She Loves Lions
Barbara Eden is a talented actress, but one of her most impressive skills has to do with very big cats. She worked with trained African lions numerous times before bringing one on as her “pet” on I Dream of Jeannie. Eden’s advantage was that she developed a method to gain the lion’s trust. She told her technique to her co-star, Larry Hagman:
Source: Moviestillsdb.com/ Copyright: NBC
“Here’s what you do, Larry. You have to stand very still and let the lion smell you. Then, when he’s finished doing that, you should lean forward very, very gingerly and stroke him as gently as you can. That way, he’ll get to know you, and everything will be fine.”