GIANT: Hollywood Came to Marfa, Texas in 1956

Director George Stevens chose to make his film adaptation of Edna Ferber's 1955 bestselling novel GIANT in Marfa, one of the most remote areas of Texas.

Presidio County has 3,856 square miles, making the area much larger than Delaware, Rhode Island, and Washington D.C. combined. Booming back then, county seat Marfa had a population of 5,000.

For 50 days, the cast and crew of Giant lived among the residents of Marfa.

"Giant did for Texas what Gone with the Wind did for Georgia," one person said.

Residents of Marfa reminisced about the extraordinary effect the making of Giant had on them, as well as on their tiny town.

One of the persons interviewed, then Presidio County Judge Jake Brisbane, said he was 11 or 12-years-old when he first saw the newly released film. He described the impact a scene at the end of the movie had on him. From that moment on he recognized racism as "evil."

An epic scene in the movie Giant, the main character Bick Bennedict (played by Rock Hudson) comes face-to-face with his own racial bigotry. Inside a diner where the owner Sarge “Reserves the right to refuse service to anyone,” Bick starts a fistfight with Sarge over his refusal to serve Hispanics. While the jukebox booms “The Yellow Rose of Texas,” Bick loses the fight but gains the respect of his family.

Give people time to change

Larger-than-life, ego-centric rancher Bick Benedict (character played by Rock Hudson) changes over the course of about 40 years.

Thanks to Bick's sister Luz, Jett Rink (played by James Dean), inherited a piece of property on the immense 595,000 acre Reata ranch. Jett, former poor ranch hand turned oil millionaire, uses money, power and race to prove to himself that he is as good as anyone and better than some.

Money changes Jett's circumstances, but not his character.

Men's bigotry, hypocrisy and prejudice revealed: A character like Sarge stays the same. A person like Bick changes. Someone like Jett Rink destroys himself.

Agreeing with the person who said, "If I could put one film [about Texas] in a time capsule, it would be Giant," I smile.

Movies Matter

Movies matter because ideas matter. Movies show how what people think shapes attitudes and beliefs before it affects their behavior.

A cross-section of people, places and values, films attempt to portray human beings who face the destructive power of pride, prejudice, and indifference as well as elevating the character of those who change.

Marfa,Texas provided the backdrop for snapshots of life.

The best stories show ways people can change, for better or for worse. In this case, I think the movie is better than the book,

The facade built for the Reata ranch is gone. Actor Chill Wills said, "The ghosts are still there."

Palace Theater where director George Stevens viewed the films "dailies." Residents were welcome as well.

The main drag runs from the historic County Court House through town.