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The Alamo

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The Alamo

Released Oct 24, 1960

3h 22m

History

Drama

War

Western

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

52%

Tomatometer

21 Reviews

63%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

In 1836, the Mexican army, led by General Santa Anna, is invading Texas. Hoping to create a diversion for Santa Anna's forces, General Sam Houston (Richard Boone) orders Colonel William B. Travis (Laurence Harvey), joined by Colonels Jim Bowie (Richard Widmark) and Davy Crockett (John Wayne), to lead a small, heroic band of American and Texican fighters in a resistance battle at the Alamo mission. The carnage at the Alamo further spurs the Republic of Texas toward freedom.

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Critics Consensus

John Wayne proves to be less compelling behind the camera than he is before it in The Alamo, a blustery dramatization of the fort's last stand that feels more like a first draft.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Interminable.

Jan 31, 2012

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

In spite of the painstaking attempts to explore the characters of the picture's three principal heroes (Bowie, Crockett, Travis), there is an absence of emotional feeling, of a sense of participation.

Mar 26, 2009

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Tom Milne

Time Out

An elephantine, historically inaccurate, stridently patriotic tribute to the handful of Texans who faced assault by 7,000 Mexican baddies.

Feb 9, 2006

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Ian Kane

Epoch Times

The Duke produced a glorious cinematic reminder of a crucial part of American history.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 31, 2023

Full Review

Clyde Gilmour

Maclean's Magazine

The film is sometimes too gabby and too sentimental but is magnificent to look at, and the inexorable climax is awesome in its scope and fury.

Nov 5, 2019

Full Review

TV Guide

All the pontificating about the joys of freedom becomes irritating, but James Edward Grant's dialogue occasionally crackles with enough humorous wit to hold an audience untill the gripping finale.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 31, 2012

Full Review

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Vitor O

The first movie (of only 2) directed by John Wayne goes on and on forever. Dispite its good production values and solid acting, it's a portentous, solemn and dated piece of filmmaking. Not as bad as the 2004 rendition, however.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/14/25

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Laura D

Half of the dialogue is ridiculous. The characters are all heroic cardboard cut outs, in reality, they were adventurers and crooks trying to steal land from Mexico For some real historical context about the Alamo read "Forget the Alamo" by Bryan Burrough

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

11/14/24

Full Review

Blu B

I was really torn between a 3.5 or a 4. The final 15 minutes is really good and kind of makes it worth sitting through the other 2 and a half hours. It's really the only part I would say is epic. the cinematography is solid and the pacing because of that ending is good despite it meandering quite a bit. Everything else is half decent about it. Most of the time it forgets to be epic and comes off as bloated with unneeded romance subplots and pointless humor scenes. The music also needed to be more epic as well. A few of the characters do stick out but a lot just blend in. It feels like at times it wants to be a western like Rio Bravo while also being a Epic War movie and has trouble cohesively merging them together. It needed to trim off about 40 minutes of the run time. It would've been better also if it showed the battle and leadup from the Mexican side as well as I don't think we even see Santa Anna for more than afew seconds at the end. If your a big western or fan of any actors in this check this out. It's ALMOST good.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/07/23

Full Review

Alan M

Watched this once again after two decades and still found it entertaining and enjoyable, a great cast of western genre legends John Wayne and Richard Widmark ably supported by Laurence Harvey, Linda Cristal, Chill Wills and a cameo from Richard Boone. Great action sequences linked together by the characters interaction which keep the film moving along at a steady pace. Good direction from John Wayne who also produced it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/28/23

Full Review

leokimvideo

A classic film that suffers from a bloated script, bloated edit and lack of intimate framing. So much is shot on a vide vista. Has all the hallmarks of a film that needed a separation between the lead star & director

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

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Kevin B

Bit too long but still enjoy watching

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

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John Wayne

Director

John Wayne

Col. Davy Crockett

Richard Widmark

Jim Bowie

Laurence Harvey

Col. William Travis

Richard Boone

Gen. Sam Houston

Carlos Arruza

Lt. Reyes

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Synopsis

In 1836, the Mexican army, led by General Santa Anna, is invading Texas. Hoping to create a diversion for Santa Anna's forces, General Sam Houston (Richard Boone) orders Colonel William B. Travis (Laurence Harvey), joined by Colonels Jim Bowie (Richard Widmark) and Davy Crockett (John Wayne), to lead a small, heroic band of American and Texican fighters in a resistance battle at the Alamo mission. The carnage at the Alamo further spurs the Republic of Texas toward freedom.

Director: John Wayne
Producer: John Wayne
Screenwriter: James Edward Grant
Distributor: Critics' Choice Video, United Artists, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Batjac Productions
Genre: History, Drama, War, Western
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 24, 1960, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Runtime: 3h 22m
Sound Mix: Magnetic Stereo 6 Track
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

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