Monday, June 26, 2017

#10 The Big Cage


1 comments:

Roger Smith said...

Swede Johnson did this one-animal act with his great lion, Big Johnny. They were in Thousand Oaks for a time, and Benny Bennett had ample chance to appreciate this guy. He told me Big Johnny stood over 48 inches at the shoulder, and weighed in topping 800 pounds. In his later years, Swede clowned on the Ringling show, and I am among those who witnessed Charly Baumann seeking out Swede's wise counsel more than once. Johnson was the real thing, mentored in the Old School, and had the core knowledge even the brusque,arrogant Baumann respected.