John Henry Faulk
Encyclopedia
John Henry Faulk from Austin, Texas
was a storyteller and radio
show host. His successful lawsuit
against blacklist
ers of the entertainment industry helped to bring an end to the Hollywood blacklist
.
parents Henry Faulk and his wife Martha Miner Faulk. John Henry had four siblings: Hamilton Faulk (1905–1905), Martha Stansbury (1908–2008), Mary Faulk Koock (1910–1996), and Texana Faulk Conn (1915–2006).
Faulk spent his childhood years in Austin in the noted Victorian
house Green Pastures. A journalist acquaintance from Austin has written that the two of them came from "extremely similar family backgrounds -- the old Southern wealth with rich heritage and families dedicated to civil rights long before it was hip to fight racism."
, Walter Prescott Webb
, and Roy Bedichek
, enabling Faulk to hone his skills as a folklorist. He earned a Master's degree
in Folklore, with his thesis "Ten Negro Sermons". He further began to craft his oratory style as a part-time English teacher at the University 1940–1942, relating Texas folk tales peppered with his gift of character impersonations.
He was originally unfit for service with the United States Army
, due to an eye problem. In 1942, Faulk joined the Merchant Marine
for a one-year stint. In 1943, Faulk spent the year in Cairo
, Egypt
serving the American Red Cross
. World War II
had caused the United States Army to relax its enlistment standards, and Faulk enlisted in 1944, serving at Camp Swift, Texas
as a medic
. It was during this time period Faulk also joined the American Civil Liberties Union
.
in New York City
. The network executives were sufficiently impressed to offer him his own radio show. Upon his 1946 discharge from the Army, Faulk began his Johnny's Front Porch radio show for WCBS. The show featured Faulk's characterizations that he had been developing since his university years. Faulk eventually went to another radio station, but returned to WCBS for a four-hour morning talk show. The John Henry Faulk Show ran for six years. His radio successes provided opportunity for him to appear as himself on television, in shows like the 1951 Mark Goodson
and William Todman game show It's News to Me
, hosted by John Charles Daly
. He also appeared on Leave It to the Girls
in 1953 and The Name's the Same
in 1955.
Cactus Pryor
met Faulk in the studios of KLBJ (then KTBC) where Faulk stopped by to thank Pryor for letting his mother hear his New York show. Pryor had been been "accidentally" broadcasting Faulk's radio show in Texas where Faulk was not otherwise heard. Although the broadcast happened repeatedly, Pryor always claimed he just hit the wrong button in the studio. Pryor visited Faulk at a Manhattan
apartment he shared with Alan Lomax
, and became introduced to the movers and shakers of the east coast celebrity scene of that era. When Pryor stood by Faulk during the blacklisting and tried to find him work, Pryor's children were harassed; a prominent Austin physician circulated a letter questioning Pryor's patriotism; an Austin attorney tried to convince Lyndon Johnson to discharge Pryor from the airwaves. The Pryor family and the Faulk family remained close and supportive of each other for the rest of Faulk's life.
In December 1955, Faulk was elected second vice president of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
, to Orson Bean's
first vice president position and Charles Collingwood
as the president of the union. Collingswood, Bean and Faulk were part of a middle-of-the-road slate of non-communist, anti-AWARE organization candidates that Faulk had helped draft. Twenty-seven of thirty-five vacant seats on the board went to the middle-of-the-road slate. Faulk's public position during the campaign had been that the union should be focused on jobs and security, not blacklisting of members.
In the '70's in Austin, he was also befriended by the young co-editor of the Texas Observer, Molly Ivins
, and became an early supporter of hers.
ended in 1957, a victim of the Cold War
and the blacklisting of the 1950s. AWARE, Inc., a for-profit corporation inspired by Wisconsin
Senator
Joseph McCarthy
, offered a "clearance" service to major media advertisers and radio and television networks; for a fee, AWARE would investigate the backgrounds of entertainers for signs of Communist sympathy or affiliation.
In 1955 Faulk earned the ill will of the blacklisting organization when he and other members wrested control of their union
, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
from officers under the backing of AWARE. In reprisal, AWARE labeled Faulk a Communist. When he discovered that AWARE was actively keeping radio stations from offering him employment, Faulk sought remuneration.
Several prominent radio personalities along with CBS
News vice president Edward R. Murrow
supported Faulk's earnest attempt to put an end to blacklisting. With financial backing from Murrow, Faulk engaged New York attorney Louis Nizer
. Attorneys for AWARE, including McCarthy-committee counsel Roy Cohn
, managed to stall the suit, which was originally filed in 1957, for five years. When the trial finally concluded in a New York courtroom, the jury had determined that Faulk should receive more compensation than he sought in his original petition. On June 28, 1962, the jury awarded him the largest libel judgment in history to that date — $3.5 million. An appeals court later lowered the amount to $500,000. Legal fees and accumulated debts erased most of the balance of the award.
Faulk's book, Fear on Trial, published in 1963, tells the story of the experience. The book was remade into an Emmy award-winning TV movie in 1975 by CBS Television with William Devane
portraying Faulk and George C. Scott
playing Faulk's lawyer, Louis Nizer.
Other supporters in the blacklist struggle included radio pioneer and Wimberley, Texas
native Parks Johnson
and reporter and CBS television news anchor Walter Cronkite
.
Celebrated Austin restaurateur Mary Faulk Koock (1910–1996) was John Henry's sister. His nephew, Mary's son, is actor Guich Koock.
John Henry Faulk died in Austin of cancer on April 9, 1990, and is buried at Oakwood Cemetery.
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
was a storyteller and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
show host. His successful lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
against blacklist
Blacklist
A blacklist is a list or register of entities who, for one reason or another, are being denied a particular privilege, service, mobility, access or recognition. As a verb, to blacklist can mean to deny someone work in a particular field, or to ostracize a person from a certain social circle...
ers of the entertainment industry helped to bring an end to the Hollywood blacklist
Hollywood blacklist
The Hollywood blacklist—as the broader entertainment industry blacklist is generally known—was the mid-twentieth-century list of screenwriters, actors, directors, musicians, and other U.S. entertainment professionals who were denied employment in the field because of their political beliefs or...
.
Early life
John Henry Faulk was born in Austin, Texas on August 21, 1913, to MethodistMethodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
parents Henry Faulk and his wife Martha Miner Faulk. John Henry had four siblings: Hamilton Faulk (1905–1905), Martha Stansbury (1908–2008), Mary Faulk Koock (1910–1996), and Texana Faulk Conn (1915–2006).
Faulk spent his childhood years in Austin in the noted Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
house Green Pastures. A journalist acquaintance from Austin has written that the two of them came from "extremely similar family backgrounds -- the old Southern wealth with rich heritage and families dedicated to civil rights long before it was hip to fight racism."
Education and military service
Faulk enrolled in the University of Texas in 1932. He became a protégé of J. Frank DobieJ. Frank Dobie
James Frank Dobie was an American folklorist, writer, and newspaper columnist best known for many books depicting the richness and traditions of life in rural Texas during the days of the open range...
, Walter Prescott Webb
Walter Prescott Webb
Walter Prescott Webb was a 20th century U.S. historian and author noted for his groundbreaking historical work on the American West. As president of the Texas State Historical Association, he launched the project that produced the Handbook of Texas...
, and Roy Bedichek
Roy Bedichek
Roy Bedichek was a Texan writer, naturalist and educator.-Early life and education:Roy Bedichek was born on June 27, 1878 in Cass County, Illinois to parents James Madison Bedichek and Lucretia Ellen Craven. The family relocated to Falls County, Texas in 1884...
, enabling Faulk to hone his skills as a folklorist. He earned a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Folklore, with his thesis "Ten Negro Sermons". He further began to craft his oratory style as a part-time English teacher at the University 1940–1942, relating Texas folk tales peppered with his gift of character impersonations.
He was originally unfit for service with the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, due to an eye problem. In 1942, Faulk joined the Merchant Marine
United States Merchant Marine
The United States Merchant Marine refers to the fleet of U.S. civilian-owned merchant vessels, operated by either the government or the private sector, that engage in commerce or transportation of goods and services in and out of the navigable waters of the United States. The Merchant Marine is...
for a one-year stint. In 1943, Faulk spent the year in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
serving the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
. World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
had caused the United States Army to relax its enlistment standards, and Faulk enlisted in 1944, serving at Camp Swift, Texas
Camp Swift, Texas
Camp Swift is a census-designated place in Bastrop County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,731 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Camp Swift is located at...
as a medic
Medic
Medic is a general term for a person involved in medicine, especially emergency or first-response medicine, such as an emergency medical technician, paramedic, or a military member trained in battlefield medicine. Also the term is used toward a Nurse in pre-hospital care and/or emergency...
. It was during this time period Faulk also joined the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
.
Career
While a soldier at Camp Swift, Faulk began writing his own radio scripts. An acquaintance facilitated an interview for him at WCBSWCBS (AM)
WCBS , often referred to as "WCBS Newsradio 880" , is a radio station in New York City. Owned by CBS Radio, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of the CBS Radio Network...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The network executives were sufficiently impressed to offer him his own radio show. Upon his 1946 discharge from the Army, Faulk began his Johnny's Front Porch radio show for WCBS. The show featured Faulk's characterizations that he had been developing since his university years. Faulk eventually went to another radio station, but returned to WCBS for a four-hour morning talk show. The John Henry Faulk Show ran for six years. His radio successes provided opportunity for him to appear as himself on television, in shows like the 1951 Mark Goodson
Mark Goodson
Mark Goodson was an American television producer who specialized in game shows.-Life and early career:...
and William Todman game show It's News to Me
It's News to Me
It's News to Me is a weekly panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS Television. It was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show What's My Line?. Originally aired as a one-time special on May 11, 1951; It debuted as a series July 2, 1951 and ran until September 12,...
, hosted by John Charles Daly
John Charles Daly
John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly (generally known as John Charles Daly or simply John Daly (February 20, 1914 – February 24, 1991) was an American journalist, game show host and radio personality, probably best known for hosting...
. He also appeared on Leave It to the Girls
Leave It to the Girls
Leave It to the Girls is an American radio and television talk show, created by Martha Rountree, and broadcast, in various forms, from the 1940s through the 1980s.- Radio version :...
in 1953 and The Name's the Same
The Name's the Same
The Name's the Same is an American game show that was produced by Goodson-Todman for the ABC television network from December 5, 1951 to August 31, 1954, followed by a run from October 25, 1954 to October 7, 1955....
in 1955.
Cactus Pryor
Cactus Pryor
Richard "Cactus" Pryor was an American broadcaster. He received his nickname after the old Cactus Theater on Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas, which was run by his father, "Skinny" Pryor....
met Faulk in the studios of KLBJ (then KTBC) where Faulk stopped by to thank Pryor for letting his mother hear his New York show. Pryor had been been "accidentally" broadcasting Faulk's radio show in Texas where Faulk was not otherwise heard. Although the broadcast happened repeatedly, Pryor always claimed he just hit the wrong button in the studio. Pryor visited Faulk at a Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
apartment he shared with Alan Lomax
Alan Lomax
Alan Lomax was an American folklorist and ethnomusicologist. He was one of the great field collectors of folk music of the 20th century, recording thousands of songs in the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, the Caribbean, Italy, and Spain.In his later career, Lomax advanced his theories of...
, and became introduced to the movers and shakers of the east coast celebrity scene of that era. When Pryor stood by Faulk during the blacklisting and tried to find him work, Pryor's children were harassed; a prominent Austin physician circulated a letter questioning Pryor's patriotism; an Austin attorney tried to convince Lyndon Johnson to discharge Pryor from the airwaves. The Pryor family and the Faulk family remained close and supportive of each other for the rest of Faulk's life.
In December 1955, Faulk was elected second vice president of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is a performers' union that represents a wide variety of talent, including actors in radio and television, as well as radio and television announcers and newspersons, singers and recording artists , promo and voice-over announcers and other...
, to Orson Bean's
Orson Bean
Orson Bean is an American film, television, and Broadway actor. He appeared frequently on televised game shows in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, including being a long-time panelist on the television game show To Tell the Truth....
first vice president position and Charles Collingwood
Charles Collingwood (journalist)
Charles Collingwood was a television newscaster.Born in Three Rivers, Michigan, Collingwood graduated from Deep Springs College and Cornell University and in 1939 received a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University. After working in London for United Press, Collingwood was hired by Edward R...
as the president of the union. Collingswood, Bean and Faulk were part of a middle-of-the-road slate of non-communist, anti-AWARE organization candidates that Faulk had helped draft. Twenty-seven of thirty-five vacant seats on the board went to the middle-of-the-road slate. Faulk's public position during the campaign had been that the union should be focused on jobs and security, not blacklisting of members.
In the '70's in Austin, he was also befriended by the young co-editor of the Texas Observer, Molly Ivins
Molly Ivins
Mary Tyler "Molly" Ivins was an American newspaper columnist, populist, political commentator, humorist and author.-Early life and education:Ivins was born in Monterey, California, and raised in Houston, Texas...
, and became an early supporter of hers.
Blacklist controversy
Faulk's radio career at CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
ended in 1957, a victim of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
and the blacklisting of the 1950s. AWARE, Inc., a for-profit corporation inspired by Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Joseph McCarthy
Joseph McCarthy
Joseph Raymond "Joe" McCarthy was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957...
, offered a "clearance" service to major media advertisers and radio and television networks; for a fee, AWARE would investigate the backgrounds of entertainers for signs of Communist sympathy or affiliation.
In 1955 Faulk earned the ill will of the blacklisting organization when he and other members wrested control of their union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is a performers' union that represents a wide variety of talent, including actors in radio and television, as well as radio and television announcers and newspersons, singers and recording artists , promo and voice-over announcers and other...
from officers under the backing of AWARE. In reprisal, AWARE labeled Faulk a Communist. When he discovered that AWARE was actively keeping radio stations from offering him employment, Faulk sought remuneration.
Several prominent radio personalities along with CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
News vice president Edward R. Murrow
Edward R. Murrow
Edward Roscoe Murrow, KBE was an American broadcast journalist. He first came to prominence with a series of radio news broadcasts during World War II, which were followed by millions of listeners in the United States and Canada.Fellow journalists Eric Sevareid, Ed Bliss, and Alexander Kendrick...
supported Faulk's earnest attempt to put an end to blacklisting. With financial backing from Murrow, Faulk engaged New York attorney Louis Nizer
Louis Nizer
Louis Nizer was a noted Jewish-American trial lawyer and senior partner of the law firm Phillips Nizer Benjamin Krim & Ballon...
. Attorneys for AWARE, including McCarthy-committee counsel Roy Cohn
Roy Cohn
Roy Marcus Cohn was an American attorney who became famous during Senator Joseph McCarthy's investigations into Communist activity in the United States during the Second Red Scare. Cohn gained special prominence during the Army–McCarthy hearings. He was also an important member of the U.S...
, managed to stall the suit, which was originally filed in 1957, for five years. When the trial finally concluded in a New York courtroom, the jury had determined that Faulk should receive more compensation than he sought in his original petition. On June 28, 1962, the jury awarded him the largest libel judgment in history to that date — $3.5 million. An appeals court later lowered the amount to $500,000. Legal fees and accumulated debts erased most of the balance of the award.
Faulk's book, Fear on Trial, published in 1963, tells the story of the experience. The book was remade into an Emmy award-winning TV movie in 1975 by CBS Television with William Devane
William Devane
William Joseph Devane is an American film, television and theater actor.-Life and career:Devane was born in Albany, New York in 1937 or 1939 , the son of Joseph Devane, who was Franklin D. Roosevelt's chauffeur when he was Governor of New York...
portraying Faulk and George C. Scott
George C. Scott
George Campbell Scott was an American stage and film actor, director and producer. He was best known for his stage work, as well as his portrayal of General George S. Patton in the film Patton, and as General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick's Dr...
playing Faulk's lawyer, Louis Nizer.
Other supporters in the blacklist struggle included radio pioneer and Wimberley, Texas
Wimberley, Texas
Wimberley is a small town in Hays County, Texas, United States. Prior to its incorporation in May 2000, it was a census-designated place . The population was 2,626 at the 2010 census.-History:...
native Parks Johnson
Vox Pop (radio)
Vox Pop was a popular radio program of interviews, quizzes and human interest features, sometimes titled Sidewalk Interviews and Voice of the People...
and reporter and CBS television news anchor Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
.
Personal life and death
In 1940 John Henry Faulk married Harriet Elizabeth("Hally") Wood, a music student of the University of Texas Fine Arts School whom Faulk married six weeks after meeting. The marriage ended in divorce in 1947, and the couple had one daughter, Cynthia Tannehill. Faulk's second marriage was to Lynne Smith, a New Yorker he had met in 1948 and also married about six weeks after meeting her. That marriage also ended in divorce, fallout from the blacklisting upheaval. Faulk and Smith had two daughters, Johanna and Evelyn, and one son Frank Dobie Faulk. In 1965, Faulk married Elizabeth Peake, and the marriage produced one son, John Henry Faulk III.Celebrated Austin restaurateur Mary Faulk Koock (1910–1996) was John Henry's sister. His nephew, Mary's son, is actor Guich Koock.
John Henry Faulk died in Austin of cancer on April 9, 1990, and is buried at Oakwood Cemetery.
Awards and tributes
- (1980) "The Ballad of John Henry Faulk", artist Phil OchsPhil OchsPhilip David Ochs was an American protest singer and songwriter who was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, earnest humanism, political activism, insightful and alliterative lyrics, and haunting voice...
, album The Broadside Tapes 1The Broadside Tapes 1The Broadside Tapes 1, alternatively known as Broadside Ballads, Vol. 14, was a compilation of demo recordings done by Phil Ochs for Broadside magazine in the early-to-late 1960s. Of the sixteen songs that appeared, ranging from the humorous to the depressing , all were new to listeners...
, Folkways RecordsFolkways RecordsFolkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:...
. - (1983) Recipient of Paul Robeson AwardPaul Robeson AwardAn award bestowed by the Paul Robeson Citation Award Committee of the Actors' Equity Association.- Recipients :1974 Paul Robeson1975 Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee1976 Lillian Hellman1977 Pete Seeger1978 Sam Jaffe1979 Harry Belafonte1980 Alice Childress...
. Award recognizes exemplification of principles by which Paul Robeson lived his life. - (1995) John Henry Faulk Public Library, main branch of the Austin Public LibraryAustin Public LibraryAustin Public Library is a library service in Austin, Texas, United States. It is operated by the City of Austin.The John Henry Faulk Central Library at 800 Guadalupe Street is the main branch; opening in 1979. It is on five stories...
. Originally named Central Library when constructed in 1979, renamed to honor Faulk. - John Henry Faulk Award, Tejas Storytelling Association, presented annually in Denton, TexasDenton, TexasThe city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
to the individual who has made a significant contribution to the art of storytelling in the Southwest.
Film
- All the Way HomeAll the Way Home (film)All the Way Home is a 1963 drama film about a young boy and his mother dealing with the sudden death of his father. It stars Jean Simmons, Robert Preston, and Pat Hingle, with the boy being portrayed by Michael Kearney...
(1963), as Walter Starr - The Best ManThe Best Man (1964 film)The Best Man is a 1964 film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner with a screenplay by Gore Vidal based on his play of the same title. Starring Henry Fonda, Cliff Robertson, and Lee Tracy, the film details the seamy political maneuverings behind the nomination of a presidential candidate...
(1964), as Governor T.T. Claypoole - Lovin' MollyLovin' MollyLovin' Molly is a 1974 drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Anthony Perkins, Beau Bridges, Blythe Danner in the title role, Ed Binns, and Susan Sarandon. The film is based on one of Larry McMurtry's first novels, Leaving Cheyenne...
(1974), as Mr. Grinsom - The Texas Chain Saw MassacreThe Texas Chain Saw MassacreThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American independent horror film directed and produced by Tobe Hooper, who cowrote it with Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, and Gunnar Hansen, who respectively portray Sally Hardesty, Franklin Hardesty, the...
(1974), as Storyteller - LeadbellyLeadbelly (film)Leadbelly is a 1976 film chronicling the life of folk singer Huddie William Ledbetter . The film was directed by Gordon Parks, and starred Roger E. Mosley in the title role...
(1976). as Governor Neff - Trespasses (1986), as Doctor Silver
Television
- It's News to MeIt's News to MeIt's News to Me is a weekly panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS Television. It was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show What's My Line?. Originally aired as a one-time special on May 11, 1951; It debuted as a series July 2, 1951 and ran until September 12,...
(1951–1954), Self - Leave It to the GirlsLeave It to the GirlsLeave It to the Girls is an American radio and television talk show, created by Martha Rountree, and broadcast, in various forms, from the 1940s through the 1980s.- Radio version :...
(3 Oct 1953), Self - The Name's the SameThe Name's the SameThe Name's the Same is an American game show that was produced by Goodson-Todman for the ABC television network from December 5, 1951 to August 31, 1954, followed by a run from October 25, 1954 to October 7, 1955....
(21 Feb 1955), Self - For the People (1965), Episode "Seized, Confined and Detained", as Reynolds
- Fear on Trial (1975), Writer, Biopic of John Henry Faulk
- Hee HawHee HawHee Haw is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with fictional rural Kornfield Kounty as a backdrop. It aired on CBS-TV from 1969–1971 before a 20-year run in local syndication. The show was inspired by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, the major difference being...
(1975–1982), Self - Adam (1983), as as Strom ThurmondStrom ThurmondJames Strom Thurmond was an American politician who served as a United States Senator. He also ran for the Presidency of the United States in 1948 as the segregationist States Rights Democratic Party candidate, receiving 2.4% of the popular vote and 39 electoral votes...
- Cronkite Remembers (1997), Uncredited archive footage
Discography
- John Henry Faulk, recordings of Negro religious services. Part 1 [sound recording] (July 1941) 47 sound discs : analog, 33 1/3 and 78 rpm; 12 in.
- John Henry Faulk recordings of Negro religious services. Part 2 [sound recording] (Aug–Sept 1941) 42 sound discs : analog, 33 1/3 rpm ; 12 in.
- John Henry Faulk Texas recordings collection [sound recording] (Oct–Nov 1941) 33 sound discs : analog, 33 1/3 rpm ; 12 in.
- John Henry Faulk collection of Texas prison songs [sound recording] (1942) 10 sound discs : analog, 78 rpm ; 12 in. + documentation.
- John Henry Faulk and others, "Man-on-the-Street" interviews collection [sound recording] (1941) 6 sound discs : analog ; 16 in.; 15 sound discs : analog ; 12 in.
- American people speak on the war [sound recording] (1941) 1 sound disc (ca. 15 min.) : analog, 33 1/3 rpm ; 16 in.
- The people speak to the president, or, Dear, Mr. President [sound recording] (1942) 1 sound disc : analog, 33 1/3 rpm ; 16 in.
- CBS news with Stuart Metz.[sound recording]. (13 May 1957) 1 sound tape reel (5 min.) : analog, 7 1/2 ips, full track, mono. ; 7 in
- John Henry Faulk show (13 May 1957) 1 sound tape reel (25 min.) : analog, 7 1/2 ips, full track, mono. ; 7 in
- Blacklist: a failure in political imagination [Sound recording] (1960) eel. 7 in. 3 3/4 ips. 1/2 track. cassette. 2 1/2 x 4 in
- Help unsell the war. American report [sound recording] (1972) 1 sound disc : analog, 33 1/3 rpm ; 12 in
- Selected radio programs from The Larry King show [sound recording] (1982–1985) 116 sound cassettes : analog
- African-American Slave Audio Recordings (2008)
Radio appearances and speeches
- Faulk recorded his "Christmas Story" in 1974 for the NPR program "Voices in the Wind".
- Faulk made speeches on the First AmendmentFirst Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
and civil rightsCivil rightsCivil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
for many colleges and universities.
Further reading
- John Henry Faulk Papers. Barker Texas History Center, University of Texas at AustinUniversity of Texas at AustinThe University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. - Burton, Michael C. John Henry Faulk: The Making of a Liberated Mind: A Biography. Austin: Eakin Press, 1993. ISBN 0-89015-923-8
External links
- NPR John Henry Faulk's 'Christmas Story'
- John Henry Faulk entry in IMDB
- The Ballad of John Henry Faulk - lyrics by Phil Ochs
- Tejas Story Telling John Henry Faulk Award