Is there a movie about the Battle of Alamo?
The Alamo (1960 film) The Alamo. (1960 film) The Alamo is a 1960 American epic historical war film about the 1836 Battle of the Alamo produced and directed by John Wayne and starring Wayne as Davy Crockett. The picture also stars Richard Widmark as Jim Bowie and Laurence Harvey as William B.
Who played the Alamo in the 1960s?
The Alamo (1960 film) The Alamo is a 1960 American historical epic and war film about the 1836 Battle of the Alamo produced and directed by John Wayne and starring Wayne as Davy Crockett.
What is the setting of the Battle of the Alamo?
The synopsis below may give away important plot points. The film begins in March 1836 in the Mexican State of Coahuila y Tejas town of San Antonio de Bexar (now Downtown San Antonio in the U.S. state of Texas), site of the Alamo, where bodies of Texan defenders and Mexican attackers are strewn over the Alamo.
Did John Wayne write the movie Alamo?
By 1945, John Wayne had decided to make a movie about the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. He hired James Edward Grant as scriptwriter, and the two began researching the battle and preparing a draft script. They hired John Ford 's son Patrick (who wrote a screenplay about the battle in 1948) as a research assistant.
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Is the Alamo movie historically accurate?
As history, The Alamo looks accurate, and, indeed, we find that San Antonio de Béxar was carefully re-created with little sparing of expense (the film cost $95 million to make) and with the able assistance of the Alamo historian and curator, Richard Bruce Winders, and Stephen L.
What was the main purpose of the Alamo?
Known today as The Alamo, this Spanish mission complex was the first of the San Antonio missions founded to convert the local American Indians to Christianity. The mission eventually became a community of Spanish, Mexican, and American Indian Catholics.
Which movie about the Alamo is most accurate?
8.) The Alamo (2004)Probably the most historically accurate depiction of the Alamo yet.Impressive performance by Billy Bob Thornton in the role of Davy Crockett.Most recent Alamo movie.
How long did the Alamo fight last?
13 daysOn March 6, 1836, after 13 days of intermittent fighting, the Battle of the Alamo comes to a gruesome end, capping off a pivotal moment in the Texas Revolution. Mexican forces were victorious in recapturing the fort, and nearly all of the roughly 200 Texan defenders—including frontiersman Davy Crockett—died.
What famous people died at the Alamo?
Davy Crockett was the most famous pioneer to be killed during the Battle of the Alamo. Some famous people who died at the Alamo were David Crockett, James Bowie, William B. Travis, James Bonham, and many others. On April 21, 1836, Santa Anna was defeated by Sam Houston and other Texans during the battle of San Jacinto.
What really happened to Davy Crockett at the Alamo?
Crockett is thought to have died defending the Alamo; however, by some accounts he survived the battle and was taken hostage with a handful of men (against Santa Anna's orders to take no hostages) and executed.
Did Travis really draw a line in the sand?
Col. William Travis' famous “line in the sand” most likely never happened. The first mention of it wasn't made until decades after the March 1836 battle and it was made by a man who may not have been at the Alamo during the siege.
Is the Alamo still standing?
The Alamo is still standing and is one of history's unknown mysteries. On certain days/nights you can feel as if a ghost from the past or jack sparrow may be heading in this direction with a ship to collect.
What is the meaning of the Alamo?
Alamo. [ (al-uh-moh) ] A fort, once a chapel, in San Antonio, Texas, where a group of Americans made a heroic stand against a much larger Mexican force in 1836, during the war for Texan independence from Mexico.
What are 5 interesting facts about the Alamo?
10 Interesting Facts About The Battle of The Alamo#1 The Alamo is named after the Spanish word for cottonwood. ... #2 The Battle of the Alamo was part of the Texas Revolution. ... #3 The Alamo was about to be abandoned before the battle. ... #4 The Mexican army to retake the Alamo was led by Santa Anna.More items...•
What was the battle cry of the Alamo?
"REMEMBER THE ALAMO" was a battle cry in which the bitterness of the Texans over the massacres by Mexican forces at the Alamo in San Antonio (6 March 1836) and at Goliad(27 March 1836) found expression. Use of the phrase has been attributed both to Gen.
Where did the movie "The Alamo" take place?
The film begins in March 1836 in the town of San Antonio de Bexar, showing the aftermath of the Battle of the Alamo. The film then flashes back to a year earlier. Sam Houston ( Dennis Quaid) attends a party where he tries to persuade people to migrate to Texas and encounters David Crockett ( Billy Bob Thornton ), recently defeated in his bid for re-election to Congress. In San Felipe, Texas, the Texas provisional government is meeting to discuss what action to take after the recent capture of the Alamo and Bexar by the Texans at the first Battle of San Antonio de Bexar. Texas has rebelled against Mexico, and its dictatorial president Santa Anna is personally leading an army to retake the Alamo. The Texan War Party calls for the Texas army to depart Bexar, cross into Mexico and confront the Mexican forces at Matamoros. The Opposition Party seeks to rebuild the Texan army and establish a permanent government.
Where was the movie The Alamo filmed?
Filming on the Alamo set. Most of the film was shot at a ranch near Austin; at 51 acres, it was the largest set ever built in North America (at the time). A number of buildings, including the mission, were constructed for the film, at a cost of about $10 million. They depicted a Spanish colonial village.
What does Bowie tell Travis?
Bowie returns to tell Travis that Santa Anna has offered the opportunity to surrender. Travis passes this to his men, but the defenders decide to stay and fight. With his hopes of an easy victory foiled, Santa Anna orders to grant no quarter against the Alamo defenders. Bowie becomes ill and is rendered bedridden.
How much did the Alamo movie make?
Box office. $25.8 million. The Alamo is a 2004 American Western film about the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. It was directed by John Lee Hancock, produced by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, and Mark Johnson, distributed by Walt Disney Pictures (through its Touchstone Pictures banner), and starred Dennis Quaid as Sam Houston, ...
What happened at the Battle of San Antonio de Bexar?
Texas has rebelled against Mexico, and its dictatorial president Santa Anna is personally leading an army to retake the Alamo.
What was used to make the scenes of the march through the snow?
Snow making machines were used to create the scenes of the march through the snow. Four days later, a snow storm blanketed the set, for real. Two calls were made to find thin and gaunt extras to play the soldiers, but the film's scenes of the attack on the Alamo were shot in harsh weather.
Who was the commander of the Alamo?
The provisional government votes out Sam Houston as commander of the Texas army; a disgusted Houston tells Jim Bowie to go to San Antonio, destroy the fortifications (including the Alamo) and retreat eastward. The provisional government in turn orders William Barret Travis ( Patrick Wilson) to Bexar, where Col. Neil, the Alamo's actual commander, gives Travis command of the post as Neil must leave to take care of a family emergency before returning with reinforcements. Travis, knowing that the Alamo's small force cannot withstand the Mexican Army, sends couriers with pleas for reinforcements. As small groups of Texans arrive, Travis oversees defense preparations, hoping that enough reinforcements will arrive before the inevitable final assault.
Who is the leader of the Mexican army in the movie Alamo?
The film depicts the Battle of the Alamo and the events leading up to it. Sam Houston leads the forces of Texas against Mexico and needs time to build an army. The opposing Mexican forces, led by General Santa Anna, are numerically stronger as well as better-armed and -trained. Nevertheless, the Texans have spirit and morale remains generally high. Lieutenant Colonel William Travis is tasked with defending the Alamo, a former mission in San Antonio. Jim Bowie comes with reinforcements and the defenders prepare. Meanwhile, Davy Crockett arrives with a group of Tennesseans.
Where was the Alamo set?
The movie set, later known as Alamo Village, was constructed near Brackettville, Texas, on the ranch of James T. Shahan. Chatto Rodriquez, the general contractor of the set, built 14 miles (23 km) of tarred roads for access to the set from Brackettville.
How much did the Alamo movie cost?
Box office. $20 million (US/ Canada) The Alamo is a 1960 American epic historical war film about the 1836 Battle of the Alamo produced and directed by John Wayne and starring Wayne as Davy Crockett.
How many bricks were used to build the Alamo?
Over a million-and-a-quarter adobe bricks were formed by hand to create the walls of the former Alamo Mission. The set was an extensive three-quarter-scale replica of the mission, and has been used in other Western films and television series, including other depictions of the battle.
What is the song from the movie "The Alamo"?
Another well known song from this film is "Ballad of the Alamo" (with Paul Francis Webster ), which was performed on the soundtrack by Marty Robbins. Frankie Avalon released a cover version as did the folk duo Bud & Travis whose rendition (with "The Green Leaves of Summer" on the flip side) reached #64 on the Billboard chart. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.
What happened on the thirteenth day of the Alamo?
On the thirteenth day of the siege, Santa Anna's artillery bombards the Alamo, and the entire Mexican army sweeps forward, attacking on all sides. The defenders kill numerous Mexicans, but the attack is overwhelming and the fortress' walls are breached. Travis tries to rally the men, but is shot and killed.
What happens to the Mexicans at the Alamo?
The Mexicans frontally attack the Alamo. The defenders hold out and inflict heavy losses on the Mexicans, although the Texans' own losses are not insignificant, and Bowie sustains a leg wound. Morale drops when a messenger informs Travis that Fannin's reinforcements have been ambushed and slaughtered by the Mexicans. Travis chooses to stay with his command and defend the Alamo, but he gives the other defenders the option of leaving. Crockett, Bowie and their men prepare to leave, but an inspired tribute by Travis convinces them to stay and fight to the end. The noncombatants, including most of the women and children, leave the Alamo.
Storyline
Historical drama detailing the 1835-36 Texas revolution before, during, and after the famous siege of the Alamo (February 23-March 6, 1836) where 183 Texans (American-born Texans) and Tejanos (Mexican-born Texans) commanded by Colonel Travis, along with Davey Crockett and Jim Bowie, were besieged in an abandoned mission outside San Antonio by a Mexican army of nearly 2,000 men under the personal command of the dictator of Mexico, General Santa Anna, as well as detailing the Battle of San Jacinto (April 21, 1836) where General Sam Houston's rag-tag army of Texans took on and defeated Santa Anna's army which led to the Independence of Texas.
Did you know
An extra had grabbed a bag of Doritos from Craft Services before being called to the set. He stuffed it into his costume and got into formation. When action was called, the group charged across the field. When he was "shot" and fell dead to the ground, his bag of Doritos popped out.
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By what name was The Alamo (2004) officially released in India in English?
Storyline
In 1836, General Santa Anna and the Mexican Army is sweeping across Texas. To be able to stop him, General Sam Houston needs time to get his main force into shape. To buy that time he orders Colonel William Travis to defend a small mission on the Mexicans' route at all costs.
Did you know
John Wayne formed a close friendship with Laurence Harvey during filming. He later said Harvey should have received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor instead of Chill Wills.
Why are the Alamo movies immortal?
However, what I have come to realize after watching eight Alamo movies is that how settings, conflicts, and resolutions are exemplified makes or breaks the audience’s experience.
What is the setting of the Alamo?
Setting. The Alamo establishes Texas as a land representing the simple hopes and dreams of the characters it portrays. The monologues from the lead characters of Davy Crockett, James Bowie, and William Barrett Travis express the motivations of the various groups participating in the Texas Revolution.
Why does Jim Bowie tell Davy Crockett that the Alamo garrison needs more men and supplies?
Jim Bowie informs Davy Crockett that the Alamo garrison needs more men and supplies to hold off the Mexican army while “Houston reorganizes him army.” If they cannot hold off Santa Anna, the Texas cause will be lost. Davy Crockett offers to try sneak out of the fort to look for more reinforcements, but James Bowie would rather have him at the Alamo to improve the morale of the troops.
What is at stake in Martyrs of the Alamo?
It is pretty clear what is at stake. We know there is going to be a war against a tyrannical government. So to drive home this point, Martyrs of the Alamo opens with a village full of Mexican soldiers. As “Liberty-loving Americans who had built up the Texas colony” try to go about their everyday lives, Santa Anna’s soldiers, who occupy the land, show off their authority by harassing civilians.
What does James Bowie do during the siege of the Alamo?
Resolution. Even during the siege of the Alamo, James Bowie tries to persuade Santa Anna to end his tyrannical rule and make peace with the Texans. Santa Anna, while respecting James Bowie, calls for the final assault of the Alamo anyway.
Why does Santa Anna spare Susanna Dickinson's life?
At the end of the battle, Santa Anna chooses to spare the life of Susanna Dickinson so that she can warn her fellow Texans that there is no hope. In the final scene of Heroes of the Alamo, in one single long take and in a dramatic monologue, Susanna, contrary to the wishes of Santa Anna, urges the Texans to fight on so that her husband’s sacrifice will have not been done in vain.
What did the leadership of the Alamo find out?
The leadership of the Alamo find out that the reinforcements they were hoping for will not be coming.
Who played the Alamo in 2004?
To not try to live up. “The Alamo” with Billy Bob Thornton in 2004 is the most accurate. In fact, I found no major factual mistake in the movie and only very minor ones, such as Davy Crockett playing “Listen to ...
Who played Sam Houston in the movie Alamo?
The 2004 movie "The Alamo"… In which Gen. Sam Houston's (Dennis Quaid) outnumbered volunteer rebel army including such folkloric figures as, Jim Bowie (Jason Patric) and Davy Crockett (Billy Bob Thornton) prepare for a final heroic standoff at a battle-worn mission called the Alamo to buy time to liberate Texas against the brutal Mexican dictator and legendary General Santa Anna's (Emilio Echevarría) forces.
Why did Santa Anna bring the alcalde to the Alamo?
Further, Santa Anna had the alcalde brought into the Alamo to identify the bodies of Travis, Bowie and Crockett. If he’d just had Crockett shot, he would have known who it was (because the only way Pena could have known was if Crockett told them his name).
Where did the rebels go before Santa Anna?
The rebels duly fled to the Alamo with the Mexicans hard on their heels.
Where did Crockett go to make a killing?
There are too many particular points of divergence from the facts to list here. In broad lines, Crockett headed off to Texas where he hoped to make a killing as a land speculator. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this. The idea was to buy a lot of cheap land and subdivide it to sell off in parcels to the settlers migrating to set up in what had been a pretty laissez-faire Mexican administration. In this he was much of the same mind as Stephen Austin, James Bowie, William Travis and Sam Houston.
Is the Alamo movie accurate?
It isn't. Arc Studio Pro gives you professional screenplay formatting with modern, thoughtful design. “The Alamo” with Billy Bob Thornton in 2004 is the most accurate. In fact, I found no major factual mistake in the movie and only very minor ones, such as Davy Crockett playing “Listen to the Mockingbird” before the song was written.
Is the movie "What if" accurate?
But other than that “what if” scene , the movie is very accurate.
Overview
Reception
The film received mixed to negative reviews. It holds a 29% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the main consensus being: "Too conventional and un-involving to be memorable". It holds a Metacritic score of 47/100, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Variety called it "a historically credible but overly prosaic account of the most celebrated episode in the creation of an Americanized Texas".
The Houston Chronicle gave the film a grade of "B", saying Hancock, whom the paper points out i…
Plot
The film begins in March 1836 in the town of San Antonio de Bexar, showing the aftermath of the Battle of the Alamo. The film then flashes back to a year earlier. Sam Houston attends a party where he tries to persuade people to migrate to Texas and encounters David Crockett, recently defeated in his bid for re-election to Congress. In San Felipe, Texas, the Texas provisional government is meeting to discuss what action to take after the recent capture of the Alamo and …
Cast
• Dennis Quaid as General Sam Houston
• Billy Bob Thornton as Colonel Davy Crockett
• Jason Patric as Colonel Jim Bowie
• Patrick Wilson as Lieutenant Colonel Bill Travis
Production
The origin of the project began in the mid 1990's, with screenwriter Leslie Bohem, who had previously worked on films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, and Dante’s Peak. Bohem had a conversation with Braveheart screenwriter Randall Wallace at the Austin Film Festival, who told Bohem about a trip he had taken to San Antonio to take a look at The Alamo. Bohem then set of…
Historical accuracy
The depiction of Crockett's fate came from memoirs written by José Enrique de la Peña, an officer in Santa Anna's army. Though accepted by many historians, this was the first film to show Crockett executed as a prisoner of war; all others had depicted his death as occurring during the battle. That sparked criticism from many Alamo enthusiasts and some historians, given the disputed nature of its origins.
See also
• Battle of the Alamo
• The Alamo (1960 film)
• The Last Command (1955 film)
• The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory (1987 TV movie)
External links
• The Alamo at IMDb
• The Alamo at AllMovie
• The Alamo at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Alamo at Metacritic
• The Alamo at Box Office Mojo
Overview
The Alamo is a 1960 American epic historical war film about the 1836 Battle of the Alamo produced and directed by John Wayne and starring Wayne as Davy Crockett. The film also co-stars Richard Widmark as Jim Bowie and Laurence Harvey as William B. Travis, and features Frankie Avalon, Patrick Wayne, Linda Cristal, Joan O'Brien, Chill Wills, Joseph Calleia, Ken Curtis, Ruben Padilla as San…
Production
By 1945, John Wayne had decided to make a movie about the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. He hired James Edward Grant as scriptwriter, and the two began researching the battle and preparing a draft script. They hired John Ford's son Patrick (who wrote a screenplay about the battle in 1948) as a research assistant. As the script neared completion, however, Wayne and Herbert Yates, …
Plot
The film depicts the Battle of the Alamo and the events leading up to it. Sam Houston leads the forces of Texas against Mexico and needs time to build an army. The opposing Mexican forces, led by General Santa Anna, are numerically stronger as well as better-armed and -trained. Nevertheless, the Texans have spirit and morale remains generally high. Lieutenant Colonel William Travis is tasked with defending the Alamo, a former mission in San Antonio. Jim Bowie co…
Cast
• John Wayne as Col. Davy Crockett, a larger-than-life legend from Tennessee who arrives at the Alamo bringing a band of fellow adventurers to the fight.
• Richard Widmark as Col. Jim Bowie, a legendary figure like Crockett, who shares command of the Alamo with William Travis, but bears ultimate authority only over his volunteer group.
Release
Wayne hired publicist Russell Birdwell to coordinate the media campaign. Birdwell convinced seven states to declare an Alamo Day and sent information to elementary schools around the United States to assist in teaching about the Alamo.
On October 24, 1960, the world premiere was held at the Woodlawn Theatre in San Antonio, Texas.
Themes
The film does little to explain the causes of the Texas Revolution or why the battle took place. Alamo historian Timothy Todish claims that "there is not a single scene in The Alamo which corresponds to a historically verifiable incident". Historians James Frank Dobie and Lon Tinkle demanded their names be removed as historical advisors.
Wayne's daughter Aissa wrote about her father's project: "I think making The Alamo became my …
Response
Though the film had a large box-office take, its cost kept it from being a success, and Wayne lost his personal investment. He sold his rights to United Artists, which had released it, and it made back its money.
Critical response was mixed, from the New York Herald Tribune's four-star "a magnificent job... Visually and dramatically, The Alamo is top-flight" to Time magazine's "flat as Texas".
Alternate versions
The Alamo premiered at its 70 mm roadshow length of 202 minutes, including overture, intermission, and exit music, but was cut severely for wide release. UA re-edited it to 167 minutes. The 202-minute version was believed lost until Bob Bryden, a Canadian fan, realized he had seen the full version in the 1970s. He and Alamo collector Ashley Ward discovered the last known surviving print of the 70 mm premiere version in Toronto, in pristine condition. MGM (UA's sister …