Posted By thecircusblog on June 14, 2010
This is a scene from one of Frank Bucks serials in 1937 titled “Jungle Menace”. Later the title was changed to “Tiger Fangs.” Buck played Frank Hardy in the serial “A Rubber Tree Plantation Owner”. The girl, his co-star is Charlotte Henry. Many circus animals were used in these movies and performers as well.
Posted By thecircusblog on June 14, 2010
Left to right Mable Stark tiger trainer, Terrel Jacobs lions trainer, Bert Nelson mix group of lions and tigers. All three acts worked at the same time in three different rings to open the show. Al.G. Barnes Sells Floto combined. Circus, 1938.
Posted By thecircusblog on June 14, 2010
A concerned Clyde Beatty stands by his friend Albert Fleet in the emergency room. During Albert’s act, “Mick”, a large male chimp attacked him and mauled his right hand and ultimately he lost some fingers. All great ape trainers know this can happen and I myself was always on guard. Chimps can be double trouble… especially big males. I was nailed badly three different times but I was lucky…. I kept my fingers and still have the horrible memory that I could have lost them.
Steve Fleet has made a comment about his Uncle Albert Fleet.
Posted By thecircusblog on June 14, 2010
There are just a few that could handle big chimps and make it look easy, Rueben was one of them and just maybe the best of all. The other one other my Dad…. he had a way with chimps. I saw him at the Jungleland compound more than once catch run away chimps that somehow broke out of their cages. Dad, Wally Ross and Louie Goebel went after a chimp called “Sailor” he got the name because his first owner was a US Navel officer and later the chimp was given to Jungleland. Jungleland was located in Thousand Oaks , Calif as there were hundreds of oak trees at the compound. Sailor found the biggest and the tallest tree and there he spent his afternoon swinging from branch to branch taunting the three animal men below, Dad, Wally, and Louie. They all knew that something had to be done before nightfall. Sailor was about 170 lbs and too tough to take on physically. There was only one thing left to do ….. Dad climbed up into the tree and took with him a bottle of Scotch Whiskey. He sat on a limb then pretended to take a drink. Within minutes Sailor was sitting next to Dad and not long after, Sailor had consumed the whole bottle of Scotch. Keeping the tradition of a drunken sailor, he was put back into his cage to sober up safely.
Posted By thecircusblog on June 14, 2010
Circus Circus Las Vegas, Nevada. Late 1960’s.
Photo from Jack Badal.
Posted By thecircusblog on June 14, 2010
This truly was one of the finest great ape acts ever. A mixd group of Gorillas, Chimps and Orangutans. In the late 1960’s I went to visit with PaPa Berosini at Circus Circus and we had a fine time talking about our acts and training ideas. He was military because in a mixed group of apes it is quite difficult to handle…. they really don’t get along. In the jungle they would try to kill each other. I was more into comedy and training was somewhat easier as we had just chimps, but at times Dad and I had our hands full also. Photo from Jack Badal.
Posted By thecircusblog on June 14, 2010
Photo was found in an old mid 1960 Clyde Beatty Cole Bros program.
