Mention the words disaster, exotic big cats, and show business, the majority of people will jump to the conclusion that you are referring to the 2003 Siegfried and Roy tragedy, where a white tiger attacked and almost killed Roy Horn. Siegfried and Roy may be the best known act that used Big Cats, but they were not the only one, and this documentary explores another tragedy.
Cat Dancers examines the even more tragic set of circumstances that surround Ron and Joy Holiday and their mutual lover Chuck Lizza. Ron and Joy were classically trained dancers, and when a friend gave them a tiger cub, they decided to incorporate it into the show, not knowing anything about exotic animals they engaged the help of Chuck Lizza, whose back ground was the circus, and the care of big cats.
To increase the popularity of the act a second cat was procured, a Bengal Tiger that they named Jupiter. Jupiter was cut from another cloth, a very independent cat and one that had an air of unpredictability about it.
Disaster stuck in early October 1998, not on the stage, but in the tranquil setting of their collective home known as The Cat Ranch. While moving Jupiter to allow a workman access, Chuck tripped on a chain link fence, startling Jupiter and died instantly. The story does not end there, mere weeks later Joy becomes the next victim.
Using interviews and footage from the period, combined with contemporary commentary Cat Dancers tells this unfortunate story, bringing us to the final chapter in 2006, when Ron who faced eviction had to decide the fate of his cats.
This is a very sad story, you can catch it on HBO at 8pm Monday December 15. It will be shown several times in December, a full schedule, together with additional information is available on the HBO web site.
Simon Barrett
(3 votes, average: 3.67 out of 5)
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18 users commented in " TV Preview: HBO Documentaries – Cat Dancer "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackThe HBO special was a sad and heartfelt story of limitless love between people and animals.
Also, very few people get killed by captive big cats in the USA, it is all about media sensationalism.
For statistics and facsy, see here:
http://www.rexano.org//Education.htm
creepy and strange
It is very sad to see people exploit wild animals for their own success.Wild animals are not meant to perform in a circus or anywhere and as a result they are killed when they are ‘Finished’ with them.There are no natural white tigers they are all in breed.Breeders are greedy and have no idea about animals except what the animal can give them.Jupiter said don’t take me out today and because these people don’t get animals they took him anyway and suffered the consequenses.
Wild animals should not be in captivaty at all,but since they are bred and sold they should at least get to live their lives in peace and not exploited doing things they would never do that are completely not natural.
I am so sorry for these animals and I pray the exploitation of animals comes to an end.
At first glance, the white tiger “Jupiter” killing Chuck can be tolerated as unforeseen accident, which then resulted in Joy’s anxiety, depression and ultimately loss of weights. However, how the uncompromised death of trainer Joy occurred on such as short time definitive generate suspicious in my personal “who I am to” judgment.
after seeing “cat dancers” it leaves one only to conclude that roy used the tiger to kill both his lover & wife - paul was obviously a control freak that was jilted by his gay lover and was upset that the tiger liked chuck better (and oh by the way, did you notice that his wife liked chuck better too!)
once chuck dies the wife has nothing to do with roy & declares she wants to die - weeks later after losing 25 - 30 pounds & with a blood alcohol twice the legal limit, her neck is ripped out just like chucks - a writer would be thrown out of the room if he came up with such a lame plot line!
Ron, god bless you, You have such great stranth. I love cat dancers my fathers family was in the circus, my godfather was gunther gabel williams how exciting a life. Keep up your head an wonderfull stranth, head on to the jungle becuse people tend to prey more on each other then those wonerfull cat’s ur in my prayers,gia
Curet and Paul, I am shocked. I had the same feelings as you after seeing this documentary. I thought that perhaps my suspicion was improper, but it seems that other share my reaction.
I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what happened each time, but you can bet it wasn’t as the the lone survivor described. I think that man is really dangerous.
I wonder why there was no investigation.
I’m really tired of these sick twisted
doc-dramas. This twisted love triangle had run it’s course and this what happens. I feel sorry for their families that they have to have this brought up again when they are trying to forget this sorbid affair.
I agree with some of these comments. I think he must have thrown his wife to the lions so to speak (this case a white tiger) How can you let a sick,depressed person be alone with a tiger that has just recently killed its trainer, and leave the tiger loose????? Something there doesn’t add up. I wonder if it was ever investigated???
I watched the documentary this morning before work and I am just like some of the other writers when I thought that alot of jealousy kicked in and some how Ron had the both of them killed because he was being moved out of the way because his animals and wife were both more in love with the other guy then him. You could tell when he was talking about Ron how much he really liked him from the start and how it almost seemed as if there was a competition of who could sleep with him first. I agree that an investigation should have been done and he should have been questioned.
The Holidays were given the first cat, a panther by William Holden I believe and they owned several very successfully before obtaining the white tiger, much to Joy’s dismay as she knew most white tigers were inbred and very dangerous. Well, Jupiter was no exception and went mad as did the white tiger that was more than likely inbred also and attacked Roy. All the Holidays’ other cats were considered beloved babies and adored children by them and none displayed “wild” tendencies to any degree to cause them concern. I believe both deaths were accidental.
I watched the docu tonight and was very moved. I warmed to Ron very quickly and was absorbed with his story. However, my partner said at the end of it that Ron was a self-obsessed man and believed that Ron was behind both deaths. I was shocked!.
When we got talking my partner explained “Why would you risk a loved one with a wild cat weeks after it killed someone?”. I tried to argue that family members would get the authorities involved if there was any true suspicion but couldn’t say if they did or not as I didn’t know.
However, it got me thinking of Diane Whipple (Goggle it!)who was killed by a dog in the last decade and the dog owners were found guilty of murder because they knew the dog was dangerous. Surely, the same applies to Ron? Despite my warming to Ron, what the hell was he thinking doing that? Logic must cry out how dangerous that was? I am now begining to wonder what exactly was his role in all of this. L.
Firstly, all of this is alleged and personal opinion, so don’t sue me.
To Leighanne, oh praise the Lord, somebody else got it.
To me, the entire documentary was very carefully constructed as a “whodunnit”. Every little detail.
We were told how first time they had sex he got her rolling drunk. She died with alcohol in her bloodstream and that was pointed out to us.
We were told about “AOTPOG”, the parents of kids he used this to get to were concerned. Why were they? What did they suspect him of? We were told he will retire to Thailand. No offence to anyone from that country, but what is it known for? Why did Gary Glitter go there.
We were told they, as a couple, found that boy (Chuck) and groomed him. We were told the first sexual contact with Chuck was not exactly rape (close to it, one is intended to assume). It was admitted his wife and Chuck had private sexual congress.
The man is an animal trainer. He had motive and a vengeful disposition. That boy was the living image of him, but younger and prettier. His wife lost the will to live after the boy died. His tiger chose the boy in preference to him. Did his wife?
He played the dying swan about the responsibility toward the animals, then had them destroyed. This man never cared for animals. They came along by chance/networking through schmaltzing a colleague and just as this man became too old to continue dancing. He opportunistically used animals to make money.
I am saying there was motive, opportunity and an untraceable weapon. That man’s name will be heard again. Don’t say you weren’t warned. The documentary maker has given all he/she could without actually saying it straight out.
The writer has it wrong. It was actually a leopard.
Some people have raised and bonded with these big cats. So when one of them kill a person especially when it’s someone love. The owner starts to have a strong sense of guilt and it can take a over. All they want to is die and they will do everything in their power to succeed.
I’ve seen this doc a couple of times, and though I get that Ron might sound unhappy with the trio after a bit, I saw nothing that led me to believe he was behind their deaths. Unless you want to say that he did it himself, but used the cats as an way out. He cant make the boy trip and fall on the tiger and expect that out come. Work men were on the compound. Surely one of them would of spoken up by now. As for Joy.. well. Ron should of been more careful with her. However, I think he saw her wanting to get up and partake in activities again as a sign that she was starting to come out of her depression slowly. That she wanted to try and make up with the tiger. The tiger was not in an open area. He was closed in a trailer, and Ron had him on a leash and didn’t think the tiger would attack again. It was inbred, and tasted human blood. They can sense a weak animal. All 3 of these might have been all it needed to set it off. Joy was getting drunk way before she picked to get up and see Jupiter.
If Ron was behind this, why kill Joy? If he wanted her love more then anyone’s why have her killed 5 weeks later? If the problem was Chuck, and he died, is there still a problem? That doesn’t line up for me. And since Chuck’s death was clearly one of accident, why make Joy’s more violet? Unless the story is a cover over the real actions. But if it really happened the way it’s being described, I don’t see how Ron could pull that off. Was he walking next to Chuck, made him trip and shoved him on top of Jupiter? That just doesn’t add up to me is all.
Oh also.. someone commented about the Diane Whipple case. That doesn’t apply here, because Joy was one of the owners of Jupiter. It was her choice to have the animal. Her husband can’t be charged with her death if it’s their animal that did it. On their own property as well. In the Diane Whipple case, the dogs were not hers. The attack happened in a semi-public place. (Apartment hallway) She had no choice about living on the same floor with the dogs. Other then she could move. But it could have been anyone in that hallway. It’s up to the owners to control their pets and make sure they don’t harm others. If they themselves get hurt, then nothing can be done. For they made the choice to own animals like that.
Joy had the choice to go into Jupiters area to feed him. She had the choice to keep him even after Chucks death. As the tigers owner, the responsibility falls on her. It’s not Ron’s fault if she wants to try interacting with the tiger again. She knows fully what the tiger can do and has done, and she still made the choice to go feed him. It’s like charging a spouse with murder, because his wife was playing with the gun they both owned and shot herself and died. (Husbands do try to use this excuse to get out of the fact that they did murder their wives).
It sucks 3 creatures of this earth had to die over this. It really does.
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