No Place Like Dallas

The following link was provided by Lou Ann Huffhines.

http://centraltrack.com/Culture/3137/Fun-Facts/50-Interesting-Things-You-Probably-Didnt-Know-About-Dallas


A few comments:

1. The lowest grossing film of all time had its premiere in Dallas in 2006. Zyzzyx Road, starring Katherine Heigl and Tom Sizemore, had only six paying customers and earned only $30 at the box office.

I wasn't one of those customers. But it reminds me of the early 1960s when Gordon McLendon, who was famous for KLIF radio, produced at least two movies that were films at White Rock Lake, The Killer Shrews and The Giant Gila Monster. Both were really Grade D, and deserved as many paying customers.

11. In 1944, White Rock Lake served as a Prisoner-of-War camp for German non-commissioned officers captured during Erwin "The Desert Fox" Rommel's North African campaign. They were treat so well, though, that at least one POW wrote a letter to the Dallas Morning News to ask if they could sponsor him and his family in their bid to move to Dallas.

The camp was located where the baseball sandlots are behind Winfrey Point. I believe the barracks were originally constructed for the Civilian Conservation Corps, one of the New Deal programs.  There is a commemorative statue honoring the CCC at the nearby park offices. No reminder of the POW camp.

16. Before making his State Fair of Texas debut in 1952, Big Tex served for two years as the world's largest paper mache Santa Claus in Kerens, Texas. May he rest in peace.

As most of us know, Big Tex burned down during last year's Fair. At this writing, I understand he will be back up at the State Fair this October.


28. The first publicized account of the legend of the Lady of White Rock Lake was Anne Clark's "The Ghost of White Rock," which was included in the Texas Folklore Society's 1943 publication Backwoods to Border. Since, dozens of similar tales about the Lady have spawned.

During the late 1960s, a radio talk show host on KLIF nearly caused a riot when he claimed a spotting of the Lady of the Lake and urged listeners to go out and look. Don't remember his name or any details. Anyone who does, I'm sure everyone would like to know.

One item not mentioned was that during our senior year, State Fair with Pat Boone, Ann-Margret, Bobby Darin, and was filmed at the State Fair's grounds, had its world premiere at the Majestic Theater in Dallas.  Wasn't all that good of a flick, but it starred some of the then current heartthrobs.