Believe It or Not #1
Believe It or Not #1

Movie spotlight

Believe It or Not #1

1930
Movie
9 min
English

Robert L. Ripley first shows the very first cartoon of his, published in newspapers 8 years earlier. He then proceeds with various oddities, first introducing a woman who can read aloud 8 words a second. He demonstrates this by giving her a 200-word tract she reads in 24 seconds. Next a woman telephones to question his assertion that you can walk through a hole in a cigarette paper, but he demonstrates how when she arrives. Other oddities follow. Vitaphone No. 1005.

Insights

IMDb6.1/10
Director: Robert C. BruceGenres: Documentary, Short

Plot Summary

This short documentary film is the first installment in the 'Believe It or Not' series, based on Robert Ripley's famous comic strip. It presents a collection of strange and unusual facts from around the world, showcasing oddities in nature, human achievements, and cultural practices. Viewers are treated to a rapid-fire presentation of the bizarre and the unbelievable, all narrated with Ripley's characteristic flair.

Critical Reception

As an early documentary short based on a popular comic strip, 'Believe It or Not #1' was likely seen as an entertaining and curious novelty. It successfully translated the appeal of Ripley's observations into a visual medium, offering audiences a glimpse into the world's strangest facts. Critical reception at the time would have focused on its ability to surprise and inform.

What Reviewers Say

  • A fascinating and often astonishing compilation of global oddities.

  • Effectively brings Robert Ripley's popular 'Believe It or Not!' concept to the screen.

  • Entertaining for its sheer strangeness and the narrator's engaging delivery.

Google audience: Audience response to this early short is difficult to gauge with modern metrics, but historical interest in Robert Ripley's 'Believe It or Not!' suggests a strong appeal for its presented curiosities and the novelty of its format.

Fun Fact

The 'Believe It or Not!' franchise, which this short film is a part of, was so popular that it spawned radio shows, animated cartoons, live-action television series, and even wax museums across the globe.

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