DVD

The Alamo: Original Uncut Version (1960)

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The Alamo John Wayne's view
It's another DVD con
A LOOOONG labor of love
The Epic Story of the Battle
The 'Battle Cry' that broke Santa Anna's back!

The Alamo: Original Uncut Version (1960)
Starring: Carlos Arruza , Frankie Avalon , Veda Ann Borg , Joseph Calleia , and Linda Cristal
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | VHS | Video

Classics | Westerns | Genres | VHS | Video

Epic | Westerns | Genres | VHS | Video

General | Westerns | Genres | VHS | Video

Avalon, Frankie | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Borg, Veda Ann | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Calleia, Joseph | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Cristal, Linda | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Curtis, Ken | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Dierkes, John | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Harvey, Laurence | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Henry, William | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

O'Brien, Joan | ( O ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Pyle, Denver | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Wayne, Patrick | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Widmark, Richard | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Wills, Chill | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Worden, Hank | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Action & Adventure | Widescreen | Formats | VHS | Video

Westerns | Widescreen | Formats | VHS | Video
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The Alamo (Widescreen Edition)
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ASIN: 6303599052
Release Date: 1995-09-26

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

Description

John Wayne produces, directs and stars in this "bigger than life" (Life) chronicle of one ofthe most remarkable events in American history. At the Alamoa crumbling adobe mission185 exceptional men joined together in a sacred pact: they would stand firm against an army of 7,000 and willingly give their lives for freedom. Filmed entirely in Texas, only a few miles from the site of the actual battle, The Alamo is a visually stunning and historically accurate celebration of courage and honor. Co-starring Richard Widmark, Laurence Harvey and Chill Wills, and garnering seven Oscar(r) nominations*, it is a "truly memorable movie spectacle" (Leonard Maltin). *1960: Picture, Supporting Actor, Cinematography, Sound (winner), Editing, Score and Song

Customer Reviews:

The Alamo John Wayne's view.......2007-06-27

This movie was a life long dream of John Wayn. He had wanted to make it for many years and finally in 1960 he was able to give the world his vision. It has great action sequences and the battles are among the best you can find. Detail in the costumes is great. It does have a large part of the movie being used as a platform for Mr. Wayne's political views but it is worth a watch.

It's another DVD con.......2007-04-18

Such a great movie completely ruined by Warner/MGM issuing a badly cut version of this classic film. Originally running at 196 minutes with Overture and Intermission plus 26 minutes of footage. This full version has already been issued on both VHS and Laserdisc so why do we have to put up with a cut version on DVD. The breaks in narrative ruin the continuity of the movie completely. Ever since this DVD was released I have been hoping for a "Director's Cut" but this does not appear to be in the forseeable future. The releas of the new version with Billy Bob Thornton would have been an ideal time for Warner to bring out THE ORIGINAL.

A LOOOONG labor of love.......2007-02-26

Hollywood history, but pretty accurate as far as the real events go. John Wayne directed and starred as Davy Crockett; Richard Widmark is Jim Bowie; and Laurence Harvey is the stiff-backed Col. Travis: their clash of personalities becomes the central theme of the movie. Wayne, as always, is just John Wayne. How the men end up at the Alamo in the first place is what the first half is all about: "freedom" has been challenged and a band of Tennessee ruffians comes to meet the challenge. The second half is all about the battle itself, and it's done up Hollywood style, no holds barred. The movie was a flop when it first came out; much has been written about why that was so but I imagine the biggest reason was that the movie was just too long, despite the crackling dialogue in places and the generally excellent acting by the principals. Quite a few academy award nominations went to the movie, mainly for technical things (cinematography, editing, sound, etc.). Not a movie that remains long in one's memory banks, it's still way better than the 2004 remake starring Dennis Quaid and Billy Bob Thornton.

The Epic Story of the Battle.......2007-01-11

You deserve a better introduction than what the film lacks. The Mexicans revolted against Spanish rule in 1821. The Monroe Doctrine, and the British Navy, kept Spain from reconquering Spanish America. The 1824 Mexican Constitution was similar to the US Constitution in its democracy and freedom. But the big landowners and bankers objected to democracy. They found an ambitious military man who would lead a coup to create a centralized dictatorship. After independence Mexico allowed immigrants from America to enter as long as they followed the rules. They were allowed the lands that were claimed by Indians like the Comanches. The Alamo was a mission compound miles outside of San Antonio de Behar. It served the Indians, and had adobe walls for protection against marauders.

The state of Zacatecas first stood up to Santa Anna's dictatorship. They were attacked, defeated, and their militia slaughtered. The "1824" on the Texican's tricolor meant they supported the 1824 Constitution for democracy and against the dictatorship. For the American settlers it was like another War of Independence. Most of the Americans were from the South, and brought their "peculiar institution" with them. The Mexican Constitution outlawed slavery. The film showed the Texicans complaining about the restrictions on trade; political oppression always results in impoverization of the people. [Richard Henry Dana's "Two Years Before the Mast" described life in California around that time.]

The conversation between Crockett and Bowie probably wasn't based on historical records. This is drama, not history. The attack on the Texans was started in the winter of February 1836; Santa Anna knew the value of a surprise attack. This caused many to flee towards the Louisiana border. The fortifications of the Alamo could not stand up against a regular army with cannon. Colonel Travis decided to hold the fort against superior forces. Colonel Bowie wanted to destroy the fort and attack Santa Anna's forces with guerrilla tactics. [This method has been proven correct from Concord and Lexington down to the present day. Davy Crockett knew that when a bear sought refuge in a cave it was doomed.]

A sortie at night destroyed a large enemy cannon. Colonel Travis explained his plan: the Alamo will hold off Santa Anna's army until General Sam Houston could raise a Texan army; they will buy time. The promised relief forces from Goliad never arrived. Another sortie captured cattle for fresh meat. When Santa Anna arrived he allowed the women and children to leave. Then the Mexican army began its assault; it failed. A rider reported that Colonel Fannin's men had been defeated; help would not arrive. The final assault began. The defenders of the Alamo were outnumbered and outgunned; their adobe walls were no match for cannon and a mass attack that overwhelmed the defenders. The survivors were executed, their bodies burned. The women and children were set free.

[This film would be better if it contained the rest of the story.] Santa Anna's army pursued the Texans; a victory seemed near. While camped at the San Jacinto river a surprise attack by the Texan army avenged the defeats at the Alamo and Goliad. Sam Houston extracted a Treaty of Independence from Santa Anna to establish the Republic of Texas. A decade later Texas joined the United States.

The 'Battle Cry' that broke Santa Anna's back!.......2006-12-17

John Wayne's directorial tribute to the struggle for "The Alamo" symbolized the spirit of resistance of a small group of determined fighters for Texan independence from Mexico...

Texans established a provisional government in 1835 and appointed Sam Houston (Richard Boone) commander in chief of their army... There followed a seesaw battle for control of San Antonio, including the ill-advised defense of the Alamo by a force of fewer than 200 Texas volunteers... General Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna was determined to take this key location in order to impress upon the Texans the futility of further resistance to Mexican ruler...

After a 13-day siege, every fighting man perished under the onslaught of 7,000 Mexican troops... Among the fallen defenders were Cols. William B. Travis, James Bowie and the legendary Davy Crockett... Only Mrs. Dickinson (Joan O'Brien), her little daughter and a black boy survive to provide the eyewitness story of the Siege and the Battle of the Alamo...

John Wayne portrays Davy Crockett, a frontiersman and politician, who saw the future of an independent Texas as his future and he loved a good fight... Crockett and his brave combatants - the Tennesseans, expert marksmen, held their position until death...

Richard Widmark is cast as Colonel Jim Bowie, a reckless adventurer, known for his famous 'Bowie knife'. Bowie has come to fight for Texas independence with a small force of volunteers. He had strong personal friction with Travis which threatens to develop into a private war... The difference in their personalities resulted in the two men sharing a somewhat antagonistic competition for command of the entire garrison... On one point they did agree: "The Alamo" is the most important stronghold of Texas...

Laurence Harvey plays Colonel Travis, "the grand Canyon of Texas," who arrives with 25 men to establish the first line of defense against Santa Anna... Travis is a disciplinarian officer who commanded the Texas defenders during the siege and battle of the Alamo, a genuine hero who anticipated a battle to the death, a polite gentleman who gave the men an opportunity to retreat with honor the ill-fated garrison but explained how important their defense of the Alamo is... His appeal from the Alamo of reinforcements becomes an American symbol of unyielding courage, heroism and self-sacrifice... Travis high moment in the film was when he fired his answer to Santa Anna with a cannon blast: Victory or Death!

With its seven Oscar nominations, including the Oscar-nominated hit song "The Green Leaves of Summer" and a superb score written by Dmitri Tiomkin and song-writer Paul Webster, and featuring some of the most spectacular battle sequences ever seen, "The Alamo," - a sacrifice on the altar of liberty - becomes the 'Battle Cry' that broke Santa Anna's back...

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