Difference between revisions of "McKennon, Joe 1978-06-27"

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Right here will be a general overview of the oral history interview. It will be roughly 3-5 sentences for new interviews, shorter for older interviews.  
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Joe McKennon discusses his tent show, the Marion McKennon Players, along with his work as equipment manager for Harley Sadler and tent shows in general.  
  
 
==General Interview Information==
 
==General Interview Information==
  
'''Interviewee Name:'''
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'''Interviewee Name:''' Joe McKennon
  
'''Additional Parties Recorded:'''
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'''Additional Parties Recorded:''' None
  
'''Date:'''  
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'''Date:''' June 27, 1978
  
'''Location:'''
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'''Location:''' Lubbock, Texas
  
'''Interviewer:'''
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'''Interviewer:''' Jerry Martin
  
'''Length:'''
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'''Length:''' 1 hour
  
  
 
==Abstract==
 
==Abstract==
  
'''Tape 1, Side 1:'''
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'''Tape 1, Side 1:''' Joined a circus (age 19),
 
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Worked on tent dramatic shows as a teenager,
 +
Shows worked on,
 +
Worked on carnivals (late 1930s),
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Served World War II,
 +
Married Marion, from Pasadena, California (1940s),
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Marion’s opinion of circuses and carnivals,
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Put out Marion McKennon Players (1946),
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Size, quality of show,
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Plans to expand into six companies,
 +
Poor audience turnout,
 +
Plays produced,
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Southeast U. S. territory,
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Moved into West Texas area,
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Formed partnership with Harley Sadler (1947),
 +
Repainted show equipment, trailers,
 +
Renamed as Harley Sadler’s Own Show,
 +
Charlie Brunk was advance man,
 +
Showed Lubbock, Texas,
 +
Large audiences, good business,
 +
Plunkett Family show,
 +
Anecdote about money earned by children,
 +
Performed circus acts,
 +
Fighting among siblings,
 +
Sadler presents McKennon Stage Show (1948),
 +
Harley Sadler received 25% of the show’s gross,
 +
Size of cast, show,
 +
Brunk’s Comedians,
 +
Circus atmosphere,
 +
Average tent rep shows,
 +
Manager was also owner, performer,
 +
Informal organization, lifestyle,
 +
Opposition from movie theater managers,
 +
Harley Sadler,
 +
Worked for favorable tent show legislation,
 +
License fees,
 +
Marion McKennon Players,
 +
Use of vaudeville,
 +
Situation playing,
 +
Ad-libbing done on the show,
 +
Orchestra, choir,
 +
Sequence of performances,
 +
Harley Sadler show,
 +
Use of drop curtains, fly well,
 +
Size of tent.
 
<br>
 
<br>
  
'''Tape 1, Side 2:'''
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'''Tape 1, Side 2:''' Marion McKennon Players,
 
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Circus tent used,
 +
Henry Brunk’s Comedians,
 +
Territory in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado,
 +
Plunkett family,
 +
Didn’t show one night due to family fighting,
 +
Affected McKennon’s business,
 +
Sadler presents McKennon Stage Show,
 +
Tent burned in Littlefield, Texas (1948),
 +
Show played in school auditorium,
 +
Bought a new tent,
 +
Plunkett family lent McKennon a tent,
 +
Played in Levelland, Texas,
 +
Played in Odessa, Texas,
 +
Marion McKennon Players,
 +
Gave passes to kids who helped set up,
 +
Importance of advance agents,
 +
"Hi Joe" Club of school kids,
 +
Advance work done,
 +
Signs, posters made,
 +
Incident involving competition from Cole Brothers,
 +
Circus,
 +
Midland, Texas,
 +
Story about showing in Red Rock, North Carolina,
 +
Gave out free passes,
 +
Charlie Brunk,
 +
Advance agent for Sadler presents McKennon Stage,
 +
Show,
 +
Joe McKennon,
 +
Worked for Fred Brunk’s Comedians,
 +
Acquainted with Glen Brunk,
 +
As a lecturer.
 
<br>
 
<br>
  
'''Range Dates:'''
+
'''Range Dates:''' 1930-1960
  
'''Bulk Dates:'''
+
'''Bulk Dates:''' 1940-1950
  
  

Revision as of 19:51, 15 June 2015

Joe McKennon discusses his tent show, the Marion McKennon Players, along with his work as equipment manager for Harley Sadler and tent shows in general.

General Interview Information

Interviewee Name: Joe McKennon

Additional Parties Recorded: None

Date: June 27, 1978

Location: Lubbock, Texas

Interviewer: Jerry Martin

Length: 1 hour


Abstract

Tape 1, Side 1: Joined a circus (age 19), Worked on tent dramatic shows as a teenager, Shows worked on, Worked on carnivals (late 1930s), Served World War II, Married Marion, from Pasadena, California (1940s), Marion’s opinion of circuses and carnivals, Put out Marion McKennon Players (1946), Size, quality of show, Plans to expand into six companies, Poor audience turnout, Plays produced, Southeast U. S. territory, Moved into West Texas area, Formed partnership with Harley Sadler (1947), Repainted show equipment, trailers, Renamed as Harley Sadler’s Own Show, Charlie Brunk was advance man, Showed Lubbock, Texas, Large audiences, good business, Plunkett Family show, Anecdote about money earned by children, Performed circus acts, Fighting among siblings, Sadler presents McKennon Stage Show (1948), Harley Sadler received 25% of the show’s gross, Size of cast, show, Brunk’s Comedians, Circus atmosphere, Average tent rep shows, Manager was also owner, performer, Informal organization, lifestyle, Opposition from movie theater managers, Harley Sadler, Worked for favorable tent show legislation, License fees, Marion McKennon Players, Use of vaudeville, Situation playing, Ad-libbing done on the show, Orchestra, choir, Sequence of performances, Harley Sadler show, Use of drop curtains, fly well, Size of tent.

Tape 1, Side 2: Marion McKennon Players, Circus tent used, Henry Brunk’s Comedians, Territory in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, Plunkett family, Didn’t show one night due to family fighting, Affected McKennon’s business, Sadler presents McKennon Stage Show, Tent burned in Littlefield, Texas (1948), Show played in school auditorium, Bought a new tent, Plunkett family lent McKennon a tent, Played in Levelland, Texas, Played in Odessa, Texas, Marion McKennon Players, Gave passes to kids who helped set up, Importance of advance agents, "Hi Joe" Club of school kids, Advance work done, Signs, posters made, Incident involving competition from Cole Brothers, Circus, Midland, Texas, Story about showing in Red Rock, North Carolina, Gave out free passes, Charlie Brunk, Advance agent for Sadler presents McKennon Stage, Show, Joe McKennon, Worked for Fred Brunk’s Comedians, Acquainted with Glen Brunk, As a lecturer.

Range Dates: 1930-1960

Bulk Dates: 1940-1950


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.