“[Mabel Stark] loved her tigers so much she would give her life for them.”–Leslie Zemeckis
By Dr. Laura Wilhelm
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 2/22/18 – Love stories come in many forms. Most of us are familiar with Frank R. Stockton’s timeless 1882 tale THE LADY OR THE TIGER, in which the hapless hero must open one door of two in an arena to find instant love or instant death.
But what about the lady AND the tiger? Or tigers?
Mabel Stark, a Kentucky-born woman who escaped poverty and abuse to become the world’s first female tiger trainer, is featured in the full-length film MABEL, MABEL, TIGER TRAINER directed by award-winning documentarian Leslie Zemeckis. On Thursday, March 8th, 2018–International Women’s Day–Leslie Zemeckis and Cinema Libre Studio will present a special screening of this film beginning at 7:30 p.m. held at at the Laemmle Music Hall Theatre located at 9036 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.
Mabel Stark got her start performing dangerous feats as a stunt double for Mae West during Hollywood’s Golden Age. She was told that no woman could ever train tigers, but still she persisted, climbing her way up the circus hierarchy while combating the chauvinism of the time.
Stark’s growing fame as a tiger trainer quickly garnered global attention. During her thirty-year career at Jungleland in Thousand Oaks, she transformed the suburban theme park into a world-famous Southern California attraction.
The film screening will be followed by a Q & A moderated by Pete Hammond (DEADLINE). Executive producer Robert Zemeckis will join Leslie Zemeckis at the event.
Robert Zemeckis is best remembered as the innovative Oscar-winning filmmaker who produced such Hollywood hits as ROMANCING THE STONE (1984), WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (1988), FORREST GUMP (1994), CONTACT(1997), and the BACK TO THE FUTURE trilogy. Mentored by Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis is considered to be one of the greatest visual storytellers in filmmaking today.
MABEL, MABEL, TIGER TRAINER, released to coincide with Women’s History Month, continues Leslie Zemeckis’ career-long exploration of influential but lesser-known women of history. Hear her roar at the March 8th screening along with Mabel Stark!
For tickets to the March 8th screening visit https://www.laemmle.com/films/43585 and also www.mabeltigermovie.com for more information or to see the trailer!
