John Wayne’s The Alamo was one of the most expensive movies ever made at the time and the Hollywood icon was under incredible pressure as he starred, produced and directed the film
Back in 1945, John Wayne, whose Irish roots were recently uncovered, set his sights on creating an epic film about the Battle of the Alamo. The crucial battle during the Texas Revolution involved a 13-day siege at the Alamo Mission, where most of the defenders, including American legends Davy Crockett and James Bowie, were killed by the Mexican army.
This defeat galvanized many Texians to triumph at the Battle of San Jacinto a month later, leading to victory for the newly established Republic of Texas. A staunch conservative and patriot, Wayne – who starred in the iconic, Irish-based movie The Quiet Man – enlisted screenwriter James Edward Grant to pen a draft of The Alamo, which Duke’s estate has just marked the 64th anniversary of this week.
However, as the project neared completion, Wayne, who had a close friendship with Irish actress and co-star Maureen O’Hara, had a significant dispute with Herbert Yates, the boss of Republic Pictures. According to a post shared by John Wayne “The Duke” (@johnwayneofficial), the actor was offered a paltry $3 million budget by the studio known for its low-budget B-movies, while he envisioned The Alamo as a grand-scale production.
Unable to reach a financial agreement, he parted ways with Republic due to the disagreement but couldn’t take the script with him. Consequently, it was reworked and released as 1955’s The Last Command. Despite these setbacks, the determined star was resolved to make the film on his own terms, reports the Express.
Wayne set up his own production company, Batjac, and took the helm of The Alamo to safeguard his vision for the film. Initially, he intended to make a brief appearance as Sam Houston, but financial backers insisted he play the lead role of Davy Crockett—a part once offered to Clark Gable—to secure funding.
To muster the $12 million budget (equivalent to over $120 million today), Wayne invested $1.5 million of his personal wealth, mortgaging his properties and using his cars and yacht as loan collateral. Before being compelled to take on a major role, Wayne had envisioned Richard Widmark as Crockett.
However, with Duke stepping into the spotlight to attract investors, Widmark was reassigned. United Artists, one of the film’s financiers, had urged the director to cast Widmark as a guarantee for the box office.
Initially offered the role of Col William Travis, Widmark balked and settled for the role of Jim Bowie instead. But shortly after filming began, he protested that he was miscast, attempting to exit the project due to the disparity between his height of 5’9 and the towering 6’6 stature of the “larger than life” character he was portraying.
After facing legal threats, Widmark agreed to complete the film, bringing in Burt Kennedy to rewrite his lines. However, he didn’t get along with Wayne during the shoot.
It was widely speculated that this was because Widmark, a liberal Democrat who opposed the Hollywood blacklist and supported gun control, clashed with Wayne, a conservative Republican. But according to Widmark, their on-set feud stemmed from Wayne’s lack of directorial skill and inability to motivate actors for a scene.
He complained that Wayne would instruct him and other actors on how to portray their characters, which sometimes conflicted with their interpretation of their roles. However, other cast and crew members believed Wayne was an intelligent and talented director.
Regardless, Wayne was under immense pressure as he starred, produced, and directed such a massive film that he was self-financing and faced numerous production issues. To cope with the stress of a movie that featured 7000 extras, 1500 horses, and 400 cattle in its climactic battle scene, Wayne would chain-smoke when he wasn’t acting.
Frankie Avalon, who played Smitty, shared his experience: “There may have been some conflict with Widmark in portraying the role that he did, but I didn’t see any of that. All I know is he was tough to work for without a doubt because he [Wayne] wanted it his way and he wanted professionalism. He wanted everybody to know their lines and be on their mark and do what he wanted them to do.”
On-set dynamics grew more complicated when John Ford, Wayne’s frequent directorial collaborator, would appear uninvited during The Alamo’s production and attempt to direct the film. To manage Ford, whom Wayne called ‘Pappy’, Duke tasked him with shooting secondary footage that was largely unused in the final cut.
Despite the behind-the-scenes tension, The Alamo turned a profit at the box office, and earned seven Oscar nominations, even though Wayne reportedly took a personal financial hit on the project.