Heroes of the Alamo (1937) is a low-budget retelling of the events of the Texas Revolution and the

Battle of the Alamo The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Anto ...

. It was produced by Anthony J. Xydias and reuses the battle scenes of his 1926 silent film ''

Davy Crockett at the Fall of the Alamo ''With Davy Crockett at the Fall of the Alamo'' is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury and starring Cullen Landis, Kathryn McGuire Kathryn McGuire (December 6, 1903 – October 10, 1978) was an American danc ...

''. About 35 minutes of the latter film is available on the DVD of ''Heroes of the Alamo'', all that remains of the silent film.

Plot

Unlike other Alamo films that concentrate on Davy Crockett and

Jim Bowie James Bowie ( ) ( – March 6, 1836) was a 19th-century American pioneer, slave smuggler and trader, and soldier who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He was among the Americans who died at the Battle of the Alamo. Stories of h ...

, the main protagonists are Almaron (Bruce Warren) and Susanna Dickinson (Ruth Findlay) and their daughter Angelina (Marilyn Haslett). The film gives a fictionalised fast moving account of the restriction on American emigration to Texas, the arrest of

Stephen F. Austin Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3, 1793 – December 27, 1836) was an American-born empresario. Known as the "Father of Texas" and the founder of Anglo Texas,Hatch (1999), p. 43. he led the second and, ultimately, the successful colonization ...

Santa Anna Santa Anna may refer to: * Santa Anna, Texas, a town in Coleman County in Central Texas, United States * Santa Anna, Starr County, Texas * Santa Anna Township, DeWitt County, Illinois, one of townships in DeWitt County, Illinois, United States. ...

(

Julian Rivero Julian Rivero (July 25, 1890 – February 24, 1976) was an American actor whose career spanned seven decades. He made his film debut in the 1923 silent melodrama, '' The Bright Shawl'', which starred Richard Barthelmess, Dorothy Gish, William Pow ...

), Sam Houston (Edward Piel) appointed General to build the

Texian Army The Texian Army, also known as the Revolutionary Army and Army of the People, was the land warfare branch of the Texian armed forces during the Texas Revolution. It spontaneously formed from the Texian Militia in October 1835 following the ...

, and Dickinson's participation in both the Battle of Gonzales and the

Cast

Bruce Warren The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been ...

... Capt. Al Dickinson * Ruth Findlay ... Anne Dickinson *

Earle Hodgins Earle Hodgins (October 6, 1893 – April 14, 1964) was an American actor. Career Early in his career, Hodgins was active in stock theater, including working in the Ralph Cloninger troupe of Salt Lake City, Utah, and the Siegel Stock compan ...

...

Lane Chandler Lane Chandler (born Robert Clinton Oakes, June 4, 1899 – September 14, 1972) was an American actor specializing mainly in Westerns. Biography Early life Chandler was raised on a ranch near Culbertson, Montana, the son of a horse ra ...

... Col. Davy Crockett * Roger Williams ... Col.

Rex Lease Rex Lloyd Lease (February 11, 1903 – January 3, 1966) was an American actor. He appeared in over 300 films, mainly in Poverty Row westerns. Biography Lease arrived in Hollywood in 1924. He found bit and supporting parts at Film Booking ...

... Col. William B. Travis *Jack C. Smith ... William H. Wharton *Lee Valanios ... Col. James Bonham * Edward Peil Sr. ... Gen. Sam Houston *

... Gen.

Antonio López de Santa Anna Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón (; 21 February 1794 – 21 June 1876),Callcott, Wilfred H., "Santa Anna, Antonio Lopez De,''Handbook of Texas Online'' Retrieved 18 April 2017. usually known as Santa Ann ...

*Willy Castello ... Gen.

Martín Perfecto de Cos Martín Perfecto de Cos (1800–1 October 1854) was a Mexican Army general and politician during the mid-19th century. Born in Veracruz, the son of an attorney, he became an army cadet at the age of 20, a lieutenant in 1821, and a brigadier gener ...

*Paul Ellis ... Gen.

Manuel Fernández Castrillón Manuel Fernández Castrillón (1780s – April 21, 1836) was a major general in the Mexican army of the 19th century. He was a close friend of General and Mexican President Antonio López de Santa Anna. During the Texas Revolution, Castrilló ...

Release

After producing two 1935 Westerns, Xydias ambitiously announced the production of epic films about Buffalo Bill, Sitting Bull,

George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from West Point in 1861 at the bottom of his class, b ...

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

and Davy Crockett in 1937-1938 that were remakes of his Sunset Productions silent films,p.36 Thompson, Frank ''Alamo Movies'' 1991 Woodware Productions however only the Alamo film was made. Xydias had planned the film as a tie in with the 1936

Texas Centennial The Texas Centennial Exposition was a world's fair presented from June 6 to November 29, 1936, at Fair Park, Dallas, Texas. A celebration of the 100th anniversary of Texas's independence from Mexico in 1836, it also celebrated Texas and Western Uni ...

but fell behind in his plans.

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

acquired the film for 1938 releasep.244 Dick, Bernard F. ''Columbia Pictures:Portrait of a Studio'' 1992 University Press of Kentucky and changed the billing of the actors in the film. The film featured the song '' The Yellow Rose of Texas'' being sung by the defenders though it had not been written at that time. This was the last film Xydias produced. When World War II broke out he was in the Philippines and was interned by the Japanese.

References

External links

* {{Davy Crockett 1937 films 1937 Western (genre) films Columbia Pictures films American black-and-white films Texas Revolution films Cultural depictions of Davy Crockett Siege films American Western (genre) films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films Cultural depictions of James Bowie