The weather hasn’t gotten to the ‘sit by the fire with a good book’ time yet, but with snow flurries in Colorado and points north all ready, but it is right around the corner. These books I have read and will recommend to pick up and enjoy.
CALL ME LUCKY, A TEXAN IN HOLLYWOOD by Robert Hinkle, With Mike Farris, published by University of Oklahoma Press, 2009, is the life of Bob Hinkle, a West Texan who ended up in Hollywood, determined to get rid of his west Texas accent until he was hired by George Stevens, the director, of the movie, Giant, to teach the actors to be Texans. Yep, he wanted Rock Hudson, James Dean, Mercedes McCambridge, and others to walk, talk, dress and act like a Texan and he hired the guy that did all that naturally, Bob Hinkle. When Stevens discovered Hinkle had been taking elocution lessons to rid his self of that Texas accent, Stevens response was, “Quit taking those lessons, right now!”
Through the filming of Giant, done in the west Texas area of Marfa, near Big Bend, Hinkle finds himself in the inner circle of the main actors in the movie, and became close friends with all, especially James Dean, who he called “Jimmy”. Much of their time after hours was spent shooting rabbits and doing things young people from west Texas enjoy the most. He was also asked by Liz Taylor, to see if he could arrange a visit to Neiman Marcus in Dallas, since she had only heard about this up-scale fashion mecca and had never been there. Hinkle’s success in arranging the trip to Dallas and the store Stanley Marcus personally invited them to be his guests, picking them up in his private plane, inviting them to be his house guests and shuttling them to big “D” store.
Hinkle considers himself ‘lucky’ throughout his life. He just happens in to situations that included celebrities and well-known people, because of his up-bringing and typical Texan looks and talk. Others he encountered were Paul Newman, when preparing for the part in “Hud” and needing to learn to act like a Texan, Lyndon B. Johnson, the former President, Elvis Presley, Evil Kneivel, Robert Wagner & Natalie Wood and more. He also became Marty Robbins, the western singer’s manager for many years. He acted, directed and was involved in many movies, TV programs, and such.
The tall Texan was also a rodeo cowboy for a time and knew and considered rodeo people, such as Larry Mahan and Bob Cook, as long time friends. Anyone interested in rodeo and movies will enjoy this read.
COWGIRL DREAMS, by Heidi M. Thomas, 2008, by Sundowners a division of Treble Heart Books. The book is told fictionally by the granddaughter of a Montana cowgirl, who lived in the 1920s, loved the out-of-doors, was an avid horsewoman, and rode steers at rodeos. Many problems ensue to keep this young cowgirl from realizing her dreams. Although the author fictionalizes the relationship, by the main character, in the book with real cowgirls such as Fanny Sperry Steele, Marie Gibson, Prairie Rose Henderson and Alice and Marge Greenough, as far as she knew her grandmother never interacted with these rodeo celebrities. But, she could have. Her grandmother did marry the author’s grandfather under similar circumstances as related in the book. Learn how she fulfills her dreams and continued to ride in rodeos.
It is obvious the author knows the west and the area of the country in which her grandmother lived. She also writes beautifully and will hold your interest throughout the story.
HAPPY READING, NOTHING TAKES THE PLACE OF A GOOD BOOK!
By Gail Woerner
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