The Alamo (1960)

eGreat picture stagecoach. thats a keepsake.

Robert Reylea's autobiography "Not So Quiet on the Set" tells about the first day of actual shooting on "The Alamo".
He reports that the strain on Duke was unbearable.
Sets had been constructed, casting and costuming had dressed and auditioned hundreds of Mexican extras for Santa Anna's army, many of whom had claimed that they could ride for the extra stipend but really couldn't. At the first shakedown for the camera, Relyea saw 1,000 Mexicans and 1,000 horses, none of whom were attached. Bob noticed "One guy was stuck in the earth like a dart".
So, the first scene to be shot was the Mexican army crossing a stream in full force. The huge and expensive Todd-AO camera was eye level with the stream and was on remote with no operator in direct contact with it.
Duke called action and the cavalry and caissons with cannons came thundering toward the camera. As the first caisson hit the stream, the wooden harness beams snapped, sending the first two horses head over hooves into the water and pinning their riders. The next caisson slammed into the wreckage, sending riders and horses flying.
The camera was flipped from it's perch and settled upside down at the stream bottom. One of the grips rushed into the water to save it, not realizing that it was still plugged into the generator. His hair stood straight up, as a wrangler, to quote Relea, "was having his teeth rabbit-punched by the rear hoof of a struggling horse.
Well, that takes care of the first shot, Duke said to me with that hard-ass grin of his".

I don't mean to crimp from Relyea, but this is a must read for hardcore fans. I got my copy on Amazon.
Bob also worked on Magnificent Seven, Great Escape, 633 Squadron and many nore iconic sixties films.

We deal in lead, friend.

Absolutely love Duke's version of the battle. Sure it's all Hollywood with a capital "H", but it's still an incredible film. You can see his heart in every scene. He made it HIS way, and even if he didn't make money off of it, he was always proud of it. I truly hope one of the deals goes thru for Alamo Village where the buyer is intending to restore the Alamo to how it was in the film. The facade and the Village have had so many changes over the years, it barely matches the film now.

I must admit I'm surprised Chill Wills was nominated, I mean his performance here was no different than most of his other westerns.

If you compare the theatrical release final battle with the director's cut, the differences are subtle but better in the original Duke version. The Mexican cavalry charge is now more fluid, Chuck and Rudy's death scene is repositioned and so is Chill's death, and there's an extra snippet of music when Dickinson falls over the stockade.
Also, Duke gives an extra body spin after being lanced.
Not much, but just a tad more cohesive.

We deal in lead, friend.

If I've done this correctly (50/50 at best), attached is a deleted scene from the final assault on Travis' headquarters.
Can anyone here prvovide additional information?
Thanks.

We deal in lead, friend.

Quote from Gorch

If I've done this correctly (50/50 at best), attached is a deleted scene from the final assault on Travis' headquarters.
Can anyone here prvovide additional information?
Thanks.

We deal in lead, friend.

Gorch,
There has been lots of discussion about the missing scenes,
in the shortened version.

If you read from here
http://www.dukewayne.com/showthread.php?t=3755&page=8

in this thread, you will see what's gone on previously.

That scene of tthe fight on Travis' HQ steps was shot, but was not in any of the released versions-not even the director's cut. As far as can be told, only the couple stills exist. It would be incredible if all the filmed, but unused footage, could be found and inserted into a "special edition" release.

Quote from alamo221

It would be incredible if all the filmed, but unused footage, could be found and inserted into a "special edition" release.

Hope springs Eternal.

From what i know all extra masters film is either lost or it has deteriorated.

There as certainly been much discussion on this thread
about the missing footage, certainly by roughrider
and others.
I stll feel blessed that I have the 212minute VHS
complete with the missing scenes, Intermission etc.

Quote from alamo221

That scene of tthe fight on Travis' HQ steps was shot, but was not in any of the released versions-not even the director's cut. As far as can be told, only the couple stills exist. It would be incredible if all the filmed, but unused footage, could be found and inserted into a "special edition" release.

There was also a scene filmed but, never used, of the Mexicans turning a cannon around at the SW corner of the Alamo and firing on and destroying Travis HQ.

Quote from Jay J. Foraker

This may be slightly off-topic, but here goes -
We have an organization in San Antonio that does reinactments of the siege of the Alamo every year around this time (from the end of February to early March). There was an item the local paper the other day about an Englishman who was a fan of "The Alamo" from his youth and came here to participate in the reinactment. Guess who he got to portray - Davey Crockett!

Jay, would this Englishman you mentioned be the singer Phil Collins? I know for a fact that Collins is a huge Alamo buff and in the last few years has become heavily involved in the festivities in March. I guess he's been an Alamo fan since he was a kid.

Quote from ethanedwards

There as certainly been much discussion on this thread
about the missing footage, certainly by roughrider
and others.
I stll feel blessed that I have the 212minute VHS
complete with the missing scenes, Intermission etc.

Now Keith, would you think that if you have the 212 minutes on VHS which I also have a copy myself on this side of the pond, they (meaning the studio/family) would have one themselves? I just can't believe that you and I are the only ones who have it and no one else does.

Cheers Hondo

hi all
i have the 212mins as well on vhs.i was thinking of transfering it on to a dvd.i bought the alamo when it came out on dvd only then realising that it was the shorter version but the documentary is good.glad i have the vhs one.

This picture seems to capture Duke's reaction if he knew people were still enjoying his labor of love fifty years into the future.

We deal in lead, friend.

I also have the 212 minute version, Hondo. A friend had put it on a DVD for me.

Quote from Hondo Duke Lane

Now Keith, would you think that if you have the 212 minutes on VHS which I also have a copy myself on this side of the pond, they (meaning the studio/family) would have one themselves? I just can't believe that you and I are the only ones who have it and no one else does.

Cheers Hondo

Mike it seems so odd.
Surely if there are that many 212m VHS out there,
they would just digitally re-master the tape, to disc.
Or are we missing something, somehow??

I too have the VHS copy, 2 tapes in the blue box with the gold MGM at the top on the front. But mine doesn't say 212 minutes. It says 3 hrs and 22 min. which is 202 minutes. What's the other 10 minutes? I also have a copy, on DVD, of the laser disc version with the complete documentary by Brian Huberman on it.

Quote

Surely if there are that many 212m VHS out there,
they would just digitally re-master the tape, to disc.
Or are we missing something, somehow??

Good question. I've wondered that too. I know TCM, when they show it, it's always the Director's cut, so we know there's a good clean copy of it.

Quote

mine doesn't say 212 minutes. It says 3 hrs and 22 min. which is 202 minutes. What's the other 10 minutes?

That's the one I have. I'm guessing when they say 3 hours and 22 min. they're not counting the Overture and the Intermission. Just a guess!