Joel McCrea plays Sam Houston in a film that covers the period from the time he resigns as governor of Tennessee following a scandal involving his divorce to the day he defeats Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto.
At first, Houston wants no part of the “free Texas” movement. But he can’t resist helping Jim Bowie (Jeff Morrow) and a friend out of a legal jam. After all, he intends to set up shop as an attorney in San Antonio. He’s not interested in politics. He’s not interested in crusades. He arrived in Texas simply looking for a fresh start.
Shortly after professing his love for Katherine Dulaney (Felicia Farr), the niece of his new landlord, he even promises her not to take part in a revolution. She already lost her father to a similar cause.
But President Jackson summons Houston to Texas and asks him to lead the region to freedom, and that’s a request Sam Houston can’t refuse. He takes over command of a rag-tag army and, just when his junior officers are convinced he’ll never fight, sets a neat little trap for Santa Anna.
Review:
Pretty well done, especially the climatic Battle of San Jacinto. The casualty numbers cited near the end of the film might sound outlandish, but are actually pretty accurate. Santa Anna, however, was not captured in peasant’s clothes — at least not according to most historical accounts.
Joel’s son Jody plays a loyal member of his army, a junior officer who is confident Sam Houston will turn and fight at some point. This marked his first credited film role; he’d wind up appearing in three more Westerns with his dad — “Trooper Hook,” “Gunsight Ridge” (both 1957) and the low-budget “Cry Blood Apache” (1970).
One false note is the romantic subplot. It seems contrived, especially the part where Katherine joins Houston on his march, admitting she’s been wrong all along. It doesn’t help that she’s a very young looking 24 when the movie was made while McCrea was 51.
Directed by:
Byron Haskins
Cast:
Joel McCrea … Sam Houston
Felicia Farr … Katherine Delaney
Jeff Morrow … Jim Bowie
Jody McCrea … Lt. Baker
Wallace Ford … Henry Delaney
Abraham Sofaer … Don Carlos
Chubby Johnson … Deaf Smith
Dayton Lummis … Steve Austin
Rodolfo Hoyos … Col. Cos
Roy Roberts … Col. Sam Sherman
David Silva … Santa Anna
James Griffith … Davy Crockett
Nelson Leigh … Col. Hockley
Frank Puglia … Pepe
Carl Benton Reid … President Andrew Jackson
Runtime: 82 min.
Title tune: “The First Texan”
Memorable lines:
Jim Bowie, when Houston declines an offer to join a discussion about the future of Texas: “You don’t understand. This is big. We’re talking about making Texas independent of Mexico.”
Sam Houston: “Well, that is pretty good-sized talks.”
Sam Houston: “I’m not interested in any crusades.”
Jim Bowie: “You’ll have to be interested in this, if you’re going to stay in Texas.”
Sam Houston: “I wish you’d stop worry about your uncle, Katherne. He can take care of himself.”
Katherine Delaney: “No he can’t. He’s like a child. They all are. Plotting and scheming, just like a lot of small boys playing a game. It isn’t a game. It’s a terrible, frightening reality.”
Texan Lt., tired of retreating: “This is a fine army, scouts that don’t hear, and generals that won’t fight.”
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