▁take ▁a ▁picture . ▁O ften ▁Buck , ▁Director ▁Elli ott ▁and ▁the ▁cam er amen ▁had ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁their ▁lives , ▁the ▁animals ▁being ▁much ▁too ▁close ▁for ▁comfort . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁earned ▁to ▁its ▁distrib utor , ▁R K O , ▁an ▁estimated ▁profit ▁of ▁$ 1 5 5 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁" I ▁shall ▁never ▁forget ▁the ▁premi ere ▁of ▁the ▁picture ," ▁Buck ▁later ▁re called ▁about ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁opening . ▁" The ▁R . K . O . ▁officials ▁had ▁decided ▁it ▁was ▁so ▁good ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁give ▁it ▁a ▁trem end ous ▁b ally ho o , ▁take ▁a ▁private ▁theatre ▁( the ▁May f air ▁on ▁Times ▁Square ) ▁and ▁do ▁the ▁job ▁in ▁Hollywood ▁style . ▁On ▁the ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁opening ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁line ▁of ▁people ▁four ▁deep ▁and ▁a ▁block ▁long , ▁fighting ▁to ▁get ▁into ▁the ▁theatre . ▁On ▁the ▁big ▁marque e ▁were ▁full - s ized ▁pap ier - m â ché ▁ele ph ants ▁and ▁t ig ers ▁that ▁actually ▁moved ▁and ▁w aved ▁their ▁tr unks ▁and ▁sn apped ▁their ▁j aws . ▁I ▁made ▁personal ▁appearances , ▁and ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁people ▁saw ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁the ▁man ▁who ▁had ▁brought ▁to ▁zo os ▁and ▁men ager ies ▁of ▁America ▁the ▁animals ▁they ▁had ▁mar ve led ▁at ▁for ▁so ▁many ▁years ." ▁ ▁Radio ▁series ▁Br ing ▁' Em ▁Back ▁A live ▁was ▁also