Tiny Kline: High Wires & Higher Stakes

Tiny Kline, image courtesy of Circus World

In the heart of New York City, among the clamour of honking taxis and glowing billboards, history was made one morning in 1932. Dangling 15 stories above Times Square, a petite woman in a sequined costume soared across Broadway on a swing — suspended by nothing more than a single strand of steel cable. Her name was Tiny Kline, and though she stood just under five feet tall, she was larger than life.

Born Helén Deutsch in Hungary in 1891, Tiny Kline immigrated to the United States as a teenager in 1905. After a brief career as a burlesque performer, she moved to the daredevil world of the circus. There, she found her true calling: performing heart-stopping acts that combined elegance with danger.

Tiny became an "Iron Jaw" - performing spectacular feats while suspended in the air by her teeth, which were biting down on a special leather mouthpiece. If you've already listened to this week's episode, you'll have already heard about her most famous performance - a promotional stunt for the new RKO Circus which was opening in Times Square, New York.

The stunt, dubbed the “Slide for Life,” saw her slide from the top of the Hotel Edison across to the Prospect Theatre. With the city watching and news cameras rolling, Kline launched herself off the platform. She swung gracefully over the square, her figure silhouetted against the skyline, as the crowd below gasped and cheered. Luckily for us, the footage of the slide survives and we can see Tiny in action.

This isn't the only footage of Tiny in action. You can also see her in Atlantic City, suspended from an airship!

Tiny may have gotten older, but she didn't slow down. At 70, Walt Disney asked her to originate the role of Tinkerbell at Disneyland. She flew across the sky every night, accompanied by colourful bubbles and fireworks.

Tiny as Tinkerbell

She passed away in 1964, but left behind a legacy as one of the most daring performers in American history. Her Times Square swing remains one of the greatest public stunts ever performed — a testament to the power of human will, precision, and showbiz bravado.

In an era before digital effects, when danger was real and spectacle had to be earned with sweat and steel, Tiny Kline soared — proving that even in a city as towering as New York, a woman from Hungary could rise above it all.