Thursday, November 06, 2008

Zoo Chimps #5 1950


Scan10916, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Posted by Buckles at 11/06/2008 06:18:00 AM

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The St. Louis Zoo had a Chimpanzee Show from 1925 until 1982. The 1950 postcards came from era when the show had two trainers, Mike Kostial and Ben Fridich (mis-spelled, we called him Fredricks). We few years later Mike would be the only trainer but Ben remained at the Zoo. One way Director Vierheller rewarded trainers was to let them sell postcards and other souvenirs. The chimp show always did great business because the chimp would hand you your purchase or give you change. In 1950 the show would have been presented in the moated arena behind the ape house. The chimps were kept in the ape house and moved to the arena through a tunnel under the seats. Mike told me about working big, 12 or 13 yr. old male chimps who could get excited going thought the tunnel after a day of shows. The chimps would run bouncing off the walls, Mike just hanging on to the their leashes hoping he wouldn't slip.

The chimps riding ponies came from the Leon Smith era. Leon added ponies and the well known table-catch finish (6 chimps,4 ponies, 2 tables). In 1976, Director Dick Schultz wanted Mike the change the show routine. (Mike had used the same basic routine for decades just changing the theme and a few feature tricks.) The revised show opened with the pony work, traditionally the finish. About six minutes into the show they did the "tables". As the last pony ran off stage the well-trained audience, recoginzing the finale, got up to leave. After a week, they changed the routine and finished the twenty minute show with the tables.

06 November, 2008 06:52
Wade G. Burck said...

Jim A.,
Great story. Thank you. The chimps ricocheting of the tunnel wall, had to be a treat for Mike to look forward to, at the end of each day.
Wade Burck

06 November, 2008 13:02

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