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Glenn Ford plays the only survivor of the Alamo -- not a very popular man in Texas. Of course, the story gives him a good excuse -- he drew lots with some other Alamo soldiers to see who would go west to defend their homes from Texan bandits hired by the Mexicans, but the families were already dead when he gets there -- but nobody wants to believe him, except one lovely woman on the wagon train he sets out to defend. Only problem is his strategy of siding with the bandits to get into their confidence puts him in a nearly impossible situation.

A well-made film, with convincing action and gritty characters. Unlike other Boetticher westerns, here the scale of the film is "epic" as the future of the West hangs in the balance. Ford makes a surprisingly good substitute for Randolph Scott or John Wayne.

Texas , when General Santa Anna seized the Presidency of Mexico. They were them faced with the prospect of military government of war. General Sam Huston was entrusted with the task of mapping a course of action that would determine the future of Texas. 1836 a soldier called John Stroud, Glenn Ford, is sent from The Alamo during its last hours to get help, but then he is branded as a coward and a deserter. As he struggles to clear his name. Stroud infiltrates Wade's band led by Victor Jory. As The Alamo mission became a fortress and the fortress that became a shrine.

Well acted and colorful film, this one will satisfy those with a taste for action. Furthermore, here shows up some historic roles from The Alamo such as Col. Travis , Davy Crocket and Jim Bowie. Stars Glenn Ford and Julie Adams give acceptable interpretation. While support cast is pretty good, such as Chill Wills who played in El Alamo by John Wayne, Neville Brand as a rebel, Hugh O'Brian and special mention for Victor Jory as leader of a gang of renegades turncoats supporting Mexicans. And Guy Williams , before his successful series playing El Zorro.

It displays a glimmer and brilliant cinematography by Russell Metty, Universal Pictures regular . And a moving as well as charming musical score by the classic composer Frank Skinner. The motion picture was well directed by Budd Boetticher who was a Western expert. His first Western was in 1949 called The Wolf Hunters, following Cimarron Kid , Bronco buster, Horizons West, Seminole, and Wings of the hawk . In 1956 with 7 Men From Now starts his collaboration with Randolph Scott, along with producer Harry Joe Brown and writer Burt Kennedy , including prestigious titles as Tall T, Decision at sundown, Buchanan rides alone , Ride lonesome, Comanche station , among others. Rating 6. 5/10 . His last Western was in 1969 titled A time for dying with Audie Murphy. The movie witll appeal toWestern aficionados and Glenn Ford fans

As the war for Texas independence heightens, the Alamo has become a critical point of time buying interest. Fearing their families will perish under the might of the marauding Mexican army, the men of the Alamo draw lots to see which one of them will flee the Alamo battle to steer the respective families out of harms way. John Stroud is the man faced with the task, but upon reaching his destinations he finds he's too late to save anyone. However, this is just the start of his worries as he finds he has been branded a coward for leaving the Alamo, where all have now perished; while his attempts to avenge the murder of his family are beset with problems at every turn.

In truth, no great shakes in the Western genre here, and certainly not even close to being amongst the better work of director Budd Boetticher (The Tall T & Comanche Station) or Glenn Ford (The Big Heat & Blackboard Jungle). It's also not high on production value and doesn't have location vitality to give it an earthy sheen, it still, however, manages to be an entertaining piece putting an interesting offshoot to the Alamo legend. Glenn Ford is a watchable star at the best of times and he manages to keep this picture afloat by putting a bit of cool bravado urgency into the role of John Stroud, with dashes of emotional fortitude, his relationship with the young, recently orphaned Carlos, gives the film its emotional weight, and when that sits alongside the usual array of shoot them up sequences it makes for good honest Western fare.

Of the supporting cast, Chill Wills and Neville Brand put in some fine work, while there has been far far worse female leads in this genre than the radiant Julie Adams. Of Boetticher's direction? It's just about adequate, where working within the confines of the lot and it's lowly budget origins, he manages to pull it thru; but in truth probably himself cringed at some of the final night time sequences in the cut. He of course, a couple of years down the line, would go on to direct some of the best genre pieces on the market, so he owes the genre fan very little all told. So good and bad here folks, with the good far outweighing the technically bad deficiencies on offer. But I mean come on now, if you can't enjoy Ford having a good old punch up on the brink of a waterfall? Well you're probably better off not watching a 50s B movie Western in the first place then. 6.5/10

During the war of independence of Texas, a group of five men of the city of Oxbow chooses, for a raffle, who would leave the fort Alamo to save the families of all them of the Mexican troops. Stroud is the chosen, but is considered a coward by the other men of the fort, that don't know about the real reason of his escape.

However, when arriving to his home, his family and the one of all his companions had been killed by American renegades, that struggled beside of the Mexicans. Now, is the hour of the his revenge! But how to face the hostility of all the Texans that considered him a coward for fleeing of the Alamo?

Happily, his heroic behavior due to the adversities, as when leading a caravan of Texans before an attack of the renegades, will show to his compatriots him real value!

Good film, with good interpretations. An excellent western for a Saturday afternoon.

Glenn Ford plays the title role in The Man From The Alamo which probably should be better titled The Man Who Left The Alamo. Don't worry, Glenn had good and sufficient cause for doing so.

Ford is one of the men who was there at the mission fort at San Antonio De Bexar when word is received of some renegade Texans raiding some of ranches up where Ford and his family have settled. He and three others draw lots to see who goes out of The Alamo to check on their families. Ford gets the short straw and when William B. Travis played by Arthur Space draws his famous line in the sand, Ford is the only one who opts out of the fight.

Of course when Ford arrives he finds his and the other families dead at the hands of renegade Victory Jory and his band who are in league with Santa Anna. After that it's a struggle to clear his good name and alert others to the dangers of Jory's band.

The Man From The Alamo is a short, but action packed western. Budd Boetticher got good performances out of his cast which besides those mentioned include Julie Adams. Hugh O'Brian, Neville Brand, and Chill Wills who as we all know was in John Wayne's blockbuster film on the same subject.

The film is very similar to a lot of the westerns that Boetticher did with Randolph Scott and I wouldn't be surprised if the film wasn't created with Randy in mind originally for the lead. If it was, Glenn Ford was more than adequate in the part.

Western fans and other fans will not be disappointed.

Just wish they showed what fighting in those days was like with six guns

Every single picture signed by Budd Boetticher worthwhile to see, one the greatest western director of all time, The Man From The Alamo is a minor work, about the famous Alamo when Texas became an independent Republic and Col. Santa Anna tries incorporate it on Mexico territory, the story starts at Alamo under siege and strong attack, some farmers decides that one of them will be choose to look out how are their families around, the chosen one is John Stroud (Glenn Ford), he left the Alamo before the massacre took place.

Aftermaths find out his whole family killed by American allied at Santa Anna's cause, solely remainder a one survivor only, the little Mexican boy Carlos who is a kid of his old employee also killed in the raid, Carlos told to Stroud that weren't Mexican soldiers that killed them, but American men disguised as Mexican outfits lead by the renegade Jess Wade (Victor Jory) reaching at near city Stroud is treat as coward and he needs clean your name, however first he wants a revenge against Jess Wade that killed his family meanwhile Gen. Huston is gathering men to strickes back.

It displayed a lit bit about Texas story, re-telling how the lonely territory was still apart of the United States at its time, the Alamo and all unfold the real happenings afterwards over the Alamo massacre and under leadership of the Gen San Huston at final battle of San Jacinto, instead the picture focuses on the story of a supposed man John Stroud, the casting have so many interesting people as Julie Adams, Chill Wills, Hugh O'Brien, Neville Brand an upcoming stars as Guy Williams, Stuart Whitman and Dennis Weaver, also the old acquaintance of us uncredited Kenneth MacDonald who was a usual guest as bad guy on The Three Stooges.

Thanks for reading.

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First watch: 2023 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.

Deserving of its obscurity, "The Man From the Alamo" (1953) is probably Director Budd Boetticher's weakest Western and Glenn Ford's weakest film. While not actually horrible, it is not something to seek out for exciting entertainment or for a showcase of the talent of those two Hollywood immortals.

It's another of those lame historical fiction stories that would be at least tolerable if the names and places had been changed to protect the innocent. In fairness, the film would have been easier to take back in 1953, a couple of years before Fess Parker and later John Wayne told slightly less fictional Alamo stories and established lasting mental pictures of the event and the participants.

"The Man From the Alamo" is probably most noteworthy for its overuse (and misuse) of "day for night" filming. There are endless "day for night" scenes with many among the worst examples I have ever seen. One camp scene is so underexposed (to simulate nighttime darkness) that it's just five minutes of disembodied voices. The scenes at the Alamo itself are lame sound- stage stuff.

Also amusing are the sequences of the wagon train traversing the same California valley in scene and scene (the high hills in the background and the dry valley just don't square with the alleged East Texas location).

While Boetticher was normally excellent at pacing, in "The Man From the Alamo" he dissipates the tension way too early and the film drags along to an unexciting (snore) ending. The wily renegades turn out to be totally inept cream-puffs and the viewer is left waiting for a tactical surprise that never happens.

The story opens with John Stroud (Glenn Ford) as part of the Alamo's garrison. We never meet General Santa Anna but there are brief scenes with Travis, Crockett, and Bowie. Stroud and his group draw lots to see which one will leave the Alamo to protect their ranches and families from a band of renegades. But he arrives too late and finds all the ranches have been burned and most of the families killed.

Since no one at the Alamo survives, Stroud is labeled a deserter and is about to be lynched in the first town he enters. But the renegades attack the town and Stroud infiltrates their merry little band led by Jess Wade (Richard Jory) so that he can get revenge.

There is not much challenging acting required although Neville Brand is quite effective as one of the Renegades. Hugh O'Brien gets a lot of mock fest moments as a kind of combo of George Custer and Kit Carson; complete with a tight buckskin costume.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Budd Boetticher made several films for Universal Pictures before going to Columbia studios. His movies were westerns and adventures movies. Universal standard, where the bull fighter director could only show his professional skills but maybe nothing more. Anyway, I guess that served him for his later Columbia westerns starring Randolph Scott. This one surprised me because the presence of Glenn Ford, a Columbia star borrowed by Universal. I am sure it was the only one, knowing that later Ford will "emigrate" towards MGM. So this movie shows something rather unusual, related to Alamo battle, something surprising. A man falsely accused of cowardice instead of a murder, yes, very interesting. But the rest is predictable; good, effective but predictable. See for instance SPRINGFIELD RIFLE, more or less same plot and scheme.

Highly conventional storytelling - with nice visuals - and capable acting - - strangely enuf - the story of the real man who didn't cross Travis's line to stay to fight - Moses Rose - isn't touched upon - this bears no resemblance to his story.

Glenn Ford leaves the certain death of the Alamo "Myth" and chooses to go home and save his family. That is not the actions of a COWARD but just a man who wants to see his family. Stupid "die for an ideal" philosophy. As HISTORY has since proven, the Massacre at the Alamo wasn't even necessary. Sam Houston spent the rest of his life trying to explain WHY he never sent re-enforcements. Just a total waste of life.

If you are looking for a Glenn Ford western from the early 50s, taking place in the post Civil War west, this is a good movie. Even has notable actors like Glenn Ford, Julie Adams, Chill Wills, Victor Jory, and a young Hugh O'Brian.

But if you are looking to see a western taking place in Texas during the Texas revolution in 1836, you will be very disappointed. Yes, it starts off in the Alamo and features Sam Houston, Travis, Bowie, and Crockett. But beyond that, everything is wrong. Uniforms, clothing, tactics, weapons, all are from the post Civil War era. Even the scenery is all wrong for that part of Texas.

There is a legend of the Alamo that when Travis drew the line in the sand, one person didn't cross the line and left, but he did not resemble the Glenn Ford character at all.

If you want to see a period picture from 1836 Texas, don't waste your time.

Drawing straws (or in this case beans) Texas patriot Glenn Ford is picked to leave the Alamo in order to evacuate his and his neighbor's families, only to find them all dead at the hands of marauders and himself branded a coward.

Starting with a fairly colorful, low-budget Alamo siege (shot on a sound-stage!), this is pretty compelling all the way, with an excellent, hard-boiled performance from Ford and nice direction from the great Budd Boetticher, one of the best unsung western filmmakers ever.

This is almost as good as Boetticher's later collaborations with Randolph Scott. My only problem is that this wasn't shot in widescreen.

As far as the supporting cast goes, Chill Wills is always fun to watch, while the incredibly beautiful Julie Adams is always fun to look at, and Neville Brand delivers some great, macho, swaggering villainy that easily overshadows the more subdued Victor Jory.

On the other hand, I can't quite understand the Golden Globe win by Hugh O'Brian. He's okay, but slightly bland as Ford's main accuser.

Good little movie with plenty of famous character actors. Glenn Ford, as always, does a great job as the coward who left the Alamo. As the case in many of these westerns, the director did not spend much time researching the details pertaining to historically correct clothing and weapons. Button down shirts and belt loops were not available in 1838. In spite of many accuracy flaws. This is a good little family western.

There is always something interesting and just a bit different in this Director's Movies. This one is no exception. It is replete with thought provoking ideas like cowardice, bigotry, loyalty, and other values only found in the better Westerns.

This is an action filled Film with guns blazing, galloping Horses, Wagon Trains, bushwhackers, Mexican impersonators, fist-fights and all that is expected in this type of thing. But the difference here is the intelligence. The injection in a popular genre some things that rose above the material.

Budd Boetticher, Anthony Mann, and sometimes John Ford and Howard Hawks always gave more than the raw material. This is a modest effort from one of the Greats with an OK cast and a Production that looks so much bigger than it was. That was Boetticher, he was always so much bigger and better than what he was allowed.

I am a long time fan of the western genre, and I found this film to be about average fair. What is short on plot is made up with action and suspense.

By chance, June clouds threatening, I sat down and watched this entertaining western on a Saturday afternoon. An earlier commentator ended his praise for this film by noting that it is "an excellent western for a Saturday afternoon." And it was. The ethical dilemma of leaving a field of battle (in this case the Alamo)to try and save the lives of loved ones is a powerful theme. The repercussions to John Stroud, Ford's weary but stalwart character, are scorn, accusations of cowardice and worse. The best part of the film are the sweeping shots of the Texas plains. The movie is well-composed, capturing the majestic plains and hills with a strength of purpose that demands an emotional response. One of the early films of Jeanne Cooper, who is a favorite of mine.

I grew up watching Glenn Ford as Pa Kent in the 1978 Superman movie, and after watching The Man from the Alamo I can see why he was great as Superman's earth dad -- he knows how to play a tough man!

Glenn Ford's character John Stroud is branded an unpopular coward but that doesn't stop him from doing what he has to do; no matter what people think of his actions, he does what he believes is right, and that takes a tough man.

As is pointed out in the movie, it takes more nerve to go against the grain than to stay with the herd. This movie demonstrates that doing what looks wrong to others takes more guts than doing what others do, and it takes a tough man to do it.