Houston: The Legend of Texas (1986) (TV)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Peter Levin

Writers:

Frank Q. Dobbs (story) and
John Binder (story) ...

Release Date:

22 November 1986 (USA)

Genre:

History | Western

Plot Keywords:

Texas | U.S. President | Sam Houston | Alamo

Cast

Sam Elliott	...	Sam Houston
Claudia Christian	...	Eliza Allen
Devon Ericson	...	Tiana Rogers
Michael C. Gwynne	...	Mosely Baker
Donald Moffat	...	Col. John Allen
John Quade	...	Sen. Stansbury
Ned Romero	...	Chief John Jolley
William Russ	...	William Travis
John P. Ryan	...	David Burnett
James Stephens	...	Stephen Austin
Richard Yniguez	...	Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
Michael Beck	...	Jim Bowie
Bo Hopkins	...	Col. Sidney Sherman
G.D. Spradlin	...	President Andrew Jackson
Ritch Brinkley	...	Sen. Buckley

Also Known As:

Gone to Texas

Runtime:

USA:144 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Alamo Village - Highway 674, Brackettville, Texas, USA

Company:

Friedgen Productions

Not Quite What I Expected

I thought I would really like this movie. Perhaps it is because I am fan of all things Texan, or perhaps it was because it starred Sam Elliott. Either way, I was, sorry to say, disappointed. First, you should be warned that this was a TV movie. I did not realize this when I rented it, but it became apparent quite quickly! Second, if you were expecting the Sam Elliott of "We Were Soldiers", "Tombstone", or "Gettysburg", he's not in this movie. However, Elliott is not only in the sub-standard performance category. The acting overall reminded me not of a TV special, but rather of those made-for-middle school history class productions. Finally, if you are a student of history, this is not the movie to watch. The producers and/or writers took some liberties that did not have to be taken, especially in dealing with a larger-than-life figure like Sam Houston. If you still feel inclined to rent this movie, save it for a rainy or snowy day!