Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
A Blog designed for discussion of topics related to, but not limited to, Circus, Zoos, Animal Training, and Animal Welfare/Husbandry. Sometimes opening up the dialog is the best starting point of all. And if for nothing else when people who agree and don't agree, get together and start discussing it, it will open up a lot of peoples minds. Debate and discussion even amongst themselves opens a window where there wasn't one before.
The Circus "NO SPIN ZONE"
Relevent Stops On The Information Highway
- Custom Motorcycle Accessories by Ian
- Bob Cline's Sawdust and Spangles
- Buckles Blog
- Christophe Roullin Circus News
- Gary Robinsons Circus Blog
- Jamie Clubbs Blog
- Marco Kristens Circus Williams
- Ryan Easley's ShowMe Elephants
- Showbiz Daves Blog
- The Bartlett Society
- Thomas Bohners Cage Act History
- World of Dancing Horses
Manure Pile/Post Archive
Consultants
Wade G Burck
Adam R Burck
Eric G Burck
Adam R Burck
Eric G Burck
Posts
15 comments:
I have a feeling that this is Olga Smart (wife of the late David Smart) and mother of Yasmine Smart. If my memory serves me correctly, Olga rehearsed the lion act for a Xmas season at Earl's Court, the press photos were taken, but she never actually presented the act in public.
John M.,
Thank you. I don't understand how she can present an act for a Christmas season, but not present it to the public? Was the Christmas show not for the public? Why did she not present the act any more? I heard last week from a mate over in England, (not my real mate JC. He kept it quite) that Jasmine Smart is going to be with the Great British Circus this year. Is she doing a liberty act? Also, I hear the GBC now has a white tiger. Any idea where they got it from?
Wade
Since writing the first comment, I've had more time to check the facts. Smart's 10 lions (originally trained by Nicolai and billed at the time, as Britain’s biggest, cage act) were booked to appear at the first, Jack Hylton's, Earls Court Circus (in London) for the Winter, Xmas season of 1952/53. The Smarts also provided horses and elephants for the show. The original intention was for 25 year old, Olga Smart (who was noted for aerial and wire work) to present some of the lions; and posed with the group for publicity purposes. This photograph was taken at the time and was also included on a full page in the printed programme. The caption for the photo, mentions that Olga was involved in the training and rehearsals for the act; and soon hoped to make her public debut with the lions. I suspect there was some incident or other with the cats during rehearsals; which prompted Olga’s husband, David (or so the story goes) to prevent his wife from further appearing in the big cage. As a result, the German trainer Tromba was actually engaged to present ten of them in the Xmas season.
The book, “Spinners of the Big Top” by Pamela Macgregor-Morris (based on the story of the Billy Smart Show) has the following information :
“Olga is no longer permitted to swing from trapezes and walk on threads of wire, but she was once to have presented a group of 6 lions at Earls Court during the Christmas season. She rehearsed the act in shirt and riding breeches, and her leonine charges behaved immaculately. For the show itself, however, wishing to cut a more glamorous figure, she had a wide-skirted dress of gold lame specially made for the occasion. It nearly cost her, her life too, for the lions took fright from the centre of the cage. One of them attacked her, and she only just managed to get out of the cage in time……”
John M.
Thank you. Great, typical circus story. Starts with 10 lions trained by one person, attempted to be presented by another less qualified, a problem arises, and it is then 6 presented by yet a third person. Appeared then didn't appear, then did appear. Given all the fact's you can reach anywhere from 7 to 10 conclusions, all of which would seem factual. LOl
Wade
Wade, who was Jack Hylton? I ask because two very early outcrosses to the white tigers were named Jack and Hylton. Bharat (daughter of Ramana and Kesari) was mated to Jack, and their daughter Kanchana was mated to Hylton. Nothing is known of Jack and Hylton, but they are not known to be of the Sioux Falls line. If anyone else can answer this, it would be appreciated also. Thank you.
Mary Ann
Mary Ann,
I have no idea, and have never heard the name.
Wade
Jack Hylton was a British impressario who presented the occasional circus, particularly in London over the Christmas period.
Mary Ann,
See, I told you. You are going to find either the Brit's did it first, or they did it better then anyone else ever dreamed of doing it.
Wade
John,
I am a bit miffed that you kept the news of Yasmine quite!!!! A bit of a healthy competition is good for all. I don't know why you felt you needed a head start?
Wade
John, thank you for answering the question of who Jack Hylton is.
Wade, Kitra at Omaha is the granddaughter of Hylton and Kanchana, and is the only descendant of Mohini that we have seen who is not also descended from Tony.
Mary Ann
This act inspired me to train male lions. It was one of the first acts I saw as a boy. Smart's bought three males and one female from Chipperfield's in 1947. They were presented by Yank Miller. The following year Nicolai took them over. He was an experienced Greek trainer who came originally from Court and had worked for Mills during and after the war. Smart's bought an additional five lions from Albert Jeserich's Circus upon its closure in 1952. They were trained by Harder Johnson, the half brother of Trevor Bale. The act was often billed as 10 male lions, but I am sure it only ever contained eight. These five and the Chipperfield three minus the lioness. Charles Illeneb took the act over in 1954 and was serious mauled by Caesar in 1955, Friday 13October at Blackheath Common, London. He lived and was back working them the following year. I saw the act in 1960 when there were only six left, which was the last year that they worked.
The comments regarding Olga Smart working them are all correct, including the bit about the lions not liking her costume. This is what was written in the book and also was confirmed by her daughter, Yasmin to me quite recently. I've always been interested in this act and its trainers.
Jim,
Great stuff. That is why given the lack of "proof" other then written words, photos or other forms of validation are so important. Did they pose with the animals or did they actually work the act, for how long, and what did it do etc. etc.
You raised a couple of points that I have always been interest in. Nationalities and a particular act. You mention an individual as being from Greece. Given that there were more opportunities to practice the craft in other countries, I wonder how many folks have been credited with being "French" "German", "Swiss", "British", "Spanish" etc, given that is the country they were working in. I got an email last week from a fan in Croatia who expressed surprise upon finding out that I was American. They had always assumed/thought I was from England. Sometimes like riding instructors, individuals may reference Gueriniere, D'Aure, Baucher, Olivera, or an Ostemeir as being influential to them, but they have then developed their own "riding style" which is not defined by a Nationality. Longer leg, active leg, etc. etc. Yet our profession has only been defined with the wrong term, "European/American style." I have always seen it as an influence of different philosophies/training styles with our own style of presentation.
The other interesting point of which an interesting book could be written, is the fame of an act, as opposed to the people who may have worked with/presented it. Many time's the actual act/animals fame surpasses that of the trainers/presenters and has more antidotes/jackpots connected with it then the people. Example your mixed act, or the first Hawthorn White Tiger act or some of the Klant and Richard acts. Private acts with one presenter, as opposed to "house acts" which may have a number of presenters tend to achieve "mythical" proportions. Martin Lacey Jr. introduced me to a young trainer a few years ago in Romania. Upon hearing my name he said, "oh, you are the guy that Marcel Peters taught to work the first white tiger act, with the white killer named Tommy!!!" Martin started to correct the "jackpot" this young man had been told, but I said it was all right, and I corrected the young man by telling him, that "the tigers name was Tony, not Tommy and that yes, he was difficult and had been dead for 17 years." LOL
Wade
As far as I can remember they made a pyramid just sitting there with Illeneb sat on a chair with his back to them. The top mounter, Caesar, was on a pedestal linking the two high props. It wasn't fitted properly when the accident happened and he struck out at the trainer and fell on him. Two others joined in and nobody went in to help until they called Walter Milder the groom who saved his life.
After the first pyramid two lions stood side by side with the fire hoop between and another lion jumped. This was followed by a double hand-held hoop. One lion walking along an elevated bar and stopping between two low props and the trainer then getting on his back. They then made a stretch pyramid with the top mounter sitting up and two lions on low props in the front sitting up. In the early days they did a lay-down and five went out. One then walked on his hind legs forwards and two stretched up the cage before they left. This was to allow the first five who really didn't mix with the other to back down the tunnel.
As I said before, when I saw it there were only six. The top mounter was missing. It wasn't a great act trick-wise, but for a young boy watching a cage full of maned lions it was tremendous. To this day I've always favoured male lions and polar bears, both of which I have probably had the most experience. Tigers are my least favourite and I do have a fondness for the small cats. I was counting up the other day and I think I have probably trained nearly 300 big cats and bears over my short career of 38 years in the cage.
Jim,
Great stuff again. Here's another subject Jamie needs to get busy one, the animal/zoo people of the post war generation who witnessed thing's animal training/zoo handling, which has now become pc incorrect, that put a passion/taste in their mouth for animals that can't be swallowed or regurgitated dozens of years later. The Buck's, the Jungle Larry's, the Perkins, the Attenborough's, the BBC etc. had an impact with future animal people, that is not available today. Unlike you I never saw a circus until 1974 when I saw GGW and my early passion revolved around zoo keeping. As he and Charlie, with their tigers were the fashion of the time, it may explain my preference to tigers.
My hobby is tropical fish and aquariums, at one time having up to 8 55 gal. tanks set up. What gave us that affliction? LOL
In recalling your extensive and successful career with felines, is that the number you have trained or the one's that you trained and nobody else could work with. My list is quite extensive, if I add that intangible to it.
Wade
never seen this photograph before. These lions can be seen in a cinema circus film (filmed on Billy Smart`s)
I am interested to know why Jim Clubb prefers MALE LIONS, POLAR BEARS and and smaller cats to TIGERS. I first saw him with `crocodiles` (alligators)
Post a Comment