Disney remembers a different 'Alamo' [Hugh Hewitt on Hollywood's latest project to redefine America]

www.worldnetdaily.com ^ | February 26, 2003 | Hugh Hewitt

[RonDog]

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Disney remembers a different 'Alamo'

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Posted: February 26, 2003
1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com

Given Hollywood's current anti-war, ant-military, anti-thinking stances, I suppose it was only a matter of time before it came for Davey Crockett. But who would have imagined it was Disney that would lead the charge against the legend?

What would Walt say?

Monday's Los Angeles Times carried a front-page story on "The Alamo," Disney's in-production blockbuster scheduled for release this Christmas. The key paragraphs:

"'We're making sure all viewpoints are expressed,' said Disney Studios Chairman Richard Cook. 'You have to stay away from the stereotypes and not make broad judgments of any group.'"

"This time Crockett, played by Billy Bob Thorton, is depicted as a frightened wanderer struggling to match his larger-than-life reputation for exploits that never occurred ..."

"'It would be really hard to do something rah-rah jingoistic, patriotic,' [director John Lee] Hancock said in an interview. A sometimes 'messy and confusing' portrait of the motivations behind the conflict, he insisted, 'is much better that the white-vs.-brown version, which by the way, is completely inaccurate.'"

"One of the thornier issues in the various scripts produced so far has been Crockett's death, a subject of controversy since it occurred in 1836. Persistent lore, bitterly disputed by the famous Tennessean's fans, held that Crockett, rather than fighting to death, was executed after begging for his life."

In 1995, a North Carolina State professor, James Crisp, made an argument that an eyewitness account, written in prison by a Lt. Col. Jose Enrique de la Pena, was authentic and that the account had Crockett executed on Gen. Santa Ana's orders. Others dispute that, and brand the prison diary a forgery. This is the stuff of academic history, and the predictable arguments will rage forever. And into such conversations between scholars, agenda-driven directors are free to dive.

Director Hancock is free to choose between accounts, of course, but the choice he makes is a statement not about what happened at the Alamo, but about what he and Disney thinks America in 2003 ought to think about the Alamo, and about the virtues or sins of the men who defended it. This early report from the Times is not promising.

The desire to wreck the outline of history that serves the idea that America, for all its flaws, was honorably conceived and built is powerful among those who find profit in affecting disaffection. Pop singer Paula Cole just let rip with an anti-Bush song that includes the hilarious line "what about us folks who live hand to mouth ..." This is the sort of pose that passes for thought in modern entertainment circles, and it is a far cry from Jimmy Stewart marching off to join the Air Force, which he did even before Pearl Harbor was bombed – before, in other words, the threat had been made so clear as to be impossible to ignore. (Stewart entered as a private and rose to the rank of colonel during the war, earning the Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Croix de Guerre and 7 battle stars.)

The anti-Bush crowd argues that it isn't anti-American, just anti-war or anti-W. They casually repeat the blood libel that "it is all about the oil," and they are patient with a brutal dictator that has murdered hundreds of thousands. To indulge such fantasies is to ignore the entire history of our country, and to attribute to their fellow citizens the worst sort of evil. This is not easily done against the backdrop of American anti-imperialism and genuine idealism, the record of withdrawal from Iraq in 1991 or of reconstruction of Germany and Japan. In order to construct a picture of present-day American malevolence, it is necessary to deconstruct the understanding of the American past that makes such claims absurd.

So the project to redefine America moves backward even as it moves forward. There is no conspiracy, of course, only a mindset rooted in thin education and a desire for attention. There is no blueprint, only a shared attitude that finds thrill in Oliver Stone's fevers and inspiration in Susan Sarandon's rants.

A couple of years ago, during one of the last meals I shared with Col. Bill Barber, retired from the United States Marine Corps, and a Medal of Honor recipient for his heroism at the Chosin Reservoir, I had a glimpse of the real deal's view of the posers. Disney's "Pearl Harbor" had just been released, and I asked the colonel if he had seen it. "I knew Jimmy Doolittle," he said, "and I am not going to see any movie that has Jimmy Doolittle played by Alec Baldwin."

The colonel didn't elaborate, nor did he need to. When Hollywood celebrates the genuine courage and sacrifice of the military that secured for it the freedom within which artistic license flourishes, the public responds. See: "Saving Private Ryan," and "The Patriot." When the politics of the left creep in, the public stays home. When Disney's "The Alamo" appears in December, the box office will once again reflect the political choices currently being made. You have to wonder if the shareholders are watching.

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Hugh Hewitt is an author, television commentator and syndicated talk-show host of the Salem Radio Network's Hugh Hewitt Show, heard in over 40 markets around the country.

[FourPeas]

Great column. We don't "do" Disney and this just gives me more ammunition when people ask why.

When it comes to Hollywackos, I think this says it all:

"I knew Jimmy Doolittle," he said, "and I am not going to see any movie that has Jimmy Doolittle played by Alec Baldwin."

The colonel didn't elaborate, nor did he need to.

Amen.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.."Be sure you're right, then go ahead" =

...FESS PARKER as DAVY CROCKETT =

...A True Preview from 50 years ago of today's:

http://www.Freerepublic.com ..!!!

[genefromjersey]

You've got to admit, a modernized, politically correct version of the Alamo offers certain possibilities. Let's look at this screen play :

Opening Scene
(Director's Notes )

In the square, in front of the Alamo (shown here, in low angle shot, as a dark, looming, and sinister building )a group of happy peasant villagers, wearing bright, simple costumes, are dancing. Joyous mariachi music fills the air. Cut to close-up of :

La Paloma , ( portrayed by Madonna, if she's available; or maybe that Black chick with the blue eyes-you know, Sol : the one who did the one-on-one lez scene for that skin mag. )
Camera zooms in on her scooped neckline, and you can see more than a little of her jugs-but make it tasteful, Sol, okay ?

Background: Blaring trumpets, a little off-key. The mariachi band falters to a halt, as the trumpets blare again, and the gate of the Alamo starts to open.
( Sol, see if you could maybe get some of that opening theme music from " JAWS " : you know : " Bump. Bump-bump ! Bump-bump-bump-pump-bump ! " Offer Spielberg maybe a piece of the picture - couple a points- see if he'll go for it. )

Gate opens slowly, and a platoon of swaggering, heavily armed, redneck-looking , tobacco-spitting , bottle swigging White "frontiersmen" shambles out : pointing rifles at the frightened villagers.

Davey Crockett , the Leader of this vicious group-
( Sol, get me somebody like Rod Steiger, only dirty him up a little, know what I mean .)

Davey Crockett swaggers up to La Paloma , whose bodice begins heaving, and grabs her roughly by the arm.

Crockett : " Yer comin' with us, sis ! "
La Paloma : " Never ! "

Ignoring her screams, Crockett drags the screamin, wailing woman inside the gates of the fort.
The frontiersmen,keeping their weapons pointed at the angry crowd, back up until they are inside the gates, which they then slam shut.

The shocked villagers listen to La Paloma's screams, until

Kindly Padre " You, Diego : Go quickly and tell el General Santa Ana ! He will save us ! "

Fade to black.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

...We kids just loved Walt Disney's DAVY CROCKETT on Black and White TV as part of ABC-TV's .."DISNEYLAND" 1st year...

...and a little later in Full Color on our local Movie Theater Screens.

...DISNEYLAND =

...The Park FESS PARKER helped build.

[battlegearboat]

Native Texan Dennis Quaid should of thought this one thru and not played Sam Houston in this debacle.

His brother Randy is now of the age where he needs to continue in the role of LBJ.

Anyway, it ain't playing to well at this year's Houston Fat Stock Show and Rodeo.

[battlegearboat]

to=too

[wbill]

"I knew Jimmy Doolittle," he said, "and I am not going to see any movie that has Jimmy Doolittle played by Alec Baldwin."

It goes without saying that any self-respecting person would not see any movie that had Alec Baldwin.

I recently picked up Band of Brothers on DVD. Excellent, imho. One of the discs is interviews with the actors, behind the scenes stuff, etc. I thought that it was fun to watch actors be utterly starstruck by the people that they were playing. Hero worship is a strong term, but everyone interviewed seemed to understand the gravity of what they were trying to depict.

[sonofatpatcher2]

Lets wait until we see the film...

[Patriotic1]

The papers referencing Crockett's death were studied extensively, and the final reports were inconclusive.

One show (on Disc? History Channel?) showed the research, but made its hype based on the fact that our history is wrong. I was so PO'd by the end of the show when they had no conclusive proof.

[Ben Ficklin]

Texas State Historical Society with the the searchable database of the Handbook of Texas

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[blackie]

Hugh Hewitt ... Bump~!

Be Well - Be Armed - Be Safe - Molon Labe!

[wardaddy]

Flog Eisner publicly.

He got rich and now the stock has tanked. I own it.

Uglyass bastard PC peckerhead.

[Euro-American Scum]

I recently picked up Band of Brothers on DVD. Excellent, imho. One of the discs is interviews with the actors, behind the scenes stuff, etc. I thought that it was fun to watch actors be utterly starstruck by the people that they were playing. Hero worship is a strong term, but everyone interviewed seemed to understand the gravity of what they were trying to depict.

None better. I had occasion to meet Walt Ehlers (1st Infantry Division, MOH 1944) at the California Rifle and Pistol Association dinner a couple of weekends ago. What an honor that was.

And last year I was priviliged to meet Richard Winters, whose story was told in Band of Brothers. He is still an imposing figure even at 84 years of age, although his health is starting to fail.

I can easily see why the cast of Band of Brothers was so impressed with their namesakes. These men are a national treasure, and you can sense that just by being in their presence.

I only hope Major Winters is able to travel to Normandy next summer for the 60th anniversary of the invasion. It would be a real honor to see him there.

[SpringheelJack]

Davy was only one of Andy Jackson's agents in the plot to separate Tejas from Mexico, the same plot that landed Aaron Burr in the soup with one president was carried to fruition by another.

In life Crockett was one of Andrew Jackson's most bitterest opponents. I don't know what you base this claim on. Nothing, I suspect.

[Dog Gone]

If Disney really wants to burn its bridges with the majority of Texans, all it has to do is re-write the story of the Alamo from a modern Hollywood perspective.

If they're lucky, the movie will bomb in Texas. More likely, the theaters will get bombed, or at least egged.

[goldstategop]

Save your cash. The Duke's 1960 Alamo will never be superseded as a definitive statement of what happened in 1830s Texas under Mexican rule. Long live The Alamo!

[davetex]

I saw the John Wayne version, that was filmed in Brackettville, at the old Majestic theater in San Antonio.
I think it was about 1965, or 1966. What a grand old theater
that was, so beautiful on the inside. One of the things I
remember about that is the Hispanic folks that were
there watching the movie cheered for the Texicans, and not
for Santa Anna's army. I grew up in San Antonio, and still
visit frequently. Except for the starbucks, and the planet
hollywood junk that has been built, not that much has changed since the battle. The strip between the Alamo and El Mercado, with San Fernando Cathedral in between is
enough in tact that you can still envision what life was like at that time. The history of San Antonio de Bexar has
always fascinated me.

[metesky]

Most bitterest?

[SpringheelJack]

Most bitterest?

"In fact we may Say with propriety that we have the government of one man Andrew Jackson holds both the Sword and purse and Claims it by the Constitution as the Arms and amunition and other public property and he has tools and Slaves to his party enough to Sustain him in the house of representatives But we have one hope the Senate will Save the Constitution and laws in spite of King Andrew the first.... we are gitting his poor lick Spittles almost ashamed of them selves" (Crockett, May 26, 1834).

"I have Said for the last four years that I would vote for the devil against Van [Buren] and any man under the Sun against Jackson and I have got no better yet" (Crockett, December 27, 1834).

These are quotes just taken at random from James Shackford's biography of Crockett. Crockett's anti-Jacksonian politics are well known, and are amply described therein. Davy was defeated for re-election by Adam Huntsman largely because of his opposition to what he saw as Jackson's tyranny.