John Wayne Directed ‘The Alamo’ Because He Didn’t Think He Was Handsome Enough to Carry His Career
Movie star John Wayne stepped behind the camera for The Alamo, but not quite for the reasons that one would expect. Similar to many other actors, he pretended not to care about what the critics thought, although their words hurt more than he let on. Wayne directed The Alamo because he didn’t think he was attractive enough to continue his career as an actor into his older years.
John Wayne made ‘The Alamo’ his directorial debut
Wayne originally started in Hollywood as a prop man for Fox, where he met legendary filmmaker John Ford. Next, he had the opportunity to work on productions, ultimately landing in front of the camera as an actor. There, he managed to capture the hearts of moviegoing audiences across the country.
The iconic Western actor made some of the greatest films the genre has to offer, including The Searchers. However, Wayne found more versatility returning behind the camera once again, but in the director’s chair, this time around.
Wayne’s The Alamo hit theaters in 1960. Set in 1836, the story follows a small group of soldiers who willingly put their lives on the line in a hopeless fight to save the new Republic of Texas.
John Wayne didn’t think he was handsome enough to continue his career as an actor
According to Frank T. Thompson’s book, Alamo Movies, Wayne had his own motivations to step behind the camera for The Alamo. He had a strong passion to tell the story, perservering in his goal getting it made, even though he had difficulty getting the necessary funding.
Wayne wasn’t positive tha the had a future in acting. He was 53 years old when The Alamo hit theaters, making him worry that he was getting too old. The actor didn’t consider himself as handsome as some of his peers, causing him to diversify his filmography with other positions and let the film speak for him.
“My problem is that I’m not a handsome man like Cary Grant … who will be handsome at 65,” Wayne said. “I may be able to do a few more ‘man-woman’ things before it’s too late, but then what? I never want to play silly old men chasing young girls, as some of the stars are doing. I have to be a director – I’ve waited all these years to be one. The Alamo will tell what my future is.”
He directed 5 movies
The Alamo wasn’t the only experience that Wayne had behind the camera over the course of his career. He had an uncredited directing role on 1955’s Blood Alley alongside William A. Wellman. However, The Alamo served as his first official credit as a director.
He had two more uncredited roles as a director in 1961’s The Comancheros alongside Michael Curtiz and 1971’s Big Jake with George Sherman.
The only other full credit Wayne earned as a director was in another passion project – 1968’s The Green Berets. Similar to The Alamo, he used this feature to inject political and social commentary into his views on war.
