The Fourth First Annual Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned Chili Cookoff (1974)

This silent footage captures scenes of the fourth First Annual Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned Chili Cookoff, also named the First Annual Women's Lib Chili Cookoff, in Luckenbach in 1974. The women's chili cookoff was founded in 1970 in response to the rule of Texas chili cookoffs that only men could enter the contest as chefs. The first and second place winners qualified to compete in the World Championship Chili Cookoff in Terlingua, also previously open only to men. In these scenes, founder of the women's chili cookoff and self-proclaimed Mayor of Luckenbach, Hondo Crouch, sits in the back of his truck with a coffin that he kept on hand so he'd 'be ready when the time came.' Images are also included of Crouch with Allegani Jani Schofield, an artist and wife of A.W. 'Tex' Schofield. Allegani Jani placed second in the cookoff, qualifying her for the National Championship Cookoff, which she went on to win that year -- the first woman to win the Terlingua championship. In addition to scenes of people enjoying Lone Star Beer (some enjoying it a little too much!), are scenes of a band playing, The McCullough Saw Company of Stonewall, Texas, and Joe Bowman, a Houston bootmaker and marksman, dressed in his western attire, performing his 'Straight Shooter' act. Bowman performed his western gun show nationally, drawing the attention of Hollywood Western stars such as Roy Rogers and John Wayne, eventually landing him the job of training Robert Duval for his role in the screen adaptation of Larry McMurty's Lonesome Dove.

Hondo Crouch, the self-proclaimed "Clown Prince of Luckenbach," was born John Russell Crouch in Hondo, Texas, on December 4, 1916. He earned a degree in physical education from the University of Texas at Austin. Having been an All-American swimmer there, he later encouraged the school to build the Texas Swim Center in 1975. Crouch settled into ranch life near Fredricksburg and married Helen Ruth (Shatzie) Stieler. He continued to coach swimming, and he also wrote satirical articles for the Comfort News under the pen name Peter Cedarstacker. These "Cedar Creek Clippings" touched on a variety of topics, from politics to everyday issues in country living. In 1971, Crouch bought the small town of Luckenbach, Texas, where he earned his fame. As the mayor, he presided over three people, the dance hall, and a single parking meter. He also held a variety of oddball events, including an all-female chili cook-off and an unofficial world's fair. He also coined the town's motto: "Everybody's Somebody in Luckenbach." Hondo was beloved by many, and helped revitalize the near ghost town of Luckenbach. He died in Blanco on September 27, 1976, leaving behind his wife and four children.

"The Straight Shooter" honed his sharpshooter skills as a young boy, shooting flies off garbage cans with BB guns. Bowman was drafted into World War II and injured by a land mine for which he receive a Purple Heart (and three Bronze stars for other actions). He opened a boot shop after returning to Texas before gaining fame with his showman and gun skills, performing at gun shows and rodeos. One of his most famous tricks saw him extinguish two candles placed on each side of an ax blade. Bowman fired a bullet directly at the ax, the bullet split in two, and hit both candles to put them out. He instructed several SWAT and FBI teams on "instinct shooting" and consulted Robert Duvall for his role in the TV miniseries, Lonesome Dove. Bowman was posthumously inducted into the Texas Heroes Hall of Honor in 2009.

Known to many as the "Voice of the Longhorns," Wally Pryor served as the announcer for UT sports from 1953 until 2002. While his voice was certainly recognizable he also played an active role as a producer—for KTBC, amongst others—and regularly served as an emcee for various events. Wally regularly worked as a producer for his older brother Richard "Cactus" Pryor. The films in the Wally Pryor collection represent a range of films, including home movies, various pieces he produced, films featuring himself, and several films featuring Cactus Pryor.

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