eapreston3-1 It doesn't seem possible that an Alamo movie could be worse than John Wayne's great bomb, but this movie is. Sterling Hayden may be the only believable actor and just barely. The supposed 'friendship' between Bowie and Santa Anna?! But one of a host of trite disasters. Only good for a late night laugh and just barely. The physical lay out of the Alamo is not realistic, but the death of the "Big Three" is better than Wayne's version--although similar. It's too bad because the story of the Alamo deserved a better treatment. This script shows that it was hacked out when Wayne turned down the movie. Too bad Republic pictures didn't fold before this turkey flew or flopped!

ma-cortes In the habitual group of various characters we find the starring Jim Bowie of ¨Bowie knife¨ fame (Sterling Hayden) who held command until stricken with typhoid-pneumonia , Colonel William Barret Travis (Richard Carlson) , commander of the small garrison of some 180 men and Davy Crockett of Tenesse (Arthut Hunnicutt) who had arrived with a dozen volunteers . They're guarding El Alamo against a Mexican militia commanded by General Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna , President of Mexico (J. Carroll Nash) . They're featured in more realistic roles than successive films , though here predominates the melodrama . It's a spectacular film hampered by a tiring screenplay and including Max Steiner's excellent score with a title song by Gordon McRae . The motion picture well produced by Republic's founder , Herbert J. Yates, was professionally directed by Frank Lloyd . Subsequently , five years later , John Wayne made his own retelling : ¨El Álamo¨ (1960) , utilizing a lot of the still-standing sets that were used in this movie . The film is rightly based on historic events , these are the followings : On 23 February 1836 a army of 5000 entered San Antonio. When Santa Anna demanded the surrender, William Travis answered with a cannon shot. So began thirteen day siege that ended with the Mexicans storming the fortress, the defenders, to a man , fought on until death .With bugles sounding the ¨deguello¨(signifying no quarter to the defenders) attacked the adobe walls from all four sides and broke through. Travis was shot dead over his cannon . Crockett using his rifle as a club, fell under a swarm of the enemy . Bowie fought to the last from his sickbead. The Mexicans had won a Pyrrhic victory suffering more than 1500 casualties. Forty six days after the fall ,less than 800 Texans and American volunteers led by General San Houston defeated Santa Anna and his army of 1300 at San Jacinto. Shouting ¨Remember the Alamo¨ Houston's men completely routed the Mexicans in a matter of minutes, killing 630 while losing only 8. Santa Anna was captured, and the Republic of Texas was born.

alexandre michel liberman (tmwest) Republic did a good job with this film, specially in their choice of actors. Sterling Hayden is a very convincing Jim Bowie, also Richard Carlson as Travis and I can't think of a better Davy Crockett than Arthur Hunnicutt. Ana Maria Alberghetti has a sweet face and through the love that she shows for Jim Bowie, we are able to understand what a living legend he must have been. All films about the story of Texas have one problem: it is very confusing to those who are not familiar with it. "The Last Command" suffers from this problem, too many events are only mentioned, without being shown. What is incredible is how well this film compares with John Wayne's "The Alamo". Even though the costs here are a fraction, this film reaches you more. And I can see John Wayne as a great Jim Bowie, but not as Davy Crockett, which he was in his film.

12Charlie Amoung alot of historians and reenactors, this is the best Alamo film ever made. It was very well done, acted, and directed. An all around great job by all! Alamo: Price of Freedom is the most accurate film ever made, but this film is considered the best by far!