The Man from the Alamo

Budd Boetticher made several films for Universal Pictures before going to Columbia studios. His movies were westerns and adventures movies. Universal standard, where the bull fighter director could only show his professional skills but maybe nothing more. Anyway, I guess that served him for his later Columbia westerns starring Randolph Scott. This one surprised me because the presence of Glenn Ford, a Columbia star borrowed by Universal. I am sure it was the only one, knowing that later Ford will "emigrate" towards MGM. So this movie shows something rather unusual, related to Alamo battle, something surprising. A man falsely accused of cowardice instead of a murder, yes, very interesting. But the rest is predictable; good, effective but predictable. See for instance SPRINGFIELD RIFLE, more or less same plot and scheme.

Every single picture signed by Budd Boetticher worthwhile to see, one the greatest western director of all time, The Man From The Alamo is a minor work, about the famous Alamo when Texas became an independent Republic and Col. Santa Anna tries incorporate it on Mexico territory, the story starts at Alamo under siege and strong attack, some farmers decides that one of them will be choose to look out how are their families around, the chosen one is John Stroud (Glenn Ford), he left the Alamo before the massacre took place.

Aftermaths find out his whole family killed by American allied at Santa Anna's cause, solely remainder a one survivor only, the little Mexican boy Carlos who is a kid of his old employee also killed in the raid, Carlos told to Stroud that weren't Mexican soldiers that killed them, but American men disguised as Mexican outfits lead by the renegade Jess Wade (Victor Jory) reaching at near city Stroud is treat as coward and he needs clean your name, however first he wants a revenge against Jess Wade that killed his family meanwhile Gen. Huston is gathering men to strickes back.

It displayed a lit bit about Texas story, re-telling how the lonely territory was still apart of the United States at its time, the Alamo and all unfold the real happenings afterwards over the Alamo massacre and under leadership of the Gen San Huston at final battle of San Jacinto, instead the picture focuses on the story of a supposed man John Stroud, the casting have so many interesting people as Julie Adams, Chill Wills, Hugh O'Brien, Neville Brand an upcoming stars as Guy Williams, Stuart Whitman and Dennis Weaver, also the old acquaintance of us uncredited Kenneth MacDonald who was a usual guest as bad guy on The Three Stooges.

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First watch: 2023 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.

By chance, June clouds threatening, I sat down and watched this entertaining western on a Saturday afternoon. An earlier commentator ended his praise for this film by noting that it is "an excellent western for a Saturday afternoon." And it was. The ethical dilemma of leaving a field of battle (in this case the Alamo)to try and save the lives of loved ones is a powerful theme. The repercussions to John Stroud, Ford's weary but stalwart character, are scorn, accusations of cowardice and worse. The best part of the film are the sweeping shots of the Texas plains. The movie is well-composed, capturing the majestic plains and hills with a strength of purpose that demands an emotional response. One of the early films of Jeanne Cooper, who is a favorite of mine.

During the war of independence of Texas, a group of five men of the city of Oxbow chooses, for a raffle, who would leave the fort Alamo to save the families of all them of the Mexican troops. Stroud is the chosen, but is considered a coward by the other men of the fort, that don't know about the real reason of his escape.

However, when arriving to his home, his family and the one of all his companions had been killed by American renegades, that struggled beside of the Mexicans. Now, is the hour of the his revenge! But how to face the hostility of all the Texans that considered him a coward for fleeing of the Alamo?

Happily, his heroic behavior due to the adversities, as when leading a caravan of Texans before an attack of the renegades, will show to his compatriots him real value!

Good film, with good interpretations. An excellent western for a Saturday afternoon.

Glenn Ford plays the only survivor of the Alamo -- not a very popular man in Texas. Of course, the story gives him a good excuse -- he drew lots with some other Alamo soldiers to see who would go west to defend their homes from Texan bandits hired by the Mexicans, but the families were already dead when he gets there -- but nobody wants to believe him, except one lovely woman on the wagon train he sets out to defend. Only problem is his strategy of siding with the bandits to get into their confidence puts him in a nearly impossible situation.

A well-made film, with convincing action and gritty characters. Unlike other Boetticher westerns, here the scale of the film is "epic" as the future of the West hangs in the balance. Ford makes a surprisingly good substitute for Randolph Scott or John Wayne.