Prior to reading Neal Thompson’s A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert “Believe it orNot!” Ripley, my main exposure to
“Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” came from the TV show of the same name that Jack
Palance hosted in the eighties. I can
clearly remember Palance’s dramatic whispers of “believe it or not” after he finished
discussing a bizarre fact. What had always been murky for me is who Robert
Ripley was and how the “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” franchise has continued in
one form or another for over ninety years.
“Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” started out as a cartoon
before becoming a successful series of books, carnival sideshows, and a radio
program. Late in life, Robert Ripley even had a brief run on television during
its early days. At different times in his career, Ripley was earning as much as
General Motors executives and movie stars. He also became a celebrity known for
throwing lavish parties at his palatial estate and, despite his less than handsome
looks and sometimes awkward demeanor, for having beautiful girlfriends. Ripley
travelled the world for his material, but he also relied on Norbert Pearlroth,
an unsung assistant who supplied much of the material for “Ripley’s Believe It
or Not!” Pearlroth spent most of his time at the New York Public Library
searching through stacks of books for odd facts. I kept waiting for a feud to
develop between the two men, but Pearlroth was apparently happy to do his
research and live in obscurity. Ripley, on the other hand, would attempt
publicity stunts such as trying to buy a volcano.
A Curious Man couldn’t
be more entertaining. The book is well researched, the writing is stellar, and
I challenge anyone to find Robert Ripley’s oversized life a bore.
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