| By the mid-1920s, Frank Buck’s name was well known to circus owners and zoo directors, but not to the general public. One night in Singapore, he met former war correspondent Floyd Gibbons, who was so fascinated by Buck’s occupation of capturing wild animals alive that he offered to help him write a book about his experiences. By the time Buck was ready to start work, however, Gibbons’ career as a radio news commentator had taken off and he was too busy. Buck eventually ended up collaborating with Edward Anthony (who would later collaborate with Clyde Beatty on THE BIG CAGE and FACING THE BIG CATS.) When BRING ‘EM BACK ALIVE was finally published in 1930, it became an immediate best seller and it’s catchy title forever became associated with Frank Buck. |
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Bring 'Em Back Alive: The Book (Frm Eric Beheim)
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2 comments:
The genre that Buck and communication-oriented associates started, or perpetuated, seems to be parallel to Buffalo Bill and the Ned Buntline dime novels. And it likely goes way back before then in another manifestation of man versus a challenge in nature who was then aggrandized for his exploits; like Hercules and the Nemean lion in mythology and Biblical figures. It's a larger than life figure coming out of some wild territory, taming it and bringing it back before "civilization." We still have it today with the late Crocodile Hunter's exploits, YouTube and Animal Planet coverage of animal fights to the death and so on. And yes, there's still "staged" activity for the camera. Wait until there's the first "real" conflict between a human and an alien. In Buck's own time there were all sorts of spin offs, including the Beatty saga, and King Kong, which set the stage for "The Terror," aka "Gargantua," aka "Buddy."
WAIT FOR THE BIG ONE...WELL 4 LITTLE ONES ACTUALLY.
I FOUND MY FRANK BUCK TRADING CARDS AND HOPE TO HAVE 4 OF THE GROUP TO YOU TODAY.
PAUL G.
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