The Alamo (1960). The 1960
film The Alamo is perhaps the most popular depiction of the 1836 battle of the
Alamo in movies. Earlier cinematic offerings included Martyrs of the Alamo in
1915 and Heroes of the Alamo in 1937. In 1955 both The Last Command and Davy
Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier appeared. The latter was one of two
compilation films created from the Davy Crockett-centric episodes from the Walt
Disney’s Disneyland television series (1954–58). Such media spurred a national
revival of interest in the battle of the Alamo and in Davy Crockett in
particular. It was in this climate in 1956 that John Wayne made his pitch to
United Artists to finance his personal vision of what has been referred to as
“the Texas Iliad.”
Wayne had long been interested
in doing an Alamo movie. He stated that the Alamo story was “the greatest piece
of folklore ever brought down through history, and folklore has always been the
most successful medium for motion pictures.” As early as 1945 Wayne had worked
on an Alamo script for Republic Pictures but eventually had a falling out with
studio head Herbert Yates. Wayne left Republic, but the script stayed with the
studio and was reworked into The Last Command.
As many major stars had done
in the waning days of the studio system, Wayne formed his own production
company, Batjac (originally Wayne/Fellows Productions), in 1952. During the
following years he developed a new Alamo script with frequent collaborator James
Edward Grant. Wayne originally intended to produce and direct but not star in
the movie. Investors, however, insisted that he star in the movie, since his
bankability was based on his career in front of the camera, not behind it.
Wayne took on the role of Davy Crockett, though he bore no physical resemblance
to the legendary Alamo martyr.
