Capt. Fritz Schultz--RBBB Circus 1944
I just received word from Stephanie Robinson that Capt. Fritz Schultz died this morning(Australia's morning). Capt. Schultz was one of the well known "Alfred Court trainers" I believe he was 99 years old or close to it. Capt. Schultz became well known in Australia later in his career, and I hope Steve Robinson and Jim Clubb are able to tell us more about this remarkable man. Rest easy, Capt.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Capt Fritz Schultz
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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Hi guys..
Fritz (my grandfather) passed away this morning around 7am.
We have arranged his service for this Friday (5th February) at 10am.
Newhaven Crematorium
21 Quinns Hill Road
Stapylton, QLD 4207
All are welcome. Please feel free to pass this information on to anyone who should know. you can contact me on 0405597999 for any other information.
thanks.
Chris Schulz
This was very sad news. He was the last of the "Alfred Court Trainers". He joined Court from Circus Sarasani on a recommendation by Max Stolle, where he had been presenting a group of 12 tigers. He took Court's best mixed group over from Louis Kovac (not to be confused with Harry Kovar). It consisted of six male lions, two tigers (one spare tiger), three leopards, three polar bears, two Himalayan black bears and two Great Dane dogs. Occasionally it included a jaguar as well, but this particular animal moved from group to group, so it is hard to keep track of it. It was in the Harry Kovar mixed group when they opened with RBBB, as Court took the leopards out of two of the groups to put into his mixed panther act.
By the time Schulz's act reached USA there were only two leopards working, as he lost one in 1939 when working for Knie. The Knie season was only short because of the threat of war, so the act moved to Circus Scott for the latter part of the year and then straight to USA in November. The assistant for the act was Joe Walsh who later took over one of the mixed groups. Walsh was also billed as Zappell.
The picture showing the sit-up was taken in 1939 in winter quarters. You can see a Himalayan bear standing up on the far right. This was Violetta. The other Himalayan bear that stood up next to her was killed in a fight upon arrival. The other bear was substituted by an American black bear, as they couldn't find any Himalayans in USA.
Schulz was inturned in 1943 and never returned to Court afterwards. He went to Australia to take over from May Kovar on her recommendation. She was working a group of male lions and was having problems and wanted out. Harry, her husband, had already died as a result of the Hartford fire.
The captain corresponded with me during the mid '80s when I started making my first big mixed group. He was a great help. He even contemplated coming over, but it never happened. I was planning to visit him this year, which is something I now wish I had done earlier.
Alfred Court had a very high regard for Schulz's work. He was impressed when the act had opened at Blackpool in 1938. He asked Schulz if he could try to train one of the tigers to roll over. By the time he returned it was already doing it in the show! In those days the roll over trick, just with one animal, was quite an achievement.
I intend to write a full obituary for the King Pole magazine in the UK. We will post this up on the blog www.jamieclubb.blogspot.com
My sympathies to the family of Capt. Schultz. A man of great accomplishments who led a storybook life.
Brings back memories of listening to Jules Jacot who worked his first cat act in 1911. The stories of circus life in an era most of us can barely imagine. Thanks to Jim Clubb, and others, for sharing their knowledge of the great trainers of the past.
My apologies. I wrote this off the cuff becasue I didn't think I would get another opportunity today to write it. Here are some corrections:
He worked for Knie in 1938 NOT '39. He was with Circus Scott in '39. He lost the leopard Lisha at Circus Scott, Sweden.
I have published more details in the corrected version on Jamie's blog.
Jim Clubb,
Thank you very much. It is appreciated and I was sure you would be the "go to guy" for any cage history.
Readers,
The site Jim refers to is his son Jamie's blog, of which there is a link on the right side of this blog. Highly recommend for brain exercise and stimulation.
Jim A.
The Corbett's, the Byrds, the Hillarys, the Martins, the Perkins, the Jacot's, the Shultzes were indeed from a mysterious, magical time. I watch some of the "scientific genius's", and "man conquering the wild" and other programs on Animal Planet very, very seldom. Each time I do, I envision Hagenbeck on a collecting safari, and I think, "you gotta be shitting me. These people really don't have a clue what "man against nature/man against beast is really all about.
Wade
Very sad news indeed. He was in his 100th year but mentally still as sharp as a tack.
However he told me late last year that he felt himself deteriorating and that he would not see his 100th birthday.
He had a profound effect on my life with animals. Although a trainer of the "old" school he was remarkably sensitive and intuitive. His knowledge of animal health was way ahead of it's time. Only a couple of years ago he successfully diagnosed and prescribed the treatment for a sick lionness that had the vets baffled. And he did it by phone from hundreds of kilometres away!
They don't make them like Captain Fritz W Schulz any more. RIP.
To Jim Clubb - - Thanks for the wonderful account of Schultz’s career. (or was it “Schulz” - -no”T”)
I had wondered how the American black bear got into the act. I knew there was no such animal among those that Court brought here from Europe.
I have seen photos of the spotted jaguar in the mixed act of larger animals - -not the leopard act.
As you may know Schultz was arrested by the FBI as an enemy alien. That happened on June 4, 1942 in Philadelphia during the RBBB stand there. Schultz was hoping to avoid such by going under the name Frederick Olson at the time. I do not know where he was interred. There were many such places (really concentration camps) scattered around the USA, many in remote locations.
The same thing happened to Erich Hagenbeck, Lorenz’s son. He had been with RBBB in 1940 as a sea lion trainer going under the name Eric Beck. He designed the new monkey island and barless hippo pools at Sarasota winter quarters. Employing the Hagenbeck-type zoo architecture, they were built in 1941 while the show was on the road.
Schulz - no "t".
I am Harry and Msy Kovar's Granddaughter.
Harry Kovar DID NOT die as a result of the Hartford Fire. May Kovar DID NOT leave Australia due to any type of problems.
PLEASE get the facts correct or do not post comments. Thank You
Hallo Chris,
ich möchte Dir und deiner Familie unser herzliches Beileid aussprechen.
Ich weiß nicht ob Du dich noch an mich und meine Familie erinnerst.
Ich heiße Sandra und bin die Tochter von Wilfried, dem Neffen von Deinem Opa.
Vielleicht hören wir uns ja mal?
Viele Grüße
Sandra
hi sandra.
you can email me at
chrstopher.schulz@uqconnect.edu.au
I remember Captain Fritz Schulz performing in the circus back in the 1950's when I was about ten years old and living in Angaston, South Australia. Our local butcher was also named Schulz. He was famous for his sausages, fritz, and mettwurst and everyone called him "Fritz Schulz". As a ten year old I was very impressed that a famous animal trainer had the same name as our butcher.
The Schulz butcher shop is still in business:
http://www.barossafinefoods.com.au/news.php?nid=62
I'm pleased to hear that Captain Fritz Schulz lived to such an age without too many health problems. Just hearing about him again has brought the memories flooding back.
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