films – Texas History Notebook

Boom Town (1940)

A year before its release, news out of Hollywood touted the MGM project “Boom Town” by naming its all star cast of Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Claudette Colbert and Hedy Lamarr, each of whom were box office draws. The project was set to begin production March 15, 1939 with Jack Conway directing and Sam Zimbalist producing. It was described as the story of a Texas oilfield penned by screenwriter John Lee Mahin who adapted a story by James Edward Grant.

Texas Guinan

Mary Louise Cecilia Guinan (pronounced “guy-nan”) was born January 12, 1884 in Waco, McLennan County, Texas to Michael Guinan (1854 – 1935) and Bridget Cecile Duffy Guinan (1857 – 1939). Her nickname as a child was “Mamie” and she was the second of four children. Both of her parents were born in Canada and their ancestry is said to have been Irish. While living in Waco, the father was part owner of a wholesale grocery and candy business named Eagon, Guinan & Co. near downtown on Austin Street. Various articles note that she attended school at the Loretta Convent in downtown Waco. They likely lived in Waco until the early 1890s. By the time the 1900 federal census was taken, the family had relocated to Denver, Colorado. In 1900, Mary Louise was about 17 years old and was still living at home. The father’s business was listed as being the owner of a public warehouse. Her parents also owned a ranch at some point. She learned to ride horses and she was otherwise an active child. As she grew up, she studied singing and and would later be drawn to the entertainment business, including vaudeville. Along the way, as a reference to her birthplace, she began to adopt the nickname “Texas” and used it for the rest of her career.

Kitty O’Neal

Kitty Linn O’Neil was likely best known as a stunt woman in television and films, but she led a very active life. She was born on March 24, 1946 in Corpus Christi to John Thomas O’Neil and Patsy Linn Compton O’Neil. Her father was of Irish descent and her mother’s ancestry was Cherokee. Her father died in March, 1950 in California, apparently from complications of an earlier heart attack. Photographs of him often show him in a rugby uniform. He had competed in the Olympic Games in 1924. A death notice in the San Antonio Light issue of March 26, 1950 tells that he had been in the oil business in San Antonio since 1933. Marriage records show that he and Patsy had married in 1940. Two children were born to the couple, Kitty in 1946 and John in 1947. However, in the death notice, there is no mention of Patsy, Kitty or John. Their marital status at the time of his death is unknown.

The Last Picture Show (1971)

The Last Picture Show was the 1971 film adaptation of Larry McMurtry’s novel of the same name. McMurtry’s 1966 release was the first of five books McMurtry wrote about life in Texas. Other McMurtry books related to “The Last Picture Show” are “Texasville,” “Duane’s Depressed,” “When the Light Goes Out” and “Rhino Ranch.” “Texasville” was also adapted to a film.

Horton Foote

Albert Horton Foote, Jr. was born March 14, 1916 to Albert Horton Foote, Sr. and Harriet Gautier Brooks Foote in Wharton, Texas. His name Albert is a Foote family name and the name Horton was his grandmother’s maiden name. Horton was in third generation of the Foote family to be born in Texas. His great grandfather S. D. Foote had come to the state in the 1800s.