Pictured: official premiere poster design by Emily Claire Hamlin
By: Dr. Andrew Yox, Honors Director
Crude Conquest: The Triumph of Big Oil in Texas Politics, 1935-1980, Premieres Friday 28 March at 7 PM
A Program free and open to the Public In Humanities 129 of the NTCC Campus
For thirteen years running, the scholars of Honors Northeast have premiered previously un-filmed stories of the Texas past. This year, Honors Northeast, and the NTCC Webb Society are drawing their content from a Caldwell-Award-winning essay by the NTCC Texas Heritage National Bank Scholar, Vanessajane Bayna. Crude Conquest: The Triumph of Big Oil in Texas Politics, 1935-1980 is a drama about the way major oil companies impressed their world view on the state culture. Their triumph came as they were successful in corrupting the Democratic Party, and helping to power the Republicans to a skein of statewide victories.
Those attending the free premiere at 7 p.m. Friday 28 March in room 129 of Humanities will experience a first-ever look at the way in which big business became big politics in Texas during the middle decades of the twentieth century. The production is free of charge, and the public is welcome. Free coffee, homemade cookies, and drinks will be provided afterward, in H101, thanks to the Friends of Honors Northeast. Members of the cast will also be present for a brief Q&A with interested members of the audience.
The trailer for this year’s film, narrated and scored by regional composer, Kenny Goodson, is available for viewing at the Honors Northeast film site by clicking here. This site also contains access to the group’s twenty-four previous films and trailers, as well as stories about how each film was created, and the scripts that were employed.
The report about the group’s 2024 activity to the Webb Society in Austin noted that this year’s film was characterized by the remarkably professionalized leadership of director, Skylar Hodson, the Russell Mowery Scholar of Honors Northeast, and cinematographer, Emily Hamlin. The two had a special synergy and energy they conveyed to the whole set. The audio is excellent for a student film, and Hodson’s insistence on slow perfectionism produced a skein of ably acted scenes. The penchant for quality this year was set at such a high premium that the quantity came out a little short. However, this year’s, Cypress Bank Scholar, Yahir Garcia showed how one could nudge a just- short film into a feature-length production by embracing royalty-free footage, narration, and a succession of tell-tale images. Central to the accomplishment of this fifty-minute film also is the music and narration of Kenny Goodson, of Hughes Springs. Goodson’s vibrant musical ostinatos, and ability to launch inspiring big-brass melodies are a central part of this year’s film, as they have been to the previous five NTCC films he has scored—as a gracious sui generis contribution to student success at NTCC. To that, spectators will hear a patient, tantalizing trombone melody emerging from seemingly nowhere, the gathering of tension with brilliant coloring, timpani, and organ, and then, the break out into a very memorable, exhilarating kinetic climax.
Honors Director, Dr. Andrew Yox notes, “Goodson’s music is amazing. He is like the John Williams of Texas, without equal. He is able to reel off brilliant musical conceptions emulating styles, from Protestant hymnody, to calypso, to jazz, and classic orchestra. We are indebted to him, I think, for making our films significant showcases not only of Texas history episodes, but of the musical capabilities of a Texas composer today.”
There were several other key contributors to the film effort. Luke McCraw, already a Gunn Scholar at Dallas Baptist University, returned to help the project of his alma mater. He not only contributed another very singular acting performance, but wrote many of the concluding scenes of the film concerning the rise of the Republican Party in Texas. Sarah Dierflinger contributed to unit production, and supported the endeavors of film week last August in innumerable ways. Isabel Tresidder became the youngest researcher and script writer ever, beginning her trek with Bayna’s essay, passing a test to work at the Lyndon Baines Presidential Library in Austin, and then setting the parameters and content of most of the script. NTCC scholars, Remington Covey, Alison Majors, and Andrew Perez became indispensable to the cause. NTCC Theatre actress, and singer, Madeline Simmons, and leaders of Phi Theta Kappa--Tristan Dierflinger, and Noah Pettey, turn in notable performances. Finally, the film star of last years’ Traveling Preacher film, Kaden Groda, returns, this year as Texas oilman, Clint Murchison. Ariana Tagg embodies a woman she became a leading expert of in the semester that followed—Rita Clements.
The film enterprise has provided a bonanza of accolades for NTCC students. Many national and regional awards have gone to research essayists, film presenters, and those who can describe their roles in the film on award applications in winsome ways. The Webb Society of NTCC—the larger group of honors and non-honors students devoted to the yearly Texas film projects has won six $600 Chapter Caldwell Awards through the years, for the best project in Texas history performed by any collegiate or university group. It has also won five Webb Chapter-of-the-Year Awards, for having the most significant Texas-history-related endeavors among two-year colleges.
The film is ultimately the result of the college’s administrative support as well as the generous friends of Honors Northeast, in particular Jerald and Mary Lou Mowery. They have been the key film supporters annually since 2014. This past summer, the film program at Honors Northeast received another major stimulus with the $10,000 contribution by the David L. Stevenson family of Longview and Gilmer.
Questions about the premiere can be addressed to Honors Director, Dr. Andrew P. Yox at ayox@ntcc.edu. Previous films of the series can all also be seen at the honors website: www.ntcc.edu/honorsfilms.
