Le Déserteur du Fort Alamo

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.

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.

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

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.

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.