Obviously this is the same act pictured below with Fritz Shulz, or at least they are the same props, except the lions are sitting on "boxes", and I don't know if there are any Great Danes in the act below with Fritz where the Polar bears are sitting off to the sides, instead of in back as we see in the "pyramid" pictures in the last thread, so we have to assume the bears are sitting just off camera in this photo, or are they out of the arena?
Monday, November 22, 2010
Alfred Court
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
2 comments:
This is not Schulz. This the Kovar act and I am absolutely sure it is Harry Kovar presenting it. Joe Walsh also worked it. The Schulz act didn't have any Great Danes. This act originally contained eight male lions, one tiger, two polar bears, two Himalayan bears, two leopards and two Great Danes. He took the leopards out and put them in the mixed panther act before they got to the USA. He replaced the leopards with a jaguar that remained in the act for definitely the first season, but I am not sure after that. I haven't done enough research on his time in the USA. That's actually harder to research than the European stuff for some reason. When this act got to Florida they added an American black bear and there was no tiger. The tiger never appeared in this act in the USA at all. In fact, this mixed group never contained tigers after it left Europe. This was mixed group number five.
Wade, I haven't got this picutre either. Can you send it to me in high resolution? Thank you.
Jim,
Thank you again. The Court acts are possibly some of the most confusing, hard to follow in the annuals of animal training. With the addition of one species, it becomes one persons act, and with the addition of another species, and the removal of one species, it becomes another persons act. Who's stuff is harder to research, Kovars? I am so looking forward to your book on the subject. I gotta speculate, taking nothing away from the achievements, that a lot of the myth or mystique was due to the "time." The war, escaping from tyranny to the States, the triumphant return, the press/greatness of Ringling at the time, etc. etc. all make for a sensational story, and press agents dream. I have heard more "Court" fact's whispered under the breath, then I think any animal trainer in history. John Cuneo has some dandies, being a part of the rarefied world of "high finance."
Did you get the Damoo I sent? I am hoping that you will reference my efforts in providing "research", while you are busy with the fun stuff, like training new acts, with a little something in the forward of your Court book. Nothing big, but I'm thinking something along these lines would be nice, "I, Jim Clubb am eternally grateful and indebted to America's Greatest Wild Animal Trainer, North Dakota's Own Wade Burck, for not only his help in the making of this book into a reality, but for his inspiration to me personally in my animal training career." Something like that would be nice, and Jamie can probably help with the proper wording and thoughts.
Be safe Jim,
Wade
Post a Comment