Weird and Wonderful

Television? Radio?

 

By 1930 Ripley had signed a contract with N.B.C. This contract stated that he would host a weekly radio show version of “Believe it or Not.” This soon enough led to him making  short films for Twentieth Century Fox. His success earned him plenty of money enabling him to continue exploring and working from home. 1933, he displayed a new project at the Chicago world fair. It was a museum that displayed and presented the strange artifacts he collected on his many travels and featuring strange topics and exhibits themed on many different parts of the world. He called it “The Odditorium.” He purchased the deed to a cute little island north of New York, He named this island BION. On BION Ripley built a mansion with 28 rooms and that too became a museum/the place for rich famous people to have parties, and exotic European travellers to stay at. Sadly as World War II neared he couldn’t travel as much as he once did and his guests noticed his health slowly worsen! 

Ripley fell unconscious the 24th of May whilst taping the 13th episode of his new television program also called “Believe it or Not.” After the show he checked into a hospital and then died May 27th 1949 at the age of 59 from a heart attack. His legacy continued long after his death, to this day every year “Ripley’s Believe it or Not” world record books are being published and read. His estate was sold at an auction and the majority of his artifacts were purchased by an entrepreneur named John Arthur, who in 1955 used them to create a permanent Odditorium. In Saint Augustine, Florida. Many did the same and there are many Ripley’s Believe it or Not museums all around the world to this day.

Ripley’s legacy shall continue now and into the far future his impact changed the world we know forever. He exposed North America to the taste of almost every other culture from around the world. By, chatting with Cannibals in remote tribes, hanging with Holy men in India ,talking to beggars, discussing politics with royalty in Europe, adventuring with villagers in Africa and Papua New Guinea and by traveling to 201 different countries and writing about each one. So there you have it that’s his story, Believe it or not.