395:, 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. The documentary tells the story of Pennell's rise, fall, and tragic death, through interviews with family, friends, collaborators, and admirers.
334:
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. Pennell died in
Houston, eight days short of his 50th birthday. He is buried in College Station Cemetery.
31:
199:
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
189:
247:. 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
272:, follows a group of friends gathering at a soon-to-be-demolished bar for the last time. The movie was well received, garnering praise at the
619:
192:
but dropped out in 1973 during his junior year to do film work. His first job was with a firm that produced highlight films of
746:
458:
181:
603:"THE DEFIANT DEFEATIST: The loser lore of the late Eagle Pennell, proto-indie misfit from the Lone Star State"
319:
185:
351:
303:, for Upfront Films. With grant money, Pennell completed two more independent projects during the 1990s,
243:
132:
110:
169:
205:
359:
277:
264:
196:
football games. In his spare time, he used the company's equipment to work on his own projects.
273:
165:
577:
412:
248:
127:
522:
741:
736:
646:
403:
193:
8:
481:
708:
312:
141:
713:
703:
551:
285:
602:
671:
218:
433:
402:
was a film
Pennell wanted to make - a low-budget Western he planned to shoot near
300:
177:
259:
161:
157:
137:
720:
730:
281:
234:
230:
721:
The King of Texas: The Life and Death of
Independent Filmmaker Eagle Pennell
180:
camera to shoot skits starring his brother and sisters. He graduated from
510:
Chainsaws, Slackers, and Spy Kids 30 Years of
Filmmaking in Austin, Texas
289:
226:
699:
407:
269:
201:
647:"SXSW 2008: Rene Pinnell & Claire Huie on "The King of Texas""
255:
won seven awards and inspired Robert
Redford to start Sundance.
30:
578:"Getting Their Due, Texas Film Hall of Fame 2003 Inductees"
173:
262:, where he produced and directed his second feature film
209:(1949). Ford was one of his father's favorite directors.
318:
At the time of his death, Pennell had a grant from the
434:"Eagle Pennell - Social Networks and Archival Context"
311:(his final film), which had its world première at the
241:, in 1977. The short inspired his most notable film,
126:(28 July 1952 – 20 July 2002) was an American
237:in April 1975. He made his first narrative short,
168:, where his father Charles taught engineering at
728:
268:(1984). The story, co-written with screenwriter
315:in 1994. Both films are regarded as failures.
322:to develop a script based on his treatment
504:
502:
29:
176:as a teenager and would use his father's
549:
512:University of Texas Press: Austin, 2010.
479:
136:(1978) is often credited with inspiring
35:Berlin International Film Festival, 1984
499:
729:
545:
543:
475:
473:
471:
575:
258:In the early 1980s, Pennell moved to
480:McVicker, Steve (October 14, 1999).
540:
468:
13:
527:Texas State Historical Association
292:also gave the movie rave reviews.
14:
758:
693:
644:
576:Moser, Margaret (March 3, 2003).
233:. He co-organized Austin's first
225:, chronicled a rodeo school near
329:
182:A&M Consolidated High School
664:
638:
550:McVicker, Steve (May 2, 2008).
612:
605:Film Society of Lincoln Center
595:
569:
515:
451:
426:
381:(Documentary anthology) (1990)
338:
320:Independent Television Service
217:Pennell's first film, a short
16:American independent filmmaker
1:
419:
186:University of Texas at Austin
147:
459:"The Whole Shootin' Match "
184:. Pennell then attended the
7:
10:
763:
747:People from Andrews, Texas
672:"The King Of Texas (2008)"
391:Pennell is the subject of
295:In 1989, Pennell directed
280:in Colorado. Film critics
172:. He became interested in
170:Texas A & M University
212:
103:
95:
87:
79:
63:
40:
28:
21:
352:The Whole Shootin' Match
253:The Whole Shootin' Match
244:The Whole Shootin' Match
206:She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
133:The Whole Shootin' Match
111:The Whole Shootin' Match
723:(full documentary film)
360:Last Night at the Alamo
278:Telluride Film Festival
265:Last Night at the Alamo
116:Last Night at the Alamo
274:New York Film Festival
249:get-rich-quick scheme
190:Radio-Television-Film
160:, Pennell grew up in
128:independent filmmaker
582:The Austin Chronicle
194:Southwest Conference
438:snaccooperative.org
154:Glenn Irwin Pinnell
45:Glenn Irwin Pinnell
465:December 28, 2007.
385:Doc's Full Service
373:Heart Full of Soul
313:SXSW Film Festival
309:Doc's Full Service
305:Heart Full of Soul
142:Sundance Institute
714:Handbook of Texas
393:The King of Texas
286:Stanley Kauffmann
121:
120:
96:Years active
754:
687:
686:
684:
682:
668:
662:
661:
659:
657:
645:Saito, Stephen.
642:
636:
635:
633:
631:
616:
610:
599:
593:
592:
590:
588:
573:
567:
566:
564:
562:
552:"King for a Day"
547:
538:
537:
535:
533:
523:"Pennell, Eagle"
519:
513:
506:
497:
496:
494:
492:
477:
466:
455:
449:
448:
446:
444:
430:
324:My Dog Bit Elvis
239:A Hell of a Note
106:
70:
54:
52:
33:
19:
18:
762:
761:
757:
756:
755:
753:
752:
751:
727:
726:
696:
691:
690:
680:
678:
670:
669:
665:
655:
653:
643:
639:
629:
627:
626:. July 23, 2002
618:
617:
613:
601:Daniel Stuyck.
600:
596:
586:
584:
574:
570:
560:
558:
548:
541:
531:
529:
521:
520:
516:
507:
500:
490:
488:
482:"Fade to Black"
478:
469:
456:
452:
442:
440:
432:
431:
427:
422:
341:
332:
301:Melissa Gilbert
251:after another.
215:
166:College Station
150:
114:
104:
75:
72:
68:
59:
56:
50:
48:
47:
46:
36:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
760:
750:
749:
744:
739:
725:
724:
718:
706:
695:
694:External links
692:
689:
688:
663:
637:
611:
594:
568:
556:Texas Observer
539:
514:
508:Alison Macor.
498:
467:
461:rogerebert.com
450:
424:
423:
421:
418:
410:'s version of
406:on the set of
389:
388:
382:
376:
370:
364:
356:
348:
347:(Short) (1977)
345:Hell of a Note
340:
337:
331:
328:
214:
211:
158:Andrews, Texas
149:
146:
138:Robert Redford
119:
118:
107:
101:
100:
97:
93:
92:
89:
85:
84:
81:
77:
76:
74:Houston, Texas
73:
71:(aged 49)
65:
61:
60:
58:Andrews, Texas
57:
44:
42:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
759:
748:
745:
743:
740:
738:
735:
734:
732:
722:
719:
717:
715:
710:
709:Eagle Pennell
707:
705:
701:
700:Eagle Pennell
698:
697:
677:
673:
667:
652:
648:
641:
625:
621:
615:
609:Nov/Dev 2007.
608:
606:
598:
583:
579:
572:
557:
553:
546:
544:
528:
524:
518:
511:
505:
503:
487:
486:Houston Press
483:
476:
474:
472:
464:
462:
454:
439:
435:
429:
425:
417:
415:
414:
409:
405:
404:Brackettville
401:
400:King of Texas
398:The original
396:
394:
386:
383:
380:
377:
374:
371:
368:
365:
362:
361:
357:
354:
353:
349:
346:
343:
342:
336:
330:Personal life
327:
325:
321:
316:
314:
310:
306:
302:
298:
293:
291:
287:
283:
282:Vincent Canby
279:
275:
271:
267:
266:
261:
256:
254:
250:
246:
245:
240:
236:
235:film festival
232:
228:
224:
223:Rodeo Cowboys
220:
210:
208:
207:
203:
197:
195:
191:
187:
183:
179:
175:
171:
167:
163:
159:
155:
145:
143:
140:to start the
139:
135:
134:
129:
125:
124:Eagle Pennell
117:
113:
112:
108:
102:
98:
94:
91:Film director
90:
86:
82:
78:
66:
62:
55:July 28, 1952
43:
39:
32:
27:
23:Eagle Pennell
20:
712:
679:. Retrieved
675:
666:
654:. Retrieved
650:
640:
628:. Retrieved
623:
620:"Obituaries"
614:
604:
597:
585:. Retrieved
581:
571:
559:. Retrieved
555:
530:. Retrieved
526:
517:
509:
489:. Retrieved
485:
460:
457:Roger Ebert
453:
441:. Retrieved
437:
428:
411:
399:
397:
392:
390:
384:
378:
372:
366:
358:
350:
344:
333:
323:
317:
308:
304:
296:
294:
263:
257:
252:
242:
238:
222:
216:
204:
198:
188:majoring in
153:
151:
131:
130:. His film
123:
122:
115:
109:
105:Notable work
69:(2002-07-20)
67:20 July 2002
742:2002 deaths
737:1952 births
339:Filmography
299:, starring
290:Roger Ebert
229:outside of
227:Lake Travis
219:documentary
202:John Ford's
99:1975 - 2002
80:Nationality
731:Categories
443:5 November
420:References
408:John Wayne
270:Kim Henkel
148:Early life
88:Occupation
51:1952-07-28
711:from the
681:20 August
656:20 August
630:20 August
624:The Eagle
587:20 August
561:20 August
532:20 August
491:20 August
413:The Alamo
379:City Life
367:Ice House
297:Ice House
416:(1960).
276:and the
83:American
260:Houston
221:titled
178:Super 8
162:Lubbock
716:Online
387:(1994)
375:(1990)
369:(1989)
363:(1983)
355:(1978)
231:Austin
213:Career
152:Born
704:IMDb
683:2017
676:IMDb
658:2017
632:2017
589:2017
563:2017
534:2017
493:2017
445:2023
307:and
288:and
174:film
164:and
64:Died
41:Born
702:at
651:IFC
156:in
733::
674:.
649:.
622:.
580:.
554:.
542:^
525:.
501:^
484:.
470:^
436:.
326:.
284:,
144:.
685:.
660:.
634:.
607:.
591:.
565:.
536:.
495:.
463:.
447:.
53:)
49:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
