Battle of the Alamo gradually became known as a battle site rather than a former mission. The Texas Legislature purchased the land and buildings in the early part of the 20th century and designated the Alamo chapel as an official Texas State Shrine. The Alamo has been the subject of numerous non-fiction works beginning in 1843. Most Americans, however, are more familiar with the myths and legends spread by many of the movie and television adaptations, including the 1950s Disney mini-series "Davy Crockett" and John Wayne's 1960 film "The Alamo". Under President Antonio López de Santa Anna, the Mexican government began to shift away
Laurence Harvey Signoret and Heather Sears co-starred as Lampton's married lover and eventual wife respectively. It was the third most popular movie at the British box office in 1959 and a hit in the USA. Harvey followed it with a musical, "Expresso Bongo" (1959), a film best remembered for introducing Cliff Richard. "Room at the Top" led to Hollywood offers starting with John Wayne's epic "The Alamo" (1960). Harvey was John Wayne's personal choice to play Alamo commandant William Barret Travis. He had been impressed by Harvey's talent and ability to project the aristocratic demeanor Wayne believed Travis possessed. Harvey and Wayne