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As with 'Tragedy of Sam' (27/8/1925), this is a Topical Budget eulogy to a recently deceased zoo animal, in this case the gorilla John Daniel II, previously featured in the item 'John Daniel II Leaves England' (12/10/1925). He and his predecessor John Daniel I were the first gorillas to be entirely human-reared in captivity. The older gorilla had died some time earlier, apparently from homesickness when on loan to the Barnum and Bailey Circus in New York. Later, John Daniel II was formally "married" to Jennie Lind, the first female gorilla ever captured alive. The footage in this film consists of an apparently infirm 'Johnny' being led into a cab, presumably to be taken to see the specialists who proved unable to cure him. The woman accompanying him is his owner-cum-chaperone, Miss Alice Cunningham, who looked after him in the Gloucestershire village of Uyley. Michael Brooke
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Complete item (0:20)
