Heroes of the Alamo (1937)

In early spring of 1833, the smoldering resentment of American settlers in Texas against their oppression by Mexico dictator General Santa Anna/Ana coming to a head. When a decree is issued... See full summary »

Director:

Harry L. Fraser (as Harry Fraser)

Writer:

Roby Wentz

Stars:

Earle Hodgins, Lane Chandler, Roger Williams

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Earle Hodgins	...	Stephen F. Austin
Lane Chandler	...	Davy Crockett
Roger Williams	...	Jim Bowie
Rex Lease	...	Col. William B. Travis
Jack C. Smith	...	William H. Wharton (as Jack Smith)
Bruce Warren	...	Lt. Al Dickinson
Ruth Findlay	...	Anne Dickinson
Lee Valanios	...	Col. James Bonham (as Lee Valianos)
Edward Peil Sr.	...	Gen. Sam Houston (as Edward Piel)
Julian Rivero	...	Gen. Santa Anna
Willy Castello	...	Gen. Cos
Paul Ellis	...	Gen. Castillion
Jim Corey	...	Hank Hunter
Steve Clark	...	Frank Hunter
Marilyn Haslett	...	Angelina Dickinson

Storyline

In early spring of 1833, the smoldering resentment of American settlers in Texas against their oppression by Mexico dictator General Santa Anna/Ana coming to a head. When a decree is issued that no more Americans may enter Texas, William H. Wharton, fiery head of a faction determined on independence or nothing, warns Stephen F. Austin that the time for half-measures is past. Austin, responsible for bringing the Americans to Texas as colonists, reminds Wharton that a settler's revolt against Mexico would dishonor his name and the arrangements he had with the Mexican government. He gets the "Whartonites" to agree to a general convention of all colonists. Almerian Dickinson, biggest land owner in the settlement of Gonzales, deeply in love with his wife Anne, warns Wharton that a bloody revolt would endanger every wife and mother in the colony. He proposes they send Austin to Mexico City to ask Santa Anna to grant Texans a voice in their own government. After months in Mexico City of ...

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Plot Keywords:

poverty row film | republic of texas | revolution | fight for freedom | jim bowie character | 

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Taglines:

THEY DIED TO FREE AN EMPIRE!

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Genres:

Adventure | History | War | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was first released through independent exchanges on 8/6/37. Columbia Pictures purchased it in late 1937, re-did all the advertising, posters and other related printed material and sent it out via its own distribution as a Columbia film on 2/17/38. It also changed the billing order from that on the original print.

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Connections

Referenced in M*A*S*H: Preventative Medicine (1979)

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Soundtracks

The Yellow Rose of Texas
Traditional
Courtesy of Mary Daggett and William J. Marsh

User Reviews

In many ways, best re-telling of the heroic story

Prior, anyway, to the current mis- and/or un-informed generation, everybody knew the story of the Alamo.

It's THE American story of heroism, of courage in the face of overwhelming odds.

It's usually portrayed as an equivalent of the battle by the English colonists on the East Coast for independence from Great Britain.

"Heroes of the Alamo" is a remarkable production, doubly so considering it's from Columbia.

Unlike so many versions of this story, there is no over-emphasis on side stories, no excessive corn or sticky sweet sentiment.

In the big-budget John Wayne version, history was better served in the reminder that there were Mexican Texicans alongside Gringo Texicans, even inside the Alamo. That's missing in this much lower budget version.

However, the remarkably capable actor Julian Rivero plays General -- and dictator -- Santa Anna as a strong, if not very nice, leader, and the other "Mexicans" are shown as generally brave and admirable people.

In fact, many hundreds of the soldiers in the surrounding forces had been conscripts, were poorly fed and clothed, and were exhausted from the forced march that brought them to Bexar, as San Antonio was known then.

This version also shows the truth, that the Texicans as led by Stephen Austin -- beautifully played by the excellent Earle Hodgins in an unusual role for him -- were wanting to be loyal to Mexico, had in fact come to Texas mostly with that intention.

Not shown is the history that much of Mexico's governmental leadership had invited the Gringos to Texas at least in part to be a buffer against the wild, and often savage, "Indians," as the natives were and are mistakenly called. Texas was wide-open desert land, and the government of Mexico, like all governments, had no thought for the people but only for any riches that might be brought in.

Also like all governments, the Mexican state, as led, or mis-led, by Santa Anna grew more greedy and more grasping and the new Texicans -- very much like the English colonists on the Atlantic Coast -- grew resentful and finally rebellious.

Some of that history is referenced in "Heroes of the Alamo," but a lot more is, by necessity, left out, including, for example, the massacre by Santa Anna of the Texicans at Goliad.

Al -- in real life Almaron -- Dickinson really did have his wife inside the Alamo, and in real life she went out to tell the world of the heroism and tragedy of that battle. In real life, though, she was Susanna, not Ann or Anne.

Many of the real-life heroes are portrayed here, including David Crockett, James Bonham, Jim Bowie, and William Travis. Also shown in this film is William H. Wharton, who was not at the Alamo but was a strong rabble-rouser for Texas independence. (There is a page of quotes by Wharton on the Internet, but most of what is there is, certainly by modern standards, pretty racist and, in my opinion, rather general and, thus, rather stupid. It shows ignorance of or blindness to the fact Mexicans fought alongside the Gringos, not just beside Santa Anna.)

There is a print at YouTube that is miserably dark, and thus it is hard sometimes to be fully aware of what is happening on screen. Surely technology exists to improve the quality. And this movie is not just a good one, but an important one. It has a large cast of high-quality players, so many of whom are unknown now; and it is a good and mostly accurate history of Texas and the Alamo.

"Heroes of the Alamo" is by no means perfect, but it is an honest attempt at history on the Columbia limited budget and deserves being seen, again and again.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 August 1937 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sunset Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1