1.
GV Top of circus tent ZOOM OUT to LV tent (silent film)
0.18

2.
SV Karl Wallenda speaks sof continues over shots of Wallenda walking tightrope
1.52


"As they called me, I said not for ten thousand dollars would I go here. The he started talking, it is for one very good piece, for the world conference for food, that we give attention to people how bad and how urgent they need this. That's why I come here."



REPORTER:"That's absolutely right"...



WALLENDER:"That's absolutely right"...



REPORTER:"It was, of course, without fee..."



WALLENDA:"Believe me, not a dime. If they had hired me for ten thousand dollar I would not have come here you know."



REPORTER:"And it was a tough walk.."



WALLENDER:"Nope..this was the hardest."



REPORTER:"Hardest you've ever done".



WALLENDA:"The wind was very strong. You can look up there. Down here you don't have any wind at and. But I doubt sometime the poorer don't worry about my hand".



REPORTER:"It was the toughest walk you've ever done."



WALLENDER:"One of the toughest. One of the toughest. Well you know in my life I'm only..in January seventy years old. And all of my life I've had a lot of tough walks you know."



REPORTER:"Well maybe it's appropriate since it's a very difficult problem...you had a difficult walk."



WALLENDER:"Yess, very difficult...it was very slack... the wire was ot stable... and then I walked down-hill...I slided almost...down-hill, and I slided almost when I go uphill."



REPORTER:"And why don't we ask..why don't you ask the people around the world to send telegrams and letters to the food confernce".



WALLENDA:"Yes that's very good...you said it..."laughter"...



REPORTER:"Did the cold make a difference (indistinct)"



WALLENDA:"A little bit tight you know. Tomorrow I'll be in the sunshine in Florida."




Initials DS/0031



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Sixty-nine-year-old American tightrope walker Karl Wallenda risked his life for charity on a highwire over a circus tent in London on Wednesday (13 November).

In blustering winds and drizzling rain, Wallenda walked along 300 feet (about 95 metres) of wire suspended 70 feet (about 22 metres) above one of Europe's largest big tops, that of Mary Chipperfield's circus.

He said he risked his life without payment to underline the 10,000 daily deaths due to the world food shortage.

The event was sponsored by an American group called "Food for the Forgotten" During the 40 minutes Wallenda was on the high-wire, an estimated 240 people died of starvation in various parts of the world.

Wallenda belongs to one of the world's most famous circus families, and has lost two members of his immediate family through high-wire accidents.

This film includes an interview with Wallenda, a transcription of which is on the following page.