Texas Giant - Jack Earl

Jacob Rheuben Ehrlich
Jack Earle
The Texas Giant

July 3, 1906 - July 18, 1952

Jacob Rheuben Ehrlich was born in Denver, Colorado July 3, 1906, he weighed only 4 pounds it is said some questioned if he would even survive he was so small. He made up for this lost ground and by age 10 he was 6' tall by 16 he had grown to 7'4". His family moved to El Paso, Texas where he graduated from El Paso High School. While still in El Paso Jack was "discovered" by a movie scout, Hollywood producers changed his name to Jack Earl and a silent movie film star was born. He starred in many films, the most notable were Jack and The Beanstalk (1924) and Hansel and Gretel (1923). Working on a film set one day Jack's acting career came to an end when he fell off some scaffolding. He woke up in the hospital and told he was loosing his peripheral vision due to a pituitary tumor (a type of brain tumor.) The pituitary gland is located approximately behind the eyes, often a pituitary tumor strangles the optic nerves, resulting in peripheral vision loss. This tunnel vision explained why he fell or walked off the scaffolding. Jack had acro/gigantism that accounted for his great height of 7'7 1/2". Doctors treated his tumor with months radiation that restored his peripheral vision and stopped his growth. H That fall may have saved his life although it ended his acting career. Next he became a traveling salesman for a wine company as the "Worlds Tallest Traveling Salesman."
Jack worked for a time in Texas as a Deputy Sheriff, and enrolled in a Community College. One day he heard that Jim Tarver "The Worlds Tallest Man" was appearing at the Barnum and Bailey Circus and he knew he was taller than Jim by a couple of inches. Clyde Ingalls the showman for Ringling Bros. spotted Jack and reportedly asked him "how would you like to be a giant?" he couldn't let an 8 foot tall man walk away. Jack would become the "Worlds Tallest Man." At the circus, on the side Jacks Giant Rings were sold as a souvenirs. In the early 1940's Jack retired from the circus and resumed work as a traveling salesman. An author Jack published a book of his poetry called the "The Long Shadows". It seems there was no limit to the talent this Texas Giant possessed. Jack also was a renowned painter, sculptor and photographer. Jack passed away at home in 1952 at the age of 46. And for your listening pleasure this tune by Tom Wait mentions Jack Earl in the lyrics called "Get behind the Mule" Hear it on YouTube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORSMACaVPYY


This Blogs for you Jack Earl -The Texas Giant.

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References:

SideShowWorld
From: http://www.sideshowworld.com/blowoff-JackEarle.html

The Internet Movie Database
From: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0247325/bio

Secrets of the Side Show
http://books.google.com/books?id=sACcmMWM6t4C&pg=PA89&lpg=PA89&dq=Jack+Earl+Texas+Giant&source=bl&ots=vXP5QC-f3t&sig=s9oeobAs2N18-Fzy_VPdpNloqyY&hl=en&ei=WYRNSt_bBJXZlAfiz8TDBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9