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Published February 12, 2004 |
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Bainbridge's Clyde Beatty |
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Last Updated: 02/07/2010 |
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 My
wife is a black and white game show addict. During the night, when she
can't sleep, she often watches old reruns of What's My Line, I've Got A
Secret, etc. When she sees something that I may be interested in, she
will frequently record it for me. Last night she was watching a rerun of What's
My Line and the featured "Mr. X" turned out to be
Bainbridge's own Clyde Beatty. If you're too young to remember Clyde, he
was a renowned animal trainer who appeared in several movies and with the
Clyde Beatty-Cole Brothers Circus for many years. I did a little Internet
snooping and came up with the following information: (Your
remembrances are welcomed at clyde@highland-ohio.com.)
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| Clyde Beatty was a renowned circus owner and animal trainer known for his daring stunts involving wild beasts. He appeared in several adventure serials and feature films during the '30s, '40s and '50s. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide | ||||
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| Besides movies, Clyde Beatty also appeared in a series of radio programs aimed at children. Titles include: | ||||
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| Evidence exists that there was also a series of Clyde Beatty comic books. | ||||
| Clyde Beatty's son, Clyde Junior, has made a name for himself as a designer and builder of quality surf boards in California. To honor his father, several of his designs are named after dad or one of dad's cats. | ||||
 Clyde
Beatty Circus: The Clyde Beatty Circus was founded by Clyde Beatty
(1903-1965), an animal trainer. He formed his own circus in 1945 after
touring with several circuses including Hagenbeck-Wallace in his early
career. Beatty toured his circus in conjunction with Russell Brothers
Pan-Pacific Circus in 1946, then decided to open a show under his name
only. In 1956, the circus was sold to the Acme Circus Corporation, and
Beatty was hired as a star attraction. In 1957, the Acme Circus
Corporation acquired the Cole Bros. name and the show became Clyde
Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus. Beatty remained the star of the show until his
death in 1965.
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I found this email exchange (dated 7/3/03) about Beatty on an Internet
bulletin board.
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| The Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus still exists and has recently been the target of several animal rights activist groups. in August, 2003 they were the subject of a suit involving the expulsion of a protester from one of their shows in NYC. I'll let you decide how serious the charges are, but there exists a multitude of charges against the Cole Bros. circus, as well as most others who maintain troops of animals. | ||||
| Here's a bulletin board posting from a person who was an assistant to Clyde Beatty: | ||||
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Your list of Clyde's movies includes "The
Lost Jungle" twice, and omits "Ring of Fear" (1954), "Here Comes the
Circus" (1946) and "Cat College" (1940). Curiously, the Internet Movie
Database imdb.com only credits Clyde as technical advisor on "Ring of
Fear", although he gets top billing. Of little interest to the general public, Bro. Beatty was a freemason, initiated into Craftsman Lodge No. 521, Detroit. Trevor W. McKeown, GH, [ admin@freemasonry.bcy.ca ], 2007 |
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From:
Donaldwilldew@wmconnect.com Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 12:07 PM Subject: Armstrong-Beatty relationship Dear Sir: My Great Grandmother Myrtle (Cork) Armstrong, born and raised in Bainbridge, almost raised Clyde Beatty as a young man and was best friends with my Grandfather, Tom Armstrong in Bainbridge. After a long trip he would spend Sunday evenings with the family for dinner. My Mother (still alive and daughter of Tom) said he would take off his shirt and there was not a place on his back without a scar from claw marks. My Best Regards, Don Dewey, Saint Augustine, Florida. |
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From: Lori Badry [
mailto:lbadry@peru.k12.in.us ] Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2007 11:55 PM What are Clyde's ties to Peru, Indiana? |
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From: Bob Good [ mailto:goodcir@ptd.net
] Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2007 2:40 PM Subject: comic book I have one he gave me. There were definitely comic books. |
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I just found this website and decided I should tell a little about Clyde
Beatty. Roger Smith, Dave Price, and others knew my Dad and knew of his
close friendship with Clyde. He used to stay at out home in the 1950's
and 60's while showing in Allentown. It was always a great occasion to
have Clyde around.He was a peppy, upbeat type of guy when he was around
us. I was a teenager at that time and I used to bet on fights with
Clyde. He loved sports. My Dad became friends with Clyde in the 20's when he was on the Hagenbeck Wallece show. They were both the same age and Clyde enjoyed visiting my grandfather's drug store and eating ice cream. Harriet and Jane were both friends of my parents. I have a picture of Clyde holding me at about a year or so in the backyard of his show. That is the first show I ever saw so they say! If you would like more information perhaps from time to time I can tell some Clyde Beatty stories. Bob Good [ mailto:goodcir@ptd.net ] 2007 |
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Clyde was born in the home of Dr. John Little of Cynthiana. His mother was
a domestic worker. My wife, a granddaughter of Dr Little Jr., heard this
from her grand mother. Mother and child left shortly afterward. Your
picture of Clyde is a dead ringer for my father – in - law. John S Pelzer, 2007, [ John.S.Pelzer@usa.dupont.com ] |
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Hello,
I enjoyed seeing your website on Clyde Beatty. I hope you can clear up something from one of my earliest memories. My dad took me to see Clyde Beatty sometime between 1949 and 1953 in Tacoma, Washington. My memory is that he was attacked by one of his cats that day, bloodied a bit, but he got up to control the cat, get it through the gate and turned to take a bow before leaving for treatment. A couple of guys helped him by prodding the cat with poles, but he got up to resume control. Did this happen, or did I imagine it? I don't recall whether the lion or the tiger was the troublemaker. I was about 4 or 5. If you can clear up this mystery for me, I'd be most grateful. Sincerely, Bill Ransom, billransom@hotmail.com, http://www.sfwa.org/members/ransom 8/2/05 |
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Hello,
Clyde Beatty is the son of Margaret Beatty Tong, late of
Bainbridge, Ohio. My grandfather Charles Beatty Sr. was a brother to
Margaret. I spent many a time looking at pics of Clyde taken with his famous
cats at my Dad's Uncle Frank's house, Frank is Margaret &
Charles brother. Margaret was very secretive over who Clyde's father
was. Those in family who knew would never reveal his identity. I was
always proud to tell people that Clyde Beatty was my cousin. I have been
in correspondence with Mr. Smith who was his assistant, who stated he
was one of the finest men he ever the privilege of knowing. I do
remember meeting Clyde one time when I was a young girl growing up in
Greenfield., when he visited his Uncle Frank & Aunt Velma Beatty who
resided on Milburn St. If in my research of the Beatty family I turn up
any more info on Clyde Beatty I will gladly share it. Thanks.
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Karen Beatty Gander goose8@cox.net 2/13/04 |
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It was either 1947 or 1948. I was working at a radio station in
Billings, MT (my first job out of college) when the Clyde Beatty-Cole
Bros. Circus came to town. Since we were the local radio station most
visiting organizations came to the station for a publicity interview.
Since I was the announcer on duty that day the chore fell on me to
conduct the interview. Well, knowing of Clyde Beatty and being from
Greenfield I jumped at the chance. I met Clyde in the studio about 15
minutes before we were to go on the air just to get acquainted with one
another. And I asked him where he was from and he told me he was from
Chillicothe, Ohio. I looked at him and said that I thought he was from
Bainbridge and got a very startled reaction from him. I then told him I
was from Greenfield and we had a great interview then and there. We
discovered we mutually knew several families in the
Bainbridge-Greenfield area and I also told him that we were probably
very distant cousins. My Great-Grandmother (Maria Beatty McCann) was
from Bainbridge also. This episode is one of the many highlights in my
radio and television career and one I had cherished throughout the
years. Thanks for the article on Clyde Beatty. Robert McCann Zeeck
robzeeck@msn.com 2/13/04
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We published a full-length article on Clyde Beatty in the
July-August 2002 issue of Timeline, the Ohio Historical Society's
popular-history magazine. The article also features numerous
illustrations. For more information, contact timeline@ohiohistory.org
or visit the OHS Website: www.ohiohistory.org.
Christopher S. Duckworth, cduckwor@columbus.rr.com 2/28/04 |
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Hello and a question,
My name is Steve and I live in Santa Cruz California.
I can't tell you how impressed I was with your web page and quality of your research on Clyde Beatty.
I got to see his act and his circus 5-6 times in the late 50's and
early 60's at Palisades Amusement Park in NJ, near Manhattan.
I would like to share an anecdote that occurred, in a promotional
effort. It is very impressive.
In approximately 1956, Clyde's circus would perform on the parking lot of Palisades Amusement Park in the spring. It coincided with the Ringling Brothers Circus in Madison Sq. Garden in midtown Manhattan. In a publicity stunt, Palisades Amusement Park's PR guy connected with a publicity stunt: They had an elephant water ski (on pontoons, pulled by a high speed craft, and had a showgirl on its back) across the Hudson River to 42nd street and up to the George Washington Bridge.
I have interviewed the PR guy almost 12 times, he is 79 and at this
point, a warm friend. He was convinced it was 1956, and the date
was April 17, the opening day for Major League baseball. Well, in lieu
of him opening his records in storage, this is an incorrect date. Life
Magazine apparently bought the photo from International News Photos or
from the NY Daily Mirror.
I contacted the Bergen Record and every Life/Look magazine for 1956.
It is not this year.
Do you know anything about this water skiing elephant? Can you direct
me to someone who might pull out some archives on it or has a passion
for Clyde Beatty like we do?
I am most appreciative, I can share all the details for your web page
at any time.
I am in need of a date and a picture of it for my project. Thanks.
Steve Balbo, steven_balbo@hotmail.com
6/28/2004
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Hi,
I enjoyed your piece on Clyde Beatty. I was a circus billposter for nine years in my youth and spent four of those years on the advance of the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros Circus 1960-1963. I wonder if you might have seen our exhibit when my wife and I brought part of our Clyde Beatty collection to the Fall Festival of Leaves in Bainbridge five times (1978, 1979, 1984, 1986 and 1988)? I am attaching a couple of pictures of our little collection here at home. We wanted to move to Bainbridge years ago and open a museum but unfortunately neither of us could find a job near there. This was in the late 1970s when the area was very depressed. I am happy to see that you have Mr. Beatty's birth date correct. Many writers list it wrong, but I wrote his mother back in the 1950s and she said he was born June 10, 1903. But, he was born in Bainbridge rather than Chillicothe. The stories written about him often said Chillicothe, I assume because they thought most people wouldn't recognize the name Bainbridge. Anyway, thanks for the nice article. I like to see Mr. Beatty remembered; so many have forgotten him. Regards, Dave Price, 12/06/2004
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If you have anything to add about Clyde Beatty please email me at clyde@highland-ohio.com. |
