Clyde Beatty, born on June 10, 1903, in Bainbridge, Ohio, was a renowned big game hunter, lion tamer, and animal trainer who gained fame for his exceptional skills and bravery. He was the first lion tamer to be featured in a circus, and eventually, he became a circus impresario who owned his own show.
Beatty's remarkable "fighting act" showcased his courage and mastery over wild animals, including lions, tigers, pumas, and hyenas. He would enter the cage armed with a bull-whip and a pistol strapped to his hip, often facing a combination of 40 snarling, roaring, and caterwauling lions and tigers of both sexes.
Beatty's fame extended beyond the circus stage, as he appeared in films from the 1930s to the 1950s and on television until the 1960s. His "fighting act" became the paradigm of a lion tamer for over a generation.
In the 1930s, Beatty owned or allowed various circuses to bear his name. His own circus converted from a railroad to a truck operation in 1956 and added "Cole Bros." to its name in 1958, creating the "Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus." Although the circus has since dropped "Clyde Beatty" from its name, it remains one of the largest circuses in North America, rivaling only Ringling Bros.-Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Tragically, Beatty's name became synonymous with an era that came to an end in 2004 when the circus terminated its elephant act. This marked the end of an era that had lasted for over two centuries in North America, since Captain Jacob Crowninshield exhibited his two-year-old Indian pachyderm in New York in 1796.
Clyde Beatty, known as the "King of the Lion Tamers," passed away on July 19, 1965, at the age of 62 due to cancer. His grave at Forestlawn Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles features a fitting lion plaque, symbolizing his remarkable legacy.
