An Idyll: Paula, the pretty blonde rides on Clarence, the cross-eyed lion. An ostrich runs through the picture. Small leopards playing with tigers, to conduct research from India. And the high-spirited chimpanzee Judy, dancing with the dog of the house. Clear: We are in the “Wameru Study Center for Animal Behavior” (centre for the study of animal behavior), where the “Daktari” (Swahili for “doctor”) Marsh Tracy lives with his daughter Paula and his staff and works. The Mission: animal protection in the heart of Africa. 50 years ago, on 4. January 1969, launched the U.S. TV series “Daktari” in the ZDF. A Crowd Favourite.
the jungle camp in a friendly way
89 follow with 50 minutes of this friendly jungle camps, which were filmed between 1966 and 1969. Surrounded by rhinos, snakes, leopards and elephants, the animal Paradise of the new adventure. Mostly, it is against greedy poachers that threaten the diversity of species; or, the sick to save wild animals. So, too, Clarence, the cross-eyed lion who can’t hunt because of his Error. He is picked by Paula as a pet – and is, if not very spirited, a very effective guard dog. More speed bring in chimpanzee Judy. She is always busy, big-game rifle hunters mouth, to pull to someone of a Danger or to fabricate just nonsense.
The series provides an early ecological message
The Multicultural troupe of Dr. Tracy pulls on a string with the friendly-experienced District Officer Hedley – a Brit with a broad hat, as he appears in the book. He looks at the Wameru Center to the Right. Together it comes to animal rights, and protection against big game hunter. “Daktari” is a typical child of his time. It documents the Africa-enthusiasm in the Phase of decolonization – and is available in a series with Bernhard Grzimeks “A place for animals” (since 1956) and “Serengeti shall not die” (1958/59) or with Heinz Sielmanns “expeditions into the animal Kingdom” (since 1965). “Daktari” is an early ecological message – with the wooden hammer, but the “funny” part; love stories full of Piefigkeit and spirit of the times. It is, by the way, the philosopher and cultural critic Theodor Adorno (1903-1969) – of the TV for a “seductive culture industry”, held to have had a personal weakness for “Daktari”.
Clarence had a fear of large cars – a Double had to be found
The filming location, however, was by no means in Africa. It’s the Californian in Africa was: a two-square-kilometer wild animal farm North of Los Angeles, founded by animal trainer, inventor and producer of “Daktari” and “pinball”, Ivan Tors. Only a few – always the same – animal scenes from Africa were mounted, to give more authenticity to record. For scenes in the truck were cars with a lion Clarence, doubled by the way, because he was afraid of big cars. However, with his Squint, he was able to juking as much as he wanted to: he didn’t come easy. Saturday night was “Daktari”-time; in 66 follow shortly before six in the ZDF. Actually, the best broadcasting time. And yet the fighters from the “Wameru Center had” no Chance against the white-haired man on the other channel: “Mister sports” Ernst Huberty with his seemingly endless Anmoderationen to the football League.
has been Switched to the “sports show”
the switch was announced – when it was just exciting! Only in the summer break, the people from the “Wameru Center for Animal Behaviour” could have done something about the Huberty representative Dieter Adler, Werner Zimmer, Addi Furler and Hajo Bach noise align. Only a quarter of a century later, RTL 2 then showed the rest of the 23 episodes aired in German, unmolested by any football. Of the Crew of the “Wameru Center” lives today only, Paula (Cheryl Miller, 75). The “Daktari” Marsh Tracy (Marshall Thompson) died in 1992, District Officer Hedley in 1998, the gamekeeper Mike Matula and Jack Dane (voiced by the way, part of Volker Lechtenbrink) in 1992 and 2012. Lion Clarence died only seven years ago, on 14. July 1969 – shortly after the “Daktari” was turned off. (CBA)
