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Post by Beth on May 18, 2015 17:43:03 GMT -6
Jeopardy had a category based on Texas Rising. It looks like its going to be all style and little history. History wasn't just created with good looking men with perfect hair. History Channel schedule
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Post by quincannon on May 19, 2015 12:07:06 GMT -6
Beth: Before you ask, I did watch the preview show last night, and my conclusion is that the Texas Rising scheduled for Memorial Day will be decent entertainment, but not particularly good history.
My conclusion is reached by observing the little things. For instance during a discussion of Sam Houston early in the show they showed the only known portrait of James Bowie. If they can't get the obvious completely correct, there is not much hope for the important but obscure.
I hope everyone knows that Emily Morgan (I use that name exclusively as does the hotel named after her and most historians) and Emily West are one in the same person. I do like the way they said this is legend but interesting none the less and adds to the drama, if not completely accurate and verified history.
Deaf Smith is another good touch I think. He is a person generally unknown to the public, but not unknown to TR historians. He played a pivotal part in the events leading from Gonzalez to San Jacinto, and made enough of a mark on Texas for them to name a county after him.
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Post by Beth on May 19, 2015 14:05:20 GMT -6
Beth: Before you ask, I did watch the preview show last night, and my conclusion is that the Texas Rising scheduled for Memorial Day will be decent entertainment, but not particularly good history. My conclusion is reached by observing the little things. For instance during a discussion of Sam Houston early in the show they showed the only known portrait of James Bowie. If they can't get the obvious completely correct, there is not much hope for the important but obscure. I hope everyone knows that Emily Morgan (I use that name exclusively as does the hotel named after her and most historians) and Emily West are one in the same person. I do like the way they said this is legend but interesting none the less and adds to the drama, if not completely accurate and verified history. Deaf Smith is another good touch I think. He is a person generally unknown to the public, but not unknown to TR historians. He played a pivotal part in the events leading from Gonzalez to San Jacinto, and made enough of a mark on Texas for them to name a county after him. I echo your opinion exactly. It's more of a drama than history. I loved how they pussyfooted around Emily's reputed part in history though. I have not been south of Austin but did the terrain they were showing seem right to you? Also I was bemused to see a longhorn in one scene. My mind gets distracted like that. Was their Alamo double the Alamo village location? We will be making a sort of Texas Revolution pilgrimage this summer, if I can get my energy level up but instead of the Alamo we have decided to start with Goliad and possible Gonzales. Sam is particularly taken by the whole in your face "Come and take it" flag and Gonzales. She wants to get a T-shirt with the design on it. I think Goliad would be a good starting point right now since because hopefully there will be less crowds. Funny you mention about Def Smith having a county named after him Since I've started reading TX history I've found that Austin's streets are a who's who of Texas history.
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Post by quincannon on May 26, 2015 9:34:06 GMT -6
Again Beth, before you ask. It stopped being history immediately after the word Texas in the title.
I would love to know where they filmed it. You asked about the Alamo set earlier. It made the Alamo look like King Arthur's castle rather than the collection of tumbled down shacks the Alamo actually was. You also might note that the same set was used for the Alamo and Goliad. In reality Goliad was in much better shape. You also saw the perpetuation of the myth that the Alamo was in the middle of nowhere, smoke rising in one of the early scenes from some structure in the middle of the prairie.
I will watch tonight, mainly to see what they do with the character of Jack Hays, who was a very interesting individual.
You also may have noticed that a lone survivor did escape from the Alamo, that being one of my favorite theories that escape in that last hour of darkness, confusion and conflict was possible, and that person or persons lost to history by circumstance.
Texas is one of the few States that keeps their story alive and in the forefront.
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Post by Colt45 on May 26, 2015 12:56:47 GMT -6
Chuck, it was filmed in Durango, Mexico, so the terrain shown bears absolutely no resemblance to the areas of Texas under consideration. They are also going whole-hog on the yellow rose myth, showing her as "companion" to both Houston and Santa Anna. The Dallas Morning News did an article on the show yesterday, pointing out the obvious mistakes people familiar with history will spot, and pointing out the fact that the filmmaker took great liberties with facts in order to "tell a good tale". As far as historical accuracy goes, they got it right in that the Mexicans won the battle at the Alamo. Beyond that, who knows?
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Post by quincannon on May 26, 2015 13:14:23 GMT -6
They also got it right that Deaf Smith's wife was Lupe (Guadalupe Duran).
Emily West/Morgan was a indentured servant, a free woman from New England. She was what was called at the time a Quadroon. There were those among the Quadroons at the time who were employed as ladies of the evening in New Orleans especially. In fact they were and are famous there still if you follow that sort of thing. So for the sake of telling a story the film makers took a woman's reputation and labeled her a prostitute, when there is no such evidence. They also had to find a way of inserting her into the story, so they place her at the Alamo, and give the reason as being there to be with and I suspect bring her brother away from his days in slavery. WELL, there was only one Black known to be in the Alamo, Travis' slave Joe, who by some reports was an active participant in the defense, and who was spared by Santa Anna, as being Black, not there by free will. Of course that would never do for the story tellers, as it might cast a shadow of some good on a character that the story requires to be all bad.
Down in Durango huh. Sure as hell did not look like any part of east Texas I ever traveled through.
Did you notice the two young Rangers. Does that not remind you of McMurtry's Woodrow and Augustus? Maybe Blue Duck will show up tonight
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Post by Beth on May 26, 2015 13:40:20 GMT -6
Again Beth, before you ask. It stopped being history immediately after the word Texas in the title. I would love to know where they filmed it. You asked about the Alamo set earlier. It made the Alamo look like King Arthur's castle rather than the collection of tumbled down shacks the Alamo actually was. You also might note that the same set was used for the Alamo and Goliad. In reality Goliad was in much better shape. You also saw the perpetuation of the myth that the Alamo was in the middle of nowhere, smoke rising in one of the early scenes from some structure in the middle of the prairie. I will watch tonight, mainly to see what they do with the character of Jack Hays, who was a very interesting individual. You also may have noticed that a lone survivor did escape from the Alamo, that being one of my favorite theories that escape in that last hour of darkness, confusion and conflict was possible, and that person or persons lost to history by circumstance. Texas is one of the few States that keeps their story alive and in the forefront. I haven't gotten it watched yet because we were dealing with local events. My little corner of Texas is currently dry because we live in one of the few high areas in Austin--literally, you walk to the edge of our neighborhood and you look down on Austin. It is a bit wet all around us though causing street flooding and retention pond flooding so even though we are lucky, it was pretty much all occupying yesterday. Our rain gauge says we got over 5 inches of rain in just 4 hours, to give you an idea how hard it was raining. We also had to take cover a couple times because of tornado warnings. The good thing is our dog who is terrified of thunder finally found a happy place in the closet under the stairs and spent the whole afternoon and evening there. I am very thankful for all the reading that you have recommended, it really has helped me see the myths--and given me an interest in the Texas Revolution. As I said, I am hoping to get to Goliad this summer because I am not up to handling the crowds at the Alamo-yet but it's on our list of must sees. The lucky thing about living relatively close is we can pick a less busy time of year to get there. Irony of irony, I don't know if you ever see Aerial America on Smithsonian Channel but this weekend they did Iowa. Of course like any of the states you can't do them justice in a 60 minute program, but man did we feel that they really short change Iowa. Where some people see flatness and cornfields, we see stunning beauty. At least they told the story of Kate Shelley, who I think should be embraced by Hollywood as a true American hero.
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Post by Beth on May 26, 2015 13:46:12 GMT -6
Chuck, it was filmed in Durango, Mexico, so the terrain shown bears absolutely no resemblance to the areas of Texas under consideration. They are also going whole-hog on the yellow rose myth, showing her as "companion" to both Houston and Santa Anna. The Dallas Morning News did an article on the show yesterday, pointing out the obvious mistakes people familiar with history will spot, and pointing out the fact that the filmmaker took great liberties with facts in order to "tell a good tale". As far as historical accuracy goes, they got it right in that the Mexicans won the battle at the Alamo. Beyond that, who knows? History channel has always been a 'never let facts get in the way of a good story.' Ever see their special about Jesse Jame's Gold? Thanks for confirming about the terrain. I've read somewhere they were going for a more of a John Ford Monument Valley type effect than actually what it was.
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Post by quincannon on May 26, 2015 14:05:46 GMT -6
I thought it might have been filmed out in the Big Bend. If I remember correctly Gone To Texas with Sam Elliott was filmed in East Texas, and if not the terrain looked correct. Last night was a visual embarrassment to history.
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Post by Colt45 on May 26, 2015 14:50:36 GMT -6
Chuck, it was filmed in Durango, Mexico, so the terrain shown bears absolutely no resemblance to the areas of Texas under consideration. They are also going whole-hog on the yellow rose myth, showing her as "companion" to both Houston and Santa Anna. The Dallas Morning News did an article on the show yesterday, pointing out the obvious mistakes people familiar with history will spot, and pointing out the fact that the filmmaker took great liberties with facts in order to "tell a good tale". As far as historical accuracy goes, they got it right in that the Mexicans won the battle at the Alamo. Beyond that, who knows? History channel has always been a 'never let facts get in the way of a good story.' Ever see their special about Jesse Jame's Gold? Thanks for confirming about the terrain. I've read somewhere they were going for a more of a John Ford Monument Valley type effect than actually what it was. Yes, I did. It reminded me of that Nicholas Cage movie National Treasure. It had about as many improbable theories as that movie.
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