The Last Command (1955)

INFORMATION FROM IMDb

Plot Summary
Moderate Jim Bowie leads rebellious Texicans--and Davy Crockett--in a
last-ditch stand against his old friend, Santa Anna.

Full Cast
Sterling Hayden ... Jim Bowie
Anna Maria Alberghetti ... Consuelo de Quesada
Richard Carlson ... William B. Travis
Arthur Hunnicutt ... Davy Crockett
Ernest Borgnine ... Mike Radin
J. Carrol Naish ... General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana
Ben Cooper ... Jeb Lacey
John Russell ... Lt. Dickinson
Virginia Grey ... Mrs. Dickinson
Jim Davis ... Ben Evans
Eduard Franz ... Lorenzo de Quesada
Otto Kruger ... Stephen F. Austin
Russell Simpson ... The Parson
Roy Roberts ... Dr. Summerfield
Slim Pickens ... Abe
Hugh Sanders ... Sam Houston
Rico Alaniz ... Tomas (uncredited)
Fernando Alvarado ... Groom (uncredited)
Morris Ankrum ... Military Governor Juan Bradburn (uncredited)
Argentina Brunetti ... Maria (uncredited)
Robert Burton ... Business Man in Cantina (uncredited)
Cheryl Callaway ... Dickinson's Little Girl (uncredited)
Edward Colmans ... Scout Seguin (uncredited)
James Conaty ... Party Guest (uncredited)
Steve Darrell ... Irate Texan in Cantina (uncredited)
Abel Fernandez ... Spanish Soldier (uncredited)
Robert 'Buzz' Henry ... Alamo Defender (uncredited)
Pepe Hern ... Seguin's Son (uncredited)
Tom Hernández ... Aide (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp ... Man at Meeting (uncredited)
Don Kennedy ... Bonham (uncredited)
Tyler MacDuff ... Messenger (uncredited)
Kermit Maynard ... Cantina Barfly (uncredited)
Alex Montoya ... Mexican Colonel (uncredited)
Alberto Morin ... Mexican Official (uncredited)
George Navarro ... Mexican Lieutenant (uncredited)
Vicente Padula ... General Cos (uncredited)
Post Park ... Coach Driver (uncredited)
Walter Reed ... Irate Texan in Cantina (uncredited)
Buddy Roosevelt ... Alamo Defender (uncredited)
Charles Stevens ... Peon Villager (uncredited)
Ken Terrell ... Alamo Defender (uncredited)
Harry Woods ... Irate Texan in Cantina (uncredited)
Joe Yrigoyen ... Alamo Defender (uncredited)

Writing Credits
Warren Duff (screenplay)
Sy Bartlett (story)

Original Music
Max Steiner

Cinematography
Jack A. Marta

Goofs
Crew or equipment visible
When General Santa Ana's men and horses charge toward the Alamo, the tire tracks of the camera truck are visible in front of the horses.

Filming Locations
Brackettville, Texas, USA
Hobbs Ranch, Brackettville, Texas, USA
Universal Studios Hollywood - 1000 Universal Studios Blvd, Universal City, California, USA

The Last Command is a 1955 Trucolor film about
Jim Bowie and the fall of the Alamo during the Texas War of Independence.
Filmed by Republic Pictures, it was an unusually expensive undertaking for the low-budget studio.

The film was originally set to be produced and directed by John Wayne but Wayne
and Republic Pictures head Herbert Yates wanted Wayne to star, not produce or direct.
Wayne left Republic to form Wayne-Fellows Productions.
Five years later, Wayne would play Davy Crockett in, as well as direct, the three-hours-plus Todd-AO production
The Alamo, released by United Artists that featured many elements of The Last Command in its screenplay.

Max Steiner's theme song for The Last Command, "Jim Bowie", is sung by musical film star Gordon MacRae,
who that year (1955) was starring in the smash hit film Oklahoma!,
adapted from the famous Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.

Released during the Walt Disney Davy Crockett frenzy, the film follows Jim Bowie (Sterling Hayden)
who was initially a friend to Generalissimo Antonio López de Santa Anna (J. Carroll Naish)
but now sides with the Texians in their bid for independence.
from Wikipedia

User Review

Quote

5 January 2003 | by Ben Burgraff (cariart) (Las Vegas, Nevada)

'The Last Command' is a film with a better backstory than the film itself! First batted around Republic Pictures as a potential vehicle for John Wayne, the production was put on the back burner when Wayne decided he wanted total creative control, and decided to produce and direct his own version, with a budget Republic couldn't match.

Republic DID, however, have an arsenal of talent available, and a shooting script, and eventually brought in veteran director Frank Lloyd, who had just come off a ten-year hiatus with 'The Shanghai Story', in 1954. Sterling Hayden, fresh from the cult classic 'Johnny Guitar', and a featured role in Fox's lavish 'Prince Valiant', signed to play Jim Bowie ("I needed the money to refit my boat," he joked). Richard Carlson, whose 'Creature from the Black Lagoon' had just been released by Universal (becoming a big hit) was tapped to play Alamo commander William Barret Travis. Ernest Borgnine, whose 'Marty' was garnering rave reviews (and would earn him an Oscar) took on the showy supporting role of Bowie adversary/friend Mike Radin and starlet Anna Maria Alberghetti, in her first non-singing role, became the female lead. Two veteran character actors rounded out the major cast: J. Carrol Naish, as a sympathetic yet decisive Santa Anna, and, in an offbeat but inspired casting move, bearded Arthur Hunnicutt as a rustic Davy Crockett (who would very nearly steal the film!).

The production was very modestly budgeted, so much so that the number of extras serving as the Mexican army was limited, but director Lloyd and cinematographer Jack Marta were old hands at making more out of less, and with some judicious editing by Tony Martinelli, the illusion of thousands of Mexican soldiers was achieved. Set design was minimal, as well, and the famous 'look' of the church/fortress was often achieved through mat paintings.

Scored by the legendary Max Steiner, with a theme sung by Gordon MacRae, 'The Last Command' seemed to teeter at the edge between 'B' movie and 'A' status; ultimately, the pedestrian script, by Sy Bartlett and Warren Duff, did the movie in, as there was too much time spent on an unnecessary love triangle, which slowed much of the film to a crawl. Despite an unforgettable final battle, audiences avoided the film, and it quickly faded from sight.

Unfortunately, John Wayne didn't learn from 'The Last Command', and he added a love story to his 'Alamo', with the same lethargic result; Crockett's explosive demise (historically inaccurate, but rousing!) must have impressed him, as well, as he staged an even bigger version of it in his film.

'The Last Command' is a curio, but is enjoyable, for the most part, and the spectacular final assault makes it a must for any action fan's collection!

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Great still thanks for posting

Quote from Dooley

Never seen this film but will have to track it down purely on the strength of these amazing stills!

Peter, I enjoyed the film, and it is interesting to compare
this movie with The Alamo.
Mind you, I did find having a stupid looking Davy Crockett a bit off putting,
compared to Dukes portrayal!