Do You Know Who She Is?
Posted By thecircusblog on June 10, 2009
She was a famous circus personality and performer…..can you name her?
THANKS AGAIN MARGARET
It is Lillian Leitzel photo taken in 1925.
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W.S. Horne……………I. S. Horne
Posted By thecircusblog on June 10, 2009
It just seems like it was just yesterday when I saw Mr. Horne driving around Thousand Oaks in his car. From left to right: I.S. Horne with a friend, Bimbo the elephant and an orangutan on the neck of Bimbo and of course his car….a brand new Nash Rambler. The photo was taken in the parking lot of the World Jungle Compound. Front gate is behind camera. I wonder what is the significance of the car?
Great comment from Steve Fleet regarding Trader Horne’s animal factory.
Please se correction on Mr. Horne’s name done by Christy.
Isaac Sherman Horne.
Horne with his Orangutan
Posted By thecircusblog on June 10, 2009
W.S. Horne was always eager to show off his new animals. This orangutan is a new import from the island of Borneo in southeast Asia . Orangutan translates to ” people of the forest”.
OO-MOO-LOO
Posted By thecircusblog on June 10, 2009
OO-MOO-LOO is the name of the elephant, Her name is in the Swahili the language of Bantu. The World Jungle Compound was always donating the use of their animals for parades, grand openings and whatever would give them good promo. They were always in the eyes of the community.
The Movie Trader Horne
Posted By thecircusblog on June 6, 2009
“In 1928, the book Trader Horn was written by Alfred Al0ysius Horn”, Etheldreda Lewis editor. The story is about Africa, it’s beauty and it’s danger. The book was written so well that M.G.M studios bought the rights to it and in 1931 and made the movie Trader Horn. The photo here is an actual still from the movie. From left to right the stars are Duncan Renaldo, known as the Cisco Kid, Edwina Booth who made a few more movies and Harry Carey who became a very famous actor. The motion picture was a big hit which inspired the late W.S. Horne nick named “Trader” of the World Jungle Compound at Thousand Oaks, Calif. He was frequently asked if he was Trader Horn from the movie. He would never really answer…. just a little nod because after all he did buy sell and…. trade…. animals at the compound. The movie was factious but W.S. Trader Horne brought it to life at the World Jungle Compound.
The Flying Alexanders
Posted By thecircusblog on June 4, 2009
Fay Alexander appeared on the Ed Sullivan “Entertainer of the Year” award show where he accepted the award of “Circus Act of the Year”. Here is what I know about Fay Alexander. I first met Fay while doing a motion picture called Jumbo. Both Fay and I were doubling for the stars Martha Rae, Doris Day, Stephen Boyd, and Jimmy Durante. I as well played myself doing Iron Jaw and Trapeze. There were many other circus performers in the production of Jumbo. It was quite common for the studios to hire circus performers for the movies that pertained to our business, rather than other stunt men. Fay did many motion pictures including The Greatest Show on Earth in which he doubled for Cornel Wilde in 1951 and Trapeze, doubling for Tony Curtis in 1955. InThe Big Circus he did stunts for Gilbert Roland in 1959. Dad and I did a few shows with Fay when he was doing his comedy “Funny Ford”. “Lemon Zene”an old Model T was used in the act. I have to say, the act was filled with comedy. I only saw one other act such as this and that was with George Perkins in “Perkie’s Perk Up Ford”. It is said that Fay got his first start in the circus with Ted Dewayne. Ted helped many circus performers in his time. Read Comment.
Introducing The Flying Alexanders
Posted By thecircusblog on June 4, 2009
Fay Alexander never thought that he couldn’t do a triple somersault, He just did it. There is no question that it took hard work and days of practice. As they say no pain no gain. Fay Alexander left his mark in the annals of circus history.
Arkie, Tony and May
Posted By thecircusblog on June 4, 2009
From left to right, Tony Scott, Arkie’s wife, Eugene” Arkie”Scott and May Kovar. The elephant is Bimbo owned by Jungleland and trained by Arky. My first meeting with Arkie was at Jungleland in 1955. I was totally impressed with his manor in the arena , He was a no nonsense trainer and carried himself with the circus military attitude that is synonymous with an old school performer. He and Tony had two sons Pat and Mike. I saw them a few times around the compound but then lost track of them. May Kovar’s mother May Kovar senior and Father Harry Kovar, were both trainers of lions and leopards. May later carried on the family tradition by training a beautiful black panther act. She later gave it up to raise three great kids David, Irena,and Jackie.
Louie, Paul and Louis
Posted By thecircusblog on June 3, 2009
From left to right…….. Louie Goebel, owner of Goebel’s Lion Farm, Paul Hoefler, wild animal trainer and Louie Roth, Mr Goebel’s head trainer at the lion farm. Here are some little known facts: Louis Roth was tutored in the skills of wild animal training by Jack Bonadita, an Italian. He trained lions and bears and was considered one of the finest trainers of his time ….but that did not keep him from being killed by one of his polar bears. Jack Bonadita got his animal training expertise in the early 1900’s from an English wild animal trainer named Frank Bostock. These men all tried to out do each other and more often than not, did. This attitude has not changed to this day. Bigger arenas, more lions, mixed groups of animal still compete in the circus world. This attitude is what made those trainers great then and the animal trainers of today that follow in their footsteps great today.
Louie Goebel and Friend
Posted By thecircusblog on June 3, 2009
This picture was taken when Louie first started his Lion Farm long before World Jungle Compound or Jungleland was created. Louie is seen here proudly holding one of his lions. His farm was located in Thousand Oaks , Calif. Late 1930’s.
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