Friday, July 21, 2006

From Eric Beheim #1


I'm sure a lot of you remember "Prof. George Keller's Jungle Killers".
This is Bill Horne who worked the act for many years after Keller's death (unrelated to the act).
Picture taken at Balboa Park in San Diego in 1969.

Posted by Buckles at 7/21/2006 06:43:00 AM

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

The cats had nothing directly to do with the Professor's death, but he did die in the ring, during the act, of a sudden heart attack. Bill Scamihorne oversaw the animals' departure and the Professor was taken away. I fail to recall where this was. Bill then worked as Bill Horne and in time married the Professor's widow, Ginny. They came to see us often at Jungleland. Upon retirement, they kept the remaining cats and got meat from us. Ginny worked for a Thousand Oaks vet, Dr. Humphries, and Bill got on Props at NBC.

21 July, 2006 15:37
24-HOUR-MAN said...

On the Texas Dates in Corpus Cristi, Texas. We were there with me Rigging & Trudy was doing Productions, after finishing the season with Gil Gray. I can't remember the year, possibly '60, or'61.

21 July, 2006 16:01
Anonymous said...

To roger s: Thank you for all the info on Bill Horne. How long did he work Professor Keller's animals? You knew Mabel Stark too, didn't you?

21 July, 2006 17:18
Anonymous said...

That's the time frame I was trying to remember. My first wife, Jungle Joy, and I met Bill and Ginny on Rudy Bros., in Lubbock, in early '65, just before we left for Thousand Oaks. Al Lapchak was their assistant. The Professor had been gone for some time by then.

21 July, 2006 17:33
Buckles said...

Al Lapchak, there's a voice from the grave. Didn't he work for Chet Juszyk?
For that matter, how are things with Chet? He and the Bert Pettus family were good friends and a very nice guy.

21 July, 2006 18:19
24-HOUR-MAN said...

I may be wrong but I think Al worked for Keller before Bill did, seems to me the first time I saw the act, it was Al & Tiny on the back side.

21 July, 2006 19:09
Anonymous said...

To Anonymous: I'm not sharp on how long Bill worked the Keller act, but the name remained Keller's Jungle Killers. Bill Strong remembers the Professor died in 1960 or '61, and I met Bill & Ginny in early '65. I'm not sure exactly when they retired from the road, but I think it was not long after Al was killed in the truck wreck in Colorado--circa 1970--I can nail this once I find his obit. I seem to hear Bill's voice telling me it was 15 years. To your 2nd question, yes, I remain very grateful that Mabel was my mentor over 3 1/2 years, and I consulted with her after her forced retirement until 3 days before her death.

To Buckles: I'm not sure if Al worked for Chet. I had not heard so. Chet and Jo are fine, enjoying retirement in Peoria, Arizona. Jo told me both are 76, but Jo sounds 20 on the phone. Chet is very hard of hearing now. And you bet, he is a great guy.

To 24-Hour Man: Right. Al had been, if I'm right, about the only full-time man the Professor had. Certainy the most lasting. Bill & Ginny inherited Al and depended heavily on him. Al was a valued and respected man on the same order as the indelible Bill Johnston.

21 July, 2006 21:04
Anonymous said...

If you can still find a copy of "Here Keller Train This" put out in the early 60s by Random House, it is George's autobiography that went to press right after his death. It says that Al was hired right out of the coal mines of Penna. It was my pleasure to work a season (1963)on the same show with the Keller act, Bill, Ginny and Al. All great people.

22 July, 2006 15:05

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