Bert Gildart: Writer and Photographer

©Bert Gildart:  Because of an overwhelming amount of work and other obligations I have gotten way behind on my normal blog postings.  That’s to my detriment as postings later serve to trigger my thoughts when I write magazine stories.  In the past few years, blogs have also helped with the creation of books.

 

Despite my negligence, Janie and I have recently visited some fascinating areas in American, areas certainly worthy of comment.  Specifically these include the small dusty towns of Alpine, Fort Davis – and, now, Marfa – all located in the high plains of west Texas. Once these settings were Hollywood magnets.

MOVIE ICONS

Marfa is, according to Internet research,  “…a tiny town in West Texas with just 2,000 residents, about 60 miles from the Mexican border and nearly three hours by car from El Paso. But it’s been the backdrop for some of Hollywood’s most notable movies.”  It was, according to signs posted throughout the town, a site for production of the 1956 epic Giant, which starred James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rock Hudson.  As well, the town more recently served as the setting for Oscar winners, No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood.  Over the years I’ve seen all these movies and was delighted I could tour the town with friends mentioned in my next-to-last posting.

L to R:  Lee, Janie and Marie; Janie standing in archway of Hotel Paisano, the hotel which served as summer residence during filming of movie “Giant”; Janie examines poster
recalling postage stamp that commemorated famed actor James Dean.

 

In the summer of 1955, production of the movie Giant consumed Marfa, and vestiges of Hollywood’s presence remain. The Hotel Paisano, where the cast and crew stayed, has a room off the lobby with Giant memorabilia and a DVD of the film on a continuous loop. To further commemorate the presence of Dean, Taylor, and Hudson the Paisano renamed the rooms after the stars.  The hotel continues to retain a décor reminiscent of those times.  The hotel also provides background information on James Dean, who was an icon for many of us back in the ‘60s.

DEAN’S ENDURING FAME

Dean, as many may recall, personified the image of teenage disillusionment, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause.  He also stared in East of Eden, the John Steinbeck novel which focused on Cal Trask, a troubled loner.  Dean’s enduring fame and popularity rests on his leading performances in just these three films. His premature death in a car crash cemented his legendary status

West Texas has always been a Hollywood magnet, and the question, of course, is why?  Critics respond by saying that Texas is a land of limitless desolation and possibilities…  “onto which they [the directors] can project greed, lust and violence.]” And that is exactly what they did, in ways that have endured in these epic films.

David and Lee, Brian and Marie, Janie and I have enjoyed the backdrop of these west Texas towns as we continued to recall memories which we’ve shared over the years. In fact, we’ve enjoyed it so much that we all agree West Texas would work well for another reunion.

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THIS TIME FOUR YEARS AGO:

*Ranger Overboard

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013 at 9:28 am and is filed under Outdoors, Photography, RV Travel, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.