A Celebration of Texas Film: Panel Will Discuss Impact of 1956 Movie "Giant"

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Media contact: Lori Fogleman, (254) 710-6275

WACO, Texas (April 25, 2012) - The final program of the Baylor University Libraries exhibit, "A Celebration of Texas: Literature, Music & Film," will explore the impact of the 1956 movie "Giant" with clips of the film and a panel discussion at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 26, in the den of the Bill Daniel Student Center on the Baylor campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Inspired by the rise of oil-rich Texan Glenn McCarthy and the Feb. 13, 1950, issue of Time magazine, Edna Ferber penned the epic novel "Giant." George Stephens took the story to the big screen in the 1956 film starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean. Filmed in Marfa, the movie explores the transformation of the Texas economy from ranching to oil.

The panel discussion will include 1974 Baylor graduate Kirby Warnock, who made the award-winning and SXSW finalist documentary "Return to 'Giant'" (2003). Guests also will view the documentary and enjoy free Vitek's BBQ.

The event is sponsored by the Baylor University Libraries, the department of English at Baylor, the film and digital media division of the department of communication studies at Baylor and Student Activities. It is the final event in the Libraries' exhibit, "A Celebration of Texas," which has been running since March.

About Baylor

Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions.
About the Baylor University Libraries
The Baylor University Libraries connect people with ideas in support of teaching, learning, scholarship and academic distinction through its Central Libraries and special collections libraries - Armstrong Browning Library, the Electronic Library, The Texas Collection and the W.R. Poage Legislative Library.
by Katy McDowall, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805