Ken Curtis as Capt. Almeron Dickinson
Ken Curtis was absolutely fantastic as William Travis' right-hand man, Captain Almeron Dickinson. Curtis made a name for himself with comedic roles, but in The Alamo his Almeron Dickinson was all steel...no comic relief in this role whatsoever. He played his part magnificently, and has pretty much been overlooked in relation to the bigger stars in the film.
Curtis' Dickinson kept a quiet strength under immense stress, despite his firsthand knowledge that they had little-to-no chance of survival. Travis had a different motivation as I saw it...he was in command, and was driven by this terrible burden. Dickinson however was not in command, yet was a loyal soldier who stood tall. He knew what his duty would mean in the end, and he never showed the slightest apprehension. He was also the voice of reason in relation to Travis'...how should I put it? Faunchin' and'a bellerin' would be an apt description, as Festus said on many occasions. But Travis was driven to the extreme, so much so that Dickinson had to reign him in repeatedly, reminding Travis that he was no immortal nor were the men.
The scene where Dickinson's wife refuses to leave the compound was gripping. Curtis' line "I'm not angry, I'm proud" was one of his finest moments IMO.
I found Curtis' death scene in The Alamo particularly intense, with him being shot on the wall then falling backwards and ultimately hanging at the knees from the top of the wall, similar to a trapeze artist. As far as I could tell, Curtis played the scene rather than a stunt double.
Curtis had a long history working with John Wayne, appearing in many films with the Duke. Most of these were directed by John Ford, beginning with Rio Grande I believe. He continued to work with the Duke as well as John Ford and Maureen O'Hara, appearing in many films working with one, two, or all three. Before The Alamo, Curtis appeared in The Searchers, The Quiet Man, The Wings of Eagles, and The Horse Soldiers with the Duke, culminating with The Alamo. Others with Ford include The Long Gray Line, The Last Hurrah, Two Rode Together, How the West Was Won (also with the Duke), and Cheyenne Autumn. But I am somewhat confused as to why Curtis did not appear in Ford's masterpiece, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, along with many other stock Ford players (such as his good friend Shug Fisher).
Interestingly enough, Curtis was reunited with Guinn "Big Boy" Williams in The Alamo. The two co-starred frequently in years previous in a string of "Curt" B-westerns, along with co-star Guy Kibbee. I truly believe Kibbee would've made an appearance in The Alamo had he lived (he passed away in 1956).
Major props to Mr. Curtis' portrayal of Capt. Almeron Dickinson....a truly great role.