Saturday, May 13, 2006

Post card #3


"The St. Louis Zoo's performing chimpanzees not only ride bicycles and unicycles but they also ride ponies and drive battery-powered jeeps.
Here Nero, Oolie, Alice, Tony, Mary and Pancho line up with their mounts, flanked by trainers Mike Kostial and Ben Fridrich."
(Dated 1950)

Posted by Buckles at 5/13/2006 06:14:00 AM

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You knew I was going to jump on this one.

Mike Kostial, the trainer on the left, was the son of the Zoo's first lion trainer. His dad wanted him to have a trade so he went to school for commercial art and sign painting. That would explain the colorful backgrounds and props he came up with over the years. Great trainer and presenter of chimps. Ben Fridich (everyone pronounced it Fredericks) was with the show from about 1945 to 53. The unseen key man in the chimp show was Henry Ternes who worked with Leon Smith before Mike and with Mike until 1976. Great animal man, the Bill Johnston of the chimp show.

The chimp Nero was Mike's all-time favorite. He did everything -- taught himself to ride a unicycle.

13 May, 2006 07:50
Anonymous said...

From Eric:

In the early 1950's Castle Films produced a 10-minute short called CIRCUS AT THE ZOO, which consists of the entire St. Louis Zoo chimp act. It still amazes people whenever I show it.

13 May, 2006 12:34
Anonymous said...

Another tale from the St. Louis Zoo Chimp Show:

Just reread the postcard and saw the female names. From some time around 1960 and after they used only males in the show. I heard tales from Ben F. that in his days as the chimps got older the chimps mixed business with pleasure. As several chimps would ride the same pony, sometimes a male would breed one of the females during the show. When that happened the trainers could only let the pony take a few extra laps until everyone was ready to dismount.

13 May, 2006 18:35
Anonymous said...

I for one will be glad when "beth" is ready to dismount. She is one screwed up person.

18 May, 2006 15:42

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