The Man from the Alamo (1953)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Budd Boetticher

Writers:

Steve Fisher (screenplay) and
D.D. Beauchamp (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

24 August 1953 (Sweden)

Genre:

History | Western

Tagline:

Out Of Texas' Bravest Hour... Came The Man They Called The Coward

Plot:

During the war for Texas independence, one man leaves the Alamo before the end (chosen by lot to help...

Plot Keywords:

Alamo | Texas | Wagon Train | Family Relationships | Source Music

Awards:

Won Golden Globe.

US TV Schedule:

Sat. July 18

6:15 AM

AMC

Cast

Glenn Ford	...	John Stroud
Julie Adams	...	Beth Anders (as Julia Adams)
Chill Wills	...	John Gage
Hugh O'Brian	...	Lt. Tom Lamar
Victor Jory	...	Jess Wade
Neville Brand	...	Dawes
John Daheim	...	Cavish (as John Day)
Myra Marsh	...	Ma Anders
Jeanne Cooper	...	Kate Lamar
Marc Cavell	...	Carlos (as Mark Cavell)
Edward Norris	...	Mapes
Guy Williams	...	Sergeant McCauley

Runtime:

79 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) | Norway:12 (1957) (cut) | Norway:16 | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #16344) | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the sheriff's office in Franklin the picture on the wall is of Rutherford B. Hayes, President from 1877 - 1881. In 1836, when this movie takes place, Hayes was 13 years old.

Quotes:

General Sam Houston: I have just received a dispatch that Santa Anna has captured San Antonio. Colonel Travis, with less than 200 men, has withdrawn across the river to the Alamo to prepare for its defense. At the moment, that is the only military force between the Mexican army and the Sabine River... and those men need help!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That (2005) (TV)

He's just an unlucky guy.

As the war for Texas independence heightens, the Alamo has become a critical point of time buying interest. Fearing their families will perish under the might of the marauding Mexican army, the men of the Alamo draw lots to see which one of them will flee the Alamo battle to steer the families out of harms way. John Stroud is the man faced with the task, but upon reaching his destinations he finds he's too late to save anyone, this is just the start of his worries as he has been branded a coward for leaving the Alamo, where all have perished, and his attempts to avenge the murder of his family are beset with problems at every turn.

No great shakes in the Western genre here, and certainly not even close to being amongst the better work of director Budd Boetticher {The Tall T & Comanche Station} or Glenn Ford (The Big Heat & Blackboard Jungle). It's also not high on production value and doesn't have location vitality to give it an earthy sheen, it still however manages to be an entertaining piece putting an interesting offshoot to the Alamo legend. Glenn Ford is a watchable star at the best of times and he manages to keep this picture afloat by putting a bit of cool bravado urgency into the role of John Stroud, with dashes of emotional fortitude, his relationship with the young, recently orphaned Carlos, gives the film its emotional weight, and when that sits alongside the usual array of shoot them up sequences it makes for good honest Western fare.

Of the supporting cast, Chill Wills and Neville Brand put in some fine work, whilst there has been far far worse female leads in this genre than the radiant Julie Adams. Of Boetticher's direction it's just about adequate, working within the confines of the lot and it's lowly budget origins, he pulls it thru but probably himself cringed at some of the night time sequences on show here!, but he of course would go on to direct some of the best genre pieces on the market. Good and bad here folks with the good far outweighing the technically bad deficiencies on show, but i mean come on now, if you can't enjoy Ford having a good old punch up on the brink of a waterfall?, well you're watching the wrong genre in the first place!. 6.5/10