Brunk, Henry 1980-07-29
Henry Brunk discusses his experiences in the tent show business.
General Interview Information
Interviewee Name: Henry Brunk
Additional Parties Recorded:
Date: July 29, 1980
Location:
Interviewer: Jerry Martin
Length: 3 hours
Abstract
Tape 1, Side 1:
1951 business good,
Reasons for,
Went to three day stands,
Other reasons,
1947 Small show,
Some towns tired of show,
Post World War II,
Towns visited,
Smaller show,
Colorado (1932),
Bleachers fell,
Tent blew down (1932),
Coke incident (1931),
Described,
Reasons for,
Flu epidemic (1918-1919),
Harley Sadler,
Problems,
Fred Brunk,
Caught influenza,
Henry going to school and working,
Fred opened in Kansas (1919),
Various towns played,
Business good for all Brunk shows,
Ethan Allen,
Comments on show and cast,
Going into theaters after tent closed,
Choosing performers to go,
Henry Brunk ran Aide Stock Company (1938),
Too large a cast,
Towns played by Henry Brunk's Show
Tape 1, Side 2:
Letters discussed,
Joe Brundage Carnival,
Performers discussed,
Lord Lewis Russell,
Irene Renfro,
Snow family,
Towns played by Brunk shows (1920),
Band and orchestras,
Vacancies on shows ,
How dealt with,
Henry on Fred's show when young,
Joseph Fabriano,
New line of paper (1951),
Tonighters,
Handing out
Tape 2, Side 1:
Brunk brothers,
Competition between,
Generally willing to help each other,
Fred Brunk buying a circus (1929),
Finally sold it for losing money,
Reasons for not playing Carlsbad, New Mexico,
Carnivals,
Childhood,
Brunk brothers got along with each other and other people,
Problems with high license fees,
Brunks all business during the week,
Would help each other in hard times,
Fred Brunk played Lubbock, Texas,
Harley Sadler played Lubbock a week later,
Fred responsible for the size of Harley's show,
Fred Brunk (again),
First time in West Texas (circa 1924-1925),
First time in Colorado (circa 1926-1937),
Played eastern Kansas (1925),
Fred's territory,
Henry territory,
Article in Canyon City, Texas, newspaper
Tape 2, Side 2:
Performers,
Rehearsals,
Problems with getting new performers,
Personnel changes,
Many changes made in 1952,
Performers (again),
Closed in 1940, business bad,
Went to Fred's show,
J. L. Brunk Show,
Munden manager,
Henry Brunk's show,
Performers (1937),
Brunk Brothers Stock Company,
Closed (December 1937),
Tyman's show,
Brunks buy Tyman's show,
Glen Brunk's show,
Formerly Hazel Hurd Players,
Henry L. Brunk Comedians,
Closed in 1937,
Opened Oklahoma Territory (1938),
Shows discussed,
Performer,
Anecdote about,
Milburn Stone,
Performers named
Tape 3, Side 1:
Glen Brunk (again),
Show leased to Harley Sadler,
Charlie Brunk,
During flu epidemic,
Next year worked with Harley Sadler,
Henry Brunk,
Finished school (1919),
Worked on brother's shows,
Shows opened by Brunk brothers,
Original Brunks' Comedians,
Recruiting performers,
Harley Sadler (again),
1931 season expanded orchestra
Tape 3, Side 2:
1932 season cut back on the size of the show,
Went to three day stands,
Performers discussed,
Transportation,
Trucks,
Diamond dye sets,
Scenery and drops discussed,
Front curtain,
Brunk brothers (again),
Parents,
Hereford, Texas,
Brother's trip to South America,
Founding of first two shows,
Advance man,
Advertising,
Newspaper,
Towns played,
Rain
Range Dates: 1910-1952
Bulk Dates: 1918-1940
Access Information
Original Recording Format:
Recording Format Notes:
Transcript:
Thank you for your interest in this oral history interview. Our oral history collection is available to patrons in the Southwest Collection's Reading Room, located on the campus of Texas Tech University. For reading room hours, visit our website. Please contact Reference Staff at least one week prior to your visit to ensure the oral history you are interested in will be available. Due to copyright issues, duplications of our oral histories can only be made for family members. If an oral history transcript has been made available online, the link will be provided on this page. More information on accessing our oral histories is located here. Preferred citation style can be found here.
