1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to Aaron Manke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of 2 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild. Our world is full of 3 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 1: the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all 4 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:22,119 Speaker 1: of these amazing tales are right there on display, just 5 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. 6 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 1: I think it's fair to say that just about everyone 7 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:41,839 Speaker 1: loves a good adventure story. The risks, the thrills, and 8 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: the satisfying conclusions are always the perfect recipe for a 9 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 1: good time, and few adventure formats are as powerful as 10 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 1: a good old fashioned treasure hunt movie. Maybe you're a 11 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 1: fan of the National Treasure films and they're deep dive 12 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: into the mysteries of the early days of the United States. 13 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: Perhaps you grew up on Goonies and their amazing journey 14 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: through an underground passageway full of traps and clues and 15 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: devilishly difficult puzzles. The list could go on and on, 16 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: and most of us would probably nod and smile as 17 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:14,039 Speaker 1: we remember each amazing film. But it's hard to beat 18 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: the icon, isn't it So? Unless you're driving or using 19 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 1: a dangerous tool right now, I want you to close 20 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:22,959 Speaker 1: your eyes and imagine a certain world and cast of 21 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:25,839 Speaker 1: characters with me. It's a story set in a once 22 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:29,480 Speaker 1: glorious land that has become lost to time, taking far 23 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: too many secrets and treasures with it. It's exotic and 24 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: beautiful and full of danger. At the center of the 25 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 1: story is our adventurer, a man who has left his 26 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 1: day job behind for a while in order to find 27 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: an item of particular importance. There's the now obligatory female 28 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 1: companion and love interest. Naturally, there's also a bad guy, 29 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: because what adventure movie would be complete without one, right, 30 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: And then, of course there's the treasure, an object of 31 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: immense beauty, crafted of gold by ancient artisans. It has 32 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: monetary value, for sure, but that's not what our adventurer 33 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: sees in it. No, it has priceless cultural value, and 34 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 1: that's the true prize. This object doesn't belong in the 35 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:11,079 Speaker 1: hands of some rich evildoer. No, it belongs in a 36 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: museum or some other place where it can be appreciated 37 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 1: for what it truly is. In one memorable scene in 38 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:21,800 Speaker 1: this movie, our handsome, rugged adventurer is inside an ancient structure, 39 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 1: a temple or a tomb of some kind and has 40 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 1: just taken possession of his prize when his assistant betrays 41 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:31,359 Speaker 1: him and takes it away. You know what I'm talking about, right, 42 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: Because betrayal is another one of those key ingredients to 43 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: a great adventure movie, and our hero has to work 44 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: hard to get that treasure back. And of course, who 45 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: could forget the scene where our hero is inside that 46 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: chamber all by himself and has to use a beam 47 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: of light to pinpoint the exact location of the treasure. 48 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 1: It's tense and brilliant in its simplicity. I love it, 49 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:54,679 Speaker 1: and at the end of the day, we just love 50 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: the hero, right, his chiseled good looks, that stubble on 51 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:02,239 Speaker 1: his chin, his tan pants, leather jacket and trademark Fedora hat. 52 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: Sure he's got a revolver tucked into his belt, but 53 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: that's not getting used all the time. No, he prefers 54 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:11,639 Speaker 1: to punch his way through trouble and use his ingenuity instead. 55 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 1: Of course, adventure films have moved on since then, all 56 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:18,239 Speaker 1: those years ago. Today they're so full of massive CGI 57 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 1: components and big explosions. They usually involve billionaire bad guys 58 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 1: or riddles wrapped in art history symbolism. But there's no 59 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 1: beating a classic, is there That old adventure story starring 60 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 1: our beloved hero called The Secret of the Incas? Wait? 61 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: Was that not what you were expecting. It's a real 62 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: movie starring a real hunk of a Hollywood a lister, 63 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 1: Charlton Heston pulled on that leather jacket and Fedora for 64 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: the Secret of the Inca's way back in nineteen fifty four. 65 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: And all those scenes that I described for you are 66 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: straight from that movie. Of course, his character is called Harry, 67 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: not Henry, he doesn't carry a whip, there are no Nazis, 68 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 1: and it's set in Machu Pichu instead of Egypt. But 69 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: it's Indiana Jones through and through nonetheless, Why Because when 70 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 1: Raiders of the Lost Dark was in pre production, many 71 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 1: of the crew watched Secret of the Incas multiple times 72 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:16,479 Speaker 1: for inspiration. Legendary Hollywood costume designer Deborah Nadulman Landis, who 73 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: created Indiana Jones' trademark outfit, drew inspiration from that film, 74 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,480 Speaker 1: and even more elements found themselves into the writing and 75 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: the filming decisions. Don't call it a ripoff, though, think 76 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: of it more as an homage, a callback to an 77 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 1: adventure film from three decades earlier that inspired a bunch 78 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:36,720 Speaker 1: of people so deeply that they had to make their 79 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:40,240 Speaker 1: own and frankly, I'm glad they did. I don't think 80 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 1: my childhood or Hollywood itself would have been filled with 81 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:48,280 Speaker 1: such joy and fun without Indiana Jones, the fictional embodiment 82 00:04:48,920 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 1: of curiosity. William Pennybrooks was a small town boy with 83 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:09,359 Speaker 1: a big vision. Born in the town of much Wenlock, 84 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: a small town in Shropshire, England, his father was a 85 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: well regarded local physician. As William grew up, he was 86 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 1: inspired to follow the same path, and so when he 87 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: came of age, he left home to study medicine in London, 88 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:24,919 Speaker 1: before leaving the country with his brother John to further 89 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 1: their studies at the University of Padua. He was in 90 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 1: Paris in eighteen thirty when he learned that his father 91 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,599 Speaker 1: had died, and so returned home for good the next year. 92 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:38,720 Speaker 1: Taking over his father's medical practice, Brooks provided affordable care 93 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:42,400 Speaker 1: to the rural poor, often treating patients free of charge. 94 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:45,720 Speaker 1: He was also a fierce advocate for common sense modern 95 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:50,280 Speaker 1: medical standards like clean drinking water, better conditions for factory workers, 96 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:54,279 Speaker 1: and vaccinations. His bedside manner and willingness to travel long 97 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,919 Speaker 1: distances earned him deep respect among farmers, laborers, and the 98 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:01,840 Speaker 1: emerging industrial workforce. A fierce advocate for the well being 99 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:05,359 Speaker 1: of the poor, Brooks believed that physical fitness and structured 100 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:08,719 Speaker 1: learning should be available to all. In eighteen forty one, 101 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:12,719 Speaker 1: he founded the Agricultural Reading Society, Convinced that having access 102 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 1: to free learning would help lift people out of poverty. 103 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 1: He wrote to numerous wealthy individuals for funding, and his 104 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 1: pursuit was rewarded richly in donations of books and enough 105 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:25,799 Speaker 1: money to keep the society running. It provided the community 106 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: with a lending library and offered classes in arts, botany, 107 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:33,480 Speaker 1: and music training, among many others. To further his passion 108 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: for physical fitness for all, he founded a sporting competition 109 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:40,719 Speaker 1: inspired by the ancients Olympic Games. The first Wenlock Olympics 110 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: were held in eighteen fifty and featured numerous sports like running, jumping, throwing, wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, 111 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 1: and rifle shooting. The games also included pageantry, with a 112 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:56,520 Speaker 1: parade of competitors and organizers, complete with bands and flag bears, 113 00:06:56,680 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 1: which would march through town to the event. Spaces. They 114 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:02,919 Speaker 1: were open to people of all ages and social classes, 115 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: a radical concept for Victorian England, whose caste system rigidly 116 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: separated the haves and the have nots. Over the coming years, 117 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 1: the Wenlock Games expanded and grew in popularity, with competitors 118 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:18,239 Speaker 1: coming from all over England to compete, and as it grew, 119 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 1: Brooks started corresponding with other fitness reformers across Europe, inviting 120 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: athletes from all over to attend. Although numbers remained modest, 121 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 1: the idea of an international competition was seated, and it 122 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 1: was through these letters that Brooks first came upon Baron 123 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: Pierre deck Kuberton, who arrived to experience the Games in 124 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 1: eighteen ninety. The Baron was deeply impressed by the event, 125 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,400 Speaker 1: as well as by Brooks himself. In subsequent years, the 126 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 1: Frenchman would write of him, mister Brooks has shown that 127 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: the Olympic ideal can live again in the modern world. 128 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: Following the Games, the men met to feverishly discuss the 129 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 1: role of sporting in nation building and the need for 130 00:07:56,440 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: a universal periodic competition to inspire the mass to take 131 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:04,760 Speaker 1: up physical fitness. In the following years, they would correspond regularly. 132 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 1: In eighteen ninety four, De Kubertan formed the International Olympic 133 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: Committee for the purpose of planning and executing the very 134 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 1: first Modern Olympic Games, which were to be held in 135 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 1: eighteen ninety six and were largely patterned after Wenlock's Games. 136 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: Athletes would come from all over the world to compete. Tragically, 137 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 1: though Brooks would not live to see his dream made real. 138 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:29,880 Speaker 1: He passed away in December of eighteen ninety five, peacefully 139 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:32,840 Speaker 1: in his home, mere months before the very first modern 140 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece, where the ancient 141 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 1: Games had been held in the past. Brooks was buried 142 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 1: in the churchyard at Holy Trinity in Much Wenlock, where 143 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:45,000 Speaker 1: he had spent his life dedicated to the betterment of all. 144 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:49,400 Speaker 1: A Wenlock Olympian Society that he founded still operates today 145 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:54,000 Speaker 1: organizing the Wenlock Olympic Games. Decuberton made sure to give 146 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:57,680 Speaker 1: Brooks his due posthumously, telling the world that the Olympic 147 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 1: Games would not be alive today if an hadn't been 148 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: for doctor William Penny Brooks. He was further memorialized in 149 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety six for the one hundredth anniversary of the 150 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 1: modern Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Although Brooks died just 151 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:15,319 Speaker 1: months before the inaugural Games, his belief that physical fitness 152 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:18,840 Speaker 1: and free learning should belong to everyone lived on in 153 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: every stadium and at each podium. The Wenlock Games continue 154 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 1: to this day, and the International Olympic Flame still burns 155 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:30,320 Speaker 1: and enduring testament to the power of a small town 156 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:37,560 Speaker 1: dream that help shaped our history. I hope you've enjoyed 157 00:09:37,559 --> 00:09:41,280 Speaker 1: today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for 158 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 1: free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the show 159 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:49,200 Speaker 1: by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was created 160 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:52,560 Speaker 1: by me Aaron Mankey in partnership with how Stuff Works. 161 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:56,120 Speaker 1: I make another award winning show called Lore, which is 162 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:59,560 Speaker 1: a podcast, book series, and television show, and you can 163 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:03,680 Speaker 1: learn all about it over at Theworldoflore dot com. And 164 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 1: until next time, stay curious.