Leon Rippy
1) The Alamo
Summary
Retells the story of the historic 1836 battle in the Texan War of Independence. Facing 4,000 Mexican troops, 186 Texan soldiers and volunteers - including William Travis, Davy Crockett, and Jim Bowie - retreat within the walls of the Alamo, a Franciscan mission that was converted into a military fort. Once inside, the men prepare themselves for what will be a bloody battle to the death. U.S. General Sam Houston leads the charge from the outside. The...
Summary
The town of Deadwood, South Dakota is a lawless sinkhole of crime and corruption. Into this uncivilized outpost ride a disillusioned and bitter ex-lawman, Wild Bill Hickok, and Seth Bullock, a man hoping to find a new start for himself. Both men find themselves quickly on opposite sides of the legal and moral fence from Al Swearengen, saloon owner, hotel operator, and incipient boss of Deadwood. The lives of these three intertwine with many others,...
Summary
David Gale was an active member of Deathwatch, an anti-capital punishment activist group. Constance is a fellow Deathwatch activist. When Constance is found raped and murdered, Gale is convicted of the crime. Now Gale awaits execution, and with less than a week before his date with the fatal injection, Gale agrees to tell his story to Bitsy, a nervy journalist from a major newsmagazine. As she discusses the facts of the murder with Gale, it occurs...
Summary
Sean Porter was a football player who turned into a juvenile detention counselor. He wrestles with the seemingly insolvable problem. The vast majority of young men who leave detention fall right back into crime. Looking for a way to give these not-yet-hardened kids a taste of self-esteem and discipline, Porter manages to persuade his superiors to let him teach the kids football - and then take on other high school football teams. Based on a true story....