At the age of 16, Robert Ripley (1890-1949) began drawing sports cartoons for various California newspapers. He moved to New York in 1913 and produced the first Believe It or Not! cartoon for the New York Globe newspaper on December 19, 1918. The cartoon soon became a weekly feature. He made his first world trip in 1922, becoming fascinated with unusual traditions and cultures. Because he took the truthfulness of the various items in his cartoon, he hired a full-time research assistant on 1923. In 1926, the cartoon moved to the New York Post. William Randolph Hearst syndicated the cartoon in 1929, allowing it to debit in 360 newspapers through the King Features Syndicate. Soon books, a radio show, short feature films, and museums in major cities opened up.
Ripley's Believe It or Not radio show ran from 1930 to 1948. Its format changed over the years, at time running 15 minute, and other times, half an hour; 35- to 60-second segments also aired. During one period the show featured music from Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra, with vocals from Harriet Hilliard (later, Mrs. Ozzie). A typical format then had Ripley detailing strange facts and customs from throughout the world, with skits including to dramatize various stories. In 1948, when the radio show closed, Ripley moved his franchise to television.
- A poor shop girl had her hair done and that day met the Aga Khan, who fell for her and later married her -- Believe It or Not!
- Another woman had been burned at the stake for the crime of curling another woman's hair -- Believe It or Not!
The cartoon series reached some 80 million readers worldwide and drew more mail than the president of the United States -- Believe It or Not!
Ripley himself was the New York state handball champion in 1926. He published both a book on American handball and on boxing. -- Believe It or Not!
When his cartoon proclaimed that, despite a widespread belief, America did not actually have a national anthem, Congress eventually made it official, naming The Star Spangled Banner the country's official national anthem in 1931 -- Believe It or Not!
Ripley's marriage took place in 1919 when he married a fourteen-year-old film actress; he was slightly more than twice her age at the time. -- Believe It or Not!
The link below take you to the November 3, 1935 episode of the radio program. -- Believe It or Not!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWGm2qSU7FU
No comments:
Post a Comment