Alamo (1960)

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Movie
German title Alamo
Original title The Alamo
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1960
length 202 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director John Wayne
script James Edward Grant
production John Wayne
music Dimitri Tiomkin
camera William H. Clothier
cut Stuart Gilmore
occupation
synchronization

Alamo is an American feature film from 1960. The screenplay by James Edward Grant is about the battle of the Alamo for the Fort Mission Alamo in San Antonio in 1836.

In addition to co-directing The Green Devils , Alamo is John Wayne's only directing work.

action

The story takes place in San Antonio in 1836. Texas has just declared independence from Mexico . But the Mexican dictator Santa Anna wants to gain power in the new republic. He has around 7,000 soldiers available for this purpose.

General Sam Houston rushes to raise troops against him. In order to get more time for the recruitment, the Mexican troops should be stopped. Colonel William Travis and Colonel James Bowie with their people take on this task and hide in the former Alamo mission station, which has been poorly prepared for defense . A few dozen men from Tennessee under Colonel Davy Crockett also oppose the advancing Mexican army. They are besieged by Santa Anna and initially survive a few attacks. Eventually, however, the Alamo is stormed and all male defenders are killed.

Historical background

Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821. As a result, many settlers from the United States came to Texas. Soon San Antonio de Bexar was the largest city on Mexican territory until an open revolt against Mexico broke out in 1835 when General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna struck a coup d'état and suspended the federal constitution of Mexico, leading to uprisings in other parts of Mexico led. As a result, a few months later, beginning on February 24, 1836, 189 men (the numbers are not clearly documented historically) had to withstand the siege of the Alamo for 13 days. When the fortress finally fell on March 6th after three assaults by Mexican troops, all of the defenders perished, killed by the outnumbered Mexican soldiers under the personal command of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. However, all women and children were spared on the dictator's orders, including the widow of Captain Almeron Dickinson, Susannah, and her baby Angelina, who was only a few months old. Only a few of the Texans killed were of Mexican descent, but very many immigrants from Europe under the occupation of the Alamo; including two men from Germany, Henry Courtman and Henry Thomas, and people of German descent like Jacob Darst.

background

John Wayne had to go into debt to finance the cost of approximately $ 12 million (EUR 103,390,000 adjusted for inflation).

The original road show version of the film was 192 minutes long. Shortly after the premiere on October 24, 1960, a shortened, 161-minute version was produced; The original negative and the reference elements have also been shortened accordingly. It was not until 1991 that a print of the original version was rediscovered. In 2009, work began on a restored master.

synchronization

The German dubbing was created in 1960 in the studio of Ultra Film Synchron GmbH, Berlin .

role actor Voice actor
Colonel Davy Crockett John Wayne Heinz Engelmann
Colonel William Travis Laurence Harvey Gert Günther Hoffmann
Colonel James Bowie Richard Widmark Arnold Marquis
General Sam Houston Richard Boone Wolfgang Eichberger
Flaca Linda Cristal Eva Katharina Schultz
Smitty Frankie Avalon Ulrich Lommel
Sue Dickinson Joan O'Brien Uta Hallant
Lieutenant Reyes Carlos Arruza Jochen Schröder
Juan Seguin Joseph Calleia Konrad Wagner
Captain Dickinson Ken Curtis Heinz Petruo
Colonel Neill Bill Daniel Helmuth Grube
Beekeeper Chill Wills Walter Suessenguth
Jocko Robertson John Dierkes Paul Wagner
Parson Hank Worden Alfred Balthoff
Jethro Jester Hairston Herbert Weissbach
Bull Tom Hennesy Axel Monjé
Emil Sande Wesley Lau Hans Walter Clasen
Thimblerig Denver Pyle Friedrich Joloff
Lieutenant "Irish" Finn Guinn Williams Alexander Welbat
Nell Robertson Veda Ann Borg Tilly Lauenstein

Audio film

In 2001 Arte produced an audio description of the film for television . The speaker is Christel Körner.

Awards

Gordon Sawyer and Fred Hynes won an Oscar in 1961 for " Best Sound ". Alamo was nominated for an Oscar in seven categories, Stuart Gilmore for “ Best Editing ”, Dimitri Tiomkin for “ Best Film Music ” and “ Best Song ” ( The Green Leaves of Summer ), Chill Wills for “ Best Supporting Actor ”, William H. Clothier for " Best Camera " in a color film and John Wayne for " Best Picture ".

Dimitri Tiomkin received the Golden Globe for his film music in 1961 and John Wayne received the Laurel Award for “Best Action Drama” in the same year .

criticism

  • The Lexicon of International Films rates: “The defense of Fort Alamo against the overwhelming Mexican force in the Texans' freedom struggle in 1836 by 185 volunteers down to the last man. Monumental war film with questionable hero worship: decorative images celebrate a dubious admiration for the courage to die and leadership. Cinematically, the production is convincing due to the effort and speed and the soulful staging. "
  • Bertrand Tavernier stated in Cinema 1961 that we are dealing here with a “one hundred percent American work”, “which includes generosity and confusion, idealism and conservatism, constantly chewed nonsense and simplicity”. Wayne is "a mediocre director who makes excellent films."
  • Adolf Heinzlmeier and Berndt Schulz give the film 3 out of 4 possible stars in their lexicon “Films on TV” (1990), which corresponds to “very good”, and praise: “The historical slaughter, part of the American dream of freedom (“ Remember The Alamo! »), Is translated by Wayne into grandiose, legendary images."
  • The TV magazine Prisma judges in its online film database: "Wayne relied on macho behavior, visually powerful battle scenes with a fascinating showdown and a patriotic story."
  • Phil Hardy notes that Wayne benefited significantly from the help of John Ford and second unit director Cliff Lyons.

Director's cut, abridged version and release on home media

The film premiered 202 minutes ("road show version", later "director's cut"), but was soon shortened to 167 minutes. those responsible simply forgot to archive a negative or a copy of the original version. In 1990, a full 70mm copy was discovered in Toronto. The film was released unabridged on VHS and laser disc , this version is also broadcast in the USA occasionally.

Only a shortened version (162 minutes at 24fps, 155 minutes on PAL-DVD; many US providers also declare 167 minutes) has so far been released on DVD (officially).

A restoration of the Toronto copy was planned, but failed due to funding. This film material is now considered "unusable".

Soundtrack

  • Dimitri Tiomkin , Paul Francis Webster : The Alamo. An original sound track recording. Sony / Columbia Records, New York 1993, sound carrier no. CK 66138 - stereophonic original recording of the film music under the direction of the composer (but also contains some tracks with noises and dialogues)
  • Dimitri Tiomkin, Paul Francis Webster: The Alamo. Suite. on: High Noon - Original Film Scores of Dimitri Tiomkin . BMG / RCA, s. l. 1995, sound carrier no. 09026 62658 2 - digital new recording by the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin under the direction of Lawrence Foster

See also

literature

  • Peter Osteried: The great John Wayne book. MPW, Hille 2010, ISBN 978-3-931608-99-6 ; Pp. 334-347.
  • Andrea Rennschmid (Ed.): Alamo. John Wayne's epic of freedom. With drawings by Kerstin Popp. Weber, Landshut 1997, 159 pages, ISBN 3-9802987-3-6 .
  • Ulrich von Berg In: Thomas Koebner (Ed.): Film genres - Westerns. Reclam junior, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-15-018402-9 , pp. 239-242.

swell

  • Alamo on prisma-online.de
  • Andrea Rennschmid: Alamo - John Wayne's epic of freedom. Reinhard Weber Verlag, Landshut, ISBN 978-3-9802987-3-5 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Certificate of Release for Alamo . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , November 2004 (PDF; test number: 24 364 V / DVD).
  2. ^ The Reconstruction and Restoration of John Wayne's THE ALAMO ( Memento of February 22, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ↑ Alamo (1960) in Arne Kaul's synchronous database ( memento of the original from January 2, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; Retrieved November 30, 2008. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.synchrondatenbank.de
  4. ↑ Alamo in Hörfilm database of Hörfilm e. V.
  5. ↑ Alamo. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  6. ↑ quoted in: Joe Hembus: Western-Lexikon - 1272 films from 1894-1975. 2nd Edition. Carl Hanser Verlag Munich Vienna 1977, ISBN 3-446-12189-7 . P. 33.
  7. ^ Adolf Heinzlmeier, Berndt Schulz: Lexicon "Films on TV". Extended new edition. Rasch and Röhring, Hamburg 1990, ISBN 3-89136-392-3 , p. 26.
  8. ↑ Alamo at prisma-online.de; Retrieved November 30, 2008.
  9. ^ Phil Hardy: The Encyclopedia of Western Movies. Woodbury Press Minneapolis 1984. ISBN 0-8300-0405-X , p. 274.
  10. ↑ Not Thinkin '... Just Rememberin' ... The Making of John Wayne's "The Alamo" (John Farkis, ISBN 978-1-59393-796-6 )