Sunday, August 26, 2007

bob matthews


bob mathews, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Can anyone identify Mr. Matthews?

Posted by Buckles at 8/26/2007 06:01:00 AM

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

The one without the mane?
SR

28 August, 2007 06:37
Anonymous said...

Yes, I vaguely remember Bob Matthews having some lions and putting on shows at fairs,etc. I believe that Bob and "Sport" are one and the same person. How aqbout it?

28 August, 2007 09:23
Anonymous said...

I first met Sport Matthews when he had the single lion Big Pat on the back end of Gene Ledel Shows. The sides and end of his truck all folded down onto support pipes, creating a stage for his arena. His wife Alice announced, and his assistant was a burly guy named Irish. Sport was Bob's son. He had worked high acts in previous years. Sport died of a sudden heart attack at age 54.

Thankfully, I got to know Bob quite well. I was still breaking in at the Compound, and he was long retired, but he was a very friendly man full of great knowledge and encouragement. Benny Bennett had told me Bob's famed King Tuffy, like Swede Johnson's Big Johnny lion, also a wire-walker, went to 800 pounds and stood 48 inches at the shoulder. King Tuffy is credited with being the first wire-walking lion (in this country at least) premiering in 1925. Bob and Tuffy mostly worked vaudeville. I corresponded with him until a few weeks before his passing. Harry D. (Bob) Matthews died at 86 of heart failure, in Hollywood, California, on July 13, 1976.

28 August, 2007 17:13
Anonymous said...

Sport worked a 5-lion group trained by Dick McGraw. When Sport died, Dick took them back to work bookings for Sport's widow, Alice. Later, these were the first lions I worked as a group with Dick breaking me in. They were 15-year veterans by then, and plenty rugged--perfect to learn on.

31 August, 2007 03:05
Unknown said...

Bob "sport" Mathews was my great grand father. Do you need more info or other pictures. King Tuffy was used in the Movie Tarzan's Secret treasure in the Early 40's. My mom Scherry Mae mathews was his daughter.

29 May, 2010 17:01
scherry matthews said...

Hi there Sport Matthews was my father and bob matthews was my grandfather.i am scherry matthews,i have a brother named sport,matthews,

18 August, 2011 01:36
scherry matthews said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
18 August, 2011 04:58
Gena Tuttle said...

No he wasn’t. He was mine though.

17 August, 2021 23:07
Gena Tuttle said...

This was my mom

17 August, 2021 23:08

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