|
|
Post by fespar on Mar 1, 2013 14:28:20 GMT -5
One Saturday afternoon during the winter/spring of 1970-71 I turned on the TV,I'm so glad I did!There was a documentary on building/making/faking movie sets.Suddenly,there was John Wayne's The Alamo under construction!There was talk of ways to build etc.This portion of the program centered around The Alamo,chapel mostly but also walls and so on.This was either a US or UK production.Does anyone have any idea of what show I'm talking about? Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by loucapitano on Mar 2, 2013 13:22:47 GMT -5
fespar,
The closest I've seen is the John Wayne hour long documentary that's included with the VHS and DVD versions of The Alamo. It might include some of the material you saw in your 1970 documentary. I've always wanted to know more about the schematics and building process of the Brackettvile site. I always hoped to visit it one day, but now it's gone. Youtube has a number of photo-essays of people who videoed the site over that last few years, but I haven't seen any books or films that really cover the subject to my satisfaction.
Any thoughts from the rest of the Forum???
Lou from Long Island
|
|
|
|
Post by Allen Wiener on Mar 2, 2013 20:15:00 GMT -5
Lou, I think you mean the Brian Huberman film on the making of Wayne's move that's on the DVD one one edition of the VHS. It includes a few scenes from the TV promo Wayne did when the film was released in 1960, called "Spirit of the Alamo," which has never been released in full, as far as I know.
|
|
|
|
Post by loucapitano on Mar 6, 2013 20:04:53 GMT -5
Thanks Paul, I try to look up that title by John Farkis.
I doubt if it's still in print, but it's worth a search.
Allen, that's the film I was referring to on the Wayne DVD.
Today is the 177th Anniversary. My beloved spouse has agreed to go to an Alamo forum, perhaps next March. She loves the Menger Hotel.
Lou from Long Island
|
|
|
|
Post by fespar on Mar 9, 2013 10:43:08 GMT -5
Thank you for you responses!I'm familiar with your suggestions but the documentary I'm looking for is another one.The Alamo was one segment of the program only but lasted for several minutes.The photo is of me at The Alamo Village,Feb.7,1975.
|
|
|
|
Post by fespar on Mar 9, 2013 16:38:38 GMT -5
How do I upload more than one photo per mail? Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by Rich Curilla on Apr 12, 2013 18:51:31 GMT -5
Fespar, you are lucky. Happy Shahan used to keep barbed wire wrapped around the lower part of that "ladder" in the Alamo chapel so that nobody would climb it. LOL.
I am really intrigued by your reference to the show with the construction segment in it. I've never seen it and can't imagine what it might have been or why. Love to know more, if you find out.
Bill Moody (a neighboring rancher and Happy's good friend) actually shot almost an hour's worth of 16mm color film during construction and filming of the movie. Much of this appears in the Huberman documentary on the DVD, but all is in Bill's private possession. He might have been contacted about using some of it for that program, whatever it was.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rich Curilla on Apr 12, 2013 19:02:30 GMT -5
Thanks Paul, I try to look up that title by John Farkis. I doubt if it's still in print, but it's worth a search. Allen, that's the film I was referring to on the Wayne DVD. Today is the 177th Anniversary. My beloved spouse has agreed to go to an Alamo forum, perhaps next March. She loves the Menger Hotel. Lou from Long Island Lou, John's book was still available in the Alamo Gift Shop and the Imax Gift Shop in San Antonio the last I looked. It is published by Business Imaging Group PDQ, 7475 Grand River, Brighton, Michigan 48116. Their phone number is 810-229-2989. John had a limited printing done in 2005 and maybe another later. We sold a lot of them at Alamo Village but are now out completely, and I don't think John has any extras, but I'll ask. I just realized there is no Private Message format on this site, so I can't send you his private phone number. |
|
|
|
Post by Rich Curilla on Apr 12, 2013 19:07:42 GMT -5
I always hoped to visit it one day, but now it's gone. Any thoughts from the rest of the Forum??? Lou from Long Island Lou, why do you say it's gone. Alamo Village is closed to the public, but it is all still there, and I can still take occasional folks in, if circumstances allow. Perhaps you are referring to Michael Corenblith's awesome sets for The Alamo (2004). They are indeed gone. Lost 'em in the central Texas wildfires last year. But Alamo Village is still doing fine and hoping for a new owner and major revamp soon -- if the world of finance ever straightens itself out enough to enable the buyer to do it!!!  |
|
|
|
Post by Allen Wiener on Apr 12, 2013 20:03:25 GMT -5
Rich, You can send Personal Messages by clicking the little icon (that looks like a little notepad) under their name next to any one of their posts.
|
|
|
|
Post by Paul Sylvain on Apr 13, 2013 14:25:22 GMT -5
I always hoped to visit it one day, but now it's gone. Any thoughts from the rest of the Forum??? Lou from Long Island Lou, why do you say it's gone. Alamo Village is closed to the public, but it is all still there, and I can still take occasional folks in, if circumstances allow. Perhaps you are referring to Michael Corenblith's awesome sets for The Alamo (2004). They are indeed gone. Lost 'em in the central Texas wildfires last year. But Alamo Village is still doing fine and hoping for a new owner and major revamp soon -- if the world of finance ever straightens itself out enough to enable the buyer to do it!!! Rich --- I would hope that someone takes up Alamo Village. Even though it's off the beaten track, so to speak, it is important because it may be the only way people will get a sense to what the "real" Alamo was. It might not be exact, but it's the closest thing standing. The 2004 set wasn't all that accurate, as we know, and it's gone anyway. My wife and I moved to SA in '94 and lived there for almost three years, until my mom's illness prompted us to return north. I wasn't part of the Alamo Society or even knew of such groups, but a highlight of my years there was making the drive out to Alamo Village one late-January day in 1995. Not sure who was in the ticket booth by the road (you, perhaps?), but as we started down the dirt road we had to stop and wait for a longhorn steer to cross the road where there was this small bridge. He finally moved on and off we went, not sure where that road was taking us (you couldn't see the set from there) ... finally as we rounded a bend, we were at the "North Wall". We parked pretty much at the main gate entrance and went in. Had the place all to ourselves. Not another soul was there that day. As I recall (though we learned of it later) I believe some battle scenes had been filmed there and wrapped up a month or so before. Having seen Wayne's movie many times, it just blew me away to walk and stand where some of those scenes that I remembered so well were filmed. And of course, we visited "La Villita" before leaving. It truly was a thrill, and next time I head back to SA I might give you a shout to see if I can't revist it one more time. We were pretty much on our own back then. but I'm guessing a visit there with you would be much more enlightening, given what I've learned since finding this site and meeting some of the historians familiar with the Alamo in popular culture. My point, though, is this -- it would be a shame to lose Alamo Village. I have some fond memories of my visit there almost 20 years ago, and it has brought much more meaning to my viewing of the movie since. Let's hope it is around for others to one day visit as openly as I did in '95. Paul |
|
|
|
Post by Herb on Apr 13, 2013 22:50:59 GMT -5
I visited the village in 2003, with Jim and Davy. Jim and I had just walked the perimeter of the real Alamo, standing on the north wall of Wayne's Alamo, gave us an even greater perspective of how the battle must have looked, even with the smaller compound.
If I ever go back, I'd want to spend more time in the "village" itself. Two of my favorite Jimmy Stewart movies were filmed there, and I'd like to poke around and add to my memories - if the marshal doesn't haul me off for vagrancy!
|
|
|
|
Post by Paul Sylvain on Apr 14, 2013 13:28:07 GMT -5
If I ever go back, I'd want to spend more time in the "village" itself. Two of my favorite Jimmy Stewart movies were filmed there, and I'd like to poke around and add to my memories - if the marshal doesn't haul me off for vagrancy! "Vagrancy"? Nah. You'd just be "homesteading" in the finest tradition of the Old West. Paul |
|
|
|
Post by Rich Curilla on Apr 14, 2013 15:14:38 GMT -5
Ha! Vagrancy! As the ONLY person on the set (for either of you), your only issue would be GETTING RID OF the Marshal before he talked you to death! So many people who visited when we were open to the public never even *discovered* the San Antonio part of our set. They stopped at the Alamo and then left.  Many weren't even aware that the whole first hour of John Wayne's movie took place down there at Alamo Village and not in the Alamo compound. Some have even returned, discovered it and swore that it "wasn't there" during their previous visit. (Probably the same people who told me they had been in the real Alamo before the roof had been put on.  ) We could spend half the day at the Alamo talking about the real battle, the other half at the Alamo talking about the movie battles and the third half at the village talking about the 38 movies that have been filmed there. Having had four whole seconds in a close-up in Bandolero!, I could even spend the fourth half of the day just talking about Jimmy Stewart. So...... maybe you should NOT come back. LOL. ........unless you can accept a long day. |
|
|
|
Post by Paul Sylvain on Apr 14, 2013 17:32:09 GMT -5
I would LOVE to spend four half days with you on the set, Rich. I do plan on coming to SA either later this year or most-likely next spring. Either way, I'll give you a shout and if our schedules work out, it would be well worth the drive to get a true insider's perspective of the set. That is, if you'll have me.
|
|
Many weren't even aware that the whole first hour of John Wayne's movie took place down there at Alamo Village and not in the Alamo compound. Some have even returned, discovered it and swore that it "wasn't there" during their previous visit. (Probably the same people who told me they had been in the real Alamo before the roof had been put on. 
)