Eagle Pennell
Eagle Pennell | |
---|---|
Born | Glenn Irwin Pinnell July 28, 1952 Andrews, Texas |
Died | 20 July 2002 Houston, Texas | (aged 49)
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Film director |
Years active | 1975 - 2002 |
Notable work | The Whole Shootin' Match Last Night at the Alamo |
Eagle Pennell (28 July 1952 – 20 July 2002)
Early life
Born Glenn Irwin Pinnell in
He changed his name while in his early twenties. His first name is supposedly based on the story that Pennell was once told his large nose looked like the beak of an eagle. His last name comes from 2nd Lt. Ross Pennell, a character from John Ford's She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949). Ford was one of his father's favorite directors.
Career
Pennell's first film, a short documentary titled Rodeo Cowboys, chronicled a rodeo school near Lake Travis outside of Austin. He co-organized Austin's first film festival in April 1975. He made his first narrative short, A Hell of a Note, in 1977. The short inspired his most notable film, The Whole Shootin' Match. He enlisted the help of Austin writer Lin Sutherland to get it written and produced. It is a tale of two lifelong friends, and would-be entrepreneurs, chasing one get-rich-quick scheme after another.[4] The Whole Shootin' Match won seven awards and inspired Robert Redford to start Sundance.
In the early 1980s, Pennell moved to
In 1989, Pennell directed Ice House, starring
At the time of his death, Pennell had a grant from the
Personal life
Pennell struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction for much of his adult life. For years before his death, he was intermittently homeless and often borrowed or begged for money.[8] Pennell died in Houston, eight days short of his 50th birthday. He is buried in College Station Cemetery.[9]
Filmography
- Hell of a Note (Short) (1977)
- The Whole Shootin' Match (1978)
- Last Night at the Alamo (1983)
- Ice House (1989)
- Heart Full of Soul (1990)
- City Life (Documentary anthology) (1990)
- Doc's Full Service (1994)
Pennell is the subject of The King of Texas, a documentary that debuted at SXSW 2008. Directed by Claire Huie and René Pinnell (Pennell's nephew), the film was scored by Pennell's brother, Chuck.[10] The documentary tells the story of Pennell's rise, fall, and tragic death, through interviews with family, friends, collaborators, and admirers.[11]
The original King of Texas was a film Pennell wanted to make - a low-budget Western he planned to shoot near Brackettville on the set of John Wayne's version of The Alamo (1960).[6]
References
- ^ "Eagle Pennell - Social Networks and Archival Context". snaccooperative.org. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ Roger Ebert "The Whole Shootin' Match " rogerebert.com. December 28, 2007.
- ^ a b c McVicker, Steve (October 14, 1999). "Fade to Black". Houston Press. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ a b Alison Macor. Chainsaws, Slackers, and Spy Kids 30 Years of Filmmaking in Austin, Texas University of Texas Press: Austin, 2010.
- ^ "Pennell, Eagle". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ a b McVicker, Steve (May 2, 2008). "King for a Day". Texas Observer. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ Moser, Margaret (March 3, 2003). "Getting Their Due, Texas Film Hall of Fame 2003 Inductees". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ Daniel Stuyck. "THE DEFIANT DEFEATIST: The loser lore of the late Eagle Pennell, proto-indie misfit from the Lone Star State" Film Society of Lincoln Center. Nov/Dev 2007.
- ^ "Obituaries". The Eagle. July 23, 2002. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ Saito, Stephen. "SXSW 2008: Rene Pinnell & Claire Huie on "The King of Texas"". IFC. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ^ "The King Of Texas (2008)". IMDb. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
External links
- Eagle Pennell at IMDb
- Eagle Pennell from the Handbook of Texas Online
- The King of Texas: The Life and Death of Independent Filmmaker Eagle Pennell (full documentary film)