Saturday, February 08, 2020

PAT WHITE #12


Posted by Chic Silber at 2/08/2020 11:30:00 PM

5 comments:

Roger Smith said...

From other photos Pat sent me, I believe this was from the ill-fated contract she took with Brian Boswell. On his promise of her breaking the first act of all white lions, she left Circus Kinoshita in Japan, and the James Clubb act in which she co-starred. Upon entering South Africa, she almost failed her required immigration physical when the doctor discovered a heart condition. She was allowed her work visa, and began with Boswell in Kwa-Zulu, Natal. At once, she was badly disappointed. Her living conditions were almost threatening, her native assistants were all dying of AIDS, and the lions were not as described. Only 2 were semi-white, and the others were ordinary. They had been ill-kept, and were underweight with scruffy coats. She got out of the contract and returned to Cody, Wyoming. There, her mother died, and Pat moved to her final home in Ocala, Florida. Marcia Palacios told me she went to Pat's home when she didn't answer her phone, and found that Pat had died sitting in her easy chair. Her passing appeared to have been uneventful and peaceful. It was determined the lingering heart condition was the cause. See Pat's interview, along with mine, Trudy Strong's, and others, in the Leslie Zemeckis documentary, MABEL, MABEL, TIGER TRAINER.

09 February, 2020 17:42
Richard King said...

This is a very early picture of Pat at Jungle Larry's. She was probably in her early 20's. Chic cropped it a bit. It says Jungle Larry's African Safari on the bottom. Since Pat started with Jungle Larry doing chimps this must have been later in her time with him.

09 February, 2020 20:26
Chic Silber said...


Larry & Nancy Tetzlaff's park

is now the sweet kittle Naples Zoo

09 February, 2020 23:20
Roger Smith said...

I was never at Jungle Larry's, and thus did not recognize the location. Her photos from Africa had a similar background.

10 February, 2020 19:18
Wade G. Burck said...

This is what was called the "back arena." It was in a part of the park that was closed down and not open to the public. It was round and the arena in the safari used for shows was rectangle. I don't know how how much of this act got finished before Roy and Pat left the safari.

Wade Burck

13 February, 2020 21:43

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