The Great Wallendas 1966 7-Man Pyramid.

The Great Wallendas The Great Wallendas were noted throughout Europe for their four-man pyramid and cycling on the high wire. The act moved to the United States in 1928 and began an association with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Combined Circus. Later they performed as freelancers. In 1947 they developed the unequaled three-tier 7-Man Pyramid. The Great Wallendas, a 1978 made-for-TV movie starring Lloyd Bridges as Karl Wallenda, depicts the act's comeback after a fatal accident involving several family members during a performance. [2] Despite being involved in several tragedies in his family's acts, Karl continued with his death-defying stunts. In 1978, at age 73, Karl attempted a walk between the two towers of the ten-story Condado Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on a wire stretched 37 metres (121 feet) above the pavement, but fell to his death when winds exceeded 48 kilometres per hour (30 miles per hour).