It took 15 years for John Wayne to achieve his goal of finishingThe Alamo, a critically acclaimed Western where “the Duke” played a real-life hero. As one of the most well-known events associated with the American Wild West, the Battle of the Alamo has naturally been the subject of several big-screen Westerns. And given John Wayne’s status as the face of the genre, it’s no surprise that he had a leading role in one of the Battle of the Alamo’s numerous movie adaptations.
Historical figures, such as Billy the Kid and Jesse James, are at the center of so many famous Westerns, many of which are counted among thebest Westerns of all time. But though real-life figures appear regularly in films set in the genre, this trend was never associated withJohn Wayne’s acting career. The large majority of John Wayne’s performances saw him portray fictional gunslingers, like Rooster Cogburn inTrue Gritand The Ringo Kid inStagecoach. Some were created for his films, while others stemmed from popular Western novels.The Alamo,though, was an entirely different case.
John Wayne Played Davy Crockett In The Alamo
John Wayne’s Davy Crockett Helps Sam Houston Defend The Alamo
Across all his years in the film industry, John Wayne only directed two of his own movies,The Green BeretsandThe Alamo.The latter, released in 1960, was the first to put the Western legend in the director’s chair. InThe Alamo,Wayne took on the role of Davy Crockett, an iconic hero associated with the American Frontier in the 1800s. Davy Crockett was renowned for a multitude of exploits, some being subject to exaggeration in pop culture and folk tales. In addition to his own adventures, he was also a participant in the Battle of the Alamo. Wayne’s movie shines the spotlight on Crockett’s contribution to the conflict.
The Alamoalso features John Wayne’s son, Patrick Wayne, in the role of military officer James Butler Bonham, another real-life figure connected to the Battle of the Alamo.
The movie follows Davy Crockett as he and his group of volunteer fighters from Tennessee work to assist Sam Houston’s troops in his doomed efforts to repel the Mexican army at the Alamo. Davy Crockett’s presence there allows him to cross paths with a handful of other historical figures tied to the event, including Richard Widmark’s Jim Bowie and Laurence Harvey’s Willaim Travis. Like other adaptations of the Battle of the Alamo, Wayne’s movie revolves around the main characters coming to terms with the reality that they won’t survive the unrelenting onslaught from Santa Anna’s forces.
It Took 15 Years For John Wayne To Make The Alamo
John Wayne’s First Attempt At An Alamo Was Produced Without Him
For John Wayne, a great deal of time and patience went into the making ofThe Alamo, and not simply because he was both the director and its star. Rather,The Alamowas a project that Wayne spent 15 years trying to get off the ground. It all began in 1945, when Wayne conceived a plan to make a movie about the Battle of the Alamo. James Edward Grant, who wrote and directed Wayne’sThe Angel and the Badmanin 1947, worked with the actor to develop a story. Unfortunately, disagreements over the budget - Wayne wanted it to be $3 million - disrupted his plans.
His frustration regarding the issue was so great that it resulted in him parting ways with Republic, the studio that had produced many ofJohn Wayne’s best Westerns. ButRepublic still owned the rights to the script and produced the film without Wayneunder the title,The Last Command. Wayne had lost his script, but the actor didn’t give up, with his interest in a Battle of the Alamo film reigniting after the release ofThe Quiet Manin 1952. He formed his own production company, Batjac, opening the door for his ideas to be brought to life.
The Alamo officially went into development in 1956, but the initial concept differed greatly from the finished product. At the time, Wayne was of the mind that he would either play a bit role or no character at all, allowing him to focus on his producing and directing duties. But to get funding from the film with United Artists,Wayne had to agree to headlineThe Alamo.At first, his character was to be Sam Houston, the leader of the American forces. But Wayne ultimately changed his mind on this well, choosing Richard Boone to take over as Sam Houston and for him to play Davy Crockett.
John Wayne’s Alamo Plan Didn’t Pay Off, Despite Multiple Oscar Nominations
It Performed Poorly At The Box Office And Wasn’t Well-Received By Critics
In spite of the time John Wayne invested inThe Alamo,the project didn’t bring about the success he had hoped. That’s partially due to the cost of making it; with a lofty budget of $12 million, it was unable to make a profit at the box office. As for its reception,The Alamoreceived a combination of good and bad reviews from media outlets. That’s in line with its current Rotten Tomatoes rating, which is an unimpressive 52%.
Even so,The Alamowas far from an abject failure. Though its reviews may suggest otherwise, it actually managed to scoop up seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. It didn’t win for any of them, but they demonstrate the merits of the film regardless.
Why The Alamo Was So Important To John Wayne
The Alamo Was A Passion Project For John Wayne He Was Determined To Make
Given the length of time and the effort that went into the movie, it’s highly likely that John Wayne’s version of the story never would have happened had it not been a passion project for the actor. Looking at what’s known about John Wayne and his views, it’s not surprising that a story about the Battle of the Alamo would be so important to the actor. Because of all the Americans who died during their defense of the Alamo, sacrifice is naturally a crucial element to any adaption of the event. This, combined with the fact that these men died fighting for a losing cause in the name of their country makes it easy for an Alamo film to carry a strong patriotic theme.
John Wayne was very outspoken about his patriotism and his interest in making Westerns that promoted the American spirit. He thought this theme was integral to Westerns, as evidenced by hisharshly written letter to Clint Eastwoodabout his dark films and hiscriticism of Gary Cooper’sHigh Noon.The Alamo, on the other hand, was a perfect reflection of how Wayne viewed this period of American history and the people who lived through it.
