John Wayne’s Epic Struggle to Get “The Alamo” Made

Posted on by

For decades John Wayne was one of the biggest box office stars in the world.  Wayne’s dream project was to direct the story of The Alamo.  Although film fans know that Wayne did get the film made, most don’t know what a struggle it was.

Wayne had hoped to just direct The Alamo, but financing was impossible unless he not only starred in it, but signed a three picture deal with the studio.  Casting was also a nightmare.  Wayne was hoping to get Clark Gable or Frank Sinatra for one role and that didn’t work out.  Burt Lancaster was Wayne’s first choice for another role but he ended up with Richard Widmark.  To make matters worse Wayne and Widmark developed an instant dislike to each other.

During filming there were natural disasters, the murder of a co-star and more.  Even after filing wrapped there were troubles.

Nolan Moore documents Wayne’s struggles to get The Alamo made in 10 Amazing Stories About John Wayne’s Epic Failure.  It is well worth the read.

Source: Listverse.

Twilight Zone: “The Trade-Ins” [Season 3, Episode 31] / Z-View

Posted on by

Twilight Zone: “The Trade-Ins” [Season 3, Episode 31]
Original Air Date: April 20, 1962

Director: Elliot Silverstein

Writer: Rod Serling

Starring: Joseph Schildkraut, Noah Keen and Alma Platt.


The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…

John and Marie Holt have had a long and loving marriage.  The take their life savings to the New Life Corporation with the idea of having their consciousness transplanted into new, young and healthy bodies.  Sadly, they only have enough for one of them to get the transformation.

Rating:

32 Things We Learned from Zack Snyder’s “Dawn of the Dead” Commentary

Posted on by

Rob Hunter and Film School Rejects present 32 Things We Learned from Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead Commentary.  Here are three of my favorites…

13. Snyder cameos during the opening credits montage as a soldier with a machine gun on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol.

19. The original’s Tom Savini, Ken Foree, and Scott H. Reiniger all cameo here as a sheriff, a preacher, and a general, respectively.

 

29. Someone after a test screening questioned Snyder as to why/how the zombies pause at the bottom of the stairs at 1:32:25, and it put him on the spot when they asked if the zombies could even do that. He replied, “in real life, no, but in film where you dramatize…”

Twilight Zone: “Hocus-Pokus and Fisby” [Season 3, Episode 30] / Z-View

Posted on by

Twilight Zone: “Hocus-Pokus and Fisby” [Season 3, Episode 30]
Original Air Date: April 13, 1962

Director: Lamont Johnson

Writer: Rod Serling based on a short story by Frederick Louis Fox

Starring: Andy Devine, Milton Selzer and Howard McNear.


The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…

Somerset Fisby [Devine] is known to tell tale tales about everything.  To hear Fisby tell it he has several advanced degrees and the greatest minds in the world seek his advice.

Everyone knows to take what Fisby says with a grain of salt except for the two strangers passing through town… they turn out to be aliens in disguise and believe Fisby would be the perfect example of a human to take to their planet.

Rating:

Twilight Zone: “Four O’Clock” [Season 3, Episode 29] / Z-View

Posted on by

Twilight Zone: “Four O’Clock” [Season 3, Episode 29]
Original Air Date: April 6, 1962

Director: Lamont Johnson

Writer: Rod Serling based on a short story by Price Day

Starring: Theodore Bikel, Phyllis Love and Linden Chiles.


The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…

Oliver Crangle [Bikel] has made it his life’s work to ruin the lives of those he sees as communists, perverts, and undesirables.  Crangle contacts an FBI agent to say that he’s arranged that a four o’clock the evil people will transform.

Rating:

Twilight Zone: “The Little People” [Season 3, Episode 28] / Z-View

Posted on by

Twilight Zone: “The Little People” [Season 3, Episode 28]
Original Air Date: March 30, 1962

Director: William Claxton

Writer: Rod Serling

Starring: Joe Maross, Claude Akins and Michael Ford.


The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…

Three astronauts make an emergency landing on an unknown planet and discover a society of beings the size of ants.  When the ship is repaired one of the astronauts elects to stay behind since the society view him as a god.

Rating:

116 Amazing Facts for People Who Like Amazing Facts

Posted on by

Alvin Ward and Mental_Floss present 116 Amazing Facts for People Who Like Amazing Facts.  Here are three of my favorites…

50. Roger Ebert and Oprah Winfrey went on a couple dates in the mid-1980s. It was Roger who convinced her to syndicate her talk show.

62. Dolly Parton once entered a Dolly Parton look-a-like contest—and lost.

74. Herbert Hoover was Stanford’s football team manager. At the first Stanford-Cal game in 1892, he forgot to bring the ball.

Twilight Zone: “Person or Persons Unknown” [Season 3, Episode 27] / Z-View

Posted on by

Twilight Zone: “Person or Persons Unknown” [Season 3, Episode 27]
Original Air Date: March 23, 1962

Director: John Brahm

Writer: Charles Beaumont

Starring: Richard Long, Frank Silvera and Shirley Ballard.


The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…

After a night of drinking, David Gurney wakes up late for work and immediately starts getting ready.  When he can’t find his razor he goes out to wake his wife and ask if she moved it.  When his wife awakes she begins screaming at him as if he is a stranger.  Gurney soon discovers that no one recognizes him…

Rating:

Twilight Zone: “Little Girl Lost” [Season 3, Episode 26] / Z-View

Posted on by

Twilight Zone: “Little Girl Lost” [Season 3, Episode 26]
Original Air Date: March 16, 1962

Director: Paul Stewart

Writer: Richard Matheson

Starring: Sarah Marshall, Robert Sampson and Charles Aidman .


The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…

Chris and Ruth Miller are awakened in the middle of the night by their little girl’s cries.  When they check her bed and her room she is nowhere to be found… and her cries seem to be coming from inside the wall.

Rating: