{"product_id":"martyrs-of-the-alamo-1915-the-spoilers-1914","title":"Martyrs of the Alamo (1915) \/ The Spoilers (1914)","description":"\u003cb\u003eMARTYRS OF THE ALAMO (1915):\u003c\/b\u003e Produced by D.W. Griffith in 1915, \u003ci\u003eMartyrs of the Alamo\u003c\/i\u003e is the earliest surviving film made about the historic Battle of the Alamo. Keeping in line with the abhorrent racial attitudes displayed by Griffith in \u003ci\u003eBirth of a Nation\u003c\/i\u003e, the 1836 assault on the Alamo mission is erroneously depicted as starting because a Mexican soldier sexually assaulted a white woman. Despite these wrong-headed characterizations (and the presence of white actors in dark makeup playing Mexicans) \u003ci\u003eMartyrs of the Alamo\u003c\/i\u003e can be appreciated for its historical significance and use of innovative cinematic techniques employed by Griffith protege Christy Cabanne. (In the talkie era, Cabanne was a prolific director of B-movies like \u003ci\u003eThe Mummy's Hand\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eScared to Death\u003c\/i\u003e.) It also features some of the earliest on-screen portrayals of Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie, who would become popular characters on film and television for years to come. Some sources state that Douglas Fairbanks has a small role in the film as a servant in blackface, even before his official screen debut in \u003ci\u003eThe Lamb\u003c\/i\u003e (1915), but these claims remain unverified. \u003ci\u003eMartyrs of the Alamo\u003c\/i\u003e was shown in some territories as \u003ci\u003eThe Birth of Texas\u003c\/i\u003e, to tie in with Griffith's more popular work released earlier that year.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE SPOILERS (1914):\u003c\/b\u003e Called one of the \"50 Great Films'' of the silent era by Joe Franklin, \u003ci\u003eThe Spoilers\u003c\/i\u003e is the original screen version of the famed Western saga written by Rex Beach. It tells the story of Roy Glenister and his partner Dextry, owners of the richest gold mine in Alaska. The corrupt Alex McNamara seeks to rob them of their claim, and uses a woman to sow discord between the two. The film concludes with a knock-down, drag-out fight between Glenister and McNamara, shockingly brutal for 1914 and considered one of the greatest movie fights of all time. It incorporated no on-stage trickery or stuntmen, meaning that William Farnum really broke Tom Stanschi's nose! \u003ci\u003eThe Spoilers\u003c\/i\u003e would be memorably remade in 1942 with John Wayne, Randolph Scott and Marlene Dietrich, but the original silent version remains just as impressive today as it was to audiences in 1914.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Alpha Video","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":45802775085206,"sku":"089218839299","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0703\/9621\/5446\/files\/089218839299.jpg?v=1762203504","url":"https:\/\/moviezyng.com\/products\/martyrs-of-the-alamo-1915-the-spoilers-1914","provider":"Movie Zyng","version":"1.0","type":"link"}