FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 29, 2008
CONTACT: Meg Fullwood
mfullwood@kera.org
214-740-9377
NOWHERE BUT TEXAS 2
SHARES STORIES OF TEXAS SPIRIT AND TEXAS PAST
In addition to the hour-long television special, the DVD version of Nowhere But Texas 2 features a collection of related bonus material. The DVD will be available as a Thank You gift during KERA’s September television membership campaign.
Texas Twang
The Dallas Sportatorium was a popular center of entertainment in its early days. It opened in 1935 at the corner of Industrial and Cadiz Streets in Dallas.Originally launched as a wrestling arena, the 4,000 seat auditorium became home to the Big D Jamboree in the 1940s. The weekly country music show, in the spirit of the Grand Ole Opry, featured national favorites including Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash along with local child star Sunshine Ruby. The program was broadcast over KRLD Radio. The Sportatorium hosted wrestling matches from the mid-1960s until the 1990s before falling into disrepair. The building was demolished in 2003.
During the height of World War II, many women left their jobs and household chores to accept a supporting role in the U.S. war effort. It was an unprecedented time in American history when men fought overseas and women kept the state-side service moving. In Sweetwater, Texas, 1,830 women trained to become pilots through the experimental Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program. Some 25,000 women applied nationally but only 1,073 ultimately got their wings. Those who made it tested airplanes, towed targets for anti-aircraft artillery practice and delivered new planes to military bases from 1942 to 1944. Although they received the same military training as their male counterparts, the women had no military status and did not receive benefits. More than thirty years later, when the Pentagon announced that the U.S. Air Force Academy was about to open its doors to the “first” women pilots, the WASP protested. They were incensed that their service in WWII was being ignored. In the fall of 1977, with the help of Senator Barry Goldwater, Congress voted to grant the WASP of WWII military status and full veteran's benefits.
High school football has long been played beneath the Friday night lights, but the drama was never higher than when the Mighty Mites came to play. The Mighty Miteswere the sons of deceased Master Masons who played for The Masonic Home and School on Fort Worth’s southeast side. Small but agile, the team gained a secret weapon in Coach Rusty Russell. When he joined the team in 1927, he taught them how to use short passes and trick plays, leveling the playing field with their larger rivals. In 1932, the Mighty Mites tied with Corsicana for the state championship. Although they lost on penetrations giving the state title to Corsicana, these underdogs established themselves as the toughest team in the league, lifting people’s spirits in the midst of the Great Depression.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION TEAM
The Nowhere But Texas 2 production team includes Rick Thompson, executive producer, Linda Stogner, producer/director/editor, Therese Powell, producer and Sylvia Komatsu, executive in charge. Other members of the team include Bob Perrenot, art director, Tom Pribyl, graphic designer, Mary Beth Boehm, on-line editor and Gila Espinosa, associate producer. The original signature musical score was composed and produced by Mack Price.
KERA is a not-for-profit public broadcasting organization that is independently owned and operated in North Texas. The station’s services include original television and radio productions, national public television and radio programs, online information and resources at www.kera.org and an educational resource center that develops outreach programs for children, families and educators.
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