FZ's puppet shows

[Charles Ulrich]

I'm looking for discussion of FZ's giving puppet shows in his youth.

We moved from Monterey to Pacific Grove, a quiet town nearby. I spent
my recreational hours building puppets and model planes and making
homemade explosives from whatever ingredients I could find.
Favorite hobby: Puppets
[Lowell George had] met Frank many years before on the the Al Jarvis
Amateur Hour. Frank presented a puppet show and five-year-old Lowell
played harmonica with his brother. Both lost out to a girl tap
dancer.

[I'm skeptical about the chronology here. Lowell turned five in 1950,
and FZ didn't move to southern California until 1953.]

He drew a lot (usually Indians and trains) and made puppets, sewing
their clothes with a careful hand--a skill that proved useful later
when he needed to repair torn clothing on the road.
The Ewings lived a few doors down the street and Zappa made puppets
with their son, which they entered in the LA County Fair. They soon
fell out and Zappa became a solo puppet master--a role he relished
for the rest of his life.

6. And in FZ's own words, quoted by Barry Miles, Zappa: A Biography, p.

I used to build and sew clothes for puppets and marionettes. I used
to give puppet shows using Stan Freberg records in the background.

Does anyone have the book Hometown Boy by Rafael Alvarez, which Miles
cites as the source for quote #4?

Any other quotations from FZ about giving puppet shows?

--Charles

[Al_Fresco]

This post might be inappropriate. Click to display it.

[Al_Fresco]

Post by Al_Fresco

Post by Charles Ulrich
I'm looking for discussion of FZ's giving puppet shows in his youth.

We moved from Monterey to Pacific Grove, a quiet town nearby. I spent
my recreational hours building puppets and model planes and making
homemade explosives from whatever ingredients I could find.
Favorite hobby: Puppets
[Lowell George had] met Frank many years before on the the Al Jarvis
Amateur Hour. Frank presented a puppet show and five-year-old Lowell
played harmonica with his brother. Both lost out to a girl tap
dancer.

[I'm skeptical about the chronology here. Lowell turned five in 1950,
and FZ didn't move to southern California until 1953.]

He drew a lot (usually Indians and trains) and made puppets, sewing
their clothes with a careful hand--a skill that proved useful later
when he needed to repair torn clothing on the road.
The Ewings lived a few doors down the street and Zappa made puppets
with their son, which they entered in the LA County Fair. They soon
fell out and Zappa became a solo puppet master--a role he relished
for the rest of his life.

6. And in FZ's own words, quoted by Barry Miles, Zappa: A Biography, p.

I used to build and sew clothes for puppets and marionettes. I used
to give puppet shows using Stan Freberg records in the background.

Does anyone have the book Hometown Boy by Rafael Alvarez, which Miles
cites as the source for quote #4?
Any other quotations from FZ about giving puppet shows?
--Charles

1986 Oct. 12
"Zappa’s memories of the Edgewood years include catching bugs in the
woods, learning how to make gunpowder, and playing with laboratory
stuff — flasks, beakers and vials his father brought home from work.
His interest in arts and crafts would grow beyond the cardboard tubes
from rolls of linoleum that he used as pillars to be knocked down in
his Samson act and became more involved with drawing and the building
of puppets."
http://www.afka.net/Mags/Baltimore_Sun_Magazine.htm#1986Oct

Electric Don Quixote - FZ
Neil Slaven
What´s new in Baltimore ? Chapter 1- p.17
"Driven to rely in his own resources, he built model planes,
conducted puppet shows using figures he had made and clothed himself,
and pursued an ongoing fascination with explosives that led to several
potentially harmful accidents"

[Charles Ulrich]

In article

Post by Al_Fresco

Post by Al_Fresco

Post by Charles Ulrich
Any other quotations from FZ about giving puppet shows?

1986 Oct. 12
"Zappa¹s memories of the Edgewood years include catching bugs in the
woods, learning how to make gunpowder, and playing with laboratory
stuff ‹ flasks, beakers and vials his father brought home from work.
His interest in arts and crafts would grow beyond the cardboard tubes
from rolls of linoleum that he used as pillars to be knocked down in
his Samson act and became more involved with drawing and the building
of puppets."
http://www.afka.net/Mags/Baltimore_Sun_Magazine.htm#1986Oct

Electric Don Quixote - FZ
Neil Slaven
WhatŽs new in Baltimore ? Chapter 1- p.17
"Driven to rely in his own resources, he built model planes,
conducted puppet shows using figures he had made and clothed himself,
and pursued an ongoing fascination with explosives that led to several
potentially harmful accidents"

Thanks.

At this point, I'm primarily looking for something in FZ's own words.

--Charles

[Al_Fresco]

Post by Charles Ulrich
In article

Post by Al_Fresco

Post by Al_Fresco

Post by Charles Ulrich
Any other quotations from FZ about giving puppet shows?

1986 Oct. 12
"Zappa¹s memories of the Edgewood years include catching bugs in the
woods, learning how to make gunpowder, and playing with laboratory
stuff ‹ flasks, beakers and vials his father brought home from work.
His interest in arts and crafts would grow beyond the cardboard tubes
from rolls of linoleum that he used as pillars to be knocked down in
his Samson act and became more involved with drawing and the building
of puppets."
http://www.afka.net/Mags/Baltimore_Sun_Magazine.htm#1986Oct

Electric Don Quixote - FZ
Neil Slaven
What´s new in Baltimore ? Chapter 1- p.17
 "Driven to rely in his own resources, he built model planes,
conducted puppet shows using figures he had made and clothed himself,
and pursued an ongoing fascination with explosives that led to several
potentially harmful accidents"

Thanks.
At this point, I'm primarily looking for something in FZ's own words.
--Charles

I found this curious ad...

Loading Image...

[Charles Ulrich]

In article

Post by Al_Fresco
I found this curious ad...
http://www.afka.net/images/Magazines/1973/1973-03-29%20Rolling%20Stone%20n131%
2039.jpg

Clearly those are meant to be babies, not puppets.

It's possible to match most of them up with the adult Jets. Obviously,
the one with long hair is Motorhead, the one with a beard is Buffalo,
and the one with glasses is Johnny.

If they're in roughly the same positions as the front cover photo, then
the one on the far right is Frog, Tony is behind and to the left of
Bill, and Ruben is behind and to the left of Johnny. That leaves Bob out
of place in the upper left, behind Motorhead and Tony.

--Charles

[Charles Ulrich]

Here's a couple more...

5/20/84 Exploratorium lecture:

Betty Polus: How did you happen to bring [?] puppets to enact your
symphony?

FZ: Well, actually I have to thank Stephanie Zimmerman for that, because
I believe she¹s the one who came up with the idea. They called me after
the project had almost fallen through for the third or fourth time and
said, ³We have a great idea. How do you feel about having puppets do
it?² And I said, ³Terrific!² Because that¹s how I got started in, let¹s
say, show business. Some of the first things that I did involved
puppets, and I¹ve always liked puppets. But the things that you¹re gonna
see on stage at Zellerbach are way bigger than what you think of as
puppets. Some of them are bigger than people.

Not in FZ's own words, but with some specific details--George Latshaw,
in Puppetry Journal (winter 1984):

He said he had done puppets of all sorts back in the 50s, even painting
lines on his brother¹s face to turn him into a vent figure [i.e. a
ventriloquist's dummy]. Zappa used his index fingers to trace the
pattern from the corners of his mouth down below the jaw line to
indicate the marks of a dummy¹s moveable mouth. It was logical to use
puppets for his concert, because he couldn¹t get the kind of imagery he
wanted by using people.

--Charles

[j***@gmail.com]

"Time For Beany" was an American children's TV show (1949-1955) with puppets. The daily episodes, each fifteen minutes in length, frequently contained topical references, usually of a satirical nature. One episode portrayed President Harry Truman in puppet form. Other characters spoofed popular entertainers; examples are Dinah Saur and The Red Skeleton, parodies of Dinah Shore and Red Skelton.

"And the thing that I like about Albert Einstein and I hope it's not an apocryphal story. He liked the television show that I liked, which was "Time For Beany". I heard a story that he left an important meeting one time telling the people he had to go watch "Time For Beany". And I hope that's true." (Frank Zappa in The Lost Interview)

http://wiki.killuglyradio.com/wiki/Time_For_Beany

[Charles Ulrich]

Post by j***@gmail.com
"Time For Beany" was an American children's TV show (1949-1955) with puppets.
The daily episodes, each fifteen minutes in length, frequently contained
topical references, usually of a satirical nature. One episode portrayed
President Harry Truman in puppet form. Other characters spoofed popular
entertainers; examples are Dinah Saur and The Red Skeleton, parodies of Dinah
Shore and Red Skelton.
"And the thing that I like about Albert Einstein and I hope it's not an
apocryphal story. He liked the television show that I liked, which was "Time
For Beany". I heard a story that he left an important meeting one time
telling the people he had to go watch "Time For Beany". And I hope that's
true." (Frank Zappa in The Lost Interview)
http://youtu.be/oj4ftkasiv8
http://wiki.killuglyradio.com/wiki/Time_For_Beany

Thanks! Another Stan Freberg connection.

--Charles

[Les Cargill]

Post by Charles Ulrich
Here's a couple more...
Betty Polus: How did you happen to bring [?] puppets to enact your
symphony?
FZ: Well, actually I have to thank Stephanie Zimmerman for that, because
I believe she¹s the one who came up with the idea. They called me after
the project had almost fallen through for the third or fourth time and
said, ³We have a great idea. How do you feel about having puppets do
it?² And I said, ³Terrific!² Because that¹s how I got started in, let¹s
say, show business. Some of the first things that I did involved
puppets, and I¹ve always liked puppets. But the things that you¹re gonna
see on stage at Zellerbach are way bigger than what you think of as
puppets. Some of them are bigger than people.
Not in FZ's own words, but with some specific details--George Latshaw,
He said he had done puppets of all sorts back in the 50s, even painting
lines on his brother¹s face to turn him into a vent figure [i.e. a
ventriloquist's dummy]. Zappa used his index fingers to trace the
pattern from the corners of his mouth down below the jaw line to
indicate the marks of a dummy¹s moveable mouth. It was logical to use
puppets for his concert, because he couldn¹t get the kind of imagery he
wanted by using people.
--Charles

If that's true, that would give him something in common with Wayne
White. "Beauty Is Embarrassing" is on Netflix. I get a strong
sense of conceptual continuity between Zappa and Wayne White.

If nothing else, it reminds us of the energy of possibility around
the 1990 time frame. Wayne White was a big part of the team that
did PeeWee's Playhouse.

[Charles Ulrich]

Post by Les Cargill

Post by Charles Ulrich
Not in FZ's own words, but with some specific details--George Latshaw,
He said he had done puppets of all sorts back in the 50s, even painting
lines on his brother¹s face to turn him into a vent figure [i.e. a
ventriloquist's dummy]. Zappa used his index fingers to trace the
pattern from the corners of his mouth down below the jaw line to
indicate the marks of a dummy¹s moveable mouth. It was logical to use
puppets for his concert, because he couldn¹t get the kind of imagery he
wanted by using people.

If that's true, that would give him something in common with Wayne
White. "Beauty Is Embarrassing" is on Netflix. I get a strong
sense of conceptual continuity between Zappa and Wayne White.

I'm not familiar with Wayne White.

There's video in circulation of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band performing
Little Sir Echo with Viv Stanshall as a ventriloquist and Sam Spoons as
his dummy.

Post by Les Cargill
If nothing else, it reminds us of the energy of possibility around
the 1990 time frame. Wayne White was a big part of the team that
did PeeWee's Playhouse.

Dweezil Zappa and Scott Thunes did the music for a few episodes of Pee
Wee's Playhouse.

--Charles

[Les Cargill]

Post by Charles Ulrich

Post by Les Cargill

Post by Charles Ulrich
Not in FZ's own words, but with some specific details--George Latshaw,
He said he had done puppets of all sorts back in the 50s, even painting
lines on his brother¹s face to turn him into a vent figure [i.e. a
ventriloquist's dummy]. Zappa used his index fingers to trace the
pattern from the corners of his mouth down below the jaw line to
indicate the marks of a dummy¹s moveable mouth. It was logical to use
puppets for his concert, because he couldn¹t get the kind of imagery he
wanted by using people.

If that's true, that would give him something in common with Wayne
White. "Beauty Is Embarrassing" is on Netflix. I get a strong
sense of conceptual continuity between Zappa and Wayne White.

I'm not familiar with Wayne White.

I think you may have a treat in store, then.

http://tinyurl.com/akvfgbo

and of course, the film.

Post by Charles Ulrich
There's video in circulation of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band performing
Little Sir Echo with Viv Stanshall as a ventriloquist and Sam Spoons as
his dummy.

Post by Les Cargill
If nothing else, it reminds us of the energy of possibility around
the 1990 time frame. Wayne White was a big part of the team that
did PeeWee's Playhouse.

Dweezil Zappa and Scott Thunes did the music for a few episodes of Pee
Wee's Playhouse.

Giggity! That and Ren and Sitmpy were staples when the kids were wee.

Post by Charles Ulrich
--Charles

[j***@gmail.com]

Post by Charles Ulrich
I'm looking for discussion of FZ's giving puppet shows in his youth.

We moved from Monterey to Pacific Grove, a quiet town nearby. I spent
my recreational hours building puppets and model planes and making
homemade explosives from whatever ingredients I could find.
Favorite hobby: Puppets
[Lowell George had] met Frank many years before on the the Al Jarvis
Amateur Hour. Frank presented a puppet show and five-year-old Lowell
played harmonica with his brother. Both lost out to a girl tap
dancer.

[I'm skeptical about the chronology here. Lowell turned five in 1950,
and FZ didn't move to southern California until 1953.]

He drew a lot (usually Indians and trains) and made puppets, sewing
their clothes with a careful hand--a skill that proved useful later
when he needed to repair torn clothing on the road.
The Ewings lived a few doors down the street and Zappa made puppets
with their son, which they entered in the LA County Fair. They soon
fell out and Zappa became a solo puppet master--a role he relished
for the rest of his life.

6. And in FZ's own words, quoted by Barry Miles, Zappa: A Biography, p.

I used to build and sew clothes for puppets and marionettes. I used
to give puppet shows using Stan Freberg records in the background.

Does anyone have the book Hometown Boy by Rafael Alvarez, which Miles
cites as the source for quote #4?
Any other quotations from FZ about giving puppet shows?
--Charles

A new one reference by a student who went to Claremont High School in the 50´s named Nelson and dated on June 7, 2008.

http://chs58.org/address.htm

(...)

"Some of my memories pf the fifties in Claremont":
(My 1% of memories)
...

16. Frank Zappa, Johnny Peek and I competing in the afternoon T.V. talent show (hand puppets and Spike Jones’ rendition of “Chloe”)"

...

[Charles Ulrich]

Post by j***@gmail.com
A new one reference by a student who went to Claremont High School in the
50Žs named Nelson and dated on June 7, 2008.
http://chs58.org/address.htm
(...)
(My 1% of memories)
...
16. Frank Zappa, Johnny Peek and I competing in the afternoon T.V. talent
show (hand puppets and Spike Jones¹ rendition of ³Chloe²)"

You don't say.

--Charles

[The old geezer]

Post by Charles Ulrich
I'm looking for discussion of FZ's giving puppet shows in his youth.
Any other quotations from FZ about giving puppet shows?

All I know is that FZ treated all his band members from the MOI to the '88 Band like his puppets!

The old geezer

ND: Milwaukees Best Ice Light ;-)
NP: No Surfin' Today - 4 Seasons

[It's that Guy again...]

On Sun, 30 Jun 2013 09:47:52 -0700 (PDT), The old geezer

Post by The old geezer
All I know is that FZ treated all his band members from the MOI to the '88 Band like his puppets!

Yet there had to be a puppeteer.

Face it, FZ had a vision, and found people to
make it happen. Sure, in the early days, they
might of shared said same vision more, or maybe
they were closer then boss/employee, yet the times
I got to meet FZ and said members, they were happy
campers, yet IMHO, after the F&E era, it did become
more of a FZ hire the right people (and they were good)
to do what he wanted, where b4, it was more of a band.

This happens all the time now, with less results...

I doubt if there are many old MOI(etc) players
who regret their time being in the band. Maybe
in today's age, dropping FZ's name in ya res means more.

Yet in Boston, FZ was playing, and JCB was NOT in the band,
yet as I sold FZ a Rudell guitar (well, gave him) JCB was in the
Parker House hotel room, eating a meal with FZ, not on tour.

He did not play on stage that night..or in RI the night after..

Do said math. I doubt if he brought JCB along for S&grins.

While I love FZ after F&E, sorry, it became just a pick up
band thing, and maybe I just fooled myself...maybe both..

JJTj




http://www.maverick-music.com/autographed/1981-the-grandmothers-panda-records-pa-001-signed

(not pimping it..but proving my point..)



*> SENT FROM CELL MAKNAMB DOCK9# MKIJJ^*L7NMJKAAYJ&*HM <*
*> DATE REPLY MODEFINE GIGANEWS 765888^%-JIKBFVD-AKIOL78II6<*

[Charles Ulrich]

Post by The old geezer

Post by Charles Ulrich
I'm looking for discussion of FZ's giving puppet shows in his youth.
Any other quotations from FZ about giving puppet shows?

All I know is that FZ treated all his band members from the MOI to the '88
Band like his puppets!

He made clothes for them?

--Charles

[d***@gmail.com]

I ran across this thread while doing similar research. In the early 1950s, I'm not certain of the exact year but I suspect it was 1953, Frank was a student at Robert H. Down school on Pine St. In Pacific Grove, CA. He along with myself and another friend had a puppet show called "Madcap Puppets." The third friend's father built the stage. Even then Frank was a superb promoter. He got us booked on to a children's show on live TV in Salinas, arranged to have us perform on stage during Saturday afternoon intermissions at the Pacific Grove Theater, and as a stage act at the Monterey County Fair in Monterey. The only part of the act I recall clearly was a takeoff by Stan Frieberg of the popular TV crime series, "Dragnet," which Friberg re-titled "St. George and the Dragonet." So far as I know, this was Frank's first real show business success.

Bill Dorman, Sacramento, CA

[Charles Ulrich]

Post by d***@gmail.com
I ran across this thread while doing similar research.

Did you find the other thread too?

"puppet shows filmed and shown at Grove Theater?" (started August 2,
2013)

Post by d***@gmail.com
In the early 1950s, I'm not certain of the exact year but I suspect
it was 1953, Frank was a student at Robert H. Down school on Pine St.
In Pacific Grove, CA. He along with myself and another friend had a
puppet show called "Madcap Puppets."

Was the third guy Jett Spencer?

Post by d***@gmail.com
The third friend's father built the stage. Even then Frank was a superb
promoter. He got us booked on to a children's show on live TV in Salinas,
arranged to have us perform on stage during Saturday afternoon intermissions
at the Pacific Grove Theater, and as a stage act at the Monterey County Fair
in Monterey. The only part of the act I recall clearly was a takeoff by Stan
Frieberg of the popular TV crime series, "Dragnet," which Friberg re-titled
"St. George and the Dragonet." So far as I know, this was Frank's first real
show business success.

Thanks for the information!

--Charles

[d***@gmail.com]

In regard to Charles's questions above, no, I had not seen the Grove Theater post. Thank's for the tip. Yes, the third person was Jett Spencer, although at the time he used his middle name, Monroe, as his given name. Incidentally, as I remember it, we performed our shows live at the Grove Theater. The manager had an early 8mm camera and he did film us but I don't recall his showing the films publicly. I don't remember the name of the tv kid's show on which we appeared, but the station was KSBW Ch 8, Salinas, CA. It has the same call letters today. I can't say for certain how long Frank lived in P.G. but my hazy recollection is that it was about a year. As for photos or film of our show, I don't know of any. About a year ago I happened across an email address for Frank's widow and I wrote to ask whether Frank had ever mentioned the P.G. shows. in a gracious response, she said that he had when she asked him about a small costume she had found tucked away. He said it was from the Dragonet bit. Finally, this was my only experience with puppets. Instead of show business, I ended up with a 41-year career as a university prof.

[Charles Ulrich]

Post by d***@gmail.com
In regard to Charles's questions above, no, I had not seen the Grove Theater
post. Thank's for the tip. Yes, the third person was Jett Spencer, although
at the time he used his middle name, Monroe, as his given name.
Incidentally, as I remember it, we performed our shows live at the Grove
Theater. The manager had an early 8mm camera and he did film us but I don't
recall his showing the films publicly. I don't remember the name of the tv
kid's show on which we appeared, but the station was KSBW Ch 8, Salinas, CA.
It has the same call letters today. I can't say for certain how long Frank
lived in P.G. but my hazy recollection is that it was about a year. As for
photos or film of our show, I don't know of any. About a year ago I happened
across an email address for Frank's widow and I wrote to ask whether Frank
had ever mentioned the P.G. shows. in a gracious response, she said that he
had when she asked him about a small costume she had found tucked away. He
said it was from the Dragonet bit. Finally, this was my only experience with
puppets. Instead of show business, I ended up with a 41-year career as a
university prof.

Thanks for the information.

Here's a web page with a vintage photo and the history of the Grove
Theatre: <http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/3689#>.

--Charles

[Charles Ulrich]

Post by d***@gmail.com
I don't remember the name of the tv kid's show on which we appeared, but the
station was KSBW Ch 8, Salinas, CA. It has the same call letters today.

According to wikipedia, KSBW started broadcasting on September 11, 1953.

--Charles

[Bil]

Big thanks to Charles, Bill, Al, and others for shining light on this otherwise overlooked aspect of FZ.

What sort of puppets did FZ and Bill Dorman use?

Were they marionettes/string puppets, rod puppets, or hand puppets?

I'm guessing either marionettes or rod puppets, because of the suggesting that FZ made clothes for the puppets.

Bil

[Charles Ulrich]

Post by Bil
Big thanks to Charles, Bill, Al, and others for shining light on this
otherwise overlooked aspect of FZ.
What sort of puppets did FZ and Bill Dorman use?
Were they marionettes/string puppets, rod puppets, or hand puppets?
I'm guessing either marionettes or rod puppets, because of the suggesting
that FZ made clothes for the puppets.

Bill Dorman asked me to post his reply:

At least during the Pacific Grove period we used hand puppets.

--Charles

[s***@gmail.com]

Did I meet you at the Addison Rowe gallery about five years ago? Was/is your father an artist? I managed Jett Gallery for about fourteen years and seem to recall Jett talking about you though I don't remember the specifics.

[d***@gmail.com]

Post by s***@gmail.com
Did I meet you at the Addison Rowe gallery about five years ago? Was/is your father an artist? I managed Jett Gallery for about fourteen years and seem to recall Jett talking about you though I don't remember the specifics.

Sorry to reply so late, but I just happened across your post & question. Yes, I believe we met at the Gallery several years ago. I was born in Santa Fe, and my step-grandfather (the only grandfather I knew, actually) was Jozef Bakos, one of the Cinco Pintores of Santa Fe. I believe you and I met at the gallery when it opened a retrospective of Bakos' work and I happened to be visiting Santa Fe.

[Casey Rafter]

Post by s***@gmail.com
Did I meet you at the Addison Rowe gallery about five years ago? Was/is your father an artist? I managed Jett Gallery for about fourteen years and seem to recall Jett talking about you though I don't remember the specifics.

Sorry to reply so late, but I just happened across your post & question. Yes, I believe we met at the Gallery several years ago. I was born in Santa Fe, and my step-grandfather (the only grandfather I knew, actually) was Jozef Bakos, one of the Cinco Pintores of Santa Fe. I believe you and I met at the gallery when it opened a retrospective of Bakos' work and I happened to be visiting Santa Fe.

============
All, I'm a journalist writing with The State Hornet — student run news site at Sacramento State Uni (where Bill worked for 41 years as mentioned). I'd heard that he knew FZ when they were kids, but my source wasn't sure of the story he related when Frank died.

Bill recently passed and I'm writing up a story about his life and affect on the community. To stumble across this GEM of a thread has made my day. I'm so grateful for the nerds (I'm one, this is not an insult) that archive anecdotes like this and keep stories like this alive. Also amazing to be able to read Bill's words confirming things like this even after he died.

Thank you all. Be well.

[Charles Ulrich]

Post by d***@gmail.com
I ran across this thread while doing similar research. In the early 1950s,
I'm not certain of the exact year but I suspect it was 1953, Frank was a
student at Robert H. Down school on Pine St. In Pacific Grove, CA. He along
with myself and another friend had a puppet show called "Madcap Puppets."
The third friend's father built the stage. Even then Frank was a superb
promoter. He got us booked on to a children's show on live TV in Salinas,

Do you remember the name of the show or the channel it was on?

Post by d***@gmail.com
arranged to have us perform on stage during Saturday afternoon intermissions
at the Pacific Grove Theater, and as a stage act at the Monterey County Fair
in Monterey. The only part of the act I recall clearly was a takeoff by Stan
Frieberg of the popular TV crime series, "Dragnet," which Friberg re-titled
"St. George and the Dragonet."

Stan Freberg's St. George & The Dragonet was released in 1953, so that
fits.

Post by d***@gmail.com
So far as I know, this was Frank's first real show business success.

Probably so. He is also said to have done puppet shows when he lived in
Claremont, but that was where he moved when he left Pacific Grove.

How long did FZ live in Pacific Grove? One whole school year? Less?

Do you have any photos of FZ or the puppets?

Have you worked with puppets since then?

--Charles

[s***@gmail.com]

Jett Spencer is the third guy, he told me this story years ago. Jett's father built the stage for their shows.

[d***@gmail.com]

Post by Charles Ulrich
I'm looking for discussion of FZ's giving puppet shows in his youth.

We moved from Monterey to Pacific Grove, a quiet town nearby. I spent
my recreational hours building puppets and model planes and making
homemade explosives from whatever ingredients I could find.
Favorite hobby: Puppets
[Lowell George had] met Frank many years before on the the Al Jarvis
Amateur Hour. Frank presented a puppet show and five-year-old Lowell
played harmonica with his brother. Both lost out to a girl tap
dancer.

[I'm skeptical about the chronology here. Lowell turned five in 1950,
and FZ didn't move to southern California until 1953.]

He drew a lot (usually Indians and trains) and made puppets, sewing
their clothes with a careful hand--a skill that proved useful later
when he needed to repair torn clothing on the road.
The Ewings lived a few doors down the street and Zappa made puppets
with their son, which they entered in the LA County Fair. They soon
fell out and Zappa became a solo puppet master--a role he relished
for the rest of his life.

6. And in FZ's own words, quoted by Barry Miles, Zappa: A Biography, p.

I used to build and sew clothes for puppets and marionettes. I used
to give puppet shows using Stan Freberg records in the background.

Does anyone have the book Hometown Boy by Rafael Alvarez, which Miles
cites as the source for quote #4?
Any other quotations from FZ about giving puppet shows?
--Charles

[d***@gmail.com]

Post by Charles Ulrich
I'm looking for discussion of FZ's giving puppet shows in his youth.

We moved from Monterey to Pacific Grove, a quiet town nearby. I spent
my recreational hours building puppets and model planes and making
homemade explosives from whatever ingredients I could find.
Favorite hobby: Puppets
[Lowell George had] met Frank many years before on the the Al Jarvis
Amateur Hour. Frank presented a puppet show and five-year-old Lowell
played harmonica with his brother. Both lost out to a girl tap
dancer.

[I'm skeptical about the chronology here. Lowell turned five in 1950,
and FZ didn't move to southern California until 1953.]

He drew a lot (usually Indians and trains) and made puppets, sewing
their clothes with a careful hand--a skill that proved useful later
when he needed to repair torn clothing on the road.
The Ewings lived a few doors down the street and Zappa made puppets
with their son, which they entered in the LA County Fair. They soon
fell out and Zappa became a solo puppet master--a role he relished
for the rest of his life.

6. And in FZ's own words, quoted by Barry Miles, Zappa: A Biography, p.

I used to build and sew clothes for puppets and marionettes. I used
to give puppet shows using Stan Freberg records in the background.

Does anyone have the book Hometown Boy by Rafael Alvarez, which Miles
cites as the source for quote #4?
Any other quotations from FZ about giving puppet shows?
--Charles