big shootout world premiere

A

accuratehorn

10,000+ Posts
We are at documentary premiere about the 1969 Texas-Arkansas game. seated right behind Ted Koy and Stan Mauldin! Emcee is Ed Clemmons.
Film review to follow.

hookem.gif
 
Wow! I had no idea such a doc was being made. And you were behind two of my girlhood crushes!
 
The film is a documentary, "The Big Shootout, The Life and Times of 1969."
In a nutshell, this is great, and every UT fan should get a copy. Right now, I don't know where to get one (they were selling them at the theatre).
The director is Mike Looney and George Francissco. I'll try to find a link later.
The was billed as the premiere, but it was screened at some film festival, where it won best sports documentary.
The script was worked on for eighteen months, the score is really good, there are numerous interviews with players from both teams, and much more.
There was a Q & A session after the screening moderated by Ed Clemens, and players in attendance included Bobby Mitchell, Mike and Tom Campbell, Ted Koy, Donnie Wiggington, Stan Mauldin, and Billy Dale.
Edith Royal attended, and was recognized by the filmmaker with a bouquet of flowers prior to the film.
The filmmaker had two copies of The Big Shootout book, and got all the participants' autographs-the books will be auctioned off at Texas Exes events to benefit the Darrell Royal Alzheimer's Foundation.
The director is seeking a TV deal to show the movie, and he feels there will eventually be a deal made. ESPN wanted to buy it and chop it up, using parts of it, but he declined that offer.
This documentary is much more than highlights of the game. It starts with the societal subplots surrounding Fayetteville in 1969, which were the protests of the Vietnam War and the controversy by the local black students' organization over the traditional of playing Dixie after touchdowns by the school band. With President Nixon and many other politicians expected to attend, these groups felt the game would be a prime time for publicity.
Then Beano Cook was interviewed, and Frank Broyles, and Darrell Royal, about the decision the previous April to move the game to December 6, final game of the 100th year of college football. The pressure on each team to win to set up the Big Shootout was detailed, and the final piece de resistance, the Michigan beatdown of number one Ohio State.
The electric atmosphere of the pregame, with Billy Graham delivering the invocation, and the twenty minute delay awaiting Nixon's arrival through foggy, frigid weather, then the decision to go ahead and start the game without him, immediately followed by the sound of that giant helicopter landing, all through various players eyes.
The highlights of the game itself were limited predominately to the controversial plays that could have gone the other way, officials' calls, crucial turnovers, officials' non-calls, coaches' great decisions, coaches' horrible decisions, a bad pass, a great pass, hands a few inches from knocking away the Street to Peschel pass, and more. All these plays were told by interviewed Arkansas and UT players, many very interesting in their take on these plays.
The effect this game had on the Arkansas players was immense. I suppose the effect on UT was also immense, but to lose that game was devastating.
Frank Broyles had never discussed the game with his team members, never watched the game film, and never consented to an interview about the game. In this film he agreed to be interviewed about the game and comments about it.
A few years ago, the Arkansas team had a reunion and invited the UT teammates to join them, and this was part of the film. The Arkansas players needed some closure, and were very happy to hear the Horns tell them the Hogs really should have won the game, that they had a great team, and Texas felt there must have been divine intervention for the win to fall in its lap.
There is triumph, and there is tragedy, with clips of Freddie Steinmark and Danny Lester, who died in a car crash within a year of the Big Shootout.
A few interesting facts I didn't know were included...Penn State was invited to the Cotton Bowl and the Orange Bowl, and Joe Paterno allowed his players to vote on which bowl they would attend. The vote was 33 to 30 for the Orange Bowl, so they forfeit and right to gripe about UT being awarded the national championship that year.
And speaking of awards, the famous plaque that Nixon awarded to the Horns in the locker room after the game...nobody knows where it is. I wonder if when Nixon took it back to Washington to have "TEXAS" engraved as the national champ, that he set it aside due to complaints from Penn State. The film mentioned that Penn State refused to accept Nixon's plaque congratulating them on the nation's longest winning streak.
Afterwards, the players entertained with some anecdotes of Arkansas and Notre Dame. The Hogs thanked the players later for not taunting them after the game. But there weren't any good things said about Notre Dame. The Irish tried to intimidate opponents, and constantly piled on, cussed at our team from the bench, bumped or elbowed on the way back to the huddle, etc. Our team didn't care for them one bit.
The documentary will stay with you, because of the depth of feelings, the effect on the lives of those interviewed. You should get this DVD.
Here is a blurb on the cover, "It's one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. It's got everything. It's gold," Ian Fitzsimmons, ESPN.
Bobby Mitchell is prominently featured in the film, as is his wife, also Steve Worster, Cliff Powell and several other Arkansas players, Julius Whittier, James Street, Darrell Royal, Frank Broyles, the Campbell twins, Bob McCay, Richard Nixon,... you should get this film!
This was an event, btw, of the Austin Film Society at the Marquesa Theatre on Middle Fiskeville Road.
hookem.gif
 
Danny Lester......from Amarillo Tascosa High School. R I P.
 
I believe Freddie Steinmark was noticed when UT coaches were recruiting Bobby Mitchell at the same Colorado high school, and ended up offering both of them. Steinmark received one D1 scholarship offer, from UT. He started as a 160-pound sophomore on a very talent-rich team.
He and Mitchell were roommates at UT, and I think the only other out-of-state player on the Horns was Jim Bertleson from Wisconsin.
 
I once read that Joe Paterno wanted to go play in the Cotton Bowl but he left it up to the players. He should have put his foot down and insisted on Dallas.
 
accuratehorn, thank you for the write-up and the links!
hookem.gif


Penn St cried for years about Texas getting awarded the NC. Screw em, they had their chance and decided not to take it.
 
I, too, thank you accuratehorn. That was some great stuff, which brought back some great memories, and even a tear or two.
hookem.gif
 
Coach Strong was not at the 1969 Big Shootout, nor was he spotted at the premiere. But he should acquire a copy to brush up on UT history.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Weekly Prediction Contest

* Predict HORNS-AGGIES *
Sat, Nov 30 • 6:30 PM on ABC

Recent Threads

Prediction Results Threads

2024 Schedules

Back
Top