SCRIPT

THE GIRL FROM GALVESTON

OPENING MONTAGE
Montage showcasing some of the most impactful moments
in history over the last 100 years by women from the
‘Me Too’ movement, the rise of feminism through to
female influencers and innovators who have helped
shape the world we live in today.

PRESENTER: PIECE TO CAMERA

As a child growing up, I heard many stories from my
father about the exploits of my ancestors in particular
my father’s grandfather and his brothers who emanated
from a small hamlet in rural Ireland at the turn of the
previous century (a little dot on the map – a place
called Sneem in County Kerry– the last peninsula of
Europe before reaching America)– a life built on humble
beginnings shaped by the rugged environment that
surrounded them.
Steve, Paddy, Jim and Tom began training as
professional wrestlers in the early 1930s in London and
spent their free time rowing on the River Thames at the
Ace Rowing Club in Putney. In 1936, they won the
National Championships 4 oar sweep and were selected
to represent the GB team at the Olympics that same year
in Berlin. Unfortunately, it was reported that Steve
has already received payment as a professional wrestler
which resulted in the four brothers being deselected
from the National team due to the strict Amateur code
at the time.
Steve ‘The Crusher’ Casey went on to become World
Heavyweight Wrestling champion in 1938 defeating Lou
Thesz for the title at Madison Square Gardens in New
York a title he went on to hold six times over the next
9 years.
I felt that the story of my great-grandfather and great
grand-uncles was already well documented– there had
been books and documentaries about them over the
decades. I had not heard much about the women in their
lives. I wanted to find out more about them.
My curiosity has taken me to Galveston Island in Texas
to discover more about one of the last surviving
members of my great-grandfather’s generation. Myrtle
Casey who is now 99 years of age and will turn 100 in
December.
Myrtle met her husband Jim Casey in the early 1940s at
a Galveston Auditorium wrestling match when Jim was
tossed out of the ring and landed right on Myrtle who
was sitting in the front row. (let Myrtle say it)
I was fascinated to find out more about her. Having
lived through some key defining moments in American
history like the Great Depression, the Second World
War/Pearl Harbour, the golden age of cinema, the
Vietnam war, the civil rights movement, marrying a
professional wrestler from Ireland and raising three
children Myrtle has lived an amazing life.
I thought a film about womanhood and the role that
woman have played in modern America from the
perspective of one woman’s life story would be
interesting and different.

NARRATION PART 2
I was not sure where the journey would take me but I
was prepared for the adventure ahead. Under normal
circumstances, I would have made the trip to Texas to
meet Myrtle but with the global pandemic this option
was out of the question.
I had a preliminary zoom call with Myrtle and her 70
year old daughter Pat to discuss the idea of doing a
documentary about her – I was excited and nervous at
the same time as I had never met them before and I had
no idea how receptive they would be to my proposal. The
meeting seemed to go well but on a subsequent email
they explained that due to Covid they would be limited
to doing a Zoom interview rather than more extensive
filming which meant that my preliminary plans for the
documentary had to be altered. This was entirely
understandable. Having been inspired by Louis Theroux’s
latest documentary on ‘Shooting Joe Exotic’ I was not
going to let Covid get in the way of my short film.

END REFLECTION – narration part 3 (piece to camera –

to be developed once initial interview is completed)
I did not want to make another film about feminism or
a commentary about the role of women in society but a
short film that celebrates womanhood through the life
of one amazing person – an appreciation and respect for
all the ordinary women in the world who do
extraordinary things in their lives but may not get the
recognition they deserve. I also wanted to explore on
a personal level a different narrative on the family
history and in particular the contribution of the
mothers, wives and daughters.