The Beauty of the Beasts: Tales of Hollywood's Wild Animal Stars

by Ralph Helfer

Book Overview

From Hollywood animal behavioristand author of Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived, Ralph Helfer, comes a surprising behind-the-scenes account of his years working as a trainer to the (four-legged) stars.

In The Beauty of the Beasts, Helfer chronicles the many television programs and films in which his animals appeared, including Charlie's Angels and The Ten Commandments, and the stars he and...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061136786
• ISBN13: 9780061136788
• Release Date: June 2007
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Lions, Elephants and Chimps, Oh My!

After laughing and crying my way through "Modoc, The True Story of the Greatest Elephant that Ever Lived" by Ralph Helfer, a beautiful true story of Modoc an extraordinary elephant and life-long companion of her friend and trainer Ralph Helfer, I wanted it to go on. So thanks to Modoc and Ralph, "The Beauty of the Beasts" made its' way into my cart. Revealing the personalities of the animals by guiding them to perform many unbelievable tasks, Ralph became a legend in the field of animal behavior. From working with bees, flies, and geese to lions, chimpanzees, and elephants on a very personal and respectful level, Ralph Helfer shows the intelligence and emotional attributes of other species, far above the one-dimensional instinctive existence we assign to them. Wonderful books.

Great Book!

Great book by a great author. If you like animals you will enjoy this book. Helfer is a rare breed.

Dedicated to keeping animals safe and well

This book was very interesting and well-written. It is reassuring to read about how Helfer was so dedicated to keeping these working animals safe and well.

Must read for animal lovers

My very first job was working for Ralph Helfer at his ranch Africa USA. This book is a collection of stories about the animals that Ralph trained and held in the highest regard. Having known Ralph, being familiar with some of the animals, and seeing the amazing results of Affection Training first hand, the stories played like videos in my mind. Ralph writes with warmth and humor about his friends who just happened to be other than human. The human qualities of these beautiful 'beasts' come to the surface under Ralph's gentle hand and the love and understand that he exhibits for his extended family. Many of the animals discussed are familiar because of the TV and movie appearances that made them famous. The stories made me laugh, cry and gasp. I am so thankful that these adventures have been put to paper for all to enjoy.