Gebel-Williams, Gunther

Gebel-Williams, Gunther
▪ 2002

      German-born American circus animal trainer (b. Sept. 12, 1934, Schweidnitz, Ger. [now Swidnica, Pol.]—d. July 19, 2001, Venice, Fla.), was one of the most celebrated circus entertainers in history. As animal trainer for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, he was particularly known for his work with big cats; among other feats, he trained lions to ride on the backs of elephants, taught leopards and tigers to jump through flaming hoops, and wrapped panthers around his neck and shoulders. His act also included horses, zebras, camels, and llamas. After beginning his career in a Munich-based circus, Gebel-Williams made his American debut in 1969. The star performer of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus for the following 22 years, he appeared in some 12,000 shows. An autobiography, Untamed, was published in 1991.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Gunther Gebel-Williams — (September 12, 1934 July 19, 2001) was an animal trainer for Ringling Bros. and Barnum Bailey Circus.Early lifeGebel was born in Schweidnitz, Lower Silesia, Germany. As a child he and his mother became refugees when the communists took over… …   Wikipedia

  • Circus Williams — Le Cirque Williams est un cirque allemand resté célèbre dans l histoire du cirque pour avoir été : l un des 3 partenaires (espagnol, allemand et italien) du Circo Americo, popularisé en France sous l enseigne American circus, à l origine de… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Lion taming — Infobox Occupation name= Lion tamer caption= 19th century etching of a lion tamer official names= type= Performing arts activity sector= Entertainment, show business competencies= formation= employment field= Circus related occupation= Animal… …   Wikipedia

  • V.I.P.-Schaukel — Seriendaten Originaltitel V.I.P. Schaukel Produktionsland Deutschland …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Świdnica — For the village of the same name, see Świdnica, Lubusz Voivodeship. Świdnica Old town …   Wikipedia

  • Animal training — Infobox Occupation name= Animal trainer caption= Early 20th Century animal trainer and a leopard. official names= animal trainer type= performing arts activity sector= social science, busking, circus, show business competencies= skills, manual… …   Wikipedia

  • Swidnica — Świdnica …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Domptage — d un léopard durant le début du 20e siècle. Le domptage se réfère aux réponses spécifiques d animaux sauvages entraînés à l obéissance humaine. Il sert, en règle général, à des actes notamment protecteurs ou de divertissement. Plusieurs termes… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • circus — circusy, adj. /serr keuhs/, n., pl. circuses. 1. a large public entertainment, typically presented in one or more very large tents or in an outdoor or indoor arena, featuring exhibitions of pageantry, feats of skill and daring, performing animals …   Universalium

  • menagerie — n 1. zoo denizens, circus animals; trained animals, Gunther Gebel Williams animals. 2. zoo, zoological park or garden, animal farm, Ger. Tier gar ten. vivarium, Bronx zoo …   A Note on the Style of the synonym finder

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”