A Ultima Barricada

Studio politics prevented John Wayne from getting the role he coveted.Wayne would have to wait nearly a decade before he would put his own vision of the Alamo on the silver screen. The film is magnificent and told remarkable for its era (a) with a recognition that Mr Bowie having married into the Mexican elite had become an assimilato, a naturalized Mexicano, (b) with sympathy for the Mexican viewpoint and (c) with respect for General Santa Ana.

The Travis of this version is not nearly the superbly arrogant martinet of the Wayne film nor the dummy who matures in combat of the more recent edition.

Regrettably unlike the Wayne film, this version omits the heroine of the story who knitted the Alamo flag-- the Mexican tricolor with the legend 1824 for the liberal constitution for which the Texans fought. Cut off by the Mexicans, the Alamo defenders would never have known of the declaration of independence or the adoption of the Lone Star flag.

Yet as the story of heroism against the odds, Last Command is first rate.

While not totally historically accurate, this film is at least as accurate, if not more so, than most of the other Alamo epics. There are points in all the films that are arguable, if not totally wrong. However, I have researched most of the Alamo films and find this one more accurate from the viewpoint of the depiction of the Mexicans in the Alamo and some of the more personal facts about Bowie. For example, the death of his wife sometime before the start of the battle. No Alamo film is totally accurate, including the newly made Alamo with Billy Bob Thornton and Dennis Quaid. The important thing is that this is the story of brave men fighting a battle they cannot win against a far larger army. The spirit of the story is the important thing in this case.

Frank Lloyd's career stretched back to the silent era--he was a major director and made films for the top studios in Hollywood. Winding up at a B studio like Republic would seem to be a step down the career ladder, but this film is actually one of Lloyd's best and one of the best to ever come out of Republic.

The studio didn't often get the services of directors of the calibre of Frank Lloyd--although John Ford and Fritz Lang had occasionally made films there--and it spared no expense on this one. The subject matter demanded a big budget, and Republic didn't stint. Thousands of extras, big sets, spectacular action scenes, robust performances--all combined to make a first-rate action picture. Sterling Hayden makes a good Jim Bowie, the always underrated Arthur Hunnicutt personifies Davy Crockett, and the cast is filled with familiar character actors--Roy Roberts, Slim Pickens, John Russell, Jim Davis--who contribute much to the overall atmosphere of the film. The setpiece of the movie, though, is the final siege of the Alamo itself, and it is spectacular. It compares well to the John Wayne version made five years later, and ranks right up there with the final battle scene in 1964's "Zulu"--expertly edited with top-notch stunt-work and special effects. Very highly recommended.

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.

'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!