DON'T BUY IT JUST YET!!!
Added 11/1/2009
For all those who have yet to buy this movie, WAIT!!!
I know many have criticized the DVD release as it is the shorter, general release and NOT the memorable "Roadshow" edition complete with Overture, Intermission, and over 25 minutes of deleted scenes.
The film is currently being worked on up in Canade. It is one of the last surviving prints left in existence. Supposedly, it will be released sometime next year on DVD and Blu-Ray. GOOGLE IT!!!
In the meantime, add a couple other John Wayne films to your list until the NEW and IMPROVED version arrives.
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Very inspiring and very entertaining
Added 10/15/2009
It's 1836, and General Sam Houston (played by Richard Boone) is preparing to defend Texas's independence from the new Mexican President, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. He needs Colonel Travis (Laurence Harvey) and Jim Bowie (Richard Widmark) to buy him the time he needs to organize his army. And so, joined by American legend Davie Crockett (John Wayne) and a group of about 30 Tennesseans, the men make their stand at the Alamo mission, on the San Antonio River. This is the story of the great stand at the Alamo, where a small group of men stood against overwhelming odds for thirteen days.
This is a great movie, very inspiring and very entertaining. This 1960 production has come under considerable criticism for the liberties it takes with the historical record of the battle, but nonetheless it really is a movie worth seeing. Unlike the IMAX movie, Alamo: The Price of Freedom, that I saw down in San Antonio, this big-budget extravaganza features a large and impressive Mexican Army, and better character development.
My fifteen-year-old son and I really enjoyed this movie, with all of its action and daring-do. We both give it a big thumb's up!
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The Alamo! A movie you will remember!
Added 8/4/2009
John Wayne's Alamo is a rousing, stirring saga of the men who were part of the struggle for what eventually became the Republic of Texas. Whether it was the Texian defenders of the Alamo or the soldiers of the Mexican army, this movie depicts their valor and chivalry.
The "trinity" of the Alamo stars John Wayne in the role of Davy Crockett, Laurence Harvey as Col. Wm. Barrett Travis and Richard Widmark as Jim Bowie. Supporting roles are held by many fine actors including Chill Wills as one of Crockett's Tennesseans.
John Wayne continues his trend of teen idol co-stars that began with Ricky Nelson in "Rio Bravo" by including Frankie Avalon in the role of Smitty, the young man sent to Houston with a final desperate appeal for help.
While the set and the costumes are accurate depictions of the time, the movie itself is not a literal recreation of the historic battle. But rather the battle and events surrounding it serve as a backdrop for John Wayne to preach to his audience about the moral high ground of doing right over wrong, or of the meaning of words that can give you a lump in your throat... Republic being one of those words.
You will be sitting on the edge of your seat during the thrilling battle scenes which were filmed in an era long before computer generated images. When you see 2,000 men poring over walls, you see 2,000 men!
The restored scenes in this version help set the stage for some scenes in the shortened DVD version.
As producer, director and star, this movie is John Wayne's finest hour (or, rather, three hours and 22 minutes!)
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Why still not released on dvd?
Added 6/30/2009
Can this version be released on dvd please!It is amazing that the 'other' version has been released but not this one.
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Wayne's Alamo one of best
Added 6/9/2009
When John Wayne decided to make his version of the events of 1836 which led to the Texas fight for Independence, he made several errors in doing so. One of the most glaring errors is his depiction of the battle itself. While the action events in the movie, filmed in the expansive Todd-AO process, are some of the best ever, we need to be reminded that the original battle was fought at 3 a.m., in the morning, not in daylight as Wayne depicts it. Another thing Wayne should have done which would have made this movie better, would have been to cut some of the lenghty first act and use the time to show what happened with Sam Houston afterward. Another glaring error was when Jim Bowie receives a communication from outside the walls telling him his wife has just died. Actually, Bowie lost his wife some three years prior to 1836. Still, without these minor details, the movie itself is marvelous. Well acted by the principals and the supporting cast, the movie is a spellbinder. While it is long, the 3 hour and 20 minute version does justice to the story. Why the long version hasn't been put on DVD as yet is something I wish someone would explain. Another good thing about the Alamo is the music score by Dimitri Tiomkin, who has scored Wayne pictures before, including Red River and Rio Bravo. The song, the Green Leaves of Summer, should have won the Academy Award that year (1961). If you can find a copy, the long version was available on laserdisc and there might be some floating around somewhere. It would be well worth your time.
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