The Martyrs of the Alamo; or, “The Birth of Texas”
Also known as [The Birth of Texas]
(1915) American
B&W : Five reels
Directed by W. Christy Cabanne (William Christy Cabanne)

Cast: Sam de Grasse [‘Silent’ Smith], A.D. Sears (Allan Sears) [Davy Crockett], Walter Long [Santa Anna], Alfred Paget [James Bowie], Fred Burns [Captain Dickinson], John Dillon (John T. Dillon) [Colonel Travis], Juanita Hansen [old soldier’s daughter], Ora Carew [Mrs. Dickinson], Tom Wilson [Sam Houston], Augustus Carney [old soldier], Douglas Fairbanks, Jack Prescott, Joseph Belmont, Betty Marsh

The Fine Arts Film Company production; distributed by Triangle Film Corporation. / Scenario by W. Christy Cabanne (William Christy Cabanne), from the novel Martyrs of the Alamo by Theodosia Harris. Production supervised by D.W. Griffith. Cinematography by William E. Fildew. Music score arranged by Joseph Carl Breil. / © 15 November 1915 by Triangle Film Corporation [LP7889]. Premiered 3 October 1915 in New York, New York. Released 21 November 1915. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.37:1 format. / Fairbanks’ film debut; The Lamb (1915) was released before, but shot after, this film.

Drama: Historical: Western.

Synopsis: Synopsis available in AFI-F1 n. F1.2392.

Survival Status: Print exists in the Library of Congress film archive.

Keywords: Deaf persons - General Sam Houston - History: USA: Battle of the Alamo (13 February-6 March 1836) - Mexicans - USA: Texas: San Antonio

Listing updated: 12 November 2009.

References: AFI-F1 nn. F1.2392, F1.2855; Everson-American p. 248; Pitts-Hollywood p. 32; Schuchman-Hollywood pp. 32, 40, 108; Slide-FineArts pp. vii, 4, 21, 23-28, 47, 73, 129, 130, 166; Thompson-Lost p. 11 : ClasIm-223 p. 56 : Website-IMDb.

Home video: DVD.