Sunday, July 27, 2014

From Buckles


"Tusko" and Arky Scott at Jungleland.

This is the elephant used in the Circus Boy Series. Roger Smith would know all the details.

Posted by Buckles at 7/27/2014 02:08:00 PM

7 comments:

Bill Schreiber said...

Is this the Tusko that died during an LSD experiment conducted at an Oklahoma zoo back in the 1960s or 1970s?

27 July, 2014 17:31
Ryan Easley said...

If Roger chimes in, I would love to know the history of the actual elephants names Bimbo from Junglekand. I believe there were two ? Maybe one went to the Marine World / Africa USA and the other to Geraldine Mosley / later George Carden ? Please help fill in the blanks here :)

27 July, 2014 17:36
Ole Whitey said...

I think Larry Carden later had the Circus Boy elephant, and maybe Bobby Gibbs had her at one time.

27 July, 2014 18:39
Unknown said...

Percy Turner told me that Arky Scott and this elephant appeared on the little circus he took out back around 1958-59.

27 July, 2014 23:05
Roger Smith said...

RYAN: Tusko may have been cast as Bimbo for this 49-episode show, produced and first aired from '56 to '57. I cannot verify this. Our Jungleland herd of 7, in my time there, 1965 to the bitter end of 1969, included the volatile Betty, Boon, Jewel, Marie, Topsy, Taffy, and Bimbo. As we know about film and TV shoots, everything possible is backed up so production is not stalled by the unforeseen. IMDb credits Bimbo for 48 of the 49 episodes. In my conversations with Arky, Tusko was not mentioned. He spoke of Jungleland's true Bimbo as the lead elephant, with either Topsy or Taffy on set or location, standing by. Arky worked all episodes requiring the elephant, but is not credited by IMDb. After our auction, taking place October 8 & 9, 1969, I had scant information about the dispersal of the herd. Others may have better history. We did hear Betty was bought for an attraction at a car dealership, but no elephant man went with her. She wranged up early on, and what happened with her I did not learn. Special credit goes to my late friend, fellow Jungleland veteran Randy Runyon, for correct listings of our mid-to-late 1960s herd. If you scroll IMDb's "Full cast & crew" roster, you'll understand my surprise at the absence of Parley Baer.

28 July, 2014 03:45
Ryan Easley said...

Thank you Roger. Can you tell me anything about this "Boon" elephant ? The only record I have on this animal is a listing as "Bloom" in a 1969 Amusement Business census.

1969 - Jungleland, Thousand Oaks, Calif. ( Betty, Bimbo, Taffy, Topsy, Little Marie, Jewel, Bloom; Trainers: Wally Ross, Hank Craig, George Young, Don McClennan )

28 July, 2014 18:27
Roger Smith said...

RYAN: Bloom is a misspelling. In the auction manifest, she is correctly listed as Boon. When Arky died, on April 11,1968, our elephant barn came under the full supervision of his assistant, George A. Young. Hank Craig, a good friend, in his prime was a top chimp trainer. During his Jungleland years, with Henry Tyndall staging the chimp acts, Hank concentrated on pony drills and other hay stock for movies. It is not surprising that Don McLennon got his name in AB, but he had nothing whatever to do with our elephants. Wally Ross sometimes worked either Topsy or Taffy as singles in our Stage Arena shows, but these elephants were normally shown by George Young, who also ran the elephant ride. George was seldom given due credit for being a successful natural when he succeeded Arky Scott.

29 July, 2014 18:57

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