Amber Ridington

Rovers, Wrestlers and Stars: The Quonset Auditorium in Post-World War II Kentucky (2010)

The Quonset stood on the boundary of worlds that rarely mixed:
black and white, secular and sacred, known and unknown.

This 35-minute documentary chronicles the life of Bowling Green, Kentucky’s Quonset Auditorium, which served local legends and national stars during the entertainment boom after the Second World War.

Watch the 30 second trailer

Listen to WKU Public Radio feature by Rachel Hopkin

The film provides a glimpse into the lives of diverse entertainers, ranging from country, R&B and gospel musicians to professional wrestlers, whose paths intersected at the Quonset during a time when segregation was being challenged.

The Quonset was the first entertainment venue in Bowling Green open to both African-American and European-American audiences. It was also the first venue in the region with an integrated house band, drawing on talent from Joe Marshall and his Rovin’ Ramblers and the House Rockers, led by Robert Phillips.

The documentary shows how local entertainers have contributed to national history and will inspire discussion about social dynamics leading to the Civil Rights Movement, the politics of historic preservation, and the construction of public memory.




Mary Ann Fisher, singer with the Ray Charles Band 1955-1958, 2003. Photo by Walter Brock.

Saxophonist Robert Phillips who played behind touring R&B artists who came through the Quonset, 2005. Photo by Walter Brock.

Park City Daily News advertisement for Bill Monroe at the Quonset, 02/02/1948

 

Featured interviewees and performers include:

Mary Ann Fisher (former singer with Ray Charles),
jazz luminary David “Fathead” Newman,
musician and promoter Joe Marshall, and his band Joe Marshall and the Rovin’ Ramblers,
local legends Robert Phillips and John Edmonds,
professional wrestlers Jackie Fargo and Jeanetta Collins, amongst others.




Jeanetta Collins recalls her time in the Quonset’s wrestling ring, 2007. Photo by Walter Brock

Joe Marshall and Phill Poteet, original Rovin’ Ramblers, 2003. Photo by Walter Brock.

Jeanetta Collins wrestling at the Quonset in the 1950s. Photo courtesy Joe Marshall.

 

These entertainers also tell stories about others who shared the stage at the Quonset including:

cowboy movie star Sunset Carson,
musicians Ernest Tubb, Bill Monroe, Ray Charles, James Brown and Memphis Slim,
child evangelist Marjoe Gortner,
professional wrestling icons Cora Combs and Sweet Georgia Brown.

CREDIT ROLL 

Produced & Directed by Amber Ridington

FUNDING

The Kentucky Educational Television Fund for Independent Production
The Kentucky Humanities Council, Inc. and the National Endowment for the Humanities
The Kern Family Trust
The Kentucky Oral History Commission
Bowling Green Municipal Utilities

SCREENINGS

Society for Visual Anthropology (SVA) Film and Interactive Media Festival. 30th Annual, November 19, 2011, Montreal.

Louisville’s International Festival of Film. 3rd Annual from October 6th to 9th, 2011, Louisville

Kentucky Library and Museum community screening sponsored by the Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology, Western Kentucky University. October 18, 2010, Bowling Green.

Louisville Visual Art Association (LVAA) community screening, October 17, 2010, Louisville.

American Folklore Society annual meeting, media session October 16, 2010, Nashville.

PBS – KET Kentucky Educational Television deput broadcast, October 16, 2010.  Upcoming PBS-KET airdates

MORE INFO

Traveling Exhibit: The Historic Quonset Auditorium
Amber’s publications:
2006 Kentucky Places and Spaces article
2002 Landmark Report, Warren County article

This entry was posted on Friday, October 1st, 2010 at 12:03 am. It is filed under Blog, Documentaries, Projects and tagged with civil rights movement, David "Fathead" Newman, documentary film, historic preservation, intangible cultural heritage, Jackie Fargo, John Edmonds, Mary Ann Fisher, material culture, oral history, popular culture, professional wrestling, Quonset Auditorium, Rovers Wrestlers and Stars. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.