The Last Command (1955 film)
The Last Command | |
---|---|
Jack A. Marta | |
Edited by | Tony Martinelli |
Music by | Max Steiner |
Color process | Trucolor |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Republic Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 110 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
The Last Command is a 1955 American
Plot
In 1835,
On his return home Bowie is arrested by Mexican soldiers and brought to
Bowie becomes a heavy drinker and a drifter. He eventually sides with the Texians when he meets with Stephen Austin who tells him pacifism is no longer an option. After leading a band of mounted fighters in victory against Mexican dragoons at the
Santa Anna's army besieges the Alamo, and though allowing the women and children to leave in peace, Captain Dickinson's wife and Consuelo de Quesada, who loves Bowie refuse to go.
During the siege Santa Anna and Bowie meet one more time under a flag of truce with each man understanding the other's view that events have spiralled out of control. Bowie refuses to surrender the Alamo or to sit out the battle as Santa Anna's prisoner. Later Bowie is severely injured when seizing a Mexican cannon and bringing it back to the Alamo; his increasing ill health leads Bowie to grant full command to Travis. By now the two have come to respect each other.
Cast
- Jim Bowie
- Anna Maria Alberghetti as Consuelo de Quesada
- William Barret Travis
- Arthur Hunnicutt as Davy Crockett
- Ernest Borgnine as Mike Radin
- Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
- Ben Cooper as Jeb Lacey
- John Russell as Capt. Almaron Dickinson
- Virginia Grey as Mrs. Dickinson
- Jim Davis as Ben Evans
- Eduard Franz as Lorenzo de Quesada
- Otto Kruger as Stephen F. Austin
- Russell Simpson as The Parson
- Roy Roberts as Dr. Summerfield
- Slim Pickens as Abe
- Hugh Sanders as Sam Houston
- Charles Stevens as Villager (uncredited)
- Ken Terrell as Defender (uncredited)
Production
John Wayne
The project first emerged at
"I've always wanted to direct ever since I came into pictures", said Wayne, who had just begun producing with
However Republic Pictures head
"Yates will have to make me a darned good offer to make another picture with him. I'm fed up with him", said Wayne.[8]
Five years later Wayne would play Davy Crockett in, as well as direct, the three-hour-plus Todd-AO production The Alamo, released by United Artists, that featured many elements of The Last Command but was also flawed with historical inaccuracies in its screenplay.
Shooting
Yates decided to rework the Alamo project with other actors. Republic were not making many films in 1954 but the Alamo project was key to the year.[10] The movie was also known as The Unconquered Territory, The Texian, The Alamo and San Antonio Bexar. Frank Lloyd became attached to direct.[11]
Filming started February 1955.[12] William Witney shot the battle scenes near Fort Clark, Texas.[13][14]
San Antonio's Sol Frank Uniform company made uniforms for the extras depicting the Mexican Army. For the foot soldiers 260 uniforms in sky blue, a color designed for the benefit of the Trucolor cameras, with red facings and 160 red uniforms with blue facings for the mounted soldiers.[citation needed]
Soundtrack
Max Steiner's theme song for The Last Command, "Jim Bowie", is sung by musical star Gordon MacRae, who that year was starring in the smash hit film Oklahoma!, adapted from the famous Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. Steiner's score also re-imagines El Degüello, the Mexican song of no quarter as a bugle call.
Reception
The Los Angeles Times called it "an exciting, vigorous attraction".[15]
References
- ^ METRO ACQUIRES NEW RAINE STORY New York Times 17 Mar 1948: 31.
- ^ ROLE IN WAR PATH' TO EDMOND O'BRIEN New York Times 5 Aug 1950: 9.
- ^ Thompson, Frank Alamo Movies 1994 Republic of Texas Press
- ^ Drama: John Wayne to Direct 'Alamo' in Fall Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 21 Feb 1951: B11.
- ^ Actor or Not, Wayne Hits Screen Jackpot: Style All His Own Works Miracles for Strong, Silent Man of Outdoors Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 4 Mar 1951: D1.
- ^ COAST'S STARS SUCCUMB TO THE DIRECTING URGE By HELEN GOULD HOLLYWOOD New York Times 15 July 1951: X3.
- ^ Drama: Ford, Darnell Hailed for Costarring; Steve McNally 'Courier' Lead Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 27 Sep 1951: A7.
- ^ a b Actor Wayne Finally Splits With Republic By Bob Thomas. The Washington Post 17 Nov 1952: 2.
- ^ Richard Carlson Gets Lead in Epic of Texas Life Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 14 Jan 1955: a8
- ^ NEW 5-YEAR PACT FOR VAN JOHNSON New York Times 4 May 1954: 36.
- ^ Drama: Frank Lloyd Readying 'Texian;' Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 15 Apr 1954: A13.
- ^ Louella Parrsons: Starlet and Studio Both Get Excited The Washington Post and Times-Herald 30 Dec 1954: 35.
- ^ "Forget the Alamo". September 11, 2010. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ Tarantino, Quentin (April 6, 2020). "I Escaped from Devil's Island". The New Beverly Cinema. Archived from the original on August 19, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
- ^ Hayden Heads Vigorous Cast in "Last Command" Scott, John L. Los Angeles Times 13 Oct 1955: B15.
External links
- The Last Command at IMDb
- The Last Command at AllMovie
- The Last Command at the TCM Movie Database
- The Last Command at the American Film Institute Catalog