Training Animals

Series

Series Name

Colour Pictorial

Issue

Issue No.

584

Date Released

3 Mar 1966

Date recorded

4 Feb 1966

Length of issue (in feet)

688

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1Training Animals

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 1

Summary

Pathe synopsis: A chimp’s tea party at Twycross Zoo, Leicestershire, starts a story of animal training that goes around the world. These chimps are born mimics and quickly enact the most complicated routines, especially if they can dress up for the occasion, as policemen and ‘breathalyser’ victim or as a frustrated motorist stumped with the ‘tyresome’ business of changing a wheel. But it’s more than a joke and so is the dolphin that ‘talks’ at California’s Marineland sea spectacle. Whales, dolphins, seals, walruses and fish of all kinds are taught tricks which show the human observers just how they learn and understand. A dolphin jumps through a hoop of fire and makes a noise which almost makes sense - especially to the US Navy who are considering using them to detect unfriendly submarines. It’s a slick transatlantic show, a sea circus quite different from Durov’s Corner in Moscow were animals are conditioned to enact fairy stories which delight the daily audiences of children and show the scientists just how you can use an animals’ reflexes to make it do things it would normally shun. They’ve even rigged a spaceship fantasy with racoon, fox, badger, bear and monkey climbing aboard a ‘rocket’ and heading for the moon. The racoon also has his own laundry business, a pelican reads a book, there’s a one-elephant band and a cat that’s happy rubbing noses with a family of rats.

Keywords

Entertainment and leisure; Animals

Locations

England; Leicestershire; Twycross Zoo

Written sources

Pathe Colour Pictorial Lobby Cards   Used for synopsis

Credits:

Commentator

Wilfrid Thomas

Length of story (in feet)

628

Story extras:

Film clip

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This series is held by:

Film Archive

Name

British Pathe Ltd

Email

info@britishpathe.com

Web

https://www.britishpathe.com/

Phone

0207 665 8340

Address

3.29 Canterbury Court
1-3 Brixton Road
London
SW9 6DE

Notes

Pathe now also handles the Reuters Historical Collection, which includes the British Paramount, Empire British, Gaumont Graphic and Gaumont British newsreels.

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