|
|
Post by sloanrodgers on Mar 27, 2013 18:51:06 GMT -5
I'm barely a baby boomer and a late arrival to the Alamo story. I toured the San Antonio missions in 1970 as a little kid with my parents/ grandparets, but I don't specifically remember the Alamo and was
not inspired by the place at that time. I was more interested in cowboys, Indians and such. I recall watching Fess Parker on TV back then, but he was playing Daniel Boone, not Crockett. I also loved the Lone Ranger reruns on Sundays. One of my earliest and most historic memories was watching the Apollo 11 landing on the moon with my dad, so wanting to be a U.S. Airforce jet pilot like Armstrong and Aldrin replaced other childhood dreams. I changed my allegiance to the army after meeting fellow Texan, Green Beret/ Medal of Honor recipient Roy Benavidez (who had his own Alamo at Loc Ninh) during
my senior year in high school. The Texas Sesquicentennial reintroduced me to the Alamo and other revolution battles and I still have some of the 1986 momentos. Later that year in a fit of unemployment and patriotism, I joined Reagan's army at the San Antonio MEPS Station, then went to visit the Alamo again.
*Spelling and historical correction
|
|
|
|
Post by Jake on Mar 29, 2013 13:27:05 GMT -5
I was at the world premier of "Davy Crockett" at the Alamo Theater (of course) in San Antonio in 1955, when I was 11. My father was in the Air Force, and we were stationed at Kelly Air Force Base, where I had watched the Davy Crockett series on television.
I got curious about when exactly in 1955 that world premier happened, and I just spent an hour trying to find out. Oddly enough, I couldn't find a single description of the event online. I suppose I didn't hit the right combination of search terms ... Anyway, I have two different dates, May 25 and June 8, 1955, for the world premier. Which was it?
It was quite an event -- Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen came out onstage after the movie, and Ebsen did this little dance step and heel-click, and said, "That's to show you I'm not as dead as I looked in the movie!" I'd suppose the Light or the Express News covered the premier, since it was major news at the time -- too bad a story about it doesn't seem to be easy to find online.
I had visited the Alamo for the first time several years before the movie, on a school tour in 1951 or 1952, when I was like 8. I was going to Robert B. Green Elementary off-base, and they took us downtown to visit the site. The Long Barracks had no roof at the time, just weeds and scattered rock and sunlight inside. It came as quite a shock to me when I went back for the second time something like ten years later, and they had converted the rooms to the first version of the museum that's there now. So my earliest memory of the Alamo is with the Long Barracks an unroofed, empty ruin next to the church.
Come to think of it, I was in a crowd scene in the filming of Viva Max! But I didn't get invited to the world premier ... oh well.
|
|
|
|
Post by bchemerka on Mar 29, 2013 15:13:46 GMT -5
I was at the world premier of "Davy Crockett" at the Alamo Theater (of course) in San Antonio in 1955, when I was 11. My father was in the Air Force, and we were stationed at Kelly Air Force Base, where I had watched the Davy Crockett series on television. I got curious about when exactly in 1955 that world premier happened, and I just spent an hour trying to find out. Oddly enough, I couldn't find a single description of the event online. I suppose I didn't hit the right combination of search terms ... Anyway, I have two different dates, May 25 and June 8, 1955, for the world premier. Which was it? May 25, 1955. For more info on the promotional tour see Fess Parker: TV's Frontier Hero.All the best. |
|
|
|
Post by Rich Curilla on Mar 30, 2013 18:01:50 GMT -5
Jake, your mentioning that the Long Barrack was just walls, weeds and open sky when you were first there made me think of visitors to Alamo Village (older dudes, but still!) telling me that they were "in the Alamo before it ever had a roof." Of couse, I first complimented them on how well they kept their age and then pointed out that it has had a roof since 1850. Then we'd get into how images combine over many years and they would usually agree that they were probably looking up through the walls of the pre-roof Long Barrack and just remembered it as the Alamo church.  |
|
|
|
Post by loucapitano on Apr 3, 2013 9:53:54 GMT -5
About a year ago I got to take care of 6 and 7 year old brothers on a rainy day. They knew Mr. C as they called me always had videos to see. On this day, we watched the DVD Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier. From the opening theme song, to the end they were mesmorized. I pulled out my Davy Crockett hat, a wooden tomahawk and fake flintlock pistol, which they shared, and watched them emerse in the wild frontier. They really enjoyed the Indain fight with Red Stick, we skipped Congress and went to the Alamo. Within a few minutes they were building a fort with wooden blocks and plastic cowboys and Indians.
As the Alamo Battle progressed, they kept wondering if those Mexicans ladders would get over the wall. Finally Russell fell and they looked at each other in wonderment. "Russell gets killed the older one asked?" Just then Fess Parker is fighting for his life and the boys noticed two Mexicans come over the wall as he's battling at the top of the stairs. "Look out behind you," they yelled and the scene melted into the Texas Flag and the final verse of the song. They turned to me and asked what happened? I said, well that's the way Davy crockett died. But before they got too upset, I switched the DVR menu to the Mike Fink and River Pirates episodes, so they were not too sad.
Anyway, chalk up two more young believers. They discovered the Alamo and Davy the same way I did in 1954 and I couldn't be more proud. They ask to see the DVD every time they come over. Maybe this year, I'll show them "The Last Command." My Dad took me to see that as soon as it was released along with the "Sam Houston, the First Texan."
Ah, those memories that we share...
Lou Capitano from Long Island
|
|
|
|
Post by Rich Curilla on Apr 3, 2013 17:57:33 GMT -5
Wow! "Look out behind you!" That one got me. It was still that real -- and confusing.
Yep, you get the Kwockey Award for turning on new kids to the story. ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by Allen Wiener on Apr 3, 2013 23:06:24 GMT -5
It's really great to hear that kids could still be excited and absorbed by that film. Now, how about getting them some books on Crockett and the Alamo. One thing I've always been grateful to Disney for is, not really his version of history, but for making it so interesting and compelling to me that it led me to the library to find out more about the people and things he made films of.
|
|
|
|
Post by loucapitano on Apr 7, 2013 16:14:39 GMT -5
Thanks for the advice Allen. I've been collecting Davy Crockett and Alamo books for young reader for years. "Remember the Alamo by Robert Penn Warren for Random House is my favorite and the first truly historical book on the subject I've had since 1958. But I have a special liking for a novel in the 'We Were There' series, this book titled: "At the Battle of the Alamo" by Margaret Cousins, Grosset & Dunlap also in 1958, although I didn't find it until around 1990. I think any older elementary school student would enjoy them both. I have a number of Alamo books for younger readers that my own kids got to enjoy. I've already helped a few of the neighborhood students with their historical projects.
It's great to be retired.
|
|
|
|
Post by Allen Wiener on Apr 8, 2013 14:27:44 GMT -5
We're really in synch here, Lou. I think those were the first two Alamo books I ever had too! It think Robert Penn Warren is a great start for any kid and the "We Were There" book was a real favoritie of mine; I know I read it several times when I was supposed to be doing my homework! Still have them on the shelf, along with several junior bios of Crockett and Bowie.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rich Curilla on Apr 8, 2013 17:23:13 GMT -5
When you think about the order of Alamo events, it is no wonder we got so hooked. My stepping stones:
1955 -- Disney's Davy Crockett at the Alamo.
1955 -- Republic's The Last Command
1955 -- Countless children's books, bubble-gum cards and toys.
1958 -- Dad and Mother took me to Texas and the Alamo "to get it out of his system."
1958 -- Lon Tinkle's book 13 Days to Glory, first book I ever read.
1960 -- John Wayne's The Alamo.
1961 -- Dad and Mother took me to Texas again -- and Alamo Village -- same reason.
1961 -- Walter Lord's A Time to Stand.
1965-1969 -- Summer job at Alamo Village while living in the long barrack of the Waynamo!!!
1970-1983 -- Needed no further stimuli. I was on a roll! (Also, beer, rock and girls period.)
1983 -- Moved to Texas.
1985 -- James Michener's Texas (the novel).
1986 -- Sesquicentennial promotion.
1986 -- Participate in filming The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory at Alamo Village.
1986 -- TV movie Houston: The Legend of Texas at Alamo Village.
1987 -- Imax film Alamo: The Price of Freedom at Alamo Village.
1988 -- Moved to Brackettville and became an active part of Alamo Village.
Next quarter of a century -- Countless well-researched books on all things Alamo from folks like Boylston and Wiener who grew out of this same soil. LOL.
1995 -- Discovery Channel and History Channel film documentaries on the Alamo at Alamo Village.
2001 -- Michael Corenblith scouts Alamo Village for Ron Howard and I become an informal part of his team.
2003 -- Filming of Ron Howard/John Lee Hancock's The Alamo on new set built with greater Bexarian accuracy.
2004 -- present......................................(Next?)
|
|
|
|
Post by loucapitano on Apr 9, 2013 14:30:36 GMT -5
We share a number of stepping stones. I'll bet many Forum members share them also.
Except for your childhood visits to Texas, I had most of the same books. I especially love the Disney Crockett card sets, both Orange and Green and all the costume stuff.
I can't estimate how many Alamos I constructed out of plastic and wood building blocks and eventually turned to clay and plaster. Unfortunately, these were built according to the information available prior to 1970. Some of the current amateur work I se on line is amazing.
My ancient Alamo book collection also includes: novels like the Alamo segement in the John Jakes series, Come to the Bower - by JY Bryan 1963, The Alamo by Steve Frazee and the historical The Alamo - by John Myers Myers and of course, Tinkle and Lord.
It looks like you had the wonderful opportunity to emerse yourself with all your connections to Waynamo and Hancock movies ans sets.
Lucky you got to see Texas in 1958. when I asked my Dad to take us to Texas, he said he wished he could. But, he actually saw the Alamo around 1935 and said there wasn't much to it, so we vacationed in other places. I guess he spent so much time around the country in the Air Force, he preferred to keep the family in Brooklyn and eventually Long Island. Thank God for movies and libraries.
Like you said, next???
|
|
|
|
Post by mjbrathwaite on Apr 9, 2013 19:26:49 GMT -5
I had a rubber mould for making plaster models of Davy Crockett! It is long gone now, but I was still using it in the early 1960s. The Big Golden book of "Walt Disney's Davy Crockett King of the Wild Frontier" is still on the shelf with my other Alamo-related books.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rich Curilla on Apr 9, 2013 22:41:02 GMT -5
My dad shared my passion for the Alamo -- or at least shared the passions of his kid -- and that is what led to our coming to Texas twice. We didn't own a car during my early childhood, and when Dad finally got one, we created day trips and summer vacations so we could go somewhere in it. Mother didn't care where we went, just so we could go. Dad drove, I navigated and Mother enjoyed the scenery. I was truly blessed with these two. |
|
|
|
Post by edward on Aug 9, 2014 15:04:58 GMT -5
Remember the Alamo!It's 175 years ago today!  |
|
