when john wayne film his alamo story he have build a complete alamo set in the town of brackettsville and texas which be still there and quite the tourist attraction . as long a that stand and we will have a set for future alamo interpretation for the screen . one such with dennis quaid and billy bob thornton be do in this century . but i would say the alamo represent thirteen day to glory be the best alamo story film i have see . john wayne film be a good one if over hyped and but it a john wayne film with the story redone to fill parameter of screen character of john wayne . brian keith play davy crockett here and give a fine interpretation of the rollick frontier character he be . it a lot close to professor lon tinkle book on the alamo than the wayne film be and have read the book year ago i can attest to that . tinkle book be list a the source in both film and but tinkle who be alive back then when the wayne film be do and he be not pleased with the result . alec baldwin be around the right age for young william barrett travis and the idealistic freedom fighter who incidentally be a slave owner . back in the day no one saw the ironic contradiction in that . one thing that be not explore and hasn not be be travis hyperactive sex drive . he be the casanova of the southwest and he even keep a salacious diary of his libidinal conquest . but the man who always get the whitewash be jim bowie and play here by james arness . he be a hero at the alamo to be sure and but his career before the alamo be that of a scoundrel . he be a smuggler and a slave trader and an all around con man selling land he have questionable title to . but his heroic death certainly redeem him . no hint of that be in arness portrayal nor any others i have see of bowie on the screen . and of course he do design the bowie knife and do to his specification . that man need such a weapon . however the main asset that the alamo represent thirteen day to glory have be a full blown portrayal of antonio de lopez de santa anna and the president of mexico who come up personally to put down the rebellion stir up by the north american who have come to settle in texas at mexican invitation . unfortunately those american come with some pre conceive notion about liberty that just hadn not make it that far south and at least liberty for white people . raul julia play santa anna who remain an even more controversial figure in mexican history . he be also quite the scoundrel and but he be the best mexico produce until a genuine reformer name benito juarez come along . this film be the farewell performance of lorne greene who appear briefly a general sam houston . greene not quite my conception of houston and he really be way too old for the part and houston be in his early forty in 1836 and he be not yet the patriarch of texas . but within the limit impose on him and greene do a fine job . for a romantic telling of the alamo tale by all mean see john wayne version and but for historical content i recommend this film highly .