Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Clyde Beatty Collection #1 (From Joey Ratliff)


FortLauderdaleZoo, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.


Here are three more photos from my ever growing
collection of the one and only Clyde Beatty plus one
of Harriett Beatty working her lioness act. Thank you
and enjoy.

Joey

Posted by Buckles at 4/23/2008 05:54:00 AM

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a great picture and it is before my time of seeing him. I note the mix of lions and tigers on their seats. I never saw him that way. as he always had tigers in center area and lions on the leaning on the cage seats. I believe I see one or two female lions, whuch would also be unusual and also a male lion as part of the sit up. Really nice photos.Thanks

23 April, 2008 08:50
Wade G. Burck said...

Johnny,
Is it the 3 cats sitting up on "pedestals" that is wow. I note that this is in Ft. Lauderdale towards the end of his brilliant career. I stand corrected, he was evolving into a "trainer". Originally he had the tigers in the center area as they were the only ones that would do something, like a roll over, similar to the great Pat Anthonys set up. They went out, the seat warming lions came down, bounced and went out. The females you are referencing, are they the two on the left, sitting there with their heads down, eyes closed, obviously getting comfortable sitting for a long time before they finally go out? I don't think they look ready to do the next behavior, do you? I'll see if I, or some of the readers from "across the water", can post a picture of Alex Lacey, just one example, sitting lions and tigers, males and females up on the floor, so we can see what the profession has advanced to. I am still waiting for an example of what high school has advanced to in the circus.
Wade Burck

23 April, 2008 12:11
Anonymous said...

You got it right Wade, except it was far from the end of his brilliant career. You bet he was the great Clyde Beatty and tune into the "Ring of Fear". It was just on cable the other night and see him in action. Be little him all you want but he was the guy and the name and he sold tickets. For thirty years in Detroit and letters on top of the building in lights, "Clyde Beatty In Person". Iwonder why they delayed the opening of the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus in the midwest so he could be the feature in Madison Sqare Garden and believe it or not he was anice guy.

23 April, 2008 13:58
Anonymous said...

To Wade; and to whom it may be of interest..

In seeing these photos reminded me of I believe Jim Cole recent comment that the public in seeing RBBB on leaving remarked that they enjoyed the "Lion trainer", even tho they had just seen only tigers and seems to be a common remark. Also interested animal people have remarked that it would be nice and probably a big success if someone would come out with a mixed group of nice Be3ngal Tigers and maned male African lions. The two most recognized specie of the Great Cats.

Now it occurs to me that with your wonderful ability as a trainer, your agility, your All American handsome look that you would be the ideal guy to do just that. Not a copy of Beatty, but use some of him, Lacey and others you admire. Some ten lions and ten tigers and the ideal wardrobe for you would be the cherished boots and britches you admire and of course the cork pith helmut that you could throw right before entering the big cage. A nicely trained routine, but certainly of the danger element, which can't be denied, so some good bouncing cats at various times. All done in a high tempo that seems the norm in entertainment today. Lots of drama and excitement, music, etc. Maybe, no gun, but the chair and whip would add greatly. You use a whip anyhow. No more Brassiere wardrobe and the cowboy from North Dakota would be PR at its highest level for American audiences. I am serious, believe me.

Now to the aspects of being workable. Acquisition of the cats and training time. Let's review Mr. Beatty. When Adkins and Terrel formed the Cole Bros. Circus and induced the star of Rinling owned Hagenbeck-Wallace to join them. Rinling would not sell him or them any of the cats in his act, so the show closed in late Oct. maybe early Nov. and Beatty having no cats of his own, scrounged around until he got some twenty or so cats, went into btraining in Rochester, Ind. winterquarters and opened as the feature in Detroit and the Shrine circuses until the Cole opening in April or May. Dick Flint would have all of those statistics, but the medea once again lauded Beatty for his wild animal mastery.

So, I am sure in a few months you could put this together, no sweat, and if Cuneo would not bankroll it I am sure you could do like Beatty, Terrel Jacobs or Pat Anthony and find an angel like Eddie Stinson, Frank Walters, Geore Hamid or Louie Stern. I am quite serious and believe America is ready for the all American Boy in the great cage and believe it would give those animal right idiots a new demension in there rantings and give the grat American Circus a rebirth that it needs. You could do it.

23 April, 2008 15:50
Anonymous said...

WB -- wasn't the purpose of your new blog to be a place to express your unending litany of opinions?
Or is your new blog not generating enough readers and that is why you also share your thoughts on Buckles Blog, the number one blog for circus?
Yes, sign me anonymous -- one of a great many.

23 April, 2008 16:27
Roger Smith said...

Beatty's Jungle Zoo operated from 1939 to 1945, and was hardly towards the end of his work. His brilliant career had another 20 years to go.

Roger Smith

23 April, 2008 16:27
Casey McCoy Cainan said...

20 cats =
2 diesel trucks @ $4.29 a gallon
250lbs of meat daily @ 35-45 cents a lbs.
2 grooms, which oddly enough is still pretty cheap.


I can't see any show spending the DO-RAY-MI for this kind of act, if one turns up though, I was born in the USA and am a fan of the whip and chair show.

23 April, 2008 18:22
Wade G. Burck said...

;

23 April, 2008 19:38
Wade G. Burck said...

Johnny,
I have never belittled him or what he did, and show me where I did. Belittling is what you do. Don't perceive debating with Henry Edgar on whether one or the other should be labeled a "Superstar" as belittling. It's measuring fact's, like deciding which quarterback had the best arm. I have asked questions to see why somebody thinks they way they do, what proof they have to confirm it, or to give me another point of view to look at. If somebody says that is something, and somebody else says what about this, that's not belittling, unless you want it to be. If somebody says here a picture of a horse walking on its hind legs, isn't it great, and somebody else says, heres a picture of 3 horses walking on their hind legs, thats not belittling, unless you want it to be. It called, what is the standard/measure of great. Otherwise it is just opinion, and as you, anonymous, and others with one, like to point out "every ass has one", myself included. But I will still look for that standard/measure that is as important as the keeping of records to validate the greatest, and not a phony Miss Congeniality contest. Let Miss America have that.
John, should we pull up the many posts where you tell people not to copy, be different? Oh now I see, we can only copy who John Herriott wants us to copy. Oh I see, if we don't use a gun it's not a copy. Why not use a gun John. It doesn't hurt, why would you want people to think that. Poor surfaces for horses, that does hurt. Why would you want people to think it doesn't? Lions, leopards, never caught my fancy. Worked with them, but they didn't excite me. Much like you like Saddlebreds as opposed to Arabs, so don't start that "you can't" Herriott. I don't recall anyone wishing for a big mixed act. Since Charlie and Gunther did so well with tigers, thats been the way to go. White tigers also helped that trend. Don't let anybody fool you John on one being tough then the other. They are not. No different then Saddlebreds and Arabs. Just depends on the personality/mentality of the person doing the training. Do you adjust your style/methods to adapt to the animal. Or do you think that a horse also has to "by God do it your way." If thats the case some people are more successful with certain breeds, horses and cats included.

Anonymous,
You misunderstand. Not for me, but for anybody who has an opinion as well as a name that they are proud of. And no censorship if you are that proud. Then if you have an ax to grind, you can expect it to get ground back.

Roger,
For a point of reference, when did the great Clyde's career start. Actual in the cage performing. Wasn't it with Polar Bears?
Thank you
Wade Burck

23 April, 2008 19:39
Wade G. Burck said...

Addendum to anonymous,
Our blog is not just about circus, that was never it's intention. You wouldn't know how many people were there unless you had access to our stat counter, that one of my skilled technicians arranged. According to the visitor count, and area it is very successful thank you. Don't just success by post, especially one that does not allow anonymous or "cute names". That way it will stay "no spin". Let them with no ax, read and decide for themselves. No advance publicity required.
Wade Burck

23 April, 2008 20:55
Wade G. Burck said...

Casey,
What kind of meat are we going to feed this act? I currently feed 400 lbs to 16 cats. We are going to be using an "angels" nickle, so go ahead and increase their food, and work it into the final tally. Ask Curator, he's good at that, if you have any questions. LOL
Wade Burcl

23 April, 2008 23:34
Anonymous said...

Quite frankly....I've never had a "Angel"....However, if one studies How Irvin Worked the Mattel Corp.....One would be more than prepared to properly "Deal" with one..or perhaps convince Johnny Frazier to write a tell-all book....I'd suspect he was a Grand Champion......The Curator (Business Skills for the New Millineum)

24 April, 2008 00:12
Anonymous said...

Does it really matter if Clyde Beatty trained or just presented? Just the fact that people are still knocking him or defending him in 2008 means that the guy did do something.
Will people still be talking about W.G.B. 50 years from now, thats what you should be asking yourself in the mirror!

25 April, 2008 11:50

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