Wayne has unfortunately let his desire to make a ‘big’ picture burden him with dialogue.” The film’s at times long-winded monologues meditated on freedom in America and religion amongst other subjects- Wayne was an avid anti-communist, and a supporter of right-wing groups including the John Birch Society. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote, “Mr. Critics had tepid reactions despite the film’s ambition in its dramatic retelling of events.
Wayne’s film was derided for its historical inaccuracy it exaggerated by many times the degree to which the Texans were outnumbered and ornamented the circumstances of the deaths of the battle’s heroes - even the film’s historical advisors, displeased by the adaptation, demanded their names be removed from the credits.
