Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8921 in VHS
• Released on: 1997-10-07
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Formats: Color, EP, NTSC
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 170 minutes

Customer Reviews

You take what you can get....
When you're from Texas and have spent many years studying and knowing about the Alamo, it gets pretty hard to stomache some of the more historically inaccurate videos. (i.e. the John Wayne version, et al.) They simply don't sit right with you. The TV version of the Alamo we have here isn't the best movie ever made. Nor is it the worst. Far from it in fact. This version manages to get rough historical facts in order. The siege lasts the right number of days, the attack happens at the right time, Wm. Travis isn't a 50 year old man, D. Crockett isn't Fess Parker. Seeing as how so much of the Alamo legend is, in fact, myth, demanding that a film remain true to hard fact is ludicrous. Sure, parts are embellished. Parts are skipped over. Sometimes it's overly sentimental, but hey--we're talking about a pretty sentimental subject in the eyes of some. It's not perfect, but it's sure a step up from what we're used to. And until someone gets together and makes Steven Harrigan's new novel into a movie, I think it's probably my best bet for a "pretty good movie about the Alamo". If you're an Alamo buff, I'd certainly suggest you see it. It's well cast and weaves a pretty good emotional plotline, including a lot of points from Travis' supposed life. Alec Baldwin does very well in the role, as do the rest of the major supporting cast. If you're not an Alamo buff, then you're probably not reading this review anyhow. I say we all probably take what we can get, and this certainly could be a whole heck of a lot worse.

A low budget, made-for-TV film.
It was filmed on the same set as John Wayne's "The Alamo," it uses stock footage from "The Last Command," and it reshows the same action scenes over and over again to flesh out the rather weak looking battle. There was not much of a budget for this movie.

Yes, this movie is more historically accurate than virtually all the other cinematic Alamo versions. (Is that really saying much?) But artistically it is at the bottom of the barrel. Acting wise, the only real bright spot of the movie is young Alec Baldwin's Travis.

Watch for Ethan Wayne, the Duke's youngest son, in a bit role as an Alamo defender. (He is wearing a coonskin cap that is identical to the one his father wore in his Alamo movie.) Also James Arness, who plays Bowie, was the Duke's first choice to play that same role in "The Alamo." Arness had to pass due to prior commitments.

A bit closer to what really happened. . . .
The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory is a significantly better representation of the historic battle than its better known namesake. The production values are quite good, considering that a substantial amount of the fighting during the siege, including the climactic final attack, were at night, a fact accurately depicted in this film.

There is still a good deal of cliched heroism of dubious accuracy, and the acting is little more than mediocre, but the producers and the director allow the event to be the star of the show, minimizing the effect of these shortcomings.

Somewhat understated in tone and a bit slow to develop, the movie's seeming early weakness becomes its greatest strength as the events slowly build to their finale. The final battle is brilliantly filmed, using a variety of camera angles, quick cut-aways, and the blinding flashes of gunfire in the pre-dawn darkness to give the viewer a sense of the confusion and terror the befell the defenders during the terrifying attack.

Thirteen Days to Glory may not be Academy Award material, but it is a very noteworthy attempt to accurately portray the events at the Alamo as they actually happened. The result is a fine mix of valid history and entertaining filmmaking. Recommended for anyone interested in this stirring saga of Texican history.