The First Texan

It's 1832. Sam Houston (Joel McCrea) crosses into Texas for the first time. The Tennessean wants to practice law while remaining neutral with independence. He befriends Jim Bowie (Jeff Morrow) and many of the pro-independence crowd. His old friend Davy Crockett arrives with an invitation to meet President Jackson who asks him to lead the fight for Texan independence and battle the Mexican army.

This is American history told by Americans. It's definitely slanted that way, but that's not unexpected. This is fine. There is limited drama as the history is told in a straight line. Maybe it could be shown in high school history classes. It's barely 80 minutes. That's about the level of this movie.

The First Texan is directed by Byron Haskin and written by Daniel B. Ullman. It stars Joel McCrea, Felicia Farr, Jeff Morrow, Wallace Ford and Rodolfo Hoyos. A Technicolor/CinemaScope production, cinematography is by Wilfrid Cline and music by Roy Webb.

McCrea plays Sam Houston, who after travelling from Tennessee to San Antonio, Texas, starts to shape Texas history in spite of his initial reluctance.

OK! So it's no Sam Houston biography of considerable substance or big bucks production values, I mean how was it ever going to be so when it only runs at just over 82 minutes? Yet this is still a very colourful and engaging picture, with the core essence of the Sam Houston story firmly put forward. We are basically watching what Huston was doing as elsewhere The Alamo was playing its part in historical legend. This means that the narrative is given to mostly talky passages as political machinations and power hungry posturings come to the fore. Thankfully, in McCrea's hands Houston comes off as a fascinating and inspiring man, which in the grand scheme of things is objective achieved.

There is, perhaps inevitably, a romantic sub-plot, which explains why the gorgeous Felicia Farr is in the movie, sadly it's not only a token characterisation, but also historically suspect to say the least. But again, take it with a pinch of salt and buy into Houston the man and it never hurts the story. It all builds towards the battle of San Jacinto, where spurred on by famous chants about remembering The Alamo, Houston led his forces to victory over General Antonio López de Santa Anna's Mexican army. Financial restraints mean we don't get the big and bold battle that history deserves, but what is on offer is deftly staged regardless, as stunt-men flail about and cannons do roar.

Nothing approaching educational class standards here, but with McCrea a strong and rugged presence, and Haskin rising above budget limitations to tell a literary story, The First Texan is as solid as a San Antonio mission built with limestone that has been cemented by a stucco layer. 7/10

The First Texan is about Sam Houston and his journey from the Governor's Office to the battlefield of Texas to defeat Santa Anna after the loss of the Alamo. Joel Mcrea is featured as Houston and Vic Morrow has a bit part as Jim Bowie. Not the greatest saga ever made, but watchable.

I honestly prefered the other westerns from Byron Haskin: SILVER CITY, DENVER AND RIO GRANDE, WARPATH, and Byron Haskin was not a western specialist, not at all, a science fiction film maker, but those previous ones were rather well done. Concerning this one, I don't say it's a bad western but it is too much patriotic oriented for my taste. Good Americans vs evil Mexican. And watching this movie in f...pan and scan doesnt help much to appreciate this so predictable topic. Byron Haskin was not really concerned by this feature, that's what I feel, and I was really bored during the viewing. There is some action, yes, but that doesn't justify to purchase this movie at all costs. I admit that I am French and not American, but biographies on movies have always annoyed, bored me. Even Charles De Gaulle's one...;So, if you want to watch every Byron Haskin's film, watch it.

A small group of men plan a coup on the government of Mexico and spoil for a good fight. They enlist a former politico as their unwilling leader and he proves to be a fine commander. The renegades suffer several setbacks before finally meeting the enemy at the crucial engagement of the insurrection. A too slow, unrealistic look at Texas independence.