Background
Dale Jennings was born on October 21, 1917, in Amarillo, Texas, United States. He was a son of William Arthur Jennings and Charlotte Sophia Knebel Jennings. Dale and his sister, Charlotte Elaine Jennings, were reared in Denver, Colorado.
Members of the Mattachine Society in a rare group photograph. Pictured are Harry Hay (upper left), then (left to right) Konrad Stevens, Dale Jennings, Rudi Gernreich, Stan Witt, Bob Hull, Chuck Rowland (in glasses) and Paul Bernard. Photo by James Gruber.
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90007, United States
Dale studied theater and film at the University of Southern California for two years.
World War II Victory Medal
American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Philippine Liberation Medal
(The violence of twelfth-century Japan explodes in this ha...)
The violence of twelfth-century Japan explodes in this half-legendary, half-true story of a violent ronin, who becomes a folk hero. Told with humor and irony, "The Ronin" ranges from the pleasantly colloquial to the brutally satiric. This brief tale will shock, confound and ultimately inspire readers.
https://www.amazon.com/Ronin-Novel-Based-Zen-Myth/dp/0804805067/?tag=2022091-20
1968
(Against his better judgment, an old sea captain agrees to...)
Against his better judgment, an old sea captain agrees to sail one last ship to Boston from South America, only to find out it is literally a sinking ship, beset by sabotage, pirates and numerous other misfortunes.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0839778147/?tag=2022091-20
1974
(Rancher Wil Andersen is forced to hire inexperienced boys...)
Rancher Wil Andersen is forced to hire inexperienced boys as cowhands in order to get his herd to market on time, but the rough drive is full of dangers and a gang of cattle rustlers is trailing them.
https://www.amazon.com/Cowboys-Deluxe-John-Wayne/dp/B000O599WQ/?tag=2022091-20
1972
activist novelist playwright screenwriter author
Dale Jennings was born on October 21, 1917, in Amarillo, Texas, United States. He was a son of William Arthur Jennings and Charlotte Sophia Knebel Jennings. Dale and his sister, Charlotte Elaine Jennings, were reared in Denver, Colorado.
In his early years, Dale was schooled in music - he played the piano, while his sister, Charlotte, played the violin. Also, Dale showed an early love of dance, growing into a noted prodigy before the age of twelve. In his later years, he became a member of the Lester Horton dance troupe, traveling around the world. In addition, Dale studied dance under Lester Horton.
Later, after military service, Dale studied theater and film at the University of Southern California for two years.
After graduation from high school in Colorado, Dale moved to Southern California, where he wrote, produced and directed stage plays in Los Angeles and Pasadena. Then, he launched a theater company, called the Theatre Caravan, located in a now demolished building near Olympic Blvd. and Alvarado, where he also lived.
In 1942, Jennings joined the United States Army and was stationed for two years in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. One of his journals of his time there, entitled ONE, survived. In that journal, he detailed life as a Technical Sergeant for the 256th Searchlight Battalion, stationed on Guadacanal. It's worth noting, that during his military service, Jennings was awarded the World War II Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one bronze star. In 1946, after being honorably discharged, Dale returned to Los Angeles and studied theater and film at the University of Southern California for two years.
It was in 1950, that Dale, together with Harry Hay, Rudi Gernreich, Bob Hull, his then-boyfriend, and Chuck Rowland, founded the International Bachelors Fraternal Order for Peace and Social Dignity, which would later be renamed as the Mattachine Society. The society sought to gain acceptance through greater communication between homosexuals and heterosexuals. Eventually, the society grew, and by the summer of 1950, its members had adopted official missions and purposes, which proclaimed homosexuals to be one of the largest minorities in America.
One night in 1952, as Jennings walked home from Westlake Park (now MacArthur Park), four miles west of downtown Los Angeles, he was followed by a plainclothes vice officer and arrested in his house under charges of indecent behavior. He was charged for soliciting a police officer in a toilet. The trial, that took place, brought some fame to the Mattachine Society and its membership increased drastically due to the decision of the society to help contest the charges, brought against Dale. Jennings asked his fellow, Harry Hay, for help. Together, they enlisted the aid of attorney George Sibley, a member of the Citizens' Council to Outlaw Entrapment. Jennings was one of the first homosexual men to contest charges, such as this one, cause most homosexuals at the time pleaded guilty so as not to be publicly scrutinized. After a dramatic Los Angeles court trial, that lasted for ten days, Jennings won a jury acquittal in a rebuke of police harassment, intimidation and entrapment of homosexuals. The acquittal energized other persecuted homosexual people into action throughout the nation and brought respect to the Mattachine Society, which had funded Jennings's defense.
As Dale had views, that were different from those of the Mattachine Society, he, together with a few members of the group, with whom he had common views, decided to form a separate organization, that would illustrate their own personal views. In 1952, Dale, along with Don Slater and W. Dorr Legg, who started publishing ONE Magazine, dedicated to speaking out for homosexuals and sold on newsstands and by mail subscriptions throughout the country, co-founded the organization, named ONE, Incorporated. Soon, it became the major organization in Los Angeles and with the financial aid of Jennings' sister Elaine and her husband James Porter, the organization's magazine became, for a period of time, the voice of the gay and lesbian movement. Dale was appointed vice-president of the organization, as well as editor in chief and primary writer for its magazine. Some time later, Jennings came to understand, that writing was his cup of tea and his writings would continue to become a pivotal part of the Gay Rights Movement.
In 1965, some time later after leaving ONE, Incorporated, Dale, together with an old friend from the organization, Don Slater, founded a new establishment - HIC (Homosexual Information Center). As Jennings was very passionate about his writings, he hoped, that the HIC would accept and protect his scripts and books. He remained involved with the organization until 1997. Around this time, Dale began losing his memory and constantly worried, that his writings would be lost, so he made arrangements, that his works and property would go to the HIC after his death.
During his lifetime, Dale wrote a number of books and only a few of them were published. His first novel, titled "The Ronin", appeared in 1968. Later, in 1971, he published "The Cowboys", and in 1974, another book, entitled "The Sinking of the Sarah Diamond", appeared. Dale wrote until his death on May 11, 2000.
In addition, Dale directed and wrote for movies, including "One Got Fat" (1963) and "The Cowboys" (1972).
(Against his better judgment, an old sea captain agrees to...)
1974(The violence of twelfth-century Japan explodes in this ha...)
1968(Rancher Wil Andersen is forced to hire inexperienced boys...)
1972(Writer/director Dale Jennings teaches kids bicycle safety...)
1963Jenning's views on how to best fight for equal rights for homosexuals differed from those of the Mattachine Society. Dale believed, that there essentially was no difference between a gay man and a straight man. He also believed, that homosexuals as a group had very little in common and wanted to fight for the right to be left alone, while Harry Hay, the primary founder of the society, and the rest of the group, collectively wanted to make homosexuality visible to the public and fought for more homosexual awareness.
Before World War II, Jennings pursued relationships with women in the custom of the time, to avoid any suspicions about his true nature. He married once, an aspiring actress at Theatre Caravan. However, this marriage didn't last long. Also, Dale had a relationship with Robert Booth Hull.