The Alamo (1960)

John Wayne’s pet project. The Duke stars as Davy Crockett alongside Richard Widmark as Jim Bowie and English actor Laurence Harvey as William Travis.

Travis has received simple orders from Sam Houston, who’s trying to build an army to fight Santa Anna: Hold off the Mexicans as long as possible.

Bowie and Crockett show up with their volunteers to help in the fight for Texas independence.

Bowie’s commitment to defending the Alamo wavers, however, as the Mexican army approaches. Rather than defend a run-down mission, he’d like to engage in “slash and run” tactics, harassing Santa Anna’s force in a running battle.

It doesn’t help that he’s not exactly on friendly terms with the do-it-by-the-book Travis.

But Bowie and Crockett are great friends. And, in the end, they make the decision to fight – and likely die – together.

In lesser roles, Frankie Avalon plays a young volunteer under Crockett who is sent to deliver word of the Alamo’s plight to Houston.

Linda Cristal is Flaca, a young Mexican beauty Crockett rescues from a profiteer who figures to make his money regardless of who wins the war and who’s trying to force her to marry him.

Review:

Overly preachy and patriotic in spots? Oh, yeah.

But Wayne also managed to make a fine, moving film, with excellent performances from all three leads and many of the supporting actors. And, yes, that’s Ken Curtis of Festus fame on “Gunsmoke” in the role of Capt. Dickinson.

A wonderful score by Dimitri Tiomkin helps build the drama. The large-scale final assault on the Alamo – 7,000 extras were reportedly involved – gives the affair a fitting climax. And it’s certainly miles better than Republic Studio’s 1955 version of the same story, starring Russell Hayden.

Wayne had wanted to make the film for years, but kept being put off by Republic. So he decided to do so on his own and, at one point, planned to film the movie in Mexico. After being pressured by The Daughters of the Republic of Texas, he found a 20,000-acre ranch in Bracketville, Texas, to do the filming instead.

The project put him in debt, and didn’t receive the critical praise he had hoped for. It was nominated for multiple Academy Awards, including best picture; it won just one, for best sound. But it remains a solid film.

The director’s cut, at 204 minutes, was released on home video in the 1990s. The MGM DVD version runs 162 minutes.

Directed by:
John Wayne

Cast:
John Wayne … Davy Crockett
Richard Widmark … Jim Bowie
Laurence Harvey … William Travis
Ken Curtis … Capt. Dickinson
Frankie Avalon … Smitty
Patrick Wayne … James Butler Bonham
Linda Cristal … Flaca
Joan O’Brien … Mrs. Sue Dickinson
Chill Wills … Beekeeper
Joseph Calleia … Juan Seguin
Carlos Arruza … Lt. Reyes
Jester Hairston … Jethro
Veda Ann Borg … Nell Robertson
John Dierkes … Jocko Robertson
Denver Pyle … Thimblerig

Runtime: 167 (204) min.

Memorable lines:

Davy Crockett: “I’m not empty anymore. That’s what’s important: to feel useful in this old world. To hit a lick against what’s wrong, or to say a word for what’s right, even though you get walloped for saying that. Now I might sound like a Bible-beater yelling up a revival at a river crossing camp meeting, but that don’t change the truth none. There’s right and there’s wrong. You gotta do one or the other. You do the one, and you’re living. You do the other and you may be walking around, but you’re as dead as a beaver hat.”

Flaca: “Maybe I’ll never see you again.”
Davy Crockett: “If that’s what’s written, it’s written.”

One of the Tennessee volunteers after Davy reads them a letter, supposedly from Santa Anna: “Do chastise mean what I think It do?”
Another Tennesseean: “It do.”
Beekeeper: “Davy, let’s do saddle up and go learn that gentleman his manners.”
Davy Crockett: “We won’t have to. He’s wearing out horses coming towards us.”
Beekeeper: “Guess we can’t stop him from coming. But I reckon we can arrange for him to limp going back.”

Jim Bowie of Travis: “I’d hate to say anything good about that long-winded jackanapes, but he does know the short way to start a war.”

Jim Bowie: “Davy, you know this old mission can’t stand up in front of Santana’s army. My way’s the only way.”
Davy Crockett: “Travis says Fannin is coming.”
Jim Bowie: “Travis says. I wouldn’t take Travis’ word that night’s dark and day’s light.”

Davy Crockett, after Travis has gunned down a charging cavalryman: “There’s one thing for sure: he’s a bearcat for nerve.”
Jim Bowie: “Grateful for that. I’d hate to look at a coward over a dueling pistol.”
Davy: “You’re not much for this forgive and forget business, are you Jim?”
Jim: “No.”

Jim Bowie, with a final attack pending: “What are you thinking, Davy?”
Davy Crockett: “Not thinking. Just remembering.”

Hank Worden as Parson gives thanks for finding the Alamo while Smitty (Frankie Avalon) looks on in The Alamo (1960)

John Dierkes as Jocko Robertson and Veda Ann Borg as his blind wife Nell as the Tennesseans arrive in The Alamo (1960)

John Wayne as Davy Crockett, explaining to his men that the Mexican Army is already Texan bound in The Alamo (1960)

Richard Widmark as Sam Bowie and Laurence Harvey as Travis wait for the others to decide to leave or fight in The Alamo (1960)