The Story of Davy

The battle cry, of course, is to remember the Alamo; these days it's impossible to forget. In addition to the continued murmurings about Ron Howard's upcoming adaptation of the storied San Antonio battle (rumored to start shooting in town soon), the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum has kicked off an entire summer devoted to Davy Crockett, that immortal coonskin-cap wearer.

The museum's ongoing exhibit "Sunrise in His Pocket: The Life, Legend, and Legacy of Davy Crockett" will be buttressed by a trio of Crockett-centric films, called "The 'Reel' Crockett Film Series." The inaugural screening -- of the 1915 silent film Martyrs of the Alamo, touted as the "oldest surviving cinematic depiction of the defense of the Alamo" -- happens Thursday, June 13, at 7pm in the Texas Spirit Theater. Golden Arm Trio's Graham Reynolds will supply the live musical accompaniment. The night will also include snippets from another silent, With Davy Crockett at the Fall of the Alamo, a 1926 feature that has been mostly lost, save this footage. Guest speakers Frank Thompson, author of Alamo Movies, and Richard Flores, author of Remembering the Alamo, will introduce the film; both gentlemen will take part in a book signing post-film.

The next picture in the program is the beloved 1955 Disney three-part series Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (the film that launched 1,000 coonskin caps). Introducing the King on Thursday, July 18, at 7pm in the Texas Spirit Theater will be Paul Hutton, guest curator of the Crockett exhibit.

And capping off the summer of All-Things-Crockett is, fittingly, the End-All-Be-All in Alamo lore -- John Wayne's The Alamo. Screening Thursday, August 15, at 7pm, the 1960 classic will be shown in the IMAX Theatre, to better show off its CinemaScope splendor. On hand to talk shop will be Brian Huberman, Rice University professor and director of a documentary on the film, and Dean Smith, a local actor and stuntman whose very first gig was in the John Wayne production.

Tickets for all three nights cost $15/museum members; $20/general. Individual film tickets cost $7/museum members; $9/general. The films screen in either the Texas Spirit Theater or the IMAX Theatre at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum (1800 N. Congress). For more info, visit www.storyoftexas.com. Still itching for more Davy? See next week's Arts section for info on the Bob Bullock's original theatrical production, Davy Crockett in Texas, starring local actors Ken Webster and Douglas Taylor.