Westerners can look forward to a real premiere as the Alamo is released on Blu-ray for the first time. In this mixture of western and war film, John Wayne is not only in front of the camera, but also directed it
Film legend John Wayne was so enthusiastic about the historical story of the Texas War of Independence that he pulled out all the stops to realize the film Alamo. Not only did he show off his talent in front of the camera, he also financed the Alamo and directed it with the support of John Ford. The western classic with a running time of 162 minutes can be enjoyed for the first time on Blu-ray in the home cinema.
Alamo will be released on Blu-ray on December 7 and you can pre-order it now. The bonus material includes trailers, documentaries and a gallery
John Wayne went into debt for the Alamo
Before production even got underway, John Wayne encountered a number of obstacles, especially when it came to financing the historical epic. The film cost a whopping 12 million US dollars, of which Wayne himself financed over 1.5 million dollars, which corresponds to a value of around 9 million US dollars today. To raise this gigantic sum, he took out a second mortgage on his house, among other things. (via Express )
(The Alamo received seven Oscar nominations.)
An investment that paid off, as Alamo grossed 20 million US dollars and was also nominated for seven Oscars. Although Alamo came away empty-handed in the Best Editing, Best Film Music, Best Song, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography and Best Film categories, the western did win the Oscar for Best Sound. The film score also received a Golden Globe.
Alamo on Blu-ray at Amazon
This is what the Alamo is about
Alamo is set in San Antonio in 1836. When Texas declares its independence from Mexico, the Mexican dictator Santa Anna and his 7,000-strong army want to gain control of the new republic. 187 insurgents confront the overpowering opponent at Mission El Álamo. The Texans are led by Davy Crocket (John Wayne) and Jim Bowie (Richard Widmark) in a hopeless fight for freedom.
