Clyde Beatty biography
Clyde Beatty, in full Clyde Raymond Beatty, (born June 10, 1903, Bainbridge, Ohio, U.S.—died July 19, 1965, Ventura, California), American wild animal coach recognized for his “fighting act,” designed to indicate his braveness and mastery of the ferocious animals below his management. In one of many most-daring acts in circus historical past, he blended 40 lions and tigers of each sexes. He additionally used harmful combos of tigers, lions, leopards, pumas, hyenas, and bears.
Beatty left dwelling at age 18 to affix the circus, in his case Howe’s Great London and Van Amburgh’s Wild Animal Circus, for which he took a job as a circus cage attendant. A 12 months later he had the chance to work with polar bears and to study from Peter Taylor, one of many nice big-cat trainers of the period. From 1925 via 1934 Beatty toured with the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus, dealing with each polar bears and large cats. It was for Hagenbeck in 1930 that he designed his best-known act and skilled 40 lions and tigers for it. From 1931 via 1934 he appeared with the mixed Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in its New York City and Boston appearances. His act was billed because the “sensation of the century, greatest and most daring wild animal act ever presented.” He returned to Hagenbeck for the remainder of the season. He additionally carried out with the Cole Bros. circus from 1935 via 1938. From 1936 to 1945 Beatty operated the Clyde Beatty Jungle Zoo close to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Beatty bought a circus in 1945 that in 1958 purchased the Cole Bros. identify and shaped the Clyde Beatty–Cole Bros. Circus, which was the biggest tent present on the highway within the United States at the moment.
In addition to his circus work, Beatty was lively in lots of different fields. He appeared in a number of movement footage—together with The Big Cage (1933, primarily based on his personal guide by that identify), Darkest Africa (1936, a 15-episode collection), Africa Screams (1949, with Abbott and Costello), Perils of the Jungle (1953), and Ring of Fear (1954, that includes thriller author Mickey Spillane)—in all of which he performed himself and revealed what made him such a well-liked determine. A compelling 52-episode radio program referred to as The Clyde Beatty Show aired from December 11, 1950, to January 18, 1952. The program—voiced by actors—was centred on Beatty’s profession, and a few of its episodes have been primarily based on real-life occasions. Books by Beatty embody The Big Cage (1933; with Edward Anthony), Jungle Performers (1941; with Earl Wilson), and Facing the Big Cats: My World of Lions and Tigers (1965; with Edward Anthony).