Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-20
ITSEASY ENOUGH
TO HANDLE LIONS
YOU KNOW 'EM

uOW do they do It?
l. You see the Century lions per-
forming their bit N comedy-dashing
through the Railways Of houses. chasing
the actors. scrambling into the bathtub
and even into the bed for these are
up TO date farces-end vet couple Of
weeks later you behold the human be-
ings who appear with them in new pic
lures. safe and sound. without even a
scratch. Is It trick! How do they
get by?
The real answer Ia knowledge Of
lion temperament. For each big cat il
a separate personality. and the trainer 5
safety. as we'll as that of the actor,
depends on his knowledge OF what Bru-
tus will do and what Ethel and Caesar
will do. given a certain incentive, for
the king Of beasts has n single-track
mind, and, unlike the tiger and the
panther, may be trusted to act true to
form.
For instance. there are running and
jumping lions. A jumping lion may
be trusted - show the exuberance Of
his feelings BY an occasional leap. but
a running lion never. If your director $
idea of comedy * that you be chased
By roaring. snarling brute. it is much
safer TO be followed by one who keeps
his four paws on the ground than an
other that goes sailing UP In the air
after you when the trapdOor doesn T
! ork and you take refuge by climbing
something high.
Speaking of exits. you can be as.
sured that here is one thing in which
expense Is not considered. There are
plenty OF them in each set, and behind
each exit stands an attendant with q
pistol and his hand on the door ready
to open or shut II on an instant's no.
uce.
People who work with lions get CAL
lous. They shed their first nervousness
hen they learn that they can depend
on the mental processes Of the beasts.
.ON THE rare occasions when acct
" dents do happen it Is with new
animals, whose temperament has not
been studied sufficiently.
For instance, II looks simply ter
rife for SNOWFALL, the darby comedian.
70 let Brutus the lion spring at the
seat OF his trousers while he .clings.
apparently terror stricken, to the top
OF door. Terrific. II you don't know
BNtus.
That clumsy animal can never make
his first jump successfully. He can be
relied on for two attempts. But the
third leap, when Brutus successfully
goes over the top. SNOWFALL won't be
there
The question Is often asked; Do
the lions have all their teeth and
claws? They certainly have. and dem
lists take good care that they Esep all
the grinders which nature gave thom.
A toothless hon, like a toothless hu'
man, would soon die of indigestion,
and his temper would be stormy.
An instance OF a ions single track
mind is his habit of running in a
straight line, as rule, when urged
from the rear by the keepers with
their blank cartridges and prongs.
You will notice that the lions, when
they jump into tank Of water--which
they hate and only because they are
heing strongly urged from behind-dash
In direct line. The same thing hap
pens when they are worked in other
sets
Sometimes beginner--a girls
seated Mt a typewriter. let us say, near
door. She is not thinking Of lions,
or she would shake so that she would
spoil the film. She does not dream they
are anywhere near her.
Suddenly a trapdoor Is opened on
the other side OF the doorway, Blam I