"Yours with a Roar," Manuel King

Brownsville says goodbye to another homegrown legend.  His father W.A. "Snake" King  concluded corresponding letters with his signature "Rattling Yours ... Snake King" and Manuel made it a custom to sign autographs in similar fashion with "Yours with a roar!! ...  Manuel King."  

1964 cover of book written by William Abraham King, Jr.  It tells about how his father W.A. "Snake" King built a wild animal farm near Palm Blvd (Palm Village Shopping Center today) and called it Snakeville.  He became world famous and his son went on to become the World's Youngest Wild Animal Trainer.  The book has plenty of anecdotes to keep the reader entertained but (no spoilers) by the end you'll have a special place in your heart for Snakeville.

This Snake Catching Contest held at the Fort Brown during the Mid-Winter Fair is a freeze-frame from a 1914 film by Adolph Dittman.  Dittman built the first movie theater in Brownsville and occasionally filmed for Pathe' news clips.  His "Battle of Matamoros" film clips in June 1914 went national.

If you want to see what the Texas Archive of the Moving Image did with a 35mm nitrate film (which is highly combustible) click on THIS.

No need to tell whole Snake King's story with this post but here's a blank to to check again for future posts.   Raising lions at the animal farm produced about ten cubs as once.  One time Manuel's father caught him playing with the cubs after having been warned not to and Manuel thought he was in for it!

Manuel had made friends with the cubs and gave them names.  His closest was Yo-Yo and he named the other cubs Mickey, Dynamite, Prince, Bubbles, Tiger, Spitfire, Ruth, Leo and Nero.  With them he emulated his lion trainer hero Clyde Beatty, the most daring wild animal trainer of all time who stunned audiences with fight scenes between a Bengal tiger and African lion in The Big Cage (1933).  If you don't believe me, just Google that and enjoy the fights. 

Manuel's father met John C. "Chubby" Guilfoyle who was a first-class trainer even after he lost his arm in the 1920's during a lion/tiger mix-up which went really bad.  W.A. King hired him to train Manuel to train lions.  Guilfoyle thought the Snake King was insane to ask a man who lost an arm in the cage but he was talked into making a visit to Snakeville.  This photo was taken in 1933 the first day Chubby and Manuel met.

John Guilfoyle next to cat cage while traveling with the Christy Circus c1925 (from John C. Guilfoyle Collection)

 Manuel had names for all these lions.  If you can find the book, grab it and read.  John's wife was also a trainer and she lent her outfit to Manuel which he also wore for a Universal Newsreel clip.

Click HERE if you want to watch it.

 May 1934 handbill from the John C. Guilfoyle Collection courtesy of Leah Malasko.  W.A. "Snake" King had it all set-up.  He alerted the press, got a bite, and soon enough Manuel was ready to take his show on the road.

Here are two trucks used to haul the lions and crew to carnivals, circuses and preferably big county fairs.

One thing Manuel liked to remind me was that they never use the ter Lion "tamer" -- It's Trainer - not tamer.  The belief that these lions raised from cubs can be "tame" is to not understand the unpredictability of these magnificent cats.  

The rolling barrel trick was no trick at all.  This was one of the most difficult feats to do smoothly but Manuel was well trained and while the lions gnarl and roar and paw at Manuel it's all an "act" but the potential danger can come if the routine is not followed, such as a sudden noise or movement.

A very rare photo of W.A. and Manuel King together circa 1934-35 courtesy of Leah Malasko.

 W.A. Snake King at a zoo wrapped in a python (from the John C. Guilfoyle Collection)

 The Million Dollar Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey (1935) was where Manuel spent a summer or two and it looks like he must have had a swell ol' time.

 Bronsbil Estacion version of the poster in the above photo

He saw his name in lights 

1935-36 taken by Fred Parker-photographer Louisville Times At Fontaine Ferry Park-KY (John C. Guilfoyle Collection)

 The lion training arena at Snakeville.

Manuel told me that Clyde Beatty did not like the idea of teaming with a boy and his lions but there were no worries -- Manuel brought his own lions to act with.  The film is shot in 15 episodic "cliffhangers" which were major theater draws for folks wanting to catch the next installment.  

May 1936 ad announcing Manuel's big screen debut.  Only two years before had he made his debut on a theater stage (see handbill above).

 from the Brownsville Herald's Memories of Home (colorized by Bronsbil Estacion)

Manuel continued in the business a few years, joined the army, returned home and continued working with animals the rest of his life.  Thanks to Mr. King for sharing his collection of photos and memories and Leah Malasko and family for their sharing of photos from the John C. Guilfoyle Collection.  It was truly an honor to have met with Manuel and William Abraham King back 10 years ago while researching Snakeville for a historic exhibit.

Brownsville likes to honor it's builders, it's wealthy entrepreneurs and vast land owners and that really is the thing to do but very few places have been homes to legends such as W.A. "Snake" King and the "World's Youngest Wild Animal Trainer" or "WYWAT," as his older brother Bill called him.

~ Javier R. Garcia