Joe Renker (Patty) spent his teenage years
working at Coney Island. In his twenties, he joined the Conklin
carnival and so charmed the owner, James W. Conklin Sr., that
Patty and his brother were adopted. Those years were spent
running concessions, practicing cons, working on rides and
learning about show business.
When Conklin Sr. died, Patty bought a thousand Kewpie dolls
and headed for Canada where he started up his own show. Conklin
and his all-Canadian carnival quickly became notorious in
western Canada and was nicknamed “Patty Conklin and
his forty thieves.” Through the ‘20’s and
‘30s the show traveled across the prairies by train
playing the small town circuit, ripping off “townies”
and bribing the police every step of the way.
Conklin, however, developed a reputation among show people
as an honourable businessman. In 1937, he won the bid for
the Canadian National Exhibition and developed the CNE into
a showcase for new ride equipment from around the world. Conklin
eventually won the contracts for most of the major Canadian
midways.
The people who knew him best, his friends, colleagues, competitors,
admirers and family relate his story. Incredible and rare
photographs of early game concessionaires, barkers, and side
show performers as well as colourful mock-ups of carnival
tents and show banners introduce viewers to the beauty, ugliness
and originality of the Conklin carnival. The programme spans
70 years and includes footage from the ‘30s from the
CNE and its many shows, of a carnival showtrain’s arrival
in a small town and excerpts from a documentary shot three
months before Conklin’s death in 1970.
Original Air Date - January 29, 1997
Links
Conklin
Shows
Canadian
National Exhibition
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