Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Blacaman #1 (From Eric Beheim)


Every so often, someone will submit a post that mentions Blacaman the “Hindu Animal Hypnotist” who appeared with Hagenbeck-Wallace during the late 1930s.

Posted by Buckles at 6/17/2014 05:24:00 AM

6 comments:

Harry Kingston said...

I remember reading something that in 1938 Cole Bros Clyde Beatty circus and Hagenbeck Wallace circus date and dated.
Clyde Beatty invited Balcaman to get in the cage with him and he would not do it.
He was just an indian fakeor.
Harry in Texas

17 June, 2014 07:27
Ole Whitey said...

When Billboard reviewed the show at the opening date in Indianapolis, they said of Blacaman, "Both acts (lions and crocodiles) are most astounding and went over big." Later in the season Blacaman proved to be difficult to handle and staged several one-man strikes.

Of course the show folded in late September with or without Blacaman's act and went into the old Barnes quarters, Blacaman's animals going to Goebel's.

It then came out that Don Harter of Wabash Valley Trust back in Peru had been dipping into the funds of Mrs Bert Bowers and a sister-in-law of Ben Wallace to keep the show afloat. Harter eventually went to prison over the affair.

17 June, 2014 14:46
Unknown said...

I wonder of Clyde ever invited Terrell Jacobs to join him with his cats in the big cage? Or if Jacobs ever invited Clyde to join HIM with his 50 lions? And if such invitations had been offered, would either man have accepted it?

17 June, 2014 17:42
JIM ELLIOTT said...

Interesting Whitey. What ever became of Blacman, himself?

17 June, 2014 19:07
Ole Whitey said...

Jim: I have no idea. I know he was on some European shows but I do not know if before or after his HW stint.

18 June, 2014 10:37
Paul Gutheil said...

According to one internet source he was an Italian from the region of Calabria and Blacaman, no surprise, was a derivation of black man.

19 June, 2014 13:55

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