A Bonnie Weekend

How many Texas towns double as famous movie locations? Pilot Point got its taste of Hollywood in 1967, when stars Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway came to town to shoot the movie Bonnie & Clyde. Many locals got to be extras, and locations in and around Pilot Point were chosen for the authentic 1930s flavor they gave to the gangster adventure film.

Nowadays, Pilot Point remembers its silver screen history and the strength of the community that survived the Great Depression with an annual Bonnie and Clyde Days celebration. Pilot’s Point’s Town Square will turn into a piece of living history, with events such as a Model A car parade, peanut and cotton growing demonstrations, and talks by experts about what life was like in the 1930s. Many locals and visitors wear authentic costumes, and kids are always fascinated by Hooverville, a historically accurate recreation of a 1930s shantytown.

Actors from the drama department of the University of North Texas will re-enact the famous robbery scene from Bonnie and Clyde at the Merchants & Farmers Bank Building. Filming is set to start at 11 a.m., and anyone who wants to dress up in 1930s-era costumes can try out to be an extra.

This year, First Choice Power will be on hand as a sponsor of the event. Look for us in the heart of the square at the UNT Information Station. Students in the university’s Department of Radio, Television and Film will be on hand filming live video news segments about the event. We’re still trying to get First Choice Power Business Development Manager Chris Keck to dress up and enter the Warren Beatty look-alike contest—check back on The Current blog to see if he’s game!

Photo credit: City of Pilot Point