Five stories that have North Texas talking: Robert Edsel's book turns into a movie; the new Dallas city manager gets a big pay raise; what's up with the new name for the Texas Rangers' ballpark?; and more.
The Monuments Men, a movie based on Dallas author Robert Edsel鈥檚 book, opens nationwide Friday. about the Allies鈥� belated and culturally heroic scramble to save European masterworks from the Nazis. 四虎影院鈥檚 Jerome Weeks The movie had been scheduled to open in December, but was delayed. 鈥溾�楾his is not a complaint,鈥� he says with a laugh, sitting in his office in the Dallas Design District. 鈥楳y life is not my life. It鈥檚 now directed by the project. There are so many years that have gone into this.鈥� There were times, Edsel says, when his closest friends, many of whom live in his hometown of Dallas, would tell him to give up the cause 鈥� the obsession 鈥� of finding art looted by the Nazis during World War II." For more about the military's efforts to save art during World War II, listen to Krys Boyd's . Edsel about North Texas connections to the "Monuments Men." But the movie isn鈥檛 that great, -- 四虎影院鈥檚 Stephen Becker and Chris Vognar of The Dallas Morning News.
Clooney appeared on "The Daily Show" this week:
- A.C. Gonzalez will be paid $400,000 a year as Dallas鈥� new city manager. That鈥檚 way more than the $305,000 that his predecessor, Mary Suhm, earned. that several City Council members expressed opposition to the salary, although only two of them 鈥� Rick Callahan and Adam Medrano -- voted against it. If Gonzalez is fired, he鈥檒l get $200,000 鈥� a half-year of severance pay. The News reports: 鈥淪upporters of the salary said that many CEOs in North Texas earn much more than $400,000. And they said the pay reflects that Gonzalez is now officially at the helm of a large, complicated organization.鈥�
- Denton musician Glen Farris is dabbling in politics: He鈥檚 running for a spot on the The singer-songwriter and talent buyer Farris said: 鈥淚've always said that, if I got asked to volunteer reading books to kids at the library, then I would. And if I ever got asked to be on the city council, then I would. The timing was right, and the seat was open.鈥� Central Track reports: 鈥淔arris, it should be noted, is also the mind behind and the Spune Productions talent buyer that helped bring the to Denton last year. He's also the citizen vigilante who .鈥�
- The Texas Rangers鈥� Ballpark has a new name: Globe Life is an insurance company with North Texas ties. It's a 10-year deal, but financial terms haven't been announced. The deal was announced Wednesday morning. Not everyone鈥檚 a fan of the name.
The University of North Texas鈥� welcomes back one of its own tonight at 8. UNT鈥檚 Music College of Music says: 鈥� as the Glenn E. Gomez Endowment guest artist for 2014. Now known as 鈥榦ne of the last great tough-toned tenors from Texas鈥� (JazzTimes), Harper made history in the 1960s as the first African-American member of the One O鈥機lock Lab Band, and went on to work with jazz greats like Max Roach, Donald Byrd and Gil Evans.鈥� The first part of the concert features Harper with The Cookers. Then they will join the One O鈥機lock Lab Band. It鈥檚 at 8 p.m. at the UNT Winspear Performance Hall.
