Abstract
In 1925 the Bertram Mills Circus (BMC) transported Captain Alfred (Schneider) and his 70 lions from Paris to London for their Christmas season by train, boat and, in a publicity gimmick, plane, as if arriving from Africa (Mills 1967: 35, 41). The Captain Alfred act was known for its large quantity of placid lions and for Schneider’s comic asides. During the twentieth century lion performers were increasingly born in captivity, yet the allure of a trained wild animal act in the circus arose in part from its capacity to evoke fantasies of adventure in exotic places.
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© 2011 Peta Tait
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Tait, P. (2011). The Lion Roars from a Pedestal. In: Wild and Dangerous Performances. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230354012_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230354012_3
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-31961-9
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-35401-2
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