Taylor Trade Publishing
Pages: 256
•
978-1-58979-242-5 • Paperback • August 2005 • $16.95 • (£12.99)
978-1-4616-2599-5 • eBook • August 2005 • $15.99 • (£11.99)
Veva Vonler, Ph.D., is a native Texan and lifelong movie fan. Her love of movies was possibly instilled before she was born when her mother saw almost every movie shown in the Arcadia Theater in little Ranger, Texas, while pregnant and waiting for her husband to return from World War II. Love of the movies was a family affair. Her great Aunt Myrtle played the piano for the silents shown in the Thurber, Texas Opera House. At age 12, Vonler won the local newspaper's contest for predicting that year's Oscar winners, earning a three-month free pass to the Campus Theater in Denton, Texas. Her professional life has included teaching writing and literature, international consulting on education, and university administration. She has written for a number of academic and popular publications such as The New Rambler and Westward Magazine and has co-authored a composition/literature text published by Harcourt Brace.
1 Acknowledgments
2 Foreword by Tom Copeland
3 Preface: Movies with a Lone Star State of Mind
4 Lights! Camera! Travel!
5 Chapter 1: Panhandle Plains
6 Chapter 2: Big Bend Country
7 Chapter 3: South Texas Plains
8 Chapter 4: Gulf Coast
9 Chapter 5: Piney Woods
10 Chapter 6: Hill Country
11 Chapter 7: Prairies and Lakes
12 Index of Movie Titles
13 Index of Places
14 About the Author
Since the earliest days of the film industry, Texas has been prime real estate for the movies. From Canadian to Brownsville, from El Paso to Port Arthur, Texans have seen on-location filmmaking up close. With this book, you will enjoy an insider's look at Texas movies. Pack up The Movie Lover's Tour of Texas and hit the highway for a road trip.
— Tom Copeland, Director, Texas Film Commission
If you love movies, settle in for a chatty visit with a friendly tour guide. Whether you plan to travel the movie landscapes of Texas or just love watching movies with a Texas connection, The Movie Lover's Tour of Texas is the guidebook you need. Vonler sets a swift pace, deftly separating the 'reel' from the 'real' in the lore of Texas movies, serving up the gossipy details movie lovers crave — where a movie was really filmed and who caused trouble on what set.
— Jessie Gunn Stephens, author of The Book Lover's Tour of Texas
"Vonler tackles every and all movies filmed or set in Texas...there are some hidden gems between the pages"
— Martin Winchester; Monitor
". . . the author explores the state's cinematic presence dating back to more than 100 years.""Organized geographically, The Movie Lover's Tour of Texas juxtaposes "Reel-Life Tours" (which shows how the state is depicted on film) with "Real-Life Tours," which helps travelers navigate teh state's movie sites."
— Lori Moffatt; Texas Highways
"It is a travel guide that invites you to tour the state from the comfort of your home, armed with a VCR or DVD and a bag of popcorn."
— Glenn Dromgoole; Lubbock Avalanche- Journal
From "Miss Congeniality" to "The Westerner," Dr. Vonler clearly has spent a lot of time in the dark- and that's meant as a compliment.
— Ron Franscell; Beaumont Enterprise
If you enjoy movies and road trips, this nifty guide combines insight on film locations with practical tourism tips.
— Harry Shattuck; The Houston Chronicle