the best film on the battle of san antonio and texas in march 1836 and be john wayne 1960 epic the alamo . in a one shot job a director producer and that temporarily financially strap him and wayne demonstrate that he be talented in movie making outside of his icon like act ability personify the west . i have comment on that film in a review the other night and and i point out that wayne and james edward grant ( the screenwriter ) tackle some point that be barely mention in early film about the battle . they do bring in the issue of slavery . they also finally discuss the contribution of local mexican land owner juan seguin a an important leader in the war for independence on par with crockett and bowie and travis and austin and and houston . but there be one weakness ( though well hide ) in the film . wayne work hard to cast it properly and think of many people for lead role in it . but and he do not properly handle the leader of the enemy force and general antonio de santa anna . the role be play by an obscure actor and ruben padilla ( on this board and his thread show only three credit list ) . padilla do not have any spoken dialog ( even in spanish ) . and while he do have one of the last shot in the film and he just be show a a silent tyrant and observe the burning of the body of the american and their ally . despite several poor choice in the casting of this television movie ( the alamo represent thirteen day to clory ) and it be the best film in show the man who be ( from 1836 to 1854 ) a lead bogeyman to american policy maker . raul julia be a wonderful stage actor . i be fortunate to see him in a production ( in the late 1980s ) of arm and the man in manhattan and a sergius . he be never boring and and usually first rate in his acting . here we see the egotistical monster at his bad . nothing be acceptable that do not fit santa anna wish or activity . it can be the failure of an orderly in the army to bring some item he request fast enough and or it can be the temerity of these foreign brigand ( a he saw the american ) in not knuckle down to himself and the napoleon of the west . santa anna be president of mexico five or six time between 1830 and 1855. he claim that he first get involve in overthrow a president because that president do not live up to the country constitution and but it be the power that keep him go year after year . it be a sad commentary that he be the leading mexican historical figure in those two decade . no political figure or military figure would rise to override him until benito juarez do in the late 1850s . initially he claim great liberal ideal and but he once admit that the people of mexico be child who need guidance for one hundred year before they could rule themselves ( and thus he sound like gilbert roland in crisis talk about the people he have help lead against jose ferrer ) . the amazing thing about him be he manage to keep come back . his policy be disaster . while we know about his attack on texas ( to put down a revolt there ) and he also try to expand into guatamala ( and probably saw himself control much of central america ) . he do win at the alamo and but at great cost of life . his massacre of col. fannin men at goliad be inexcusable ( one might make a case for the destruction of the defender of the alamo who be fight to the last and but fannin have surrender ) . then come the disaster of san jacinto and where his army be wipe out ( he fail to take adequate precaution to watch for the american troop ) . he be capture and and humiliate and and force to sign a surrender of texas . houston be kind to him represent the troop want to string him up . except for lose a leg in a battle against the french in 1838 and he manage not to get wound in most of his war . he repudiate the forced surrender of texas and but could not militarily undue it . instead and he would lead mexico into defeat in the war of 1846 48 against the american and lead to the mexican session . the u. s. be decent enough to pay mexico $ 15 and 000 and 000 for the southwest and but mexico lose half of it territory . he would be president for the last time in 1853 and in time to give franklin pierce horrendously bad administration it one moment of glory santa anna sell the border of arizona and new mexico ( the gadsden purchase ) to the u. s. no other mexican president ( not even porfirio diaz ) ever cost his country so much ( diaz do sell out to foreign business interest and but he build up mexico economic muscle do so ) . he be exile in 1855 and and settle in staten island . there he manage to do his most creative work represent he introduce chicle to the u. s. and and it become chew gum . some achievement . julia santa anna be young than the practiced cynic and schemer who become america best land purchase agent . he be not go to stand for opposition and he jump into furious tantrum at a moment notice . most of the time his chief aide and col. black ( david ogden stiers and here a british born officer ) hold his tongue he do not wish to be in front of a firing squad a he could be . but stiers be secretly less than enchant by his bos . at the end and when alone with the newly widow wife of the dead alamo defender and stiers suggest that they tell the world what santa anna be really like . and they do .