The Alamo

In 1836, 187 Americans and Texicans stood against the attack of Santa Ana's 7,000-man army for more than 13 days. This epic film deals with how those men happened to be inside the mission--now a converted fort--in the small village of San Antonio, Texas, and how this led to the tragedy at The Alamo. The historical players at the fort include Davy Crockett (John Wayne--who also produced and directed the film with the uncredited assistance of John Ford), James Bowie (Richard Widmark), Sam Houston (Richard Boone) and Col. William Travis (Laurence Harvey). The film is historically faithful (as few films are) to the historical events. The final battle scene (attributed to John Ford) is a classic of its kind. The film's celebrated music is by Dimitri Tiomkin.