The Alamo

[Etex Horn]

Just finished watching "The Alamo", 1960 flick with John Wayne and Richard Widmark. While that version of the battle is not considered the 

most historically accurate, watching it still stirs my emotions.  Studying the topic online, I have read that the "Hollywood money" people

who were paying for its production abandoned the project, saying it was costing too much.  John Wayne, stating he "owed it to the people

of Texas to tell it like it was", bankrolled the completion of the movie out of his pocket.   

The movie did not do well at the box office.  But "The Duke" insisted it must be something the state of Texas was proud of. I think he

did a good job!

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Paging Shevis Irons . . . . 

Shevis is about the most knowledgeable guy I know when it comes to movies. He is an actor, among other things, and was in the remake with Dennis Quaid. I hope he chimes in.

 

[Duke C #11]

Historical accuracy was far from a priority for the 1960 version. It WAS highly entertaining, though.

 

[Juan]

pic from 1849

I think this is the oldest existing photo of it

 

[Juan]

This one is from 1868, after the US Army (or yellow-bellied, carpetbagging yankees if you prefer) took control and made repairs

 

[echeese]

Enjoyed SI's posts on the subject. . .. . . Just received my copy of John Wayne, the Life & Legend but have 2 books cued up in front of it. . . .

The producer of the Afghanistan movie the Hornet's Next father and John Wayne were business partners. . .and in the spring, the Dallas Film society has a John Wayne film festival.

 

[Duke C #11]

True story - John Wayne was the first actor Mel Brooks offered the Gene Wilder role in Blazing Saddles to. Wayne said it was the funniest script he'd ever seen but his fans would be up in arms if he took the role.

 

[MikeV73]

Went to the Alamo last weekend, Texas history is very unique and amazing. Stayed in a hotel across the street from the Alamo, great view.

 

[Etex Horn]

True story - John Wayne was the first actor Mel Brooks offered the Gene Wilder role in Blazing Saddles to. Wayne said it was the funniest script he'd ever seen but his fans would be up in arms if he took the role.

I'm having a hard time imagining John Wayne in that movie telling Cleavon Little, in reply to a question about what he'd

like to do to pass the time.  "Well, I like to screw...and play chess!"   

 

[Duke C #11]

Mel Brooks was having lunch at the studio canteen early in the casting process. He had a couple of copies of the script that he and Richard Prior had written. He saw John Wayne sitting at a near-by table. He handed him the script and asked if he would read the script. Wayne agreed and found Brooks the next day, telling him he had stayed up very late reading the script, laughing over and over again.

 

[Shevis Irons]

I had a guy over to my house today to give me a bid on some work I need done. He said he needed to do it in the next few weeks since he works at a neerby Junior High as it's Principal. The guy is Hispanic and grew up in Texas and is a UT grad.

He noticed a framed flag I have on my wall. It's red, white and green as the Mexican Flag is. It has 1824 stitched in the white bar.

He asked me what it was. Seriously.

How can we expect our Texas children to appreciate our unique history if those that teach it don't know it.

 

[streettopeschel]

I had a guy over to my house today to give me a bid on some work I need done. He said he needed to do it in the next few weeks since he works at a neerby Junior High as it's Principal. The guy is Hispanic and grew up in Texas and is a UT grad.

He noticed a framed flag I have on my wall. It's red, white and green as the Mexican Flag is. It has 1824 stitched in the white bar.

He asked me what it was. Seriously.

How can we expect our Texas children to appreciate our unique history if those that teach it don't know it.

 from previous posts you live in katy, right? so the principal of a KISD Jr High is taking odd jobs in the summer 10-days before the start of school?

 

[Etex Horn]

I had a guy over to my house today to give me a bid on some work I need done. He said he needed to do it in the next few weeks since he works at a neerby Junior High as it's Principal. The guy is Hispanic and grew up in Texas and is a UT grad.

He noticed a framed flag I have on my wall. It's red, white and green as the Mexican Flag is. It has 1824 stitched in the white bar.

He asked me what it was. Seriously.

How can we expect our Texas children to appreciate our unique history if those that teach it don't know it.

Mr. Irons...Sirhornsalot called for your reply last night...I awaited a reply...and you gave it.  You are an actor

and were in the Billy Bob Thornton 2003 Alamo movie?  Do you know Brady Coleman, who is also an actor

and lives in Austin?  Brady is a friend of mine.  He acted in the movie "Friday Night Lights" and in one of the

"Lonesome Dove" made for tv movies, a prequel to the original..."Lonesome Dove Comanche Moon" I believe

it was entitled.

Let's see if I can pass the history test...1824 was the year Mexico won its independence from Spain, right?    

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Mr. Irons...Sirhornsalot called for your reply last night...I awaited a reply...and you gave it.  You are an actor

and were in the Billy Bob Thornton 2003 Alamo movie?  Do you know Brady Coleman, who is also an actor

and lives in Austin?  Brady is a friend of mine.  He acted in the movie "Friday Night Lights" and in one of the

"Lonesome Dove" made for tv movies, a prequel to the original..."Lonesome Dove Comanche Moon" I believe

it was entitled.

Let's see if I can pass the history test...1824 was the year Mexico won its independence from Spain, right?    

1824 was the year a Mexican constitution was adopted. Santa Anna started feeling his inner Napoleon so the Texians were protesting that govt should stick to the 1824 constitution.

The flag flew on some privateer ships owned by Texans or hired by Texans to interrupt Mexican shipping. It was not believed to be flown at the alamo.

 

[Duke C #11]

To be fair, the 1824 Mexican constitution was written specifically to allow slavery in Texas, the only Mexican state where slavery was allowed. From the moment it went into effect, Mexicans south of the Rio Grande harshly criticized Santa Anna for allowing slavery, which he did to encourage Anglo landowners to settle in Texas as a counterbalance to French incursions into East Texas. By the mid-1830s, Santa Anna became convinced that Mexico had more than enough Anglo settlers in Texas and that it was no longer worth the enmity slavery caused elsewhere in Mexico.  

 

[Shevis Irons]

from previous posts you live in katy, right? so the principal of a KISD Jr High is taking odd jobs in the summer 10-days before the start of school?

Yes, you are correct. Except he is a vice principal. I was a little taken aback as well.

 

[echeese]

1824 was the year a Mexican constitution was adopted. Santa Anna started feeling his inner Napoleon so the Texians were protesting that govt should stick to the 1824 constitution.

Far more than just the Texicans. . .

Several Mexican states protested Santa Anna's refusal to honor the Mexican Constitution and were put down by force . . .

Santa Anna was teh Sadaam of his time. . . .an evil man. . 

BTW, the actual people of Mexico (aztecs and Mayans) made no claims to the lands north of the rio grande . ..that was the Spanish invaders . . .

 

[Shevis Irons]

Etex Horn, yes I know Brady. We both got called backs for Commanchee Moon for the same part. He got cast in another role and I got called back again but ultimately didn't get the part. It was to play Richard King, founder of the King Ranch. I so badly wanted to be able to say, " I'm Dick King!" Yes, that actually one of his lines.

Brady is an excellent actor. I think he lives just outside Dallas if memory serves. He and Brad Leland are good friends. Didn't they both go to Tech?