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.

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

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.

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.

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

Bit too long but still enjoy watching

REMEMBER THE ALAMO I salut you brave texans!!! Your sacrifice will live forever...

I enjoyed it as an American and less compelling version of Zulu. Essentially the same film with different goodies and baddies but all part of national myth making. Usually no fan of Wayne, I actually found him bearable here for once and the other leads were ok. It works as a retelling of the story even if it lacks a little finesse.

Hard to watch but good, makes other epics seem short

One of the better John Wayne movies about US History. Very enoyable.

I Am A Big Western Movie-Fan. Therefore I Think It´s A Very Good, But Long Movie. John Wayne And Richard Widmark Played Their Roles Good.

movie is how i like to remember this great time in history of the brave men who sacrificed there lives for texas, acting was very good,pagentry was excellent

I have seen this movie airing on classic or western film channels but never took the time to see a single scene. I know that it was one of the most popular movies of 1960 and considered to be one of the best movies John Wayne ever made. Do not get me wrong, I am a fan of the Duke, but I am Mexican, and several people of my ethnicity have often criticized this movie as being prejudiced. Banned in Mexico, I figured that it was true. But I love John Wayne's movies and I decided for myself whether or not the critics were right. Having seen two movies on the subject matter as well as having watched documentaries and read the recorded history in school I finished the movie and it is not a prejudicial film. It is a great movie and I was more than happy with what I had seen. I love movies that are based on history, especially war movies, wrap that around a western setting and I am set to watch something I know I will love. It is 1836 in the Mexican state of Texas, years of war between European enemies have left the United States of America and Mexico in charge of their destiny. As Mexico attempts to gain stability after its independence, the citizens of the United States look out west and see a lush space for farms, timber, water, fish, cattle, furs, more land than anyone can imagine. But Mexico has no want for immigrants that want their land but they know they could use the money and the manpower to civilize the region, so an agreement is reached and plenty of Americans live in harmony as Mexicans until a new government is proclaimed by a Mexican general declaring himself dictator. The Americans and the Mexicans in Texas declare independence from this tyrant, calling upon others seeking opportunity and adventure. All of it coming together in a Catholic Mission turned into a fortification known as the Alamo. Several hundred men from the United States join the fight led by several colonels from various militias as well as trained military. Lt. Colonel William Travis (Laurence Harvey) holds a stern authority over a popular knife fighter Colonel James Bowie (Richard Widmark) who is irascible as he is popular alongside frontiersman and former US congressman Colonel Davy Crockett (John Wayne). In the days leading up to the famed attack on the fort, the defenders of the Alamo prepare for the fight but face difficulties as they are outnumbered but hope for reinforcements with most of the men untested while others simply do not get along. Each commander has his weaknesses but also great strengths. Crockett is a man more comfortable on the frontier but as a former diplomat, he has great respect for his fellow man and has a streak of independence that is the mark of a true hero. Bowie is too independent for his good, gets drunk, and into petty fights often but he is brave and loyal. Travis is stuck up and unpopular for his reliance on discipline, but it is his disciplined nature that keeps his men alive. After watching all this I must admit that all the criticisms I heard about this movie were so wrong. This is a splendid story told with respect and with no prejudice at all. Make no mistake it is very inaccurate as this film leaves out the Mexican Tejanos who fought alongside the American Texans. The Alamo was mostly a siege with Mexican Army cannon fire raining down upon the fort with the occasional hit and run attacks made by the Texans, with the final day of the siege being an all-out assault on the Alamo. I felt they could have shown more of the Mexican army as well as the defenders of the Alamo. After all, a hero is only as good as its villain and even for Mexicans, Santa Anna was a real-life villain. John Wayne delivers a great performance as the great Texan patriot fighting for freedom. I have to say it felt a bit odd showing the scenes with Linda Cristal, it felt like he wanted to bring a romantic element to the film but is restrained because he knew Crockett was married at the time. Richard Widmark was splendid in his role as well as Laurence Harvey in his. The writing was flawed but the story was still great.

Kind of ridiculous and fails to do the story justice.

The last hour and a half of this film is excellent. I mean that too. The problem, however, is that this film is over 3 hours and 20 minutes in length, and too be honest, I feel like I wasted my time. Seriously, I could have watched Lawrence of Arabia [again] in that time. As I said, the last hour and a half [give or take] is epic. It is the first 2 hours that lead me to give it a mere 3/5. Now, I am not against long movies, by no means. In fact, two of my favorite movies [Apocalypse Now and Lawrence of Arabia] are even longer than this movie. The problem is that John Wayne, who directed this movie, does not know how to use the time effectively. As a result, the first 2 hours drag. Also, I couldn't help but notice the great cinematography in some scenes, especially the scenes that take place at night. One scene I found particularly mind-blowing is the scene in which [SPOILER] Bowie find out his wife is dead. The shot begins as a two shot with Wayne and Widmark on opposite ends of the screen, with shadows of other soldiers in the center of the frame. There are more shots like this, illuminating Wayne and Widmark's face, and nothing else. Then, Travis appears asking to see the letter notifying Bowie his wife has died. Travis' face is not visible, only one side of him is illuminated with light, creating a strange half-silhouette. Bowie reluctantly hands him the letter, and only then does Travis come out from the shadows, revealing his face. It is at this exact moment when Travis turns from a one-dimensional side-villain of sorts, and becomes a human being, and a hero. It is hard for me to put in words how good this scene is. Still, the first 2 hours are boring as hell. In conclusion, if you decide to watch this movie, skip the first hour and a half.

Westerns are not my favorite genre as I struggle to name any that I like but I tried to go into this film with an open mind as one of the most legendary performers in the genre directs, stars in and produces it. Unfortunately John Wayne is a poor director as he struggles to pull together various incongruent plot elements and build up any anticipation for the famous battle that this film depicts. While I can admire the craft behind films such as The Searchers (1956) and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) this film's subject matter did not appeal to me in addition to being poorly made. There were so many films from 1960 that would have been more deserving of a Best Picture nomination than this, Psycho (1960), La Dolce Vita (1960) etc., and it's a shame that this vanity project was forced into the lineup due to Wayne's aggressive lobbying. The jovial Colonel Davy Crockett, John Wayne, brings soldiers from Tennessee to assist the army in Texas attempting to fight off the Mexican Army. He encounters the straitlaced Colonel William Barrett Travis, Laurence Harvey, who leads the army with the comparatively freewheeling Colonel Jim Bowie, Richard Widmark, both of whom have grievances against one another. Their conflict complicates preparations for the battle and Crockett tries to play mediator while romancing the fragile Mexican Flaca de Lopez y Vejar, Linda Cristal, who faces an unwanted arranged marriage. The men eventually band together to lead their army successfully as they face increasing attacks from the Mexicans but by the time the battle is underway the men have a strong bond between them. The film is meant to be a tragedy as we witness three men we care about die at the hands of evil Mexicans and witness a noble white woman stare down these Mexicans as she walks away from the conflict a widow. Unfortunately we never really care about Crockett, Travis or Bowie, the stance the film takes on the conflict seems racist and lacking in nuance from a modern perspective and the final scene isn't very poignant because all of the characters are too broad to invest in emotionally. In most westerns people with opposing personalities come together for the common good but there was none of the enjoyment of Rio Grande (1950) or Hondo (1953) here just tin-eared dialogue and a lack of chemistry between the leads. Because we can never invest in these characters the film feels interminable as it is difficult to follow people you don't care about for an incredible two hours and forty seven minutes. Wayne never seems to have a sense of where the story is in this film as the friendship between the men is never compelling and the subplots about Crockett's romance, the young boy he mentors and the futility of their plight don't come to represent a whole. Wayne was only really convincing as a romantic lead in The Quiet Man (1952) and Hondo (1953) and in both films he was helped significantly by his talented leading ladies who played off his gruffness well. Cristal doesn't have the talent of Geraldine Page or Maureen O'Hara and while she tries her best the light, comedic tone of her scenes in the film jars with the rest of the action and leaves the audience feeling bored. The acting across the board is subpar as although Wayne fares relatively well playing the same character he always played Widmark fails to register and Harvey noticeably struggles with the Southern accent. John Ford, a frequent collaborator of Wayne's, knew how to draw the best out of actors but sadly Wayne didn't pick up this skill on the set of Stagecoach (1939) or Fort Apache (1948). There is a reason that this film has not been remembered as The Apartment (1960) or Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960) has, it's just not good. Even as someone who doesn't like westerns I imagine fans of the genre would consider this film a lesser example of the genre and acknowledge it's flaws despite the involvement of Wayne. I wouldn't recommend watching this film to anybody as there is nothing of interest to be found in it.

Hard to ignore the historical innacuracy given the story's importance in that respect but what nationalist history is not mostly fabrications in the first place? I'm afraid John Wayne's persona has not aged well and my childhood hero just comes across as a pretentious, misogynistic ass. Too preachy as well and the dialogue is rubbish. Still a classic everyone should suffer through once.

It might have been great in its time but this film seems to be largely just John Wayne preaching about being a good patriotic man with ten minutes of action at the end. No strategy, no epic fight scenes, just a bit pointless. Could have been two hours shorter.

While admittedly plagued by errors in historical accuracy, the John Wayne Alamo captures the essence and feeling of the Alamo story much better than does the 2004 movie on the same subject.

Endless buildup to a disappointingly dull finale.