Houston: The Legend of Texas

The American West has produced more than its share of legends, but none greater than the true-life story of Sam Houston. Sam Elliott is the frontier hero and statesman whose bravery and vision led to the creation of Texas! 1829-Sam Houston's career as the popular governor of Tennessee ends in disgrace and heartbreak. He treks back to the happy place of his boyhood among the Cherokee Indians.

Houston finds love with a part-Cherokee and honor as he negotiates peace among warring tribes. Yet the U.S. Government destroys his triumph by coldly seizing the Cherokee land.

In despair, he heads to the Mexican territory of Texas to join his old friend Jim Bowie in an epic fight for the liberation of what will one day be the state of Texas.

Saw this over the weekend. The story of the founding of the Republic of Texas (the Battle of the Alamo, the Battle of San Jacinto) and all the real people who were involved is extremely dramatic in itself. Therefore, no matter how it is treated, it is always going to look "over the top"; in the light of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, that "drama" will seem hokey. But Sam Elliott deserves an acknowledgement of at least trying to portray Sam Houston was an actual human being (Houston was a true statesman- one who looked at the future consequences); Sam Elliott did the same sort of "humanizing" for Wild Bill Hickock, another person who can easily be overdone because that was how he was. Katharine Ross did well as Mrs. Dickinson, the woman who was buried with the sobriquet: The Only Survivor of the Alamo. Maybe someday, people will also know the importance of Emily Morgan (the real Yellow Rose of Texas). Factually, this was a correct filmplay, not as bloody as it could have been. Somewhat cheesy, but all-in-all, not too bad.

Sam Elliot is one tough pecan in this movie. He snarls, shouts, is shot off his horse (twice), and defies all dissenters whether superiors or subordinates. His is the only memorable face or performance. The names of some of the other characters are familiar from other sources -- Bowie, Travis, and Crockett and Deaf (pronounced "deef", as in the peanut butter) Smith -- but the actors are background whether than figures in this inexpensively made film. (Katherine Ross does what amounts to an uncredited cameo.)

I can't comment on the historical accuracy of the story but it seemed convincing enough to a complete outsider. Well, not complete. I once saw Sam Houston's signature on the register of an inn in Monterey, now converted to a museum.

I also had something of a problem keeping the movement of the various forces straight. When Houston orders a certain bridge to be "cut down" I only know that this will hinder any possible retreat of his own men because one of his staff tells him so. I don't know where the bridge is, or where Santa Ana is in relation to it.

But I suspect the battle scenes are at least as realistic as in John Wayne's "Alamo." In the Wayne movie all of the usual conventions of the old-fashioned Western are adhered to. (One of our men can kill five of theirs, etc.) Here, at least, the viewer learns what scholars have known for years from diaries kept by ordinary Mexican soldiers that happened to surface after the battles. Not all the Texicans fought to the last man at the Alamo. Some surrendered and were executed, including possibly Davey Crockett. And the wounded were bayoneted to death by the victorious Mexicans. It was a hard war. Early on, when one of Houston's staff reveals that he paroled several hundred Mexican soldiers with a promise never to fight against Texans again (it was a common practice at the time), Houston chews him out and declares they'll be back again behind Santa Ana. We presume that what Houston is saying is that the Mexican prisoners should have been executed. At the final battle of San Jacincto, Houston's forces defeat Santa Ana's and take hundreds of prisoners, but we see plenty more fleeing Mexicans being deliberately shot and bayoneted, including an unarmed teen-aged drummer boy. As Robert E. Lee was supposed to have said at Frederickburg, a quarter of a century later, it is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we might come to love it. Fewer John Wayne's dying heroic deaths and more harmless teen-agers deliberately executed might remind us a bit more accurately of what war was (and is) all about.

Passable Western inspired by historical events about Sam Houston and his fight for Texas independence . Historic events and great action as well as an acceptable cast . Sam (Sam Elliott) left his mark across the West's thousand toughest miles to escape a scandal back east . From the Red River to the Rio Grande he was hunted and feared ; a restless giant in a violent land . Tall in the saddle, restless of heart , he ranged across a violent land , forging an era with cold steel . President Jackson (G.D. Spradlin) personally orders him to lead the battle for Texan independence, he overcomes his reluctance to become involved and leads his partners to a string of victories over the Mexican army . Advocate at law Sam Houston gets together with notorious Texan leaders , his compatriots as Jim Bowie (Michael Beck) , Davy Crockett , William Barrett Travis (William Russ) and Stephen Austin (James Stephens) . When the Texans revolted against Mexico rule in 1835 , Sam was made commander-in-chief of the rebel army . After the fall of the Alamo on 6 March 1836 to the Mexican army and the subsequent retreat of the Texan forces , Sam managed to keep together a small force of less than 800 men and on 21 April 1836 launched a furious surprise attack . At the end takes place the famous battle of San Jacinto , in which was imprisoned General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana (Richard Yniguez) . It's until the spectacular crushing spotlight of total defeat with Sam Houston as commander-in-chief when the movie comes alive at all .

This exciting picture about Texas fights for independence contains action Western , drama , historical happenings and is quite entertaining . Interesting writing based on a story and screenplay by Frank Q. Dobbs , a Western expert and also producer . Good main cast in which Sam Elliott stands out , he gives a good acting as impulsive as well as two-fisted leader . Ample support cast formed by notorious secondaries playing brief roles , many of them performing historical characters , such as John P. Ryan as David Burnett , James Stephens as Stephen Austin , Richard Yniguez as Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna , Michael Beck as Jim Bowie ,John de Lancie as Van Fossen , Bo Hopkins as Col. Sidney Sherman , Ned Romero as Indian chief , G.D. Spradlin as President Andrew Jackson and uncredited , Katharine Ross , Sam Elliott's wife . Atmospheric as well as thrilling musical score by Dennis McCarthy . Colorful and evocative cinematography by Frank Watts , though in television style and being necessary a right remastering . Medium budget TV film , being professionally directed by Peter Levin , though with no originality . Levin is a good craftsman who has worked in Television for decades directing a lot of films , series and episodes .

The picture is based on historical deeds about Texas independence, these are the followings : With Mexican permission Stephen Austin (James Stephens) brought the first Anglo-American colonists to Texas, the first of many, their numbers grew and they wanted self-government and this desire led to the revolt of 1835, the Texas war for Independence . General Santa Anna (Richard Yniguez) , stormed the Alamo , being defended by Jim Bowie (Michael Beck) , Davy Crockett and William Travis (William Russ) , and wiped out the garrison on 6 March 1836 . The legendary defense served as a rallying point for the beleaguered Texas . Although Santa Anna , who lost at least 600 of some 3000 troops against a force of less than 200 , referred as a small affair , the valor of the defenders gave the surviving Texan troops something to remember . But on 21 April 1836 General Santa Anna suffered a crushing defeat by Sam Houston (Sam Elliott) and was taken prisoner . Texas was declared a Republic in October 1836 and Houston became its first president. In 1845 Texas joined the US, this lead to war with Mexico and disastrous results for that country. Samuel Houston (1793-1863) well performed by Sam Elliott , was a frontiersman and politician , he went to live with the Cherokees and took a Cherokee wife . After the fall of the Alamo , he managed to keep together a small force and launched a furious surprise attack on the Mexican army of 1300 camped on the western bank of the San Jacinto River . With Texas free and independent republic , Houston was elected the first president . When Texas was admitted to the United States in 1845, Houston was a senator to Washington . Later , when civil war threatened , he was opposed to secession from the Union and refused to take oath of allegiance to the Confederate government . He relinquished his office and retired from public life .

Of all the movies I've come across dealing with early Texas history (various versions of The Alamo, Michener's Texas, Texas Rangers, King of Texas, Two for Texas), this is by far the best.

No sugar-coating here. Instead of loading on the usual simplistic blather about heroic Texas revolutionaries fighting for "freedom" (these were slave-owners; they wanted the "freedom" to own human beings), this movie makes the point early on that self-serving adventurers from the US were scheming to take Texas from Mexico long before the revolution came. Jim Bowie is seen inviting Houston to do just that; Houston, drunk with his Indian compatriots, dreams of seizing Texas and making it an Indian Republic (with himself at the head, naturally). For such "dreams of freedom" to take place, a lot of people will have to die, but when ruthless men believe in their own manifest destiny, nothing must get in the way of their empire-building. Thus the J.R. Ewing mentality of Texas was set from the very beginning...and continues to this day, with our war-mongering Texas president.

Are men like Houston (or Julius Caesar, or Napoleon, or George Bush) admirable? Frankly, after living 50 years on this planet, I've had my fill of these dangerous egomaniacs, but for better or worse they are the types who make history for the rest of us, so any work that offers insight into their personalities and careers is interesting to watch. Most movies that portray the Texas revolutionaries reflexively offer brain-dead patriotic pabulum; they're fairy-tales for adults who think like children. The script for this movie offers far more to think about.

Even the most justified wars are always fought for someone's profit, and atrocities always take place on both sides. And yet, at the outset of every war, a large component of the population goes forth with stars in their eyes, thinking that god must be on their side and that everything will be just wonderful. What's truly reprehensible is to look back on those wars in retrospect with the same stars in your eyes, instead of training a hard, unflinching gaze on the cruel and ugly realities of history and the types of men who make it. This movie does that to a greater degree than most, and for that I give it credit.