[What'saCobra?]

You are correct. Marlin was at St. Louis as the snake guy first, and was indeed director of the Buffalo Zoo in the late 30's and 40's, though at my age i never knew him at either of those locations. Did you see him there?

Marlin set the scene for all the current snake, bug, extreme animal and other wild animal presenters and conservators. (i think Girls Gone Wild is another kind of wildlife that Marlin seemed to have missed, at least on camera.)

Jim Fowler was indeed Marlin's strong man on site. Jim got the tough duty, but saved Marlin's neck several times, on camera. He got the more dirty and back-breaking duty, i suspect.

The field work for Wild Kindom was shot with 24fps 16mm Bolex and Ariflex film cameras, always with the latest lens combinations and the best available metering. In the early sixties they also got the H-16 Rex Paillard Reflex Bolexes and that helped reduce the need for so much editing and re-shoots in the field.

i understand they analyzed using the early Kinescopes also, but two technical problems were virtually unsurmountable. First, the power consumption of the video/audio combination was ghastly, requiring either a direct mains connection or huge batteries in a dedicated jeep, with trailer. Secondly, the vidio wire recording systems were also huge power suckers and very fragile. The early mag tape systems from Ampex were not too much better to use in the field, either.

Wild Kingdom was said to be "...Edited to emphasize the dangerous, dramatic or comedic interplay between man and beast, accompanied by the appropriate soundtrack mix of music and natural sound, and always punctuated by the familiar voice-overs of Marlin or Jim, the popular narrative conceit of Wild Kingdom was criticized at times by some zoologists and environmentalists for putting entertainment values before those of ecological education..."

Doesn't that also sound just like today's criticisms of Steve's passionate and human interest approach?

Both Steve and Marlin had the same passion for animals and their unique behaviors. Both took big risks and had plenty of close calls, by most people's standards. An Anaconda nearly took both Marlin and Jim to the point of drowning until Jim put a bag on the Anaconda's head and it thought it was night and relaxed (i didn't see this, but read it somewhere.)

The funniest thing about Mutual of Ohaha's sponsorship of Wild Kingdom was when occasional disasters struck on the set or in the animal's protective behavior on camera, there was frequently a cut to a Mutual ad, with a linking phrase that both were trying to protect either their young's interests or their lives.

When the Anaconda was about to drown Marlin, the announcer said, "This is a good time to remember the need for a good insurance policy to protect your family should anything unexpected happen to you, too."

Pretty rich stuff. Probably politically incorrect today, but cute.

i have no idea if Steve was aware of Marlin's earlier exploits when he started with his dad, but i suspect his dad knew about Marlin. Either way, Steve & Marlin should have met each other because they certainly were spiritual brothers.

Marlin died June 14, 1986, then as Director of the St. Louis Zoo, where the Wild Kindom program was created and presented. He was involved in Wild Kingdom up nearly to his death.

Marlin set the markers and Steve pushed them way down the field, to his everlasting credit, animal and conservative interests and our joy.
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Ps: you might know that Jim Fowler is today the honorary President of the Explorer's Club of New York, which is quite an honor. He is a kind and very serious person about animal protection and preservation. The Honorary Chairman is Sir Edmund Hillary. Jim now has his honorary Doctorate degree and is recognized as a world's expert in predatory birds. You might recall that he was the final host of the original Wild Kindom series just before and after Marlin died.

Pretty good company for a former "bag man", eh?