Slam Bang Theatre, a Tale of Palo Pinto County

Do you remember Slam Bang Theatre? Whether you were a kid in the 1950's-1970's, or a parent or grandparent, if you lived in viewing area of the KFJZ, Channel 11, you know about Slam Bang Theatre! But did you know that Slam Bang Theatre, Nightmare Theatre, Million Dollar Matinee, Binky and Belinda, Reveille, Cartoon Clubhouse, Hometown Harmony, all had Mineral Wells beginnings?

Icky Twerp, Gorgon, Mortimer Moneybags, Captain Swabbie is from Mineral Wells. No, I did not use bad grammar...well, maybe just a little, but even though I was an English major, I am taking a little poetic license! All those characters is from Mineral Wells because they were all created and portrayed by Mineral Wells native Bill Camfield. Bill worked at KFJZ from 1955 to 1972.

Bill's father died when Bill was seven, so Bill and his mother spent the majority of his growing up years living with various relatives in Fort Worth. Bill graduated from Cater Riverside High School in 1947. His goal was to become a writer, and in 1948 he went to work for Leonard's Department Store as a copywriter and was quickly promoted to Radio-TV Director for the store because the store had decided to try television advertisement. As Bill had directed stage show during Christmas seasons with famed Ringling Brothers clown, Paul Jung, the store asked him to write and produce a tv show which the store would sponsor. The show was called ìHometown Harmonyî, and Bill created the role of Brilliantine, a blackface shoeshine boy, for himself.

After "Hometown Harmony" Bill produced and acted in such shows as "Let's Go Shopping", "Mad About Music","Billboard", and "Meet the Candidate", and in 1954 Bill went to work for KFJZ creating programming and commercial and general advertising copy for the station. At this point, Bill began attending TCU on a writing scholarship, and in 1958 he graduated with a degree in English.

On September 10, 1959, the first episode of Slam Bang Theatre was shown to viewers in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and from 1959 to 1964 it was seen in a two hour format each afternoon. In 1964, 90 minutes was added each morning, so that by 1969, its tenth year on the air, it had shown 2,600 performances in the afternoon and 1,300 in the morning. In 1969 it was estimated that 200,000 viewers watched the show each day. Bill brought the Three Stooges to North Texas through Slam Bang Theatre, and he also acted in at least one of their movies.

In May 2002 Bill Camfield was awarded the Dallas Video Festival's Kovacs Award posthumously as a 1960s"slapstick genius". The award was accepted by Bill's son, Paul Camfield,, a museum director in Fredericksburg. Paul has a website devoted to Bill and his work at http://www.ickytwerp.net/, where you can read more about Bill's career and purchase memorabilia and t-shirts. You can also contact Paul at camfield@ctesc.net .

William Joseph "Bill" Camfield was born 27 June 1929 and died of brain cancer 31 Sep 1991. On the day he died, another television pioneer, Channel 5's first weatherman, Harold Taft, was laid to rest, having died three days earlier.

Bill was the son of coal miner, Joseph E. Johnston Camfield, who lived many years in Thurber, Texas, where he worked in the mines. Joseph was born in Clifton, Bosque County, Texas, 6 Jul 1884 and died about 1936 in Mineral Wells.

Bill's mother was Nina Barbara Weaver who was born in Weedowee, Alabama on 10 Feb 1890, and died in Fort Worth on 16 Sep 1984.

Bill had an older sister, Barbara, who died of influenza in 1918.

Joseph Camfield's grandfather was John Freeman Camfield, born 29 Dec 1837 in Mobile, Alabama, and died 8 Feb 1901 in Mingus, Texas. John Freeman was married to Margaret Singleton, born 23 May 1849 and died 31 Han 1919 in Thurber. Margaret's parents were Robert J. Singleton and Winifred Steadham.

Bill Camfield married Ela Hockaday, who was born in Fort Worth 1 Apr 1927 and died 17 Aug 1965. Ela's family owned the Hockaday Feed and Seed here in Mineral Wells.

Icky Twerp, aka Bill Campfield, is just one more reason for us to be proud of the heritage and history of Palo Pinto County!

Now on to some correspondence:

Hi Sue, I ran across your web site when I was searching for information about a book called, "Possum Kingdom Country". My mother told me that my great great Granny Weldon was a midwife, and she was listed in that book. I also have been told that there was someone in our family who was Native American (possibly Choctaw), and my mother thought it might have been someone named Mary Elizabeth Craig. Could you help, please?

Thank you. Christina Russellî. You can contact Christina at chriszcorner@yahoo.com.

Frances Burkett meme@brazosnet.com writes: Was there a town or community in Palo Pinto County, Texas, called Nattie Flats? In my mother's family Bible entries, she names the place of her baptism. She lived in and around the Palo Pinto County area most of her childhood. She gave the year as 1924. Please, help!

Well, for those you who don't know, Nattie Flats is in Palo Pinto County south of I-20 on Highway 281 before you get to Highway 4. It is marked to the east.

Finally, Gary D. Glenn garyglenn184@hotmail.com is looking in Palo Pinto County for Nora L.(Lenora) Lemons(Lemmons) who married about1882-1883 to someone named Conatser. Then Nora L. (Lenora) married Marion L. Parker about 1894-1896.

If you have information for any of these folks, please let them knowÖand us know, too! You can contact me at P. O. Box 61, Mineral Wells TX 76068-0061; siouxcitysue@cox-internet.com, or visit my website at http://www.ralphandsue.com.Until next time, you all be good!