The Alamo: Original Uncut Version [VHS]
by John Wayne
![The Alamo: Original Uncut Version [VHS]](/images/The-Alamo-Original-Uncut-Version-VHS-6303599052-L.jpg)
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Product details
Actor: Frankie Avalon, John Wayne, Laurence Harvey, Patrick Wayne, Richard WidmarkDirector: John Wayne
Producer: John Wayne
Cinematographer: William H. Clothier
Editor: Stuart Gilmore
Producer: James Edward Grant
Writer: James Edward Grant
Producer: Michael Wayne
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Letterboxed, NTSC, Widescreen
Running Time: 167 minutes
Release Date: 1995-09-26
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: MGM (Video & DVD)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
VHS Movie Reviews of The Alamo: Original Uncut Version [VHS]
Movie Review: The Alamo
Summary: 2 Stars
This shortened version leaves out some critical scenes that were on the original that was on VHS. The originial had the most beautiful music before, in between, and after. But this version falls way too flat on all accounts. Why ruin a great movie that was a classic western?Movie Review: A piece of history
Summary: 5 Stars
The Alamo is one of my personal favorates. I am always interested in movies with a historical background and the Alamo is one of the best I've seen. John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Richard Boone and Laurence Harvey are just outstanding in their respective roles.
Movie Review: Wayne's Alamo Does it all
Summary: 5 Stars
Before John Wayne made "The Alamo" in 1960 there had been several films about the Alamo including "The Last Command" (1955) with Sterling Hayden, Budd Boetticher's "The Man From the Alamo" (1953) with Glenn Ford and Hugh O'Brien, "Man of Conquest" (1939) with Victor Jory and Robert Armstrong, the low budget Anthony Xydias "Heroes of the Alamo" (1937) and silent versions called "Davy Crockett at the Fall of the Alamo" (1927) and D.W. Griffith's "Heroes of the Alamo" (1915). In addition, the story was a significant part of the Disney 1955 TV series "Davy Crockett". After Wayne's film the story would be retold in 1987 ("13 Days to Glory") and again in 2004.
"The Alamo" stars John Wayne (Davy Crockett), Richard Widmark (Jim Bowie), and Laurence Harvey (William Travis) and features a truckload of players including Richard Boone, Linda Crystal and Frankie Avalon and some John Wayne/John Ford regulars like Chill Wills, Ken Curtis, Hank Worden, Olive Carey, and Patrick Wayne.
Wayne plays Davy Crockett. Davy Crockett was played by Billy Bob Thornton
(2004), Brian Keith (1987), Fess Parker (1955), Arthur Hunnicutt (1955), Trevor Bardette (1953) and Robert Barrat (1939).
Rugged Richard Widmark was an excellent actor, nominated for an Oscar and winner of a Golden Globe for his debut film ("Kiss of Death", 1947) and also nominated for an Emmy for "Vanished" (1971). Widmark appeared in more than 50 films, initially as a villain but increasing as a hero. He was a staple in Westerns - "The Last Wagon" (1956), "Warlock" (1959), "Two Rode Together" (1961), "Cheyenne Autumn" (1964), "Death of a Gunfighter" (1969), "Once Upon a Texas Train" (1988). Widmark had originally signed on to play Davy Crockett(first offered to Clark Gable who turned it down) since Wayne was scheduled to play Sam Houston, but the financial backers insisted Wayne take a bigger role, so Wayne became Crockett and Widmark moved, reluctantly, to Bowie.Widnark made "Two Rode Together" the next year with his co-star from this film, Linda Crystal.
Widmark plays Jim Bowie. Jim Bowie was played by Jason Patric (2004), James Arness (1987), Sterling Hayden (1955), Stuart Randall (1953), and Robert Armstrong (1939). Kenneth Tobey played him in the TV series.
Handsome Laurence Harvey was twice nominated for a British Oscar ("Room at the Top", "Expresso Bongo"), nominated for an Oscar for "Room at the Top" (1959), and won a Golden Globe as World Favorite Film star in 1968. He appeared in more than 50 films including "The Manchurian Candidate" (1962) and "Of Human Bondage" (1964).
Harvey plays Col. Travis. William Travis was played by Patrick Wilson (2004), Alec Baldwin (1987), Richard Carlson (1955), Arthur Space (1953), and Victor Jory (1939). Don Megowan played him in the TV series.
Richard Boone makes a brief appearance as Sam Houston. Sam Houston was played by Dennis Quaid (2004), Lorne Green (1987), Hugh Sanders (1955), Howard Negley (1953), and Richard Dix (1939). Boone was a terrific actor, perhaps best known for his TV western series "Have Gun Will Travel" (1957 - 1963), but he was a busy actor and appeared in nearly 50 films, 3 of them with Wayne ("The Shootist" in 1976, "Big Jake" in 1971).
James Arness was originally slated for the role as Houston, but lost out to Boone. Arness was a good friend of Wayne and Wayne got him the role as Marshall Dillon after Wayne had turned it down. In 1987 Arness appeared as Jim Bowie in "The Alamo: 13 days to Glory" that was directed by Budd Boettinger, another one of Wayne's friends.
Chill Wills appeared in over 100 films, usually as the grizzled sidekick and occasional comic foil. He's best remember for his Oscar nominated role as Beekeeper in this film, but he also put in memorable performances as Uncle Bawley in "Giant" (1956) and the storekeeper in "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" (1973).
Ken Curtis (he played Charley McCorry in "The Searchers") was married to John Ford's daughter and Ford kept him busy in many films including "Rio Grande" (1950), "Mr. Roberts" (1955), "The Searchers" (1956), "The Last Hurrah" (1958), "The Horse Soldiers" (1959), "Two Rode Together" (1961), and "Cheyenne Autumn" (1964). Curtis is probably best remembered for his role as Festus in the TV series "Gunsmoke" (1964 - 1975). In addition to his considerable skills as an actor, Curtis was also a well known singer and he is often heard singing in his films. Curtis plays Capt. Dickinson, which is a departure from his usual role as a fool.
Hank Worden (played ol' Mose in "The Searchers") appears as the preacher. Worden made over 100 films, 17 with John Wayne, starting with "Stagecoach" in 1939 and ending with "Cahill US Marshall" (1973). Worden had the distinction of working on the 1960 film and also working on the TV series "Davy Crockett".
Olive Carey appears briefly as a woman driving a wagon. Carey was the wife of Harry Carey Sr. who was the man who got John Ford his first job and a friend of Wayne and Ford. Their son, Harry Carey Jr. appeared in dozens of films with one or the other of them.
Wayne's son (Patrick) and daughter (Aissa) appear in the film. Patrick made 9 films with his dad, starting in 1950 at age 11 ("Rio Grande") until 1971 ("Big Jake"). When not working with dad he worked with John Ford with whom he made 3 more films. For 4 year old Aissa this was her only film. She went on to become a successful attorney in Los Angeles.
Wayne spared no costs in this film he directed (first time) and co-produced at a cost of $14 million. The climactic battle involved 7000 extras, 1500 horses, and 400 Longhorn cattle. Cast and crew numbered nearly 400 and production took 83 days. They shot 560,000 feet of film for 566 scenes over 210 minutes. The film was later cut to 167 minutes and then restored to 192 minutes.
Oscar winning composer Dimitri Tiomkin did the musical score. Interestingly enough, Tiomkin won his 2nd of 4 Oscars for another John Wayne film, "The High and the Mighty" (1954), and he was nominated for his work on the Alamo but lost to "Never on Sunday" - he did, however, win the Golden Globe. The musical score here is terrific and Wayne does an excellent job of juxtaposing the action and the music.
There are several key elements that all Alamo pictures must deal with: conflict between the Colonels, fate of Davy Crockett, fate of the defenders. In this film, the conflict between Travis and Bowie is a major feature, Crockett goes down with the ship, and no one deserts.
Much is made of the political rhetoric that Wayne built into the script, but I think the film can be accepted at face value for what it is - the self-sacrifice of nearly 200 people for something they believed in. That type of patriotism knows no party.
The film received 6 Oscar nominations but won only one (Best Sound). It was the #5 box office hit of the year. Dimitri Tiomkin's song "The Green Leaves of Summer" made the top 40.
Wayne's direction is terrific. He mixes and matches shots, preferring to use the close-up more often than his mentor John Ford. Although his mastery of scene composition is not at the same level of Ford, few directors are. Nonetheless, Wayne's compositions are very good. As a first time effort, he certainly gets an "A", and even if this wasn't done by a first timer, it is still well above average. Talking about Ford, he was there to bug his old friend and was assigned some second unit production that appears only briefly in one scene (as far as I can tell). Legend has it that Wayne used none of Ford's shots, and merely sent him out to get him off his back.
Each of the 8 Alamo films has something to recommend it. Which is my favorite film? - John Wayne's 1960 version. The best Crockett? - Fess Parker (honorary mention - The Duke). The best Bowie? - Sterling Hayden. The best Santa Ana? - Raul Julia. The best Travis? - Laurence Harvey. The best Sam Houston? - Richard Boone. The best scene? - Billy Bob playing the violin (Honorable mention - the blind woman - Veda Ann Borg - telling authorities that her husband - John Dierkes -is good enough to stay there and die with the rest of them).
Movie Review: A John Wayne super-spectacular, unedited version
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the wide-screen full-length original theatrical version of one of John Wayne's best performances. It's not as historically accurate as the newer (but less charactor developed) version, but it's John Wayne, his son Micheal, Richard Widmark (I believe the only film with both of them, as personally, they weren't freinds), Richard Boone, Struther Martin, Frankie Avelon, showing he could act a little, and literally a cast of thousands with lots of horse riding, cannon fire and shooting! Depending on the trailer or other sources, it took 12-14 YEARS to make this movie, including building a "new" Alamo some miles west of the original. Sit back, and be ready for over two hours of romance, action, stampedes, and drama. If this isn't a "John Wayne Western", nothing is!Movie Review: DON'T BUY IT JUST YET!!!
Summary: 2 Stars
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.
Summary of The Alamo: Original Uncut Version [VHS]
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 SongJohn 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
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