The Immortal Alamo (1911)

[neferetus]

In this climatic scene from THE IMMORTAL ALAMO (1911), a Mexican officer puts a stop to the carnage as one woman tried to defend a sick Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett lies dead upon the floor.

Produced by director Georges Melies for his Star Ranch Film Company of San Antonio, this ten minute film is now lost to us, save for a few stills. Filmed on location, the Alamo 'set' is most likely the church at mission Concepcion, while the Alamo church facade itself is merely a painted backdrop.

As the cadets of nearby Peacock Military academy had uniforms that vaguely resembled the Mexican uniforms of 1836, they are used in the far background to help flesh out Santa Anna's army. Closeups of Mexican soldiers however, show extras wearing circa 1911 Mexican army uniforms. While the officers in the Alamo all sport vintage Civil War uniforms, the remainder of the garrison are dressed like cowboys. The melodramatic love story meanwhile, eats up most of the screen time. With the villian after the girl (Anna Dickinson) and the hero (Almaron Dickinson) out to save her, what's really 'lost' about this film is it connection to history.

For more information on this and other lost Alamo films, consult Frank Thompson's The Star Film Ranch, TEXAS' FIRST PICTURE SHOW and ALAMO MOVIES.

[Greg C.]

do you think that the film might actually be out there in its origianl context just lost in an attic or warehouse?

[neferetus]

Unless a print of the film was carefully preserved under the right temperature conditions, there's little hope of it surviving, almost 100 years later. I have some film from the 60's that's already gone brittle. That being said, I also have a 1939 film that's in pretty good shape. So, you never know...

[neferetus]

A rare postcard advertizement for THE IMMORTAL ALAMO, showing Santa Anna's
troops advancing.