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Hank Henry Papers (MS-00490)

Abstract

The Hank Henry Papers consist of materials on the entertainment career of Hank Henry from 1934 to 1980. The collection contains skits and jokes, family photographs, photographs of burlesque shows, photographs and autographs of various actors and actresses, newsletters, newspaper articles and correspondence.

Finding Aid PDF

Date

1934-1980

Extent

0.63 Linear Feet (2 boxes)

Scope and Contents Note

The Hank Henry Papers consist of materials on the entertainment career of Hank Henry from 1934 to 1980. The collection contains skits and jokes, family photographs, photographs of burlesque shows, photographs and autographs of various actors and actresses, newsletters, newspaper articles and correspondence.

Access Note

Collection is open for research

Publication Rights

Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.

Arrangement

Materials are arranged alphabetically.

Biographical / Historical Note

Comedian Hank Henry was born in New York City, New York, on July 9, 1906. He spent much of his youth practicing his comedic craft for pennies and nickels on the streets of New York. He dropped out of high school to join a carnival. Henry was eventually noticed by Harold Minsky and began performing at the Oriental Theater on Broadway in New York City. He found a new kind of audience in burlesque, but his career was temporarily halted when he was drafted into the army. He returned to New York and went back on the circuit after completing his military service. In early 1950, he received a call from a friend, who was now a successful agent, asking Henry if he wanted to come to Las Vegas, Nevada. He became part of the cast of characters to open the Golden Slipper Dance Hall (soon to become the Silver Slipper Dance Hall) on the Las Vegas Strip. Henry remained at the Silver Slipper Hotel and Casino for fourteen years. He then went to the Castaways Casino for seven months until that casino closed. He was contacted by Doc Bailey, owner of Hacienda Hotel, and they were negotiating for a new show when Bailey died. Bailey's wife, Judy, took over the hotel and negotiations continued with the show. When Judy Bailey died the show had no budget and closed.

Henry appeared in the movie The Only Game in Town with Elizabeth Taylor and Warren Beatty and made several other television and movie appearances. Hank Henry passed away in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 31, 1981.

Preferred Citation

Hank Henry Papers, 1934-1980. MS-00490. Special Collections. University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Acquisition Note

The material was a gift of the Estate of Bill Willard and was transferred to the Special Collections Department by the Arnold Shaw Popular Music Research Center in 2004; accession number 2004-015.

Processing Note

Material was processed by Joyce Marshall-Moore in 2004. In 2014, as part of the legacy finding aid conversion project, Kayla McDuffie revised and enhanced the collection description to bring it into compliance with current professional standards. In 2016 Joyce Moore updated the content and entered the data into ArchivesSpace.

Resource Type

Papers

Collection Type

EAD ID

US::NvLN::MS00490

Finding Aid Description Rules

Describing Archives: A Content Standard
English