Saturday, March 04, 2006

Plunkett Family Show #1


These pictures taken in Benkelman, Neb. in 1947, this one shows the concession trailer and sound truck. Rep Shows (Repetory) were common in those days and were the forerunners of the sit-coms we see today on TV.
The Plunkett Show however, was more of a circus, they had the usual singing, dancing and skits but were better known for tumbling, acrobatics, aerial acts and even a remarkable variety of animals.
The brothers I knew best were Cleo and Corky. Cleo was many years announcer and vocalist with both the Gil Gray and Hubert Castle Circuses. Corky of course the Patriarch of the Plunkett's today well known as Circus Producers.
The first year Barbara and I were married we took our elephants on Corky and June's circus titled after one of their sons the "James Christy Circus".

Posted by Buckles at 3/04/2006 05:55:00 AM

9 comments:

GaryHill said...

This years version is called the "James Christy Cole Circus". The family as you know is out of Mabank, 10 minutes north of me.

04 March, 2006 08:23
Anonymous said...

I'm quite sure the current Plunkett family circus' title has to do with producer James Plunkett's son's name

04 March, 2006 20:35
GaryHill said...

Yes that's true and the fact James' wife is named Christy, as in Herriott, the whole show is named after themselves.

04 March, 2006 21:42
Pat Dunavan said...

I had the distint privilege of working with Melvin " Fuzzy " Plunkett from 1973 -1985 at the Lone Star Brewing Co in San Antonio. Fuzzy was hired to train the company hunting dogs, beautiful labs. He trained them to put on shows...along with a small stagecoach, Shetland ponies, and a chimp. His telling of his life experiences
fascinated me, and his booming voice, big heart, and unceasing humor won over countless visitors to the Buckhorn Hall of Horns at yhe brewery. He was such an amazing man. I didn't learn that he had passed away until a couple of years after he died. I miss ol' Fuzz, as I'm sure that anyone who knew him would. But I got to work with him, learn from him, and he became my best friend. Captain Melvin Y. Fuzzy Plunkett...I'm sure that Heaven is still trying to adjust to his being there. As I am aging at almost 72 myself, if I use just a little imagination, I can almost hear them laughing through those Golden Gates. Fuzzy could never Rest In Peace...he was and I'm sure still is a true professional showman.

09 March, 2017 22:51
Unknown said...

Fuzzy was my great uncle (grandfather's brother). My grandfather was Jesse James, aka Jim Plunkett. My grandparents eventually retired from circus life in Gonzales, TX, opening up a small mom-n-pop grocery store called Plunkett's Grocery. The store closed in the mid 90's, & both have since passed.

20 July, 2017 09:42
Chic Silber said...


The "Christy" that Gary mentioned as

James' wife is Christine Herriott

much better known to many of us as

"Weiner" the youngest of the 4 girls

20 July, 2017 15:50
Unknown said...

I was reading my moms side of the familys heritage book from 1795-1977 and I decided to Google a random name and all be damned Melvin "fuzz" pkunkett is in here about buying into lone star breweryand was a musician comedian animal trainer and his boy Bruce is in Medical research at a space site and ur grandma and grandpa Jesse and Billie ran a grocery store in gongalis texas.... Plus Alot more names addresses jobs etc.....I don't know if this will ever reach you but I thought what the Hell.... I'm in Southeast Iowa

16 April, 2019 00:06
Speedracertk said...

I met fuzzy back in 1982 at the brewery. He and my grandfather claimed they were cousins his name was Robert Plunkett and was from the Washburn WI area. Fuzzy was quite the guy as he gave our church youth group a tour he was sure to tell all the workers that my sister and I were his relatives from the north. We had a blast and glad we got a chance to meet him.

09 June, 2020 01:55
Allyson said...

hello. my grandfather travelled with a circus in the early 1900s called cy plunker s one night stand family legend
says there was a train wreck and
my grandfather had
to find other work.

06 September, 2021 15:54

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