee	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
John McGuyer	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Doug McNealy	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Don Middlebrook	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Jack Miller	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
J.R. Miller	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Bob Morgan	...	Tennessean (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan	...	Tennessean (uncredited)
Bob Moss Sr.	...	Bowie's charro (uncredited)
C.A. Nicks	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Ray Ochoa	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Dale Parsons	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Jack Pennick	...	Sgt. Lightfoot (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	...	Tennessean (uncredited)
Jerry Phillips	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Homer Pierce	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Lee Roy Powell	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Lupe Reyes	...	Bowie's charro (uncredited)
Warren Rhea	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Ed Riley	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Rudy Robbins	...	Tennessean (uncredited)
Cruz Rodriquez	...	Bowie's charro (uncredited)
Eleno Rodriquez	...	Bowie's charro (uncredited)
Ricardo Rosales	...	Bowie's charro (uncredited)
Bob Rose	...	Tennessean (uncredited)
George Ross	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
LeRoy Ryland	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Charles Sanders	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Alberto Sandoval	...	Bowie's charro (uncredited)
Guadalupe Santoya	...	Bowie's charro (uncredited)
Pete Schneider	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Bill Shannon	...	Tennessean (uncredited)
Ben Shirley	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Chester Smith	...	(uncredited)
Dan Smith	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Dean Smith	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
George Sofge	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Greg Souquet	...	Bowie's charro (uncredited)
Jack Spain	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Jerry Sterner	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Winner Stevens	...	Tennessean (uncredited)
Ted Sumerall	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Chief Tahachee	...	Extra (uncredited)
Alfred Taylor	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Martin Torres	...	Bowie's charro (uncredited)
Julian Trevino	...	Silvero Seguin (uncredited)
Jesse Valdez	...	Bowie's charro (uncredited)
Charles Veltmann Jr.	...	Travis' man (uncredited)
Jim Walker	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Pilar Wayne	...	(uncredited)
Toni Wayne	...	(uncredited)
Ted White	...	Tennessean (uncredited)
Bill Williams	...	Tennessean (uncredited)
Jack Williams	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Clay Wilson	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Thomas Worrell	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)
Jim Wright	...	Bowie's man (uncredited)

Directed by
John Wayne

Writing credits
James Edward Grant		(original screenplay)

Produced by
James Edward Grant	....	associate producer
John Wayne	....	producer
Michael Wayne	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Dimitri Tiomkin

Cinematography by
William H. Clothier

Film Editing by
Stuart Gilmore

Casting by
Frank Leyva		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Alfred Ybarra

Set Decoration by
Victor A. Gangelin

Costume Design by
Frank Beetson Jr.		(as Frank C. Beetson)
Ron Talsky		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Web Overlander	....	makeup supervisor
Fae M. Smith	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Tom Andre	....	unit manager (as Thomas J. Andre)
Nate H. Edwards	....	production manager
George Coleman	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Cliff Lyons	....	second unit director
Robert E. Relyea	....	assistant director
Robert Saunders	....	assistant director
Michael Wayne	....	first assistant director: second unit (uncredited)

Art Department
Joe LaBella	....	property master (as Joseph LaBella)

Sound Department
Don Hall	....	sound editor (as Don Hall Jr.)
Fred Hynes	....	sound recording supervisor
Gordon Sawyer	....	sound recording supervisor
Jack Solomon	....	sound

Special Effects by
Lee Zavitz	....	special effects
Daniel Hays	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Bill Babcock	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buff Brady	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jim Burk	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tap Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Philip Crawford	....	stunts (uncredited)
Harry Froboess	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Graham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Harris	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Hart	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hayward	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Hennesy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tex Hill	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Hudkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Leroy Johnson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Juaregui	....	stunts (uncredited)
Cliff Lyons	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Morgan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Rudy Robbins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Rose	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Shannon	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dean Smith	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gibb Stepp	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ted White	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)
Thomas Worrell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack N. Young	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bernie Abramson	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Denver Pyle	....	set photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
Murray Spivack	....	music recordist
Dimitri Tiomkin	....	conductor
Robert Tracy	....	music editor
Vinton Vernon	....	music recordist
Manuel Emanuel	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Jimmie Haskell	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George Parrish	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Herbert Taylor	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Frank Beetson Jr.	....	technical supervisor (as Frank Beetson)
Jack Pennick	....	technical supervisor
Michael Wayne	....	assistant to producer
Russell Birdwell	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Jim Henaghan	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Burt Kennedy	....	production associate (uncredited)
Robert E. Morrison	....	production associate (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Alamo Company, The
• Batjac Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1960) (USA) (theatrical) (released through)
• United Artists (1960) (France) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1961) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1971) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• Warner Home Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• Critics' Choice Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Pacific Title and Art Studio  main title by (as Pacific Title & Art Studio)

Runtime:

167 min | UK:203 min (25 fps) (director's cut) (1993 video release) | USA:140 min (1967 re-release) | USA:192 min (roadshow version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) | New Zealand:G | USA:Approved ( certificate #19635) | UK:PG | Australia:G (VHS rating) | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Alamo Village - Highway 674, Brackettville, Texas, USA

Company:

Alamo Company, The

Trivia:

Both Clark Gable and Charlton Heston, the two actors John Wayne wanted most to do the film, both expressed regret at not taking the parts they were offered. Heston declined the role of 'Bowie' out of political ideology (a political view he later later vehemently rejected), and Gable passed due to to the age difference between himself and William Travis. Gable's family later said that he wanted to do the film as a way to do "a macho film" to escape the typecasting of Gone with the Wind (1939) as a romantic lead.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The opening scene of the movie shows Sam Houston giving orders to William Barrett Travis to hold off the Mexican army until he could build an army. In reality he sent Travis to the Alamo to help Jim Bowie burn it down and retreat to Gonzales, Texas. Bowie and Travis ignored the order.

Quotes:

Gen. Sam Houston: Where's Jim Bowie?
Captain James Butler Bonham: He's indisposed, sir.
Gen. Sam Houston: Indisposed? By God if you mean drunk, you say drunk, sir!
Captain James Butler Bonham: He's drunk, sir!

Movie Connections:

Edited into How the West Was Won (1962)

Soundtrack:

Here's to the Ladies

John Wayne's Massive Tribute to Texas Terrific!

Viewed as history, John Wayne's epic production of 'The Alamo' is as full of holes as Swiss Cheese (the final battle actually lasted less than an hour, in the pre-dawn darkness of March 6, 1836; current scholarly consensus is that the historical Crockett attempted to surrender, at the end of the furious onslaught, but was executed), but just as Wayne mentor John Ford never let 'the facts' interfere with a good story, first-time director Wayne wanted to tell a tale of larger-than-life heroes, taking a stand for what was right, and being willing to die for that cause. It was a firm belief in these truths that pushed Wayne into investing over ten years of his life, and much of his personal fortune, in telling this story, and 'The Alamo' was, and is, a triumph.

The film can really be broken into two distinct parts; the first part introduces the characters, providing insights into their personalities, and tells a melodramatic tale of a beautiful woman (the radiant Linda Cristal), being forced into an unwilling relationship with an evil, profiteering Texan, who is rescued by the plain-spoken and heroic Davy Crockett, as portrayed by Wayne. The story bears similarities to 'The Fighting Kentuckian', a Wayne vehicle of twelve years earlier. In this version, however, Wayne doesn't 'win' the girl, but gives her a rather preachy speech about patriotism, and doing what's right, and sends her on her way.

Despite a terrific fight scene between a bunch of the Texan's henchmen, and Crockett and Jim Bowie (portrayed with easy charm by Richard Widmark), this first part drags, a bit, and seems contrived to allow Wayne to air his political beliefs. Bear with it, though, because when the action moves to the mission/fortress of the Alamo, for the second half of the film, Wayne's talents as a director truly shine.

The story of the 13-day siege between the Alamo's 187 defenders, and General Santa Anna's 6,000-man army, has NEVER been told on a grander scale than in the John Wayne version, and the uncut edition of the film is presented in a wide-screen format, which allows the viewer to really share Wayne's vision. With a nod to the fact that the Mexico of today is a staunch ally (several characters make a point of saying how 'proud' they are of the Mexicans, even as the two forces are killing each other!), the story flows between exciting 'victories' (stealing the cattle, spiking the Mexican cannons), and an understanding of the inevitable conclusion (defined by Lawrence Harvey, as Travis, in the memorable 'sword in the sand' scene). Harvey's Travis is the best-realized of the film's many characters; he brings a humanity to the complex, driven commander, growing from someone insensitive to others, into a leader who earns everyone's respect.

Wayne used thousands of Mexicans as extras in the film, which gives the viewer a far greater sense of the magnitude of the siege than Republic's 'The Last Command' or Disney's 'Davy Crockett' ever could. The battles, particularly the final one, as row after row of Mexican foot-soldiers overrun the pockets of defenders, are unforgettable! Each character is allowed to die heroically, and is given a lingering moment to make a final gesture (Travis breaks his sword over his knee as Mexicans surge past, Bowie fires his unique gun, a brace of pistols, and swings his famous knife, Crockett, bayoneted to a door, still manages to pull free, and torch the magazine). The film's climax, alone, would make the film a 'must' for any action fan.

The cast includes many well-known character actors and long-time Wayne friends, including Ken Curtis as Lt. Dickinson, Travis's adjutant; Chill Wills as the most outspoken of Crockett's men; Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams, Denver Pyle, Chuck Roberson, and many others, as defenders. Wayne's son, Patrick, has a small but visible role as James Butler Bonham, the famous Alamo dispatch rider, and his daughter Aissa plays the Dickinson's child, Angelina.

'The Alamo', for all it's faults, is a magnificent spectacle, monumental in scope. It is a fitting tribute to it's star/director, and an ESSENTIAL part of any John Wayne collection!