User reviews

Mabel Stark faced childhood abuse, a bad marriage, and literally escaped a Kentucky asylum after commitment by a cruel husband. In desperate flight, she hid out on a carny as a cootch dancer, before her Epiphany moment, in 1911, finding tigers at the Al. G. Barnes Circus quarters, in Venice, California. Leslie Zemeckis expertly folds my interview into these stories, along with Mabel's history of making her way into male-commanded wild animal training, and becoming the star woman tiger trainer of her industry before women were allowed the vote. This is the Leslie Zemeckis signature - she honors great women who did not get indelible fame, and this film honors Mabel Stark for a must-see inspiration. Roger Smith

Although I did not know who Mabel Stark was at he beginning of this movie, I felt that I knew her intimately by the end. Leslie Zemeckis tells the story of this complicated, dedicated, and often tragic woman with humor and heart. I found the film compelling, historically accurate, and most of all, interesting from start to finish. I would highly recommend this documentary to history lovers, animal enthusiast, and to anyone who just likes a good story!

This fascinating and powerful story about Mabel Stark's life, one of the first women in the world spending her life as a Tiger trainer in the 1920s had me intrigued from the beginning to the end. Her Passionate journey and devotion for her Tigers is so exquisitely told by Filmmaker Leslie Zemeckis. I highly recommend this must see documentary !

I first became aware of this incredible woman's life story from reading the Robert Hough novel, _The Final Confession of Maple Stark_. Terrific book, but if you'd like a less romanticized, documentary take on Stark the woman and her recorded experiences, this film is also terrific. (It's especially cool if you grew up in the San Fernando Valley like me ;) At one time Kate Winslet owned the feature film rights to Mabel's story and was even going to play her! That would've been great. But hopefully another talented filmmaker will get the chance to bring Mabel Stark's unique story to worldwide audiences. Mabel deserves it.

Leslie Zemeckis has once again entertained us with a compelling story of a woman who blazed a trail in entertainment. Mabel Stark entertained millions of people with her death defying acts inside the cages of wild animals and Leslie Zemeckis shows us the real story...the woman who loved the big cats and would rather die than lose them. Don't miss this!