The Alamo/The Kentuckian [2 Discs]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

MGM's The Alamo DVD is a testimony to John Wayne's long personal struggle to tell the story of the outnumbered Texas defenders of the crumbling adobe mission and their Mexican attackers. The film, nominated for seven Oscars (it won only one for best sound), stars Richard Widmark as Jim Bowie, Laurence Harvey as William Travis, and Richard Boone as Sam Houston. Wayne does triple duty as star (Davy Crockett), director, and producer. The MGM DVD of The Alamo presents Wayne's nearly three-hour epic in a widescreen version with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound that lets the viewer appreciate the scope, grandeur, and thunder of the spectacular battle scenes. The disc also contains a documentary that mixes old and new footage as it explores Wayne's grueling struggle to realize his dream. A collectible booklet and theatrical trailer complete the disk's extras. The Duke labored long and hard to bring this tale to the screen, and it's likely that he would be pleased at the treatment "his baby" has received in MGM's The Alamo DVD. ~ Russell Roberts, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 2
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital Mono
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Subtitle: French, English, Spanish
• Features:
  • "The Alamo":
  • "John Wayne's The Alamo" documentary
  • Collectible booklet
  • Original theatrical trailer
  • "The Kentuckian":
  • Original theatrical trailer

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Won Best Sound - 1960 (Fred Hynes, Gordon Sawyer)
•     Nominated Best Color Cinematography - 1960 (William H. Clothier)
•     Nominated Best Drama or Comedy Score - 1960 (Dimitri Tiomkin)
•     Nominated Best Editing - 1960 (Stuart Gilmore)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 1960 (John Wayne)
•     Nominated Best Song - 1960 (Paul Francis Webster, Dimitri Tiomkin)
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actor - 1960 (Chill Wills)

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Won Best Original Score - 1960 (Dimitri Tiomkin)

• National Board of Review

•     Nominated Best Picture - 1960

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  John Wayne, Burt Lancaster

• Producer:

  John Wayne, Harold Hecht

• Screenwriter:

  James Edward Grant, A.B. Guthrie, Jr.

• Book Author:

  Felix Holt

• Cinematographer:

  William H. Clothier, Ernest Laszlo

• Composer (Music Score):

  Dimitri Tiomkin, Paul Francis Webster

• Songwriter:

  Paul Francis Webster

• Composer (Music Score):

  Bernard Herrmann

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Roy Webb

• Songwriter:

  Irving Gordon

• Editor:

  Stuart Gilmore, William B. Murphy

• Production Designer:

  Edward S. Haworth

• Art Director:

  Alfred Ybarra

• Associate Producer:

  James Edward Grant

• Set Designer:

  Victor A. Gangelin

• Costume Designer:

  Ann Peck, Frank Beetson, Jr., Norma

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Jack Solomon, Fred Hynes

• Special Effects:

  Lee Zavitz

• First Assistant Director:

  Robert E. Relyea, Robert Saunders

• Production Manager:

  Nate H. Edwards

• Technical Advisor:

  C. Frank Beetson, Jr., Jack Pennick

REVIEW:

• Since John Wayne was unable to persuade friend John Ford to direct the star's long-cherished project on the historic event, he decided to get behind the camera himself, with better results than might have been expected. Although overlong, especially in its current three-hour-plus running time, and, at times, clumsy in staging, composition, and pacing, the film remains an entertaining experience. This is especially true of the excellent battle scenes, at least some of which were directed by Ford with the second unit. There are also bright moments early on, as the three principals, Davy Crockett (Wayne), Jim Bowie (Richard Widmark), and Col. William Travis (Laurence Harvey), vie for leadership of the beleaguered force. There's also an oversupply of the kind of tiresome horseplay Wayne thought of as comedy. The cast, which includes many Western veterans such as Chill Wills and Ken Curtis, is solid. Cowboy icon Richard Boone, in particular, excels as tough Governor Sam Houston. On the other hand, Patrick Wayne and Frankie Avalon look as though they've just wandered in from a beach movie. ~ Michael Costello, Rovi