1
00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:03,400
Speaker 1: Ridiculous Crime is a production of iHeartRadio.

2
00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:05,520
Speaker 2: And and and A.

3
00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:08,200
Speaker 3: Elizabeth five, six, seven, and eight was.

4
00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:10,000
Speaker 2: Just working on some chair dancer routine.

5
00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:11,760
Speaker 3: Oh, I was doing with deep stretches over here.

6
00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:12,479
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's good.

7
00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:13,800
Speaker 3: With the leg warmers.

8
00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:15,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, I like those? Are this pink? Or would you

9
00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:16,639
Speaker 2: eat more? Future? What is that?

10
00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:18,079
Speaker 3: They're black?

11
00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,200
Speaker 2: Oh? I don't have my glasses on, So I got

12
00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:23,760
Speaker 2: a question for you. Besides it's about your lovely leg warmers.

13
00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:25,720
Speaker 2: Do you know what's ridiculous?

14
00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:30,800
Speaker 3: I certainly do. Do you like baked potatoes? No? Stop it.

15
00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:33,800
Speaker 3: Maybe I have a fun fact about the history of

16
00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:34,520
Speaker 3: baked potatoes.

17
00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:38,239
Speaker 2: Okay, let's pretend Elizabeth. I know a lot about big potato.

18
00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:40,840
Speaker 2: Do you like them? Do I like them? Yeah?

19
00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:42,000
Speaker 3: You like a good baked potato?

20
00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:44,640
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean like if it's like dressed. Well, I mean, actually,

21
00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:45,120
Speaker 2: I grew up.

22
00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:47,040
Speaker 3: It's funny you should say it that way.

23
00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:48,879
Speaker 2: I grew up eating a lot of them because my

24
00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:51,599
Speaker 2: mother gave us a vegetarian diet, so we had bake

25
00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:53,840
Speaker 2: and she's Irish and Catholic, so we had baked potatoes

26
00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:56,720
Speaker 2: like twice a week. Sure, So I got I know

27
00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:58,600
Speaker 2: a lot of ways to dress up but to baked potato.

28
00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:00,200
Speaker 3: Do you know? But I can also, I mean it

29
00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:04,319
Speaker 3: would just butter dress a baked potatoes. No, but you

30
00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:06,360
Speaker 3: know in the UK they call them a jacket potato.

31
00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:07,319
Speaker 2: I did not know that.

32
00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:09,039
Speaker 3: A lot of times they put like corn on it.

33
00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:11,920
Speaker 3: You've seen that, Like you done that cut off the

34
00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:13,399
Speaker 3: corn from a corn cob.

35
00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:18,080
Speaker 2: Do they like boil the corn or no? But I mean,

36
00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:19,640
Speaker 2: like did they turn it into like a mash?

37
00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:22,039
Speaker 3: It's just corn on their corn on pizza.

38
00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:23,080
Speaker 2: Corn kernels, Like I'm.

39
00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:29,000
Speaker 3: Not like a corn pone or a polenta. Anyway, I'm

40
00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:31,840
Speaker 3: getting off track here. So jacket potatoes in the UK

41
00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:35,520
Speaker 3: are baked potatoes over here. And I've talked before about

42
00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:37,840
Speaker 3: Aldi they have a special this time of year on

43
00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:42,200
Speaker 3: jacket potatoes. Yeah, because they say it's jacket potato season.

44
00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:44,200
Speaker 2: Now, oh, kind of cuffing season.

45
00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:49,600
Speaker 3: Well, no, it's more sweat weather. A companies sweat a

46
00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:52,640
Speaker 3: weather and so they have come up with you know,

47
00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,080
Speaker 3: they have all those cool products in the center aisle.

48
00:01:56,040 --> 00:02:00,480
Speaker 3: They have like well they have a new new thing,

49
00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:01,919
Speaker 3: but you can't buy it in the store.

50
00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:04,320
Speaker 2: Oh it's only online. It's in the center aisle.

51
00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:07,680
Speaker 3: One steaks. You have to enter on social media to

52
00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:08,480
Speaker 3: get purchase.

53
00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:08,960
Speaker 2: Necessarily.

54
00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:14,040
Speaker 3: It's a limited edition jacket potato jacket. So it's a

55
00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:17,359
Speaker 3: puffer coat that has the outside print like the outside

56
00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:19,520
Speaker 3: of a potato, which kind of makes it look like

57
00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:20,959
Speaker 3: this guy's got a skin disorder.

58
00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:23,040
Speaker 2: It looks like something Tyler the creator would wear.

59
00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:27,920
Speaker 3: Ago maybe, but it's all fleece inside, so it looks

60
00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:30,720
Speaker 3: like fluffy inside of a potato. And then you can

61
00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:35,640
Speaker 3: also it comes with a silver rain poncho over the outside,

62
00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:38,959
Speaker 3: wrapped in foil when you bake them. Some people bake

63
00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:39,600
Speaker 3: them in foil.

64
00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:42,240
Speaker 2: Some on the street like that. Yeah, I don't know,

65
00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:44,040
Speaker 2: like in London, but I've seen that sold that.

66
00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:46,520
Speaker 3: Way, like baked potatoes on the street.

67
00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:49,120
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, like they sell like hot dogs on

68
00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:49,520
Speaker 2: the street.

69
00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:51,360
Speaker 3: They tacos where I'm front, Yeah.

70
00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:52,560
Speaker 2: People also sell baked potatoes.

71
00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:57,400
Speaker 3: Really freaks. So anyway you can get this, you're the

72
00:02:57,400 --> 00:02:59,760
Speaker 3: one with the jacket. Gotta go on, you gotta go

73
00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:03,240
Speaker 3: on and try and get you a jacket potato jacket

74
00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:07,120
Speaker 3: if you're in aldi UK. Here's my favorite part of it,

75
00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:10,760
Speaker 3: and then I'll stop. Julie Ashfield is the chief commercial

76
00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:13,640
Speaker 3: officer at Aldi UK. Okay, and she said, you know,

77
00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:16,880
Speaker 3: we know our customers love jacket potatoes, so launching this

78
00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:20,200
Speaker 3: jacket made sense, especially now the temperatures are dropping. Okay,

79
00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:22,480
Speaker 3: that makes sense. Here's the line that I feel like

80
00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:26,359
Speaker 3: she wrote for us, enjoying a jacket potato in all

81
00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:29,480
Speaker 3: these new jacket potato jacket is sure to be a

82
00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:36,119
Speaker 3: mash made in heaven. But I'm chat that is ridiculous

83
00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:37,040
Speaker 3: every time.

84
00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:43,160
Speaker 2: Well, if you guys a can just sit back down,

85
00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,720
Speaker 2: keep those legwarmers present, because you know I got something

86
00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:49,040
Speaker 2: for you. Yea, it's ridiculous. Yeah, you know, like lots

87
00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:52,520
Speaker 2: of Hollywood stars and celebrities get fan mail, but the

88
00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:54,880
Speaker 2: mid century actress and the World War two era sex

89
00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:57,920
Speaker 2: symbol Betty Grable, right, she was the rare star who

90
00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:02,400
Speaker 2: got lots and lots of extortion letter as fan mail boy. Yeah,

91
00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:05,560
Speaker 2: in the immortal words of Keenan Thompson, what's up with that?

92
00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:07,080
Speaker 3: What's up with that?

93
00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:32,520
Speaker 2: This is Ridiculous Crime, a podcast about absurd and outrageous capers,

94
00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:37,719
Speaker 2: heists and cons. It's always ninety nine percent murder free

95
00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:42,200
Speaker 2: and one hundred percent what one hundred percent?

96
00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:42,600
Speaker 3: What?

97
00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:44,960
Speaker 2: One hundred percent ridiculous.

98
00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:46,920
Speaker 3: Ridiculous, Elizabeth Sar.

99
00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:49,520
Speaker 2: A few weeks back, you told me a story that

100
00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,000
Speaker 2: blew my mind about the child actor Jackie Coogan.

101
00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:56,039
Speaker 3: Yes, you remember that one, right, I remember it well.

102
00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:58,440
Speaker 2: Today I want to tell you a story about his

103
00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:02,440
Speaker 2: better half, one of his wives, the super famous actress

104
00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:03,279
Speaker 2: Betty Grabil.

105
00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:04,080
Speaker 3: Yeah.

106
00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:05,440
Speaker 2: What do you know about Betty Grabel.

107
00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:08,359
Speaker 3: I know she was married to Jackie Coogan, and I

108
00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:10,279
Speaker 3: know she was like a World War two pin up.

109
00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:12,119
Speaker 3: She's got the famous one where she's kind of looking

110
00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:14,520
Speaker 3: over her shoulder. Yeah, you're looking at her rump in

111
00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:15,320
Speaker 3: a swimsuit, like.

112
00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:17,440
Speaker 2: If you look over my shoulder. I've brought a Betty

113
00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:18,200
Speaker 2: Grable here.

114
00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:20,120
Speaker 3: Into the student I can see that.

115
00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:22,400
Speaker 2: I always tell you I have a poster of Betty Grable.

116
00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:25,640
Speaker 3: So I took a life size cardboard cutout. Did you

117
00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:26,480
Speaker 3: have that in your car?

118
00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:33,240
Speaker 2: Laminated totally for weather never mind? Yeah? So okay, So

119
00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:35,560
Speaker 2: now let's dive a little deeper and get to know

120
00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:38,680
Speaker 2: Betty Grabil. Yes, she was born in nineteen sixteen and

121
00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:42,400
Speaker 2: her parents named her Elizabeth Ruth Grabil, So it's really

122
00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,640
Speaker 2: her name, Betty Grabil. She was raised in Saint Louis, Missouri,

123
00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:49,440
Speaker 2: youngest of three kids. Father was a stockbroker. Her mother

124
00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:52,479
Speaker 2: was basically a stage mom. She used she used to

125
00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:54,400
Speaker 2: enter her daughter and like beauty contest all the time

126
00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:56,440
Speaker 2: as a little girl, and then like as a younger girl,

127
00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:58,520
Speaker 2: and she would win, like she want a bunch of them.

128
00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:00,960
Speaker 2: She's a looker, right yeah. So after that taste of

129
00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:04,120
Speaker 2: early success, and just after the stock market crashed in

130
00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:07,040
Speaker 2: nineteen twenty nine, her mother took her out to Hollywood

131
00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:10,359
Speaker 2: to chase stardom. Yeah, no mention of her father going

132
00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:12,279
Speaker 2: the stockbroker.

133
00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:13,520
Speaker 3: But any way, I hope he was okay.

134
00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:15,599
Speaker 2: Betty Grable was twelve years old at the time, and

135
00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:17,960
Speaker 2: her mother lied and said she was fifteen so she

136
00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:19,080
Speaker 2: could work in the industry.

137
00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:21,000
Speaker 3: Oh that's disturbing, right yeah.

138
00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:23,080
Speaker 2: So she gets her first movie part that same year,

139
00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:25,479
Speaker 2: nineteen twenty nine, and at the time she was using

140
00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:28,120
Speaker 2: a stage name, Francis Dean. You got a name like.

141
00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:30,640
Speaker 3: Betty Gray Grable's like the best name.

142
00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:33,919
Speaker 2: Right anyway, Next year nineteen thirty, at age thirteen, she

143
00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:36,640
Speaker 2: signs a contract with Samuel Goldwyn and becomes one of

144
00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:37,360
Speaker 2: the og.

145
00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:39,919
Speaker 3: Goldwyn Girls at thirteen.

146
00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:42,200
Speaker 2: Right, yeah, which if you're unfamiliar. That's just a Hollywood

147
00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:45,359
Speaker 2: knockoff of the Ziegfield Follies, which are the chorus girls

148
00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:47,239
Speaker 2: that were all the rage on Broadway at the time.

149
00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:49,000
Speaker 2: And again thirteen years old.

150
00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:50,240
Speaker 3: Thirteen yeah.

151
00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:52,640
Speaker 2: So two years later, nineteen thirty two, she signs with

152
00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:56,240
Speaker 2: RKAO Pictures. That's where she gets to her start actually

153
00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:58,760
Speaker 2: doing acting parts, not just like kicking her legs. She

154
00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:01,760
Speaker 2: takes classes because that was the thing back in like

155
00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:06,080
Speaker 2: classic Golden age Hollywood. So she's doing acting classes, dance classes,

156
00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:09,640
Speaker 2: voice lessons, and she then goes to her birth name

157
00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:13,040
Speaker 2: as her stage name, Betty Grabel. After she spends the

158
00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:16,440
Speaker 2: thirties basically playing like a typically colleged age girls in

159
00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:19,440
Speaker 2: a series of college set films, and she starts to

160
00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:21,840
Speaker 2: make a name for herself as Betty Grabel. And then

161
00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:24,400
Speaker 2: in nineteen thirty seven she gets married to who former

162
00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:28,040
Speaker 2: child star Jackie Coogan. But as you explained in your episode,

163
00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:30,880
Speaker 2: at the time, he was all emotionally bogged down with

164
00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:34,360
Speaker 2: the lawsuit against his parents over his childhood earnings. So

165
00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:37,600
Speaker 2: eventually that puts strain on their marriage and it gets

166
00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:41,240
Speaker 2: cramped by all this emotional like you know, baggage and

167
00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:43,520
Speaker 2: they get divorced two years later in nineteen thirty nine.

168
00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:47,160
Speaker 2: Before they got divorced, they started a movie together called

169
00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:48,720
Speaker 2: Million Dollar Legs.

170
00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:50,120
Speaker 3: Million Dollar Legs.

171
00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:52,920
Speaker 2: Yes, that was the movie where she earned her nickname

172
00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:55,720
Speaker 2: and they called attention to her world famous legs.

173
00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:56,280
Speaker 3: Yeah.

174
00:07:56,640 --> 00:08:00,320
Speaker 2: Anyways, after her divorce from Jackie Coogan in thirty nine,

175
00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:03,160
Speaker 2: the next year, she's feeling a little blue. She's considering

176
00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:06,200
Speaker 2: leaving showbism behind. Right, She's like in her feels because

177
00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:08,560
Speaker 2: she's been in the industry for a decade.

178
00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:10,520
Speaker 3: So she's twenty three, yeah exactly.

179
00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:13,360
Speaker 2: Now at this point, she goes on this national tour

180
00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:16,960
Speaker 2: where she would do personal appearances, and this saves her

181
00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:19,880
Speaker 2: career because it rekindles her love of being a star

182
00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:22,480
Speaker 2: when she's out amongst the people. Though, yeah those of us,

183
00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:24,600
Speaker 2: of the little people, right. But the big deal of

184
00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:27,080
Speaker 2: this tour is that she meets Daryl F. Xanik, the

185
00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:29,680
Speaker 2: head of twentieth Century Fox, and he's all charmed by

186
00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:33,280
Speaker 2: Betty Grabil. He can see potential in this, like untapped

187
00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:37,320
Speaker 2: possible megastar. Yeah, So she dyes her hair blonde. She

188
00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:39,640
Speaker 2: becomes Xanic Like well, Xank was kind of a sucker

189
00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:42,319
Speaker 2: for a blonde star. Right, So she becomes his new

190
00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:44,600
Speaker 2: like favorite, like it girl of the moment, and he

191
00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:47,480
Speaker 2: believed that he could make this happen for America too.

192
00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:50,480
Speaker 2: And this is when her career really starts to take off.

193
00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:54,960
Speaker 2: She becomes this glamorous movie star, a blonde bombshell. She's

194
00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:58,880
Speaker 2: also essentially known for her self deprecating wit, which really

195
00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,520
Speaker 2: went a long way in differentiating her from some of

196
00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:03,760
Speaker 2: the other stars of the time. Like as far as

197
00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:06,319
Speaker 2: why she became a big star, Betty Grabel once said,

198
00:09:06,679 --> 00:09:10,640
Speaker 2: as a dancer, I couldn't outdance Ginger Rogers or Eleanor Powell.

199
00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:13,959
Speaker 2: As a singer, I'm no rival to Doris Day. As

200
00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:17,000
Speaker 2: an actress, I don't take myself seriously. I'm the girl

201
00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:21,679
Speaker 2: truck driver's loves. And she also means she's such like

202
00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:25,959
Speaker 2: a woman of the people and specifically soldiers. She also acknowledged, yeah,

203
00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:30,080
Speaker 2: she said quote, I'm strictly an enlisted man's girl. Oh right, Yeah,

204
00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:32,320
Speaker 2: So that's obviously in reference to Betty Grabel being a

205
00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:35,560
Speaker 2: major screen icon of the World War two era, because

206
00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:38,880
Speaker 2: you know it's gonna kick off in forty one for us,

207
00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:42,360
Speaker 2: right now, there's that famous image that you mentioned of

208
00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:45,040
Speaker 2: her in the white bathing suit. She's like glancing over

209
00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:47,960
Speaker 2: her shoulder, which is just over my shoulder, And that

210
00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:50,559
Speaker 2: image it gets painted on the sides of bomber planes

211
00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:53,640
Speaker 2: and she becomes the it girl of the day. Darryl's

212
00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:57,160
Speaker 2: Anni's call works out perfectly. He's totally right, and she

213
00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:00,360
Speaker 2: becomes actually a good luck charm for soldiers over sees

214
00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:03,440
Speaker 2: this sexy reminder of why and who they're fighting for

215
00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:06,560
Speaker 2: back home. She's what they would call a morale booster.

216
00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:10,800
Speaker 2: But who was Betty Grabel beyond the iconic pin up imagery.

217
00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:12,360
Speaker 2: So glad you asked you.

218
00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:13,839
Speaker 3: I'm glad to like.

219
00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:15,440
Speaker 2: I've been saying, she was a fun star. She's a

220
00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:18,880
Speaker 2: self deprecating woman. She manages to scale the heights of Hollywood.

221
00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:21,880
Speaker 2: And also this is, you know, stark contrast to who

222
00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:24,200
Speaker 2: she really is, because she was painfully shy, and yet

223
00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:27,600
Speaker 2: she becomes really, yeah, this major star. This was because

224
00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:30,240
Speaker 2: of a few factors, all right, As Debbie Reynold's, a

225
00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:34,920
Speaker 2: fellow actress and a contemporary, once said Betty Grabel was

226
00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:38,080
Speaker 2: the most easy going woman in Hollywood. So, like everybody

227
00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:40,240
Speaker 2: liked working with her. Everyone liked chilling on the set

228
00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:42,760
Speaker 2: with her, and she often said, you know that she

229
00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:45,520
Speaker 2: just loved show business, Like she's got this great quote

230
00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:48,719
Speaker 2: about show business. It's loud, it's cheap, it's gaudy, it's

231
00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:50,520
Speaker 2: like everything I've ever done. I love it.

232
00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:55,320
Speaker 3: I love stars who lean into it, like how good

233
00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:57,040
Speaker 3: they have it, how fun it can.

234
00:10:56,920 --> 00:10:59,960
Speaker 2: Be, exactly like a set is incredible. It really does

235
00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:02,520
Speaker 2: feel awesome. It feels like you're getting away with something.

236
00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:06,520
Speaker 3: Yeah, and you look at like actors and professional athletes

237
00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:08,800
Speaker 3: who moan about it. You know, when you think that

238
00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:11,079
Speaker 3: there are people who that's their life's dream and you're

239
00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:13,440
Speaker 3: sitting there complaining about this, like, come on.

240
00:11:13,320 --> 00:11:16,080
Speaker 2: You've lost perspective, you have lost the plot exactly now.

241
00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:18,800
Speaker 2: Betty Grabel was also a huge star because Betty Grabel

242
00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:22,360
Speaker 2: knew who Betty Grabel was. She was super realistic about

243
00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:24,760
Speaker 2: what the public wanted from her. She was extremely self

244
00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:27,560
Speaker 2: aware as a star in show business terms. She was

245
00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:30,000
Speaker 2: essentially a song and dance woman, right, and that's what

246
00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:33,439
Speaker 2: those the movies she made. And she once said, there

247
00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:35,880
Speaker 2: are two reasons why I am successful in show business,

248
00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:40,360
Speaker 2: and I am standing on both of them, or more succinctly.

249
00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:43,080
Speaker 2: She once said, there's nothing mysterious about me. My legs

250
00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:47,480
Speaker 2: made me. Yeah. I saw this Life magazine pictorial they did.

251
00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:49,920
Speaker 2: We had like eighteen pictures of her, and I think

252
00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,240
Speaker 2: her face is only in like four of them. It's

253
00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:54,280
Speaker 2: just always her legs. Yeah.

254
00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:54,640
Speaker 4: Wow.

255
00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:56,800
Speaker 2: I mean they used to use her legs as measurements.

256
00:11:56,840 --> 00:11:59,080
Speaker 2: If you went into go buy hosiery, They're like, okay,

257
00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:01,360
Speaker 2: Betty Grabel's legs, this, what are yours?

258
00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:02,480
Speaker 3: Oh wow?

259
00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:06,959
Speaker 2: Yeah. Her megastarretan was very much due to this obviously

260
00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,880
Speaker 2: self awareness and then her sexy legs. Yeah, and you

261
00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:12,240
Speaker 2: could say she was also unafraid to flaunt what she had,

262
00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:14,040
Speaker 2: namely her million dollar legs.

263
00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:14,480
Speaker 3: Yeah.

264
00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:17,560
Speaker 2: In fact, as this publicity stunt Daryl Zanik in twentieth

265
00:12:17,559 --> 00:12:21,000
Speaker 2: Century Fox the Studio, they paid this insurance company, Lloyd's

266
00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:24,480
Speaker 2: of London to ensure her legs for one million dollars.

267
00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:27,319
Speaker 3: Every time they do those like I've insured my hands.

268
00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:30,840
Speaker 3: Really it's fat, it's so bizarre, lovely if you get hurt,

269
00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:31,760
Speaker 3: you know, I guess.

270
00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:34,040
Speaker 2: Now by the nineteen forties, so when World War two

271
00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:36,840
Speaker 2: is in full swing, Betty Grabel is the biggest female

272
00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:40,000
Speaker 2: star in America, specifically, in nineteen forty three, she was

273
00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:43,360
Speaker 2: the number one box office draw in the world. That's

274
00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:47,079
Speaker 2: including male actors. Really, she stayed the number one box

275
00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:50,920
Speaker 2: office draw for a full decade when she's making these

276
00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:55,160
Speaker 2: lush Technicolor musicals. Yeah, Betty, Now, Betty Grabel was more popular.

277
00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:57,839
Speaker 2: I want to make this clear, then the big male

278
00:12:57,920 --> 00:12:59,960
Speaker 2: stars of the day. She's more popular than Clark Gave,

279
00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:04,320
Speaker 2: more popular than Gary Cooper, Humphy, Bauagart, Bob Hope. And

280
00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:06,840
Speaker 2: due to that, in forty three, she signs this million

281
00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:09,400
Speaker 2: dollar contract with twenty eighth Century Fox, every with hers

282
00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:11,959
Speaker 2: million dollars. Yeah, of course, she comes the first woman

283
00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:13,920
Speaker 2: to join what was known as the million dollar club

284
00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:16,480
Speaker 2: because male actors were getting paid that they'd cross that line.

285
00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:18,840
Speaker 2: Right now, since I know you often wondered that this

286
00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:21,920
Speaker 2: a million dollars in nineteen forty three would be eighteen

287
00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:25,839
Speaker 2: point seven million dollars in today's dollars. Wow, she's like

288
00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:27,600
Speaker 2: in the basically the twenty million dollar club.

289
00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:28,040
Speaker 3: Yeah.

290
00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:29,960
Speaker 2: Now, for the next ten years, as I said, she

291
00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:33,079
Speaker 2: remains the highest paid female star in America. In fact,

292
00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:37,280
Speaker 2: the US Treasury confirmed with data that in nineteen forty

293
00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:39,360
Speaker 2: six and nineteen forty seven, she was the highest paid

294
00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:41,960
Speaker 2: woman in America regardless of the industry.

295
00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:44,959
Speaker 3: Yeah, think too about you know, we talk about salaries

296
00:13:45,040 --> 00:13:47,480
Speaker 3: now in Hollywood, but that's also because you have this

297
00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:50,720
Speaker 3: global market and they didn't have that then. I mean,

298
00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:54,120
Speaker 3: films could make it overseas, but not to the degree

299
00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:55,880
Speaker 3: of like that's where the earning is.

300
00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:59,040
Speaker 2: Exactly, and that's what now the majority of the earnings. Yeah,

301
00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:01,760
Speaker 2: So to recap Betty Grabel, she's this pin up girl,

302
00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:04,720
Speaker 2: She's the sex symbol of her era. She's a major

303
00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:07,959
Speaker 2: blonde bombshell. Basically, one way of thinking about is this,

304
00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:11,800
Speaker 2: before there was Marilyn Monroe, there was Betty Grabl. Yeah, right,

305
00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:13,559
Speaker 2: you can think of her. Actually, you can kind of

306
00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:16,320
Speaker 2: think of this this series of famous blonde sex symbols.

307
00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:19,040
Speaker 2: It goes like this. First there's Gene Harlow, She's the

308
00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:21,880
Speaker 2: first blonde bombshell. She's the Big six symbol of the

309
00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:25,480
Speaker 2: nineteen thirties. And then comes Betty Grabl, the pin up girl,

310
00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:28,360
Speaker 2: blonde bombshell of World War Two of the nineteen forties.

311
00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:31,520
Speaker 2: And then along comes Marilyn Monroe, who fuses the appeal

312
00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:34,720
Speaker 2: of both Geen Harlowe and Betty Grabel and then becomes

313
00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:37,040
Speaker 2: you know, it's basically the sex appeal Jean Harlowe and

314
00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:39,720
Speaker 2: the mystery of her and then the every GI's girl,

315
00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:43,000
Speaker 2: all American appeal of Betty Grabel. Right, that's how Maryland

316
00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:46,040
Speaker 2: becomes the huge star of the nineteen fifties. So essentially,

317
00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:49,320
Speaker 2: Betty Grabel actually even passes the torch to Maryland when

318
00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:51,800
Speaker 2: they start together in the movie How to Marry a Millionaire?

319
00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:53,480
Speaker 3: Oh right, right, yeah exactly.

320
00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:56,360
Speaker 2: In fact, Marilyn Monroe would tell anyone who listened when

321
00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:59,120
Speaker 2: she was growing up, she idolized Betty Grabel like that's

322
00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:02,160
Speaker 2: who she wanted, Yeah, because she knew she had it,

323
00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:05,000
Speaker 2: and also she was unapologetic about it.

324
00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:07,640
Speaker 3: That's what I think is interesting when you're describing her

325
00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:10,800
Speaker 3: and we know what we know about Marilyn being very

326
00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:14,560
Speaker 3: self aware and in control, and you know, they get

327
00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:19,200
Speaker 3: portrayed as like ditches and not and kind of manipulated.

328
00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:22,560
Speaker 3: Jane Mansfield is another one like that, where these are

329
00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:27,120
Speaker 3: really smart women who are savvy and talented and they

330
00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:30,160
Speaker 3: play characters and people think they are those characters.

331
00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:32,320
Speaker 2: Exactly and they know that. You know, American audience at

332
00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:36,640
Speaker 2: the time in particular, liked these like dumb, daffy, goofy women,

333
00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:38,480
Speaker 2: so they would play into that. But you have to

334
00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:41,080
Speaker 2: be smart to play that part exactly. So, No, in

335
00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:43,560
Speaker 2: the nineteen forties, if you're Betty Grabel and your sex symbol,

336
00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:45,480
Speaker 2: if you're at this blonde bombshell and you're the most

337
00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:48,440
Speaker 2: famous woman in the world, there's something you also are.

338
00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:51,160
Speaker 2: You're a symbol, you're a focus of obsessions, and you

339
00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:53,200
Speaker 2: become a target for you guessed it.

340
00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:56,239
Speaker 3: Crime, Oh boy, in this case, oh Betty.

341
00:15:56,080 --> 00:15:59,280
Speaker 2: Ridiculous crime. Now. I mentioned old radio shows far too often,

342
00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:02,120
Speaker 2: but in this case who Ida too, because it's relevant

343
00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:04,760
Speaker 2: to the story. Because before TV becomes the thing in

344
00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:07,960
Speaker 2: nineteen forty eight, radio is what folks did at night

345
00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:11,080
Speaker 2: for entertainment, as you know, right. They'd gather around, they'd

346
00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:14,000
Speaker 2: listen to sitcoms or news programs. They listened to soap

347
00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:17,040
Speaker 2: operas in the daytime, action adventure shows at night for

348
00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:20,840
Speaker 2: the kids, major Broadway plays, if you're cultured, Hollywood movies

349
00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:23,400
Speaker 2: would get acted on the airways. Right. One of the

350
00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:26,400
Speaker 2: big shows of the day was The Green Hornet, which

351
00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:28,960
Speaker 2: I've mentioned before. It's the radio show that Seth Rogan

352
00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:32,520
Speaker 2: turned into a movie in twenty eleven, but in nineteen

353
00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:36,160
Speaker 2: forty that show became the inspiration for a Betty Grabel based.

354
00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:38,160
Speaker 3: Crime waits The Green Hornet.

355
00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:41,360
Speaker 2: The Green Hornet. On December sixth, nineteen forty, someone sat

356
00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:43,480
Speaker 2: down and they penned a letter to Betty Grabel. But

357
00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:45,840
Speaker 2: this wasn't fan mail. Instead, this person wanted to send

358
00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:49,200
Speaker 2: an extortion letter to Betty Grabel, but rather than call

359
00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:51,640
Speaker 2: himself by his government name since it was an extortion letter,

360
00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:53,800
Speaker 2: he called himself the Yellow Hornet.

361
00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:54,880
Speaker 3: Yellow Hornet.

362
00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:58,440
Speaker 2: Yeah, the letter he's sent read you have been selected

363
00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:01,480
Speaker 2: by me, the Yellow Hornet, to pay me the sum

364
00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:05,399
Speaker 2: of two thousand dollars in cash. Of course, of course

365
00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:08,080
Speaker 2: I love the court lady. No want to start to

366
00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:10,920
Speaker 2: a letter. It's like part scam letter, part deranged fantasy.

367
00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:13,639
Speaker 2: And also that much money two thousand dollars in nineteen

368
00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:17,080
Speaker 2: forty would be yes, forty six thousand dollars that I've

369
00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:19,480
Speaker 2: been doing it for you, right forty. So back to

370
00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:22,200
Speaker 2: the Yellow Hornet's letter. This amount will be addressed to

371
00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:26,760
Speaker 2: Miss Betty Westlake, six' Ten Allison, Avenue, Washington. Pennsylvania the

372
00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:29,199
Speaker 2: amount will be sent by special delivery any, way you

373
00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:32,760
Speaker 2: prefer By december twenty, Fifth Christmas, day or you will

374
00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:35,120
Speaker 2: thus suffer the results is.

375
00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:37,359
Speaker 3: That The Yellow horns. House.

376
00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:40,760
Speaker 2: No, interestingly he doesn't make it clear what these bad

377
00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:42,920
Speaker 2: results will. BE i, guess like hel For, ditchcock he

378
00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:44,920
Speaker 2: wants to leave it to the. Imagination but The Yellow

379
00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:47,120
Speaker 2: hornet then ends his. Letter this is not a, joke

380
00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:50,000
Speaker 2: as you may, think but strictly. Business if, you, however

381
00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:52,400
Speaker 2: don't send this money to the address, ABOVE i will

382
00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:57,600
Speaker 2: personally come out and get. You, sincerely The. Hornet strictly.

383
00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,320
Speaker 3: Business no pleasure involved in. This it's LIKE.

384
00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:04,119
Speaker 2: Epmd it's strictly. Business Erica Perrish Macon ducats.

385
00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:04,920
Speaker 3: Come and get.

386
00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:08,400
Speaker 2: You yeah. Right he decides to go with the threat

387
00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:10,200
Speaker 2: IF i don't get my money By Christmas, day will

388
00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:12,080
Speaker 2: personally come out and get. You AND i assume he

389
00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:13,879
Speaker 2: means to come out To, hollywood, right not like to his.

390
00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:15,960
Speaker 2: Mother AND i guess he'll buy one of those maps

391
00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:18,000
Speaker 2: of the stars homes and just go, knock, knock knock

392
00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:20,879
Speaker 2: on her. Door, now another interesting thing about The Yellow hornets.

393
00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:23,040
Speaker 2: Letter it's at the address he sent you asked. About

394
00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:28,040
Speaker 2: this is the home In East, Washington, pennsylvania was the

395
00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:32,439
Speaker 2: home of the superintendent Of schools For East, washington and we,

396
00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:35,679
Speaker 2: assumed presumably he was the father Of Betty, westlake except,

397
00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:38,919
Speaker 2: for as THE fbi found, out there was No Betty. Westlake,

398
00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:43,960
Speaker 2: instead the daughter was Named Mary. Westlake so, yeah, anyway

399
00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:46,520
Speaker 2: THE fbi investigates the center of the letter is this

400
00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:50,119
Speaker 2: eighteen year old kid Named James, porter Not Betty. Westlake

401
00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:54,040
Speaker 2: he didn't even Know betty Or Mary. Westlake and THE

402
00:18:54,119 --> 00:18:56,960
Speaker 2: fbi discover all this when they arrest him On january,

403
00:18:57,040 --> 00:19:00,000
Speaker 2: third nineteen forty. One, yeah they catch up to The

404
00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:03,160
Speaker 2: Yellow hornet before he gets his act together and pops

405
00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:05,960
Speaker 2: across the country to go Visit Betty Grabil, yeah because

406
00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:08,800
Speaker 2: obviously she did not send the. Money On december twenty, fifth,

407
00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:12,000
Speaker 2: obviously after he's arrested by THE fbi and The Pennsylvania State,

408
00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:15,480
Speaker 2: Police James porter confesses that he did in fact send the,

409
00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:18,040
Speaker 2: letter but not only, that he'd also sent letters to

410
00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:20,480
Speaker 2: sixteen of his neighbors in the town Of, Washington.

411
00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:23,760
Speaker 3: Pennsylvania sixteen neighbors Plus Betty.

412
00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:26,440
Speaker 2: Grave exactly why? Not he said they were all part

413
00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:29,399
Speaker 2: of His Yellow Hornet. Club oh, yeah which they had

414
00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:31,400
Speaker 2: to know. This, no they had not opted to join.

415
00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:34,800
Speaker 2: This it's just like he would send quote assignments under

416
00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:37,040
Speaker 2: penalty of What i'm going to come out to your

417
00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:40,440
Speaker 2: house or. Whatever, now if you're wondering What Betty grabel's

418
00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:43,280
Speaker 2: response to the letter, was she never actually received. It

419
00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:47,120
Speaker 2: the letter instead was sent to twenty Century fox as fan,

420
00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:50,119
Speaker 2: mail so they she never saw. It they, did the

421
00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:51,879
Speaker 2: folks At. Fox they opened the fan. Mail then they

422
00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:53,560
Speaker 2: send it to THE, fbi like we got a live.

423
00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:57,320
Speaker 2: One they contact The Pennsylvania State police and some LOCAL fbi.

424
00:19:57,359 --> 00:19:59,720
Speaker 2: Agents you, know they all go out and arrest this confused,

425
00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:02,840
Speaker 2: Kid James. Porter and when the press Told Betty grabel

426
00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:06,600
Speaker 2: about the yellow hornet, business she, said it's flattering that

427
00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:08,960
Speaker 2: someone THINKS i can reach out and produce two thousand

428
00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:11,720
Speaker 2: dollars at a moment's. Notice But i've never heard of Miss,

429
00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:13,920
Speaker 2: westlake and SO i don't THINK i should make any further.

430
00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:18,399
Speaker 2: Comments and, also further, Ironically James porter was released on

431
00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:22,240
Speaker 2: two thousand dollars. Bail, okay so that's kind of a weird.

432
00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:24,560
Speaker 2: Case some random kid tries to extort A hollywood star

433
00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:26,600
Speaker 2: the same way he has been trying to extort his

434
00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:30,879
Speaker 2: neighbors and he gets arrested by THE. Fbi get, This,

435
00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:34,439
Speaker 2: Elizabeth this was only the start of folks trying to

436
00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:38,159
Speaker 2: Extort Betty, grabel and his stories only get weirder as we.

437
00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:40,800
Speaker 2: Go but, first let's take a, break chow, out listen

438
00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:42,920
Speaker 2: to some, ads and after these, MESSAGES i will tell

439
00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:46,000
Speaker 2: you even wilder ones from the life Of Betty. Grabel.

440
00:20:46,160 --> 00:21:08,359
Speaker 5: Nice we're, Back yes we, Are.

441
00:21:08,800 --> 00:21:10,600
Speaker 2: And i've got More Betty grabel for.

442
00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:10,760
Speaker 4: You?

443
00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:13,600
Speaker 2: Nice are you ready for some folks looking to extort

444
00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:17,160
Speaker 2: the most, famous most, desired most highly Paid american woman

445
00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:20,359
Speaker 2: of the nineteen. Forties so after The december nineteen Forty

446
00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:23,760
Speaker 2: january forty one story about The pennsylvania farm Boy James,

447
00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:27,800
Speaker 2: porter which becomes obviously national, news it leads to what

448
00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:30,840
Speaker 2: we now call copycat. Crime oh, yeah and it didn't

449
00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:34,920
Speaker 2: even take. Long one month later the blue, yeah, like

450
00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:36,480
Speaker 2: do you know how you heard about? This because he

451
00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:39,320
Speaker 2: got Busted, nope doesn't stop. Him In february forty, one

452
00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:42,960
Speaker 2: another young man From pennsylvania was, LIKE i want to

453
00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:44,119
Speaker 2: Extort Betty grabel.

454
00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:46,359
Speaker 3: Too WHY i make everyone feels like they can do it?

455
00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:49,280
Speaker 2: Better? YEAH i think so, yeah because his second, guy

456
00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:51,280
Speaker 2: he wasn't a high school age kid Like James. Porter,

457
00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:53,960
Speaker 2: instead he was a twenty four year old nightclub waiter

458
00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:58,240
Speaker 2: working In. Philadelphia. Wow but he was also Named James JAMES.

459
00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:02,720
Speaker 2: D Thompson ibry. Fourth nineteen forty, one THE fbi Arrested

460
00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:05,640
Speaker 2: James thompson after he Sent Betty grabil an extortion. Letter

461
00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:08,560
Speaker 2: but unlike the kid who demanded two, grand he went Bigger.

462
00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:11,040
Speaker 2: ELIZABETH i, mean he was some punk. Kid he's a

463
00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:11,479
Speaker 2: working night.

464
00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:13,760
Speaker 3: Club he has the value of.

465
00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:15,640
Speaker 2: Money he's got a, tailor he's got you, know he's

466
00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:18,040
Speaker 2: got people to. Pay he may even have a, bookie who.

467
00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:21,320
Speaker 2: Knows but he demanded eighty five hundred dollars From Betty

468
00:22:21,359 --> 00:22:25,480
Speaker 2: grabil and what's? That that would be one hundred and

469
00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:26,520
Speaker 2: eighty seven thousand.

470
00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:28,520
Speaker 3: Dollars, okay, right, yeah, yeah that's a good.

471
00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:31,720
Speaker 2: Chunk and he said unless the amount was, paid she

472
00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:33,359
Speaker 2: would suffer bodily.

473
00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:36,080
Speaker 3: Harm oh, vague, YES i like.

474
00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:37,040
Speaker 2: It leave it to the.

475
00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:38,879
Speaker 3: Magic did he have a fun name at the end

476
00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:39,080
Speaker 3: of the.

477
00:22:39,119 --> 00:22:42,280
Speaker 2: Letter, No, no he just well he just sent it as,

478
00:22:42,359 --> 00:22:46,440
Speaker 2: like you, know LIKE i don't actually don't remember the bumblebee.

479
00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:48,359
Speaker 2: YEAH i don't THINK i found what his name was

480
00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:50,520
Speaker 2: on the. Letter they just mentioned different sections of the

481
00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:52,960
Speaker 2: letter in the. News but, Yeah so he sends his

482
00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,280
Speaker 2: letter On january twenty, fourth AND i guess he wasn't

483
00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:57,680
Speaker 2: dissuaded by the fact the kid From pittsburgh got. Caught

484
00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:00,520
Speaker 2: so he's, like, No i'm From. Philadelphia we're smart kids

485
00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:04,760
Speaker 2: in Western. Pennsylvania So thompson the nightclub, waiters like things

486
00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:07,399
Speaker 2: will go differently for. Me his plan was slightly. SMARTER

487
00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:09,320
Speaker 2: i gotta give him. That rather than have the money

488
00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:11,720
Speaker 2: sent to a girl he didn't, know, yeah he demanded

489
00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,240
Speaker 2: That Betty grabil send the money to him via general,

490
00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:17,120
Speaker 2: delivery and then she was to place a personal ad

491
00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:19,520
Speaker 2: in a Local philadelphia paper so he would know that

492
00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:21,720
Speaker 2: she'd sent it and when to expect the money's.

493
00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:24,479
Speaker 3: Arrival, wait and to his name general. Delivery.

494
00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:27,560
Speaker 2: Yeah. Basically, Yeah, so instead of sending any money to

495
00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:30,800
Speaker 2: her Second pennsylvania extortion, Is Betty grabil hands the letter

496
00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:32,879
Speaker 2: over to THE. Fbi it takes them a week and

497
00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:34,840
Speaker 2: a half this, time and the GM n spring into

498
00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:37,760
Speaker 2: action and they arrest the nightclub. Waiter the good news

499
00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:39,359
Speaker 2: For Betty grabel was that no one sent her an

500
00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:41,680
Speaker 2: extortion letter for the rest of that. Year oh that's,

501
00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:44,159
Speaker 2: Good nor did she receive. One in nineteen forty. Two

502
00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:45,960
Speaker 2: the war was, on you, know the young men Of

503
00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:47,960
Speaker 2: america or busy wondering if they had been draft, yet

504
00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:51,000
Speaker 2: had other. Concerns maybe not as much time for, nonsense

505
00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:53,720
Speaker 2: but maybe, not because in nineteen forty three it all

506
00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:56,639
Speaker 2: starts right back up. Now if you remember from up

507
00:23:56,640 --> 00:23:58,840
Speaker 2: top WHEN i was telling you About Betty, grabil nineteen

508
00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:01,600
Speaker 2: forty three was her million dollar, year, Right that's the

509
00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:04,040
Speaker 2: year she signed her million dollar contract with Twentieth Century,

510
00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:07,159
Speaker 2: fox and she had her, legs you, know insured With

511
00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:09,960
Speaker 2: lloyd's Of london for a million. Dollars, yeah big million

512
00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:12,000
Speaker 2: dollar year for, her, Right and all that talk of

513
00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:15,280
Speaker 2: million dollars may have been what triggered the next extortion.

514
00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:18,120
Speaker 2: Letter or maybe this is just something you, know something. ELSE

515
00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:20,879
Speaker 2: i don't, know because the extortion letter it arrives In

516
00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:25,199
Speaker 2: february forty. Three, coincidentally the letter was Postmark february, sixth

517
00:24:25,320 --> 00:24:28,400
Speaker 2: which was one day after her previous extortionists had been

518
00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:31,080
Speaker 2: busted by the G men back in forty. One oh,

519
00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:34,000
Speaker 2: really it almost the. Anniversary, yeah so the story. Goes

520
00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:37,400
Speaker 2: in Early, February Betty grabil receives her latest extortion, letter

521
00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:42,080
Speaker 2: and it begins rather, Formally Dear Miss, grabil this is

522
00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:45,560
Speaker 2: an extortion under threat at your life or a great bodily.

523
00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:50,199
Speaker 2: Harm gathered twenty five thousand dollars in uncut diamonds and

524
00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:56,120
Speaker 2: mail them in two envelopes addressed To JONATHAN. C Wild,

525
00:24:56,600 --> 00:25:02,399
Speaker 2: Esquire Gates hotel fifth And, Figueroa, Sandelus, california signed The.

526
00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:05,360
Speaker 3: Leopard, wait now we're at The. Leopard this we got

527
00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:07,680
Speaker 3: to break this letter down for a. Second, right twenty

528
00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:11,679
Speaker 3: five grand and uncut diamonds in two, envelopes, envelope slit it.

529
00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:14,120
Speaker 3: Up he's, LIKE i think it's gonna go over postage

530
00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:16,560
Speaker 3: if you put them all in one, envelopes, like split it.

531
00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:18,600
Speaker 2: Up he doesn't trust the. Mail he's, LIKE i want

532
00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:20,760
Speaker 2: to get at least one of these through The.

533
00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:21,240
Speaker 3: Leopard.

534
00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:24,440
Speaker 2: Esquire, yes he's a. LAWYER i guess he's.

535
00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:27,159
Speaker 3: Like bill And. Ted oh, wow.

536
00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:29,880
Speaker 2: By the, way twenty five grand you're, wondering that's four

537
00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:33,959
Speaker 2: hundred and sixty eight thousand dollars twenty twenty. Five oh,

538
00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:36,360
Speaker 2: yeah half mil, mo, right Because he's, like, yeah you're

539
00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:37,920
Speaker 2: worth a million. Dollar your leg's are worth a million.

540
00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:40,560
Speaker 2: Dollars i'll take a half Mill i'll take a one

541
00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:43,919
Speaker 2: baty grable leg worth of. Money, also what is up

542
00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:46,880
Speaker 2: with these, guys The Yellow, hornet The? Leopard these are

543
00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:48,160
Speaker 2: like b grade comic book.

544
00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:49,120
Speaker 3: VILLAINS i, know it's.

545
00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,240
Speaker 2: Amazing and also the you know The JONATHAN. C wild,

546
00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:55,160
Speaker 2: esquire is he even a real? Lawyer is that just.

547
00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:59,480
Speaker 3: Means fancy exactly to be messed? With so is he The?

548
00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:00,720
Speaker 2: Leopard is He JONATHAN?

549
00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:01,439
Speaker 3: C wild?

550
00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:02,800
Speaker 2: With, anyway these are all great.

551
00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:04,560
Speaker 3: Questions send it to my.

552
00:26:04,760 --> 00:26:07,760
Speaker 2: Lawyer OH i like, That i'm. Smart, yeah he's probably

553
00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:09,240
Speaker 2: watching a lot of like noir films.

554
00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:09,840
Speaker 3: Exactly.

555
00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:12,359
Speaker 2: Yeah so THE fbi when they hear about, this they're,

556
00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:14,600
Speaker 2: like we got. This we're getting pretty good at busting these.

557
00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:17,480
Speaker 2: Bozos what is this number? Three so the g men

558
00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:19,760
Speaker 2: decided to play. Along this time they send what was

559
00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:22,760
Speaker 2: described as a dummy package to the address given by

560
00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:25,919
Speaker 2: The leopard way and they had undercover agents watched the

561
00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:28,440
Speaker 2: hotel At fifth And figureoa to see who would come

562
00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:30,760
Speaker 2: pick up the. Package but no one.

563
00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:33,160
Speaker 3: Came oh, Really, Yeah.

564
00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:36,199
Speaker 2: But one month later In March march, ninth to be,

565
00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:39,080
Speaker 2: exact a second letter is sent To Betty. Grabil it

566
00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:41,520
Speaker 2: was just as formal as the first and was also

567
00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:46,880
Speaker 2: using increasingly violent. Language the letter, read dear Miss, grabil

568
00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:51,159
Speaker 2: On march, nineteenth at nine to forty, am come north

569
00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:55,439
Speaker 2: On Gower street and a half block south Of Santa Monica.

570
00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:59,240
Speaker 2: BOULEVARD i will be waiting leaning on the cemetery. Wall

571
00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:02,639
Speaker 2: bring five thousand dollars or you will not be alive

572
00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:04,960
Speaker 2: on the, Twentieth Signed Snowy.

573
00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:09,320
Speaker 3: Baker first of, All i'm kind of excited BECAUSE i

574
00:27:09,359 --> 00:27:10,359
Speaker 3: know where all these places.

575
00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:11,040
Speaker 2: ARE i thought you.

576
00:27:11,080 --> 00:27:16,120
Speaker 3: Would and Then snowey's sne, Dude Snowy, baker.

577
00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:18,479
Speaker 2: This is apparently the gnome de plume of the. Leopard

578
00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:21,120
Speaker 2: he's a snow. Lepard and uh, yeah if you if

579
00:27:21,119 --> 00:27:24,520
Speaker 2: you the THE fbi they did had handwriting analysis check the.

580
00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:27,119
Speaker 2: Letter they confirmed it was definitely the same. Guy Snowy

581
00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:27,960
Speaker 2: baker is the.

582
00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:31,040
Speaker 3: Leopard Snowey baker leaning on the cemetery. Gate, yes That's

583
00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:34,600
Speaker 3: Rombi keats And yates on his. SIDE i like, that.

584
00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:37,000
Speaker 2: So five grand in nineteen forty, Three in case you were,

585
00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:41,080
Speaker 2: Wondering elizabeth is about ninety three, thousand six hundred dollars these. Days,

586
00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:43,760
Speaker 2: okay so still a pretty good. Page, yeah but no

587
00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:45,960
Speaker 2: one cut diamonds this. Time he's dropped from twenty five

588
00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:48,120
Speaker 2: grand to five, grand a fifth of the. Value but he's,

589
00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:50,879
Speaker 2: like you, KNOW i don't know the snowy baker is

590
00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:52,880
Speaker 2: and as greedy as the. LEOPARD i don't want to tell.

591
00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:55,640
Speaker 2: You but it's still a ton of money in forty. Three.

592
00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:57,879
Speaker 2: Yeah so WHAT i also love about this second extortion

593
00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:00,320
Speaker 2: letter is how the letter is so damn. Specific, yeah

594
00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:03,480
Speaker 2: it's like not half past, nine, no nine, Am like

595
00:28:03,520 --> 00:28:04,560
Speaker 2: he's running a, bus.

596
00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:07,040
Speaker 3: Go, yeah. Totally, well you wonder if it does coincide

597
00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:09,359
Speaker 3: with a bus that he would he's planning to jump

598
00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:12,199
Speaker 3: on a bus right After oh good. Call and he

599
00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:14,880
Speaker 3: never picked up the original dummy. Package, no it never.

600
00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:17,560
Speaker 2: Came to The hotel fifth and. Figure now at this,

601
00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:19,919
Speaker 2: one at the intersection Of gower And Santa. Monica the

602
00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:23,399
Speaker 2: exchange is a half block south Of Santa monica right.

603
00:28:24,119 --> 00:28:26,600
Speaker 2: NOW i don't know how well you know The hollywood,

604
00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:28,440
Speaker 2: area but that street you, MEAN i know you said

605
00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:30,880
Speaker 2: you can know all these But gower was a really

606
00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:33,840
Speaker 2: interesting choice at that time to pick because that's where

607
00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:37,200
Speaker 2: a bunch of movie studios were located At Sunset boulevard And, gower,

608
00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:39,120
Speaker 2: right which is which is just a few blocks. Away

609
00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:41,760
Speaker 2: it's about like four city. Blocks so it's a great

610
00:28:41,800 --> 00:28:44,400
Speaker 2: exchange place for the leopard if you want to run

611
00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:47,640
Speaker 2: into a bunch of like guys dressed like, cowboys because

612
00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:51,760
Speaker 2: the area was Called Gower. Gulch, yeah because there's basically

613
00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:54,880
Speaker 2: like At sunset And gower. There back in the silent film,

614
00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:57,320
Speaker 2: Era sunset And gower was the home of movie, cowboys,

615
00:28:57,400 --> 00:28:59,680
Speaker 2: right and this continued into the sound, era so you

616
00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:02,480
Speaker 2: Had Columbia studios, there you had The bean Movie Maker

617
00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:06,080
Speaker 2: Republic studios which made a ton of. Westerns so extras

618
00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:08,400
Speaker 2: and people who just wanted to be a star would

619
00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:10,920
Speaker 2: hang out in this area and they would be like

620
00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:14,280
Speaker 2: walking around like dressed as like you, know a horse,

621
00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:17,280
Speaker 2: rustler and that way they some casting director might see

622
00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:18,840
Speaker 2: them and they could get hired for the day to

623
00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:21,320
Speaker 2: be a member of a posse, amazing, Right, yeah So

624
00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:22,720
Speaker 2: Gower gooles becomes this home of.

625
00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:25,000
Speaker 3: Movie has my own costume guys.

626
00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:27,640
Speaker 2: Exactly and also if you didn't find work that, day

627
00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:29,720
Speaker 2: you could go over to The columbia Drug store and

628
00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:32,280
Speaker 2: you can just mosey on, in grab a, seat and

629
00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:34,360
Speaker 2: enjoy a cup of coffee or sandwich or. Whatever and

630
00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:36,239
Speaker 2: this is Where John wayne used to hang out when

631
00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:39,600
Speaker 2: he was a young. Actor, also Both Roy rogers And

632
00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:42,440
Speaker 2: Gene autry, like if you're looking for, stars, yeah this

633
00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:42,720
Speaker 2: is the.

634
00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:43,120
Speaker 3: Space.

635
00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:45,200
Speaker 2: Yeah, anyway so this is just a couple of blocks

636
00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:47,720
Speaker 2: away from the leopard who wants to Meet Betty grable

637
00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:48,560
Speaker 2: to go at.

638
00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:50,880
Speaker 3: Nine to forty as and there's a, cemetery.

639
00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:53,520
Speaker 2: Yeah where he'll be waiting on the cemetery. Wall, now

640
00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:55,560
Speaker 2: this time the g men they decide not to send

641
00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:58,600
Speaker 2: a dummy. Package, instead they want to Send Betty grable

642
00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:02,040
Speaker 2: to deliver the five grand in cash as. Instructed but

643
00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:05,040
Speaker 2: you can't Risk Betty grabil and her million dollar. Legs

644
00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:08,200
Speaker 2: you can't send the Real Betty. Grable so instead they

645
00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:11,480
Speaker 2: plan to send an UNDERCOVER fbi. Agent now you may

646
00:30:11,480 --> 00:30:14,400
Speaker 2: be picturing some clean shape of AN fbi guy drag

647
00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:14,680
Speaker 2: and a.

648
00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:16,560
Speaker 3: Bond wahgray, Amazing but it.

649
00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:19,160
Speaker 2: Turns out THE fbi had female agents at the, time

650
00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:21,600
Speaker 2: so they scared up an agent who had a passing

651
00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:24,520
Speaker 2: resemblance To betty grabil and they sent her to make the.

652
00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:25,400
Speaker 2: Exchange oh.

653
00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:28,280
Speaker 4: Wow but rather than me tell you, That, Elizabeth i'd

654
00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:30,640
Speaker 4: like you to close your eyes as a Closed i'd like.

655
00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:39,480
Speaker 2: You to picture. It It's march, nineteenth nineteen forty, three

656
00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:42,160
Speaker 2: the appointed day for the, exchange the day to hand

657
00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:45,520
Speaker 2: over the extortion money to The leopard Aka Snowy. Baker

658
00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:48,560
Speaker 2: the g men of THE fbi have planned extensively for

659
00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:51,480
Speaker 2: this sting. Operation charts of the street have been created

660
00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:54,800
Speaker 2: with precise locations selected for the full surveillance of the

661
00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:57,920
Speaker 2: scene of this. Exchange some of the agents are excited

662
00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:00,680
Speaker 2: to bring to bear the latest high technology of the,

663
00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:04,520
Speaker 2: day cutting edge and surveillance. TECH a, camera but not

664
00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:08,200
Speaker 2: just any, camera a handheld movie, camera specifically a sixteen

665
00:31:08,320 --> 00:31:11,240
Speaker 2: millimeter camera outfitted with a telephoto.

666
00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:14,080
Speaker 3: Lens Oo La La.

667
00:31:13,560 --> 00:31:17,040
Speaker 2: Jegar hoover's like my boys can make movies. Too, Anyway

668
00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:19,480
Speaker 2: they have a plan for total coverage of the. Payoff

669
00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:22,680
Speaker 2: the new lightweight sixteen millimeter movie cameras are perfect tool

670
00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:27,000
Speaker 2: for a sting. Operation perched in like these advantageous vantage,

671
00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:30,600
Speaker 2: points g men have their sixteen millimeter cameras trained on the.

672
00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:34,840
Speaker 2: Street there are also spotters using high powered. Binoculars they

673
00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:37,120
Speaker 2: have radios to signal the other agents who are down

674
00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:40,160
Speaker 2: at street. Level in the, cemetery there ARE fbi field

675
00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:43,440
Speaker 2: agents dressed as gardeners digging in the fresh turned. Earth

676
00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:47,080
Speaker 2: there are also other UNDERCOVER fbi agents dressed as grave.

677
00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:50,280
Speaker 2: Diggers they work the soil with, shovels but they're ready

678
00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:52,600
Speaker 2: to spring into action as soon as the perp reveals.

679
00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:55,440
Speaker 2: Themselves on both sides of the. Street on the, sidewalk

680
00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:59,160
Speaker 2: there are also other undercover g men acting as, lookouts

681
00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:01,040
Speaker 2: and they have portable walkie talk is that they have

682
00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:04,880
Speaker 2: hidden behind the newspapers and other useful. Items prowling the

683
00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:08,240
Speaker 2: corner of the streets are even more UNDERCOVER fbi agents

684
00:32:08,320 --> 00:32:12,480
Speaker 2: driving around in radio, equipped unmarked cars and behind the

685
00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:16,200
Speaker 2: wheel of a shiny blue. Sedan is You? Elizabeth you

686
00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:19,360
Speaker 2: are the lone FEMALE fbi agent working the sting. Operation

687
00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:22,320
Speaker 2: at the moment your hands grip the steering wheel of

688
00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:25,640
Speaker 2: the shiny blue, sedan you push a few stray wind

689
00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:28,920
Speaker 2: blown blonde hairs out of your, eyes because that's right you're.

690
00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:31,880
Speaker 2: Dressed Is Betty? Grable you have the windows down because

691
00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:34,160
Speaker 2: that's part of the, act and the wind coming in

692
00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:36,640
Speaker 2: through the open windows is blowing around the hairs of

693
00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:40,880
Speaker 2: your blonde. Wig everything has been. Coordinated you know just

694
00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:43,360
Speaker 2: what you are to do with this, sting just as

695
00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:47,160
Speaker 2: instructed by the extortion letter sent by The leopard Aka Snowy.

696
00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:50,880
Speaker 2: Baker you turn Onto gower at the appointed time nine forty.

697
00:32:50,960 --> 00:32:54,720
Speaker 2: Am the shiny blue sedan smoothly corners and you keep

698
00:32:54,760 --> 00:32:57,240
Speaker 2: the car in a slow roll as you head Down.

699
00:32:57,280 --> 00:33:00,240
Speaker 2: Gower you also keep your eyes peeled searching for or the.

700
00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:03,720
Speaker 2: Perp he should be here on the cemetery. Gates as

701
00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:06,120
Speaker 2: you approach the drop spot halfway down the block Of,

702
00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:09,400
Speaker 2: gower you grip the brown paper wrapped package on the

703
00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:12,240
Speaker 2: bench's front seat next to. You you brush a few

704
00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:14,760
Speaker 2: more stray blonde wig hairs out of your, eyes but

705
00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:17,680
Speaker 2: you still don't see any obvious, perp so you go

706
00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:20,240
Speaker 2: ahead and do as. Instructed you lift the brown bundle

707
00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:22,000
Speaker 2: and you toss it out of the open window of

708
00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:25,640
Speaker 2: the shiny Blue. Sedan the package is weighted appropriately and

709
00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:28,760
Speaker 2: is well. Wrapped it slaps at the street when it. Lands,

710
00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:32,080
Speaker 2: meanwhile you continue to drive slowly down to the end

711
00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:35,440
Speaker 2: of the. Block at that same, moment g men hidden

712
00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:38,920
Speaker 2: in second story windows with sixteen millimeter cameras and their telephoto,

713
00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:41,680
Speaker 2: lenses as well as THE fbi agents on the roof

714
00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:44,480
Speaker 2: perched up there with their high powered. BINOCULARS a spot.

715
00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:48,120
Speaker 2: Movement could this be The leopard Aka Snowy baker the.

716
00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:52,680
Speaker 2: EXTORTIONIST a gangly young man hops off the cemetery. Wall

717
00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:55,440
Speaker 2: he walks between two parked, cars and he heads right

718
00:33:55,480 --> 00:33:58,760
Speaker 2: for the brown paper wrapped. Package the surveillance team were

719
00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:01,800
Speaker 2: all over. It rate the spotters down on street level

720
00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:04,040
Speaker 2: and signal the g men in a cemetery he dressed

721
00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:06,960
Speaker 2: as gardeners and, gravediggers but they don't need to be.

722
00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:10,359
Speaker 2: Signaled they see the same gangly young. Man they drop

723
00:34:10,400 --> 00:34:13,960
Speaker 2: their cover shovels hit the. Grass the UNDERCOVER fbi agents

724
00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:16,920
Speaker 2: run out of the. Cemetery the ones with walkie talkies

725
00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:20,040
Speaker 2: on the sidewalk break, character and they also run towards

726
00:34:20,040 --> 00:34:22,120
Speaker 2: the gangly young man in the middle of the. Street

727
00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:26,640
Speaker 2: they SHOUT fbi. Freeze in your rear view, mirror you

728
00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:29,480
Speaker 2: see the gangly young man reach down and scoop up

729
00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:31,920
Speaker 2: the brown paper wrap packets from the. Street he tucks

730
00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:33,640
Speaker 2: it under an arm and makes a run for. It

731
00:34:34,040 --> 00:34:36,279
Speaker 2: in the rear view, mirror you watch him run right

732
00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:39,640
Speaker 2: towards where you are further down the, block so you

733
00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:42,600
Speaker 2: press down on the gas pedal and. Accelerate the shiny

734
00:34:42,600 --> 00:34:45,480
Speaker 2: Blue sidan gives a throaty growl of the engine in.

735
00:34:45,560 --> 00:34:48,319
Speaker 2: Response you glance again in the rear view, mirror just

736
00:34:48,400 --> 00:34:51,640
Speaker 2: in time to see the gangly young man get tackled

737
00:34:51,640 --> 00:34:55,000
Speaker 2: by the UNDERCOVER fbi. AGENTS a grave digger wraps him

738
00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:58,279
Speaker 2: up like a linebacker for Usc the young man goes

739
00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:01,600
Speaker 2: down r his face slaps the. Street you look down

740
00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:03,600
Speaker 2: from the rear view mirror in time to turn the

741
00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:06,719
Speaker 2: wheel of the Shiny lucidan as the car takes the.

742
00:35:06,760 --> 00:35:09,759
Speaker 2: Corner at the same, time you yanked the blonde wig

743
00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:13,200
Speaker 2: from your. Head no more need to Be Betty. Grable nice,

744
00:35:13,239 --> 00:35:13,759
Speaker 2: Work Agent.

745
00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:16,760
Speaker 3: Dunton that was exciting.

746
00:35:16,840 --> 00:35:19,200
Speaker 2: Now at this, point the man known As Snowy baker

747
00:35:19,239 --> 00:35:22,680
Speaker 2: aka The leopard was revealed to be an eighteen year

748
00:35:22,719 --> 00:35:25,719
Speaker 2: old high school student From, Omaha. Nebraska own From.

749
00:35:25,880 --> 00:35:28,919
Speaker 3: Nebraska his Name RUSSELL. E.

750
00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:33,200
Speaker 2: Alexanderson, Alexanderson, yes it's very strange. NAME i was, like

751
00:35:33,239 --> 00:35:33,799
Speaker 2: AM i seeing that?

752
00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:34,120
Speaker 3: Right? Oh?

753
00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:36,319
Speaker 2: Yeah his father was in The. Army his mother had

754
00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:38,440
Speaker 2: gotten a job in THE la area working in an

755
00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:41,480
Speaker 2: aircraft plant In, inglewood all, right so she's, like you,

756
00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:43,799
Speaker 2: know building planes for the war. Effort, so since this

757
00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:46,560
Speaker 2: was the third extortion attempt Of Betty grabil and since

758
00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:49,480
Speaker 2: this was now a Major hollywood star aka The Blonde

759
00:35:49,480 --> 00:35:51,920
Speaker 2: Bomb show with a million dollar, legs, yeah none other

760
00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:54,280
Speaker 2: Than Jagger hoover announces the latest.

761
00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:55,840
Speaker 3: Bus of, Course.

762
00:35:55,760 --> 00:35:58,880
Speaker 2: Jagger hoover swans in to tell the national press that

763
00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:01,600
Speaker 2: the eighteen year Old, herp who was a big boy

764
00:36:01,640 --> 00:36:05,040
Speaker 2: at six foot, four had been. Waiting he grabbed the

765
00:36:05,080 --> 00:36:06,880
Speaker 2: package and tried to make a run for, it But

766
00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:09,919
Speaker 2: hoover's g men gave chase and captured the pimply faced

767
00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:13,840
Speaker 2: high school boy aka The leopard a block away.

768
00:36:13,600 --> 00:36:15,319
Speaker 3: From the exchange right.

769
00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:18,000
Speaker 2: Now RUSSELL. E, alexanderson who went by his middle Name,

770
00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:22,960
Speaker 2: Eugene So Eugene alexanderson was interviewed and interrogated BY Fbi

771
00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:27,840
Speaker 2: District Commissioner DAVID. B, head and he confessed To Commissioner

772
00:36:27,960 --> 00:36:30,439
Speaker 2: head that quote the threat of harm in the, letters

773
00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:32,520
Speaker 2: so it's never intended to be carried out at any.

774
00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:36,160
Speaker 2: Time so what was his deal? Then why did he do?

775
00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:39,200
Speaker 2: It great, Question. Elizabeth, yeah let's take a, break listen

776
00:36:39,239 --> 00:36:41,200
Speaker 2: to some, ads and after these, MESSAGES i will tell

777
00:36:41,239 --> 00:36:44,400
Speaker 2: you why he did it and what happens when the

778
00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:45,839
Speaker 2: leopard strikes yet.

779
00:36:45,880 --> 00:37:09,839
Speaker 4: Again oh, no, Okay, elizabeth we are.

780
00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:10,840
Speaker 3: Back we're.

781
00:37:11,360 --> 00:37:15,840
Speaker 2: Now we've got some questions about the. Leopard Eugene alexanderson From, Omaha,

782
00:37:15,920 --> 00:37:16,600
Speaker 2: nebraska have.

783
00:37:16,680 --> 00:37:19,160
Speaker 3: A lot of. Questions what's his? Deal, yeah, right what's

784
00:37:19,160 --> 00:37:19,600
Speaker 3: his major?

785
00:37:19,719 --> 00:37:23,000
Speaker 2: Damage why Did eugene keep sending extortion letters To Petty?

786
00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:26,960
Speaker 2: Grable well it turns out the leopard did actually want the.

787
00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:28,680
Speaker 3: Money, WELL i would.

788
00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:31,560
Speaker 2: Imagine, Yeah but for what what would this eighteen year

789
00:37:31,600 --> 00:37:34,080
Speaker 2: old kid want during the war, Years you know when

790
00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:35,879
Speaker 2: they're rationing, BUTTER i mean like.

791
00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:39,399
Speaker 3: Getting pants with that long of a. Leg good.

792
00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:40,960
Speaker 2: Point he'd outgrown his clothes and.

793
00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:43,719
Speaker 3: They're you, know rationing.

794
00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:45,160
Speaker 2: Fabric he's got him like mid.

795
00:37:45,200 --> 00:37:48,239
Speaker 3: Cast he wants a pair of silk. Slacks they don't do.

796
00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:48,920
Speaker 3: That it's For.

797
00:37:50,719 --> 00:37:52,200
Speaker 2: He moved out west and was, LIKE i want one

798
00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:52,680
Speaker 2: of them zoot.

799
00:37:52,719 --> 00:37:55,240
Speaker 3: Suits, yeah it could be, so As.

800
00:37:55,120 --> 00:37:59,799
Speaker 2: Eugene alexanderson explained to THE, fbi, QUOTE i wanted them

801
00:38:00,280 --> 00:38:03,160
Speaker 2: only to enable me to see movie. STARS i had

802
00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:06,000
Speaker 2: no opportunity to see them BECAUSE i had to account

803
00:38:06,080 --> 00:38:07,799
Speaker 2: to my mother for every DIME i.

804
00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:10,440
Speaker 3: Spent, wait how many movies did this boy want to?

805
00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:12,799
Speaker 2: Watch joe the movie? Stars he wanted to like go

806
00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:14,640
Speaker 2: like Six, Sea LIKE i don't go to The Brown

807
00:38:14,680 --> 00:38:17,920
Speaker 2: derby or. Something, yeah you gotta pay for.

808
00:38:17,960 --> 00:38:19,319
Speaker 3: Food that's probably you.

809
00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:21,759
Speaker 2: Know he also bust money or. Whatever so his mom was.

810
00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:26,560
Speaker 2: Down but to the quarter and the. Nickel he was

811
00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:27,400
Speaker 2: very eager.

812
00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:30,600
Speaker 3: To see a lot of the uncut. Gems, right did

813
00:38:30,640 --> 00:38:33,239
Speaker 3: he have a? Fence did he think this? Through like

814
00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:38,040
Speaker 3: what was happening in this kid's? Head uncut? Gems so

815
00:38:38,080 --> 00:38:40,680
Speaker 3: it's not even, like, Oh i'm going to go pawn the.

816
00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:44,040
Speaker 3: Summer you have to go to a to a gem.

817
00:38:44,120 --> 00:38:48,759
Speaker 3: Cutter he Wants, airfair To, antwerp Is la.

818
00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:50,760
Speaker 2: Down To they Have downtown L. A they have a jewelry,

819
00:38:50,760 --> 00:38:52,120
Speaker 2: district so he could move the loose.

820
00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:54,040
Speaker 3: Rocks this, kid.

821
00:38:54,480 --> 00:38:56,640
Speaker 2: MAYBE i don't, know maybe once again maybe.

822
00:38:56,440 --> 00:38:59,240
Speaker 3: SO i don't. KNOW i don't want to the. Leopard

823
00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:00,680
Speaker 3: you never.

824
00:39:00,480 --> 00:39:04,239
Speaker 2: Can underestimate the. Leopard so the kid who wanted to

825
00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:06,920
Speaker 2: see movie, stars, right he's ironically LIKE i, said just

826
00:39:06,960 --> 00:39:10,319
Speaker 2: blocks away From Gower, gulchi you want to just walk up.

827
00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:12,879
Speaker 3: The street and then also look for Free.

828
00:39:12,600 --> 00:39:15,160
Speaker 2: But Paramount studios is not far away. Either he could

829
00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:17,359
Speaker 2: go down to the gates Of Paramount studio to check

830
00:39:17,400 --> 00:39:19,919
Speaker 2: out hangout. There it's over like On, melrose, right which

831
00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:23,319
Speaker 2: is just parallel To Santa. Monica, anyway he, Decides, Nope

832
00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:27,520
Speaker 2: i'm going to Extort Betty. Grable my mom's got all my.

833
00:39:27,640 --> 00:39:30,200
Speaker 2: Money fore. MOTHER i WISH i could make it make Sense.

834
00:39:30,239 --> 00:39:32,800
Speaker 2: Elizabeth and by the, way now we're under our third

835
00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:35,600
Speaker 2: young man who's trying to extort Baby. Grabel and he's

836
00:39:35,640 --> 00:39:38,160
Speaker 2: the third to get. Busted, like why don't these like

837
00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:40,600
Speaker 2: these guys learn from the kooks who came before? Them,

838
00:39:40,760 --> 00:39:43,200
Speaker 2: AGAIN i do not, Know but WHAT i do know

839
00:39:43,280 --> 00:39:45,720
Speaker 2: is Since World War two is now in full. Swing

840
00:39:45,880 --> 00:39:49,440
Speaker 2: after eighteen year Old Eugene alexanderson pleads, guilty he is

841
00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:52,520
Speaker 2: sentenced not to, jail but instead he is inducted into the.

842
00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:55,160
Speaker 3: Army you're in the army, now something about a hall of.

843
00:39:55,200 --> 00:39:58,000
Speaker 3: FAME i was, like he's inducted into the.

844
00:39:58,120 --> 00:39:59,760
Speaker 2: Army, yeah he gets drafted.

845
00:39:59,840 --> 00:40:01,000
Speaker 3: Up put him to good.

846
00:40:01,080 --> 00:40:04,080
Speaker 2: Use but when six foot, four pimply Faced eugene shows

847
00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:06,239
Speaker 2: up at army. Induction the army gets takes one good

848
00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:09,000
Speaker 2: look at, him and The army's like unsuitable stamp and

849
00:40:09,080 --> 00:40:12,640
Speaker 2: sends him. Back so instead he's given a sentence of

850
00:40:12,680 --> 00:40:15,919
Speaker 2: five years on. Probation right and get This. Elizabeth while

851
00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:19,000
Speaker 2: he's on, probation just a few months, later he sends

852
00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:21,000
Speaker 2: another extortion letter To Betty.

853
00:40:21,040 --> 00:40:24,920
Speaker 3: Cravele he needs to go TO. Napa he needs to

854
00:40:24,920 --> 00:40:26,680
Speaker 3: go To, yeah.

855
00:40:26,840 --> 00:40:29,640
Speaker 2: Then bing bang. Boom In may of forty, three he's arrested.

856
00:40:29,719 --> 00:40:33,200
Speaker 2: Again this time he'd sent her a letter demanding even less.

857
00:40:33,239 --> 00:40:37,080
Speaker 2: Money he demanded she give him five hundred dollars, yes

858
00:40:37,920 --> 00:40:42,600
Speaker 2: or Else i'll kill you and you'll never guess Where

859
00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:45,520
Speaker 2: he instructed her to meet him to hand over the.

860
00:40:45,600 --> 00:40:49,040
Speaker 2: Money where does he have to go? Regularly that would

861
00:40:49,040 --> 00:40:51,640
Speaker 2: be like on his bus route. Trips that's, right His

862
00:40:51,719 --> 00:40:55,200
Speaker 2: federal probation. Office, no he's, like meet me at The

863
00:40:55,239 --> 00:40:59,319
Speaker 2: federal probation office and, gammy the five hundred dollars are?

864
00:40:59,360 --> 00:41:02,960
Speaker 2: You and that's where THE fbi arrested him because he

865
00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:08,759
Speaker 2: did show meeting, yes see my. Po so he gets,

866
00:41:08,800 --> 00:41:12,680
Speaker 2: interrogated interviewed BY Fbi District Commissioner head again and the,

867
00:41:12,760 --> 00:41:16,360
Speaker 2: gangly pimply faced young man explains his latest insane. Plan

868
00:41:16,719 --> 00:41:19,880
Speaker 2: eugene said that, QUOTE i just couldn't overcome the desire

869
00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:23,120
Speaker 2: to try to see her. Again you See elizabeth the,

870
00:41:23,200 --> 00:41:26,000
Speaker 2: man this young, man he had a, heart a heart of.

871
00:41:26,120 --> 00:41:27,960
Speaker 2: Fire he was badly in. Love he was out of

872
00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:31,040
Speaker 2: his mind with, desire or has he put? It for seven?

873
00:41:31,160 --> 00:41:34,000
Speaker 2: Years i've been in love with Miss grable SINCE i

874
00:41:34,120 --> 00:41:36,879
Speaker 2: first saw her in. PICTURES i think IF i could see,

875
00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:40,479
Speaker 2: Her i'd be. Satisfied at any, RATE i won't write

876
00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:43,600
Speaker 2: any more. Letters just give him one of the. Cutouts

877
00:41:43,920 --> 00:41:46,560
Speaker 2: keep in mind he's he's yet to actually See Betty, grabil,

878
00:41:46,600 --> 00:41:49,480
Speaker 2: unless of, course he means you in a wig in

879
00:41:49,480 --> 00:41:52,800
Speaker 2: a moving car for him actually convinced That Betty grabel

880
00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:55,520
Speaker 2: was behind the wheel. Anyway Commissioner head was, like we're

881
00:41:55,520 --> 00:41:56,560
Speaker 2: not doing this, again, Son.

882
00:41:56,680 --> 00:41:57,160
Speaker 3: No.

883
00:41:57,160 --> 00:41:59,600
Speaker 2: No, eventually a judge releases him on bail while he

884
00:41:59,600 --> 00:42:03,880
Speaker 2: considered inappropriate sentence since probation hasn't done, anything and so

885
00:42:03,960 --> 00:42:07,080
Speaker 2: While eugene is awaiting, sentencing he decides to get in

886
00:42:07,120 --> 00:42:11,520
Speaker 2: one more. Letter, however this time he doesn't send it

887
00:42:11,560 --> 00:42:14,239
Speaker 2: To Betty, grable he's moved. On oh, yes he has

888
00:42:14,239 --> 00:42:16,520
Speaker 2: a different blonde in. Mind this time he decides to

889
00:42:16,560 --> 00:42:17,200
Speaker 2: Extort May.

890
00:42:17,239 --> 00:42:20,920
Speaker 3: WEST i would NOT i would not Cross May. West,

891
00:42:20,960 --> 00:42:24,160
Speaker 3: NO i gotta tell you right, now or, NO fbi.

892
00:42:24,239 --> 00:42:25,960
Speaker 2: Right she feels like a woman has a dringer in a.

893
00:42:25,960 --> 00:42:28,320
Speaker 3: BOSOM i feel like she would answer the letters herself

894
00:42:28,360 --> 00:42:29,680
Speaker 3: and they'd be, like, Yeah i'll meet.

895
00:42:29,560 --> 00:42:32,120
Speaker 2: You, there show up and cut them with a. RAZOR

896
00:42:32,239 --> 00:42:35,720
Speaker 2: i dare. You, Now no one cut diamonds From May. West,

897
00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:38,040
Speaker 2: no but the amount he, demanded it's gone back. Up

898
00:42:38,120 --> 00:42:40,960
Speaker 2: he's way past five hundred. Dollars eugene writes To May

899
00:42:41,000 --> 00:42:44,640
Speaker 2: west that unless you give me one hundred thousand, dollars

900
00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:47,880
Speaker 2: she would live her days under threat of your life

901
00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:48,920
Speaker 2: or great Bodily.

902
00:42:48,960 --> 00:42:50,480
Speaker 3: HEART i love the great Bodily.

903
00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:53,080
Speaker 2: Heart it's his. Thing one hundred thousand, dollars that's a

904
00:42:53,160 --> 00:42:54,479
Speaker 2: major escalation, here.

905
00:42:54,400 --> 00:42:56,160
Speaker 3: Comand from like spot me fifty?

906
00:42:56,200 --> 00:43:00,560
Speaker 2: Bucks that would be one point eight seven million in today's?

907
00:43:00,600 --> 00:43:02,920
Speaker 2: Money is it just a cool like near two? Million

908
00:43:03,320 --> 00:43:04,040
Speaker 2: Or i'm going to cut?

909
00:43:04,160 --> 00:43:04,879
Speaker 3: Him.

910
00:43:05,200 --> 00:43:08,520
Speaker 2: So The leopard's instructions For maywest were that she was

911
00:43:08,560 --> 00:43:11,000
Speaker 2: to put it in a package and bring it to

912
00:43:11,200 --> 00:43:15,480
Speaker 2: six two three Three Hollywood boulevard up to the sixth Floor,

913
00:43:16,000 --> 00:43:20,319
Speaker 2: Saturday february, sixth at ten ten. Am once, again bus

914
00:43:20,360 --> 00:43:21,120
Speaker 2: schedule time.

915
00:43:21,040 --> 00:43:26,480
Speaker 3: Ten, tens ten minutes off of The. Meridian totally. Interesting you, KNOW.

916
00:43:26,600 --> 00:43:28,359
Speaker 2: I Think i've mentioned this. BEFORE i once had an,

917
00:43:28,360 --> 00:43:31,200
Speaker 2: office like a like A hollywood, detective like a private

918
00:43:31,239 --> 00:43:34,200
Speaker 2: detective office on sixty four oh Four Hollywood, boulevard so

919
00:43:34,320 --> 00:43:36,920
Speaker 2: just like two blocks down for, So i'm super familiar

920
00:43:37,160 --> 00:43:39,440
Speaker 2: with this part of the. Town it's Basically hollywood And.

921
00:43:39,520 --> 00:43:43,600
Speaker 2: Vine it's like super busy at his. Time Yea hollywood

922
00:43:43,640 --> 00:43:47,080
Speaker 2: And vine on the sixth floor. Shop so, anyway for

923
00:43:47,239 --> 00:43:49,640
Speaker 2: May west, extortion he went back to using his comic

924
00:43:49,640 --> 00:43:52,800
Speaker 2: book villain. Nickname he signed his letter The Leopard.

925
00:43:54,800 --> 00:43:57,279
Speaker 3: Ckily for her he should go as the leopard For.

926
00:43:57,400 --> 00:43:59,560
Speaker 3: Halloween oh, yeah we're still have.

927
00:43:59,520 --> 00:44:01,480
Speaker 2: To explain it to everyone each. Time only you got

928
00:44:01,480 --> 00:44:04,880
Speaker 2: thirty minutes and some pimple.

929
00:44:04,920 --> 00:44:06,759
Speaker 3: Spot it's a bag of uncut, time.

930
00:44:07,040 --> 00:44:07,759
Speaker 2: Exactly, YEAH i.

931
00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:10,920
Speaker 3: Have to explain it all over and. Over you just

932
00:44:10,920 --> 00:44:11,200
Speaker 3: have a.

933
00:44:11,280 --> 00:44:12,600
Speaker 2: Handout what are you supposed to?

934
00:44:12,640 --> 00:44:13,040
Speaker 3: Do one?

935
00:44:13,080 --> 00:44:16,400
Speaker 2: Sheet, People and it kind of got a link to

936
00:44:16,400 --> 00:44:19,280
Speaker 2: this episode yes. Exactly, Anyway luckily for, her May west

937
00:44:19,280 --> 00:44:22,120
Speaker 2: had essentially ignored the extortion letter and the threats. Made

938
00:44:22,200 --> 00:44:24,440
Speaker 2: she had read. It she actually got to, her but

939
00:44:24,560 --> 00:44:26,760
Speaker 2: then she saw The Betty grabil story in the news

940
00:44:26,760 --> 00:44:29,240
Speaker 2: and then she's, like wait a, minute contacts THE Fbi

941
00:44:29,680 --> 00:44:31,959
Speaker 2: after The May west. Letter commissioner had was, Like, okay,

942
00:44:32,040 --> 00:44:33,600
Speaker 2: yeah that's. It we're done here, kid.

943
00:44:34,960 --> 00:44:35,799
Speaker 3: We know where to find.

944
00:44:35,840 --> 00:44:39,040
Speaker 2: Them. Yeah the judge sentenced The Pimply face Gangly omaha

945
00:44:39,160 --> 00:44:42,240
Speaker 2: kid to. Prison, yeah if you can believe. It someone

946
00:44:42,239 --> 00:44:45,279
Speaker 2: else decides to press their luck and Extort betty GREG i.

947
00:44:45,160 --> 00:44:47,960
Speaker 3: Cannot imagine prison was kind of Rest Gene.

948
00:44:47,840 --> 00:44:51,640
Speaker 2: No no and his tenuous grasp on. Reality, yeah BUT

949
00:44:51,760 --> 00:44:52,280
Speaker 2: i bet.

950
00:44:52,120 --> 00:44:54,920
Speaker 3: You there were so many pictures Of Betty grable up

951
00:44:54,960 --> 00:44:57,360
Speaker 3: in the. Cells it just drove them to.

952
00:44:57,440 --> 00:44:59,960
Speaker 2: Madness they just called Them Harry, james, yeah or maybe

953
00:45:00,040 --> 00:45:03,480
Speaker 2: Called Jackie. Coogan, Hey, jackie come on in. Here AS

954
00:45:03,520 --> 00:45:05,359
Speaker 2: i was, saying if you can believe, it don't ask

955
00:45:05,400 --> 00:45:07,440
Speaker 2: me how everyone's been. Caught but someone else is, like

956
00:45:07,440 --> 00:45:09,400
Speaker 2: you know What i'm gonna. Do i'm going to Extort Betty.

957
00:45:09,440 --> 00:45:10,920
Speaker 2: GRABLE a great.

958
00:45:10,920 --> 00:45:12,319
Speaker 3: Idea now it's done That, no.

959
00:45:12,320 --> 00:45:14,000
Speaker 2: One's gotten away with it, yet but at this point

960
00:45:14,000 --> 00:45:15,920
Speaker 2: it's pretty much an easy way to punch your ticket

961
00:45:15,960 --> 00:45:18,080
Speaker 2: to being locked up or getting set to the army

962
00:45:18,120 --> 00:45:20,799
Speaker 2: to fight. Overseas they're, Like i'm gonna try my. Luck

963
00:45:21,320 --> 00:45:23,560
Speaker 2: it hasn't worked out for anyone, else but maybe it'll

964
00:45:23,640 --> 00:45:27,720
Speaker 2: work out for me. Now in nineteen forty, five war still.

965
00:45:27,719 --> 00:45:31,160
Speaker 2: On Betty grabel was married to the swing music Bandleader Harry. James,

966
00:45:31,280 --> 00:45:33,680
Speaker 2: right but that didn't stop someone from, thinking you know,

967
00:45:33,719 --> 00:45:36,200
Speaker 2: WHAT i should threaten to do harm To Betty. Grabel

968
00:45:38,760 --> 00:45:41,760
Speaker 2: It's january of nineteen forty five when the press report

969
00:45:41,760 --> 00:45:44,959
Speaker 2: That Betty grabel has been under police guard for several

970
00:45:45,040 --> 00:45:46,800
Speaker 2: days as a result of a tip that a plot

971
00:45:46,880 --> 00:45:49,600
Speaker 2: might be directed against. Her, now this time it wasn't

972
00:45:49,640 --> 00:45:51,839
Speaker 2: some pimply faced kate with a comic book pen. Name,

973
00:45:52,080 --> 00:45:55,080
Speaker 2: nope this time it was two men in a. Bar oh, Okay,

974
00:45:55,239 --> 00:45:58,160
Speaker 2: so according to Police Captain Thad, brown two men had

975
00:45:58,200 --> 00:46:00,520
Speaker 2: been overheard in a bar discussing a plan to abduct

976
00:46:00,560 --> 00:46:03,919
Speaker 2: the star and hold her for. Ransom that's. Gross, yeah

977
00:46:03,920 --> 00:46:06,520
Speaker 2: the bar owner felt like you did like? That that's. Gross,

978
00:46:06,600 --> 00:46:08,600
Speaker 2: Yeah he's, like you're just you're really mucking up the

979
00:46:08,680 --> 00:46:09,440
Speaker 2: vibe in my gin.

980
00:46:09,520 --> 00:46:13,520
Speaker 3: Mill, well he's heard all manner a bad bar bets

981
00:46:13,600 --> 00:46:16,160
Speaker 3: exactly bad. Plans and then he hears, This he's, like

982
00:46:16,360 --> 00:46:18,880
Speaker 3: absolutely not. Right, yeah it means big stop it to

983
00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:20,600
Speaker 3: get A sweatson A.

984
00:46:20,719 --> 00:46:23,760
Speaker 2: World war two era like gin mill bar owner pissed

985
00:46:23,800 --> 00:46:26,480
Speaker 2: off enough to contact THE. LAPED i got a live

986
00:46:26,640 --> 00:46:28,799
Speaker 2: one for. You he overheard two of, US i, said

987
00:46:28,840 --> 00:46:31,520
Speaker 2: two of his customers talking about Kidnapping Betty grabel holding for.

988
00:46:31,600 --> 00:46:33,799
Speaker 2: Ransom and since he's worried that one of them is

989
00:46:33,840 --> 00:46:36,840
Speaker 2: an ex, convict he calls THE. Lapd so, Please Captain

990
00:46:36,880 --> 00:46:39,400
Speaker 2: Thad brown gets in touch with Twentieth Century fox to

991
00:46:39,480 --> 00:46:41,760
Speaker 2: make sure that the studio is aware of this threat

992
00:46:41,800 --> 00:46:45,480
Speaker 2: to their big star because remember number one box office, draw.

993
00:46:45,360 --> 00:46:48,719
Speaker 3: Right and they have to increase security at the studio and.

994
00:46:48,680 --> 00:46:50,480
Speaker 2: Have somebody with, her, like you, know taking her, home

995
00:46:50,560 --> 00:46:52,400
Speaker 2: pick her up in the morning for her early calls

996
00:46:52,440 --> 00:46:54,239
Speaker 2: because they don't know when they're going to. Strike, yeah

997
00:46:54,360 --> 00:46:57,080
Speaker 2: as the newspapers of the day reported from that time,

998
00:46:57,160 --> 00:47:00,279
Speaker 2: on Miss, grable wife of orchestra Leader Harry, james and

999
00:47:00,280 --> 00:47:04,080
Speaker 2: walk her dog without tripping over. Guards now her band leader.

1000
00:47:04,160 --> 00:47:06,399
Speaker 2: Husband he also starts to carry a handgun on him

1001
00:47:06,440 --> 00:47:08,680
Speaker 2: because he kind of leans that. Way he's, Like i'm

1002
00:47:08,680 --> 00:47:11,040
Speaker 2: gonna keep that nickel plated on. Me and he wasn't

1003
00:47:11,040 --> 00:47:13,000
Speaker 2: taking any chances with his new. Wife he's, LIKE i

1004
00:47:13,000 --> 00:47:14,960
Speaker 2: got lucky to get. HER i ain't gonna lose her right.

1005
00:47:15,239 --> 00:47:17,640
Speaker 2: Now three weeks, past the two men fail to act

1006
00:47:17,680 --> 00:47:21,120
Speaker 2: on their like tough guy bar, talk and so eventually studio, officials,

1007
00:47:21,160 --> 00:47:24,239
Speaker 2: police THE, fbi and forty special agents who guarded The

1008
00:47:24,280 --> 00:47:27,719
Speaker 2: star agreed it was only a dream and no kidnap.

1009
00:47:27,760 --> 00:47:29,879
Speaker 2: Plot so eventually it was tough bar.

1010
00:47:29,960 --> 00:47:33,440
Speaker 3: Talk oh but you know, what you gotta watch what you.

1011
00:47:33,560 --> 00:47:35,680
Speaker 2: Say oh, yeah people are gonna take it for. Real. Yeah,

1012
00:47:35,840 --> 00:47:37,200
Speaker 2: NO i would love to tell you that that was

1013
00:47:37,239 --> 00:47:40,560
Speaker 2: the final time someone tried to kidnap her Ransom Betty

1014
00:47:40,640 --> 00:47:43,000
Speaker 2: rabel or a, Starter but IF i told you, That

1015
00:47:43,320 --> 00:47:47,040
Speaker 2: i'd be, lying because three years, later in nineteen forty,

1016
00:47:47,080 --> 00:47:48,960
Speaker 2: eight it happens. Again the war's over.

1017
00:47:48,800 --> 00:47:49,440
Speaker 3: Now there's no.

1018
00:47:49,480 --> 00:47:51,480
Speaker 2: Excuse people were, like, well remember when we used to

1019
00:47:51,520 --> 00:47:55,239
Speaker 2: Extort Betty grable. World, NO i thought you'd appreciate, this

1020
00:47:55,440 --> 00:47:59,080
Speaker 2: are ever curious eagle eyed Researcher Marissa, brown she raised

1021
00:47:59,080 --> 00:48:02,480
Speaker 2: this interesting in her notes and her research dossier on this,

1022
00:48:02,520 --> 00:48:06,040
Speaker 2: One marisa, said quote side, note what is it about

1023
00:48:06,080 --> 00:48:09,400
Speaker 2: winter that makes people want to Kidnap Betty? Grable because

1024
00:48:09,560 --> 00:48:12,480
Speaker 2: every one of these takes place in the. Winter is

1025
00:48:12,480 --> 00:48:13,960
Speaker 2: there never summer time? Plans?

1026
00:48:14,000 --> 00:48:15,959
Speaker 3: Oh you, know you're bundled, up.

1027
00:48:16,719 --> 00:48:20,120
Speaker 2: You're stuck, inside you listen to a lot of. Radio

1028
00:48:20,320 --> 00:48:22,520
Speaker 2: you're wishing you could afford A tv at this. Point

1029
00:48:22,880 --> 00:48:25,320
Speaker 2: so yet, again come, winter someone gets the, IDEA i

1030
00:48:25,360 --> 00:48:28,960
Speaker 2: should Extort Betty grabel for big. Payday it's been a few,

1031
00:48:29,000 --> 00:48:31,320
Speaker 2: years no one's tried, it so, someone you, know to

1032
00:48:31,440 --> 00:48:34,200
Speaker 2: catch the. Spirit and then In january of nineteen forty,

1033
00:48:34,239 --> 00:48:37,520
Speaker 2: Eight Betty, grabel still the number one box office draw

1034
00:48:37,520 --> 00:48:40,319
Speaker 2: in the, world with the million dollar, contract million dollar,

1035
00:48:40,400 --> 00:48:43,560
Speaker 2: legs this blonde bombshell pin up girl next door. Vibes

1036
00:48:43,640 --> 00:48:45,880
Speaker 2: someone Decides i'm gonna threaten to kill her.

1037
00:48:45,800 --> 00:48:46,359
Speaker 3: And this one will.

1038
00:48:46,400 --> 00:48:49,239
Speaker 2: Work, yeah oh, god but they'd go one pass. Out

1039
00:48:49,280 --> 00:48:51,719
Speaker 2: they're like, no, no everyone's said, that Like i'm gonna hurt,

1040
00:48:51,760 --> 00:48:53,520
Speaker 2: You i'm gonna kill, You i'm gonna kidnap. You she's

1041
00:48:53,520 --> 00:48:58,440
Speaker 2: like this new person's, like what IF i steal her new. Baby, no,

1042
00:48:58,440 --> 00:49:01,000
Speaker 2: no there ain't nothing funnybout baby steal unless it's The

1043
00:49:01,000 --> 00:49:04,000
Speaker 2: Coen brothers Movie rais In. Arizona yeah right. True but that,

1044
00:49:04,200 --> 00:49:06,880
Speaker 2: said this one is still good because oh The Storring.

1045
00:49:06,920 --> 00:49:11,360
Speaker 2: Coast Elizabeth Jane, bean twenty years old Of, Kaufman, texas

1046
00:49:11,440 --> 00:49:15,080
Speaker 2: and her Husband WILFORD. E. Bean these names are always cartoon.

1047
00:49:15,160 --> 00:49:19,720
Speaker 2: Names Jane bean And Willy. Bean willy so mister and Missus.

1048
00:49:19,719 --> 00:49:20,960
Speaker 2: Bean by the, Way.

1049
00:49:20,840 --> 00:49:21,720
Speaker 3: Billy, Bean Billy.

1050
00:49:21,760 --> 00:49:24,160
Speaker 2: Bean, yeah there you. Go Billy bean's. Job what does

1051
00:49:24,200 --> 00:49:26,560
Speaker 2: Mister bean do for a. Living he's an employee at

1052
00:49:26,560 --> 00:49:28,960
Speaker 2: a glass. Company So i'm imagining him as like some

1053
00:49:29,000 --> 00:49:31,360
Speaker 2: industrial glass blower coming home to his wife because, like,

1054
00:49:31,640 --> 00:49:33,880
Speaker 2: honey you want to know WHAT i did? TODAY i

1055
00:49:33,960 --> 00:49:37,759
Speaker 2: threatened to Take Betty grabel's. Baby we're gonna get, paid.

1056
00:49:37,840 --> 00:49:41,520
Speaker 2: Honey So Jane bean Of, Kaufman, texas she has a

1057
00:49:41,520 --> 00:49:44,080
Speaker 2: sort of bright anddea twenty year old fresh To hollywood

1058
00:49:44,120 --> 00:49:47,600
Speaker 2: would come up with. Stort Betty grable plan is simple

1059
00:49:47,680 --> 00:49:50,560
Speaker 2: and diabolicals is just snatch your. Baby, yeah then just,

1060
00:49:50,600 --> 00:49:53,040
Speaker 2: RUN i don't just run up steal steal the.

1061
00:49:53,040 --> 00:49:56,480
Speaker 3: Baby what happens? Next what happens, Next Missus, bean all.

1062
00:49:56,440 --> 00:49:58,160
Speaker 2: RIGHT i think they're just gonna live high on the.

1063
00:49:58,200 --> 00:50:00,520
Speaker 2: HOG i GUESS i don't know ABOUT i forgot this.

1064
00:50:00,680 --> 00:50:03,680
Speaker 2: Part she wrote this fan mail To Betty grable and

1065
00:50:03,760 --> 00:50:07,120
Speaker 2: sent it to Twentieth Century. Fox, oh so the letters,

1066
00:50:07,200 --> 00:50:09,799
Speaker 2: like send me five thousand. Dollars, Oh i'm gonna steal your.

1067
00:50:09,800 --> 00:50:13,840
Speaker 3: Baby i'm gonna start texting that to my.

1068
00:50:13,920 --> 00:50:17,480
Speaker 2: Friends and by the, way that's no small ass because

1069
00:50:17,640 --> 00:50:20,320
Speaker 2: in nineteen forty, eight five grand would be sixty seven

1070
00:50:20,400 --> 00:50:23,480
Speaker 2: thousand dollars, today right, Right and by the, way, Also

1071
00:50:23,960 --> 00:50:26,560
Speaker 2: Jane bean Of, Coffin texas didn't plan to steal the.

1072
00:50:26,600 --> 00:50:29,759
Speaker 2: Baby she planned to get paid for threatening to steal the.

1073
00:50:29,800 --> 00:50:31,880
Speaker 3: Baby she. Wasn't, yeah she wanted to.

1074
00:50:31,840 --> 00:50:33,360
Speaker 2: Get paid for playing With Betty grabel's.

1075
00:50:33,360 --> 00:50:36,360
Speaker 3: Imagination so scary this letter that she's, like of, course,

1076
00:50:36,400 --> 00:50:38,040
Speaker 3: please Missus, Bean i'm.

1077
00:50:37,880 --> 00:50:40,920
Speaker 2: Going to ransom a theoretical kidnapped baby of the. Future,

1078
00:50:41,080 --> 00:50:43,640
Speaker 2: yeah and so sad part from His bean is that

1079
00:50:43,680 --> 00:50:45,879
Speaker 2: she didn't know how to get the future ransom letter

1080
00:50:45,920 --> 00:50:48,560
Speaker 2: extortion threat To Betty, grable so she sends it as

1081
00:50:48,600 --> 00:50:51,080
Speaker 2: fan mail and its big star Like Betty grable doesn't

1082
00:50:51,080 --> 00:50:53,840
Speaker 2: open her own fan. Mail so some poor schmuck in

1083
00:50:53,880 --> 00:50:55,840
Speaker 2: the mail room at the studio dome like.

1084
00:50:55,920 --> 00:50:59,080
Speaker 3: Went on probably to become like a huge. Producer, oh

1085
00:50:59,120 --> 00:51:00,080
Speaker 3: they start the mail.

1086
00:51:00,160 --> 00:51:02,520
Speaker 2: Totally becomes Like Irving thaulberg or. Something, anyway so this

1087
00:51:02,560 --> 00:51:05,560
Speaker 2: porschmuck in the mail room opens this particular piece of fan,

1088
00:51:05,600 --> 00:51:08,759
Speaker 2: mail reads the extortion letter future ransom, letter and he's, like,

1089
00:51:08,800 --> 00:51:11,200
Speaker 2: well that's not. Good so he takes it to his.

1090
00:51:11,280 --> 00:51:13,640
Speaker 2: Boss they read, it they're, like, well that's not. Good

1091
00:51:13,840 --> 00:51:15,960
Speaker 2: they take it to the security of the. Studio they're, like,

1092
00:51:16,000 --> 00:51:18,399
Speaker 2: oh that's not. Good and then they hand the letter

1093
00:51:18,440 --> 00:51:20,280
Speaker 2: over to THE fbi because at this point the studio

1094
00:51:20,360 --> 00:51:22,560
Speaker 2: is like a relationship with THE fbi just to Handle

1095
00:51:22,600 --> 00:51:26,080
Speaker 2: Baby grabel's extortion. Letters so THE fbi agents they read the,

1096
00:51:26,160 --> 00:51:28,080
Speaker 2: letter and the agents are, like, well that's not, good

1097
00:51:28,680 --> 00:51:30,560
Speaker 2: and they go look up where they can find Miss

1098
00:51:30,680 --> 00:51:35,120
Speaker 2: Jane bean Of, Kaufman. Texas And i'm betting she sent

1099
00:51:35,200 --> 00:51:38,359
Speaker 2: her a return address on her future baby ransom. Letter

1100
00:51:38,480 --> 00:51:40,839
Speaker 2: probably either, way THE fbi shows up at her home

1101
00:51:41,160 --> 00:51:43,480
Speaker 2: and then the whole, pitiful deranged story comes out in the.

1102
00:51:43,480 --> 00:51:47,480
Speaker 2: Papers quote a drab little blonde admitted today she sent,

1103
00:51:47,520 --> 00:51:50,840
Speaker 2: Baby grable a threat to kidnap her baby because she

1104
00:51:50,960 --> 00:51:56,799
Speaker 2: wanted some quote easy, money, right newspaper people cutting on them.

1105
00:51:57,239 --> 00:51:59,480
Speaker 2: Now this is When Missus Jane bean and the rest

1106
00:51:59,480 --> 00:52:02,080
Speaker 2: of the world learned That Betty grabil never even saw

1107
00:52:02,120 --> 00:52:04,560
Speaker 2: the future baby ransom, letter, because as the papers also,

1108
00:52:04,680 --> 00:52:07,560
Speaker 2: reported the movie star and her, husband band Leader Harry,

1109
00:52:07,640 --> 00:52:10,160
Speaker 2: james didn't know about the threat until they read the.

1110
00:52:10,200 --> 00:52:14,680
Speaker 2: Newspaper her studio found the, rambling long hand note in

1111
00:52:14,760 --> 00:52:18,840
Speaker 2: a pile of fan. Letters oh, yeah they're just cutting. Everywhere.

1112
00:52:19,120 --> 00:52:21,160
Speaker 2: Now if you're wondering, why why would someone send a

1113
00:52:21,320 --> 00:52:25,240
Speaker 2: rambling longhand note about Stealing Betty grabil's. Baby, yeah unless

1114
00:52:25,239 --> 00:52:28,160
Speaker 2: she receives five, grand there's a simple. Reason as the

1115
00:52:28,200 --> 00:52:31,520
Speaker 2: paper put, It Missus Jane bean twenty TOLD fbi agents

1116
00:52:31,520 --> 00:52:34,360
Speaker 2: she tried to extort five thousand dollars from Miss grable

1117
00:52:34,440 --> 00:52:36,480
Speaker 2: because she was tired of being poor and.

1118
00:52:36,560 --> 00:52:39,960
Speaker 3: Hungry, no, SISTER i get it, right that's not the

1119
00:52:40,000 --> 00:52:40,440
Speaker 3: way to do.

1120
00:52:40,520 --> 00:52:43,359
Speaker 2: It, WELL i guess she figured a hypothetically Stealing Betty

1121
00:52:43,400 --> 00:52:45,680
Speaker 2: grabil's baby was the best way to fix her world.

1122
00:52:45,719 --> 00:52:48,920
Speaker 2: Problems would have been my, choice but it is a choice.

1123
00:52:49,320 --> 00:52:51,759
Speaker 2: Now Missus Jane bean A, Kaufman. Texas she tells THE

1124
00:52:51,800 --> 00:52:54,439
Speaker 2: fbi agents that arrested her that her motive was actually quite,

1125
00:52:54,440 --> 00:52:58,120
Speaker 2: straightforward one might, say directed to the. Point as Missus bean,

1126
00:52:58,160 --> 00:53:00,880
Speaker 2: said it seems like everyone In hollywood has lots of.

1127
00:53:00,920 --> 00:53:03,319
Speaker 2: MONEY i need some, myself.

1128
00:53:04,280 --> 00:53:04,560
Speaker 3: Right to.

1129
00:53:04,680 --> 00:53:07,439
Speaker 2: IT i, mean when you put it like, that hard

1130
00:53:07,520 --> 00:53:10,359
Speaker 2: to argue with. You so there you, Go. Elizabeth the

1131
00:53:10,360 --> 00:53:14,680
Speaker 2: many extortions Of Betty Grabil my, goodness what's? Ridiculous?

1132
00:53:14,719 --> 00:53:18,360
Speaker 3: Takeaway don't try and Extort Betty, grabel, right that's just

1133
00:53:18,560 --> 00:53:21,400
Speaker 3: rules to live, by don't especially. NOW i told you

1134
00:53:21,640 --> 00:53:22,479
Speaker 3: it's not worth it.

1135
00:53:22,360 --> 00:53:24,719
Speaker 2: Now, no that would be really hard, now a lot of,

1136
00:53:24,760 --> 00:53:26,960
Speaker 2: digging get those shovels. OUT i THANK i don't.

1137
00:53:27,000 --> 00:53:29,440
Speaker 3: Know maybe what's your takeaway.

1138
00:53:29,560 --> 00:53:32,520
Speaker 2: Mine is if somebody is the most famous woman in the,

1139
00:53:32,560 --> 00:53:35,640
Speaker 2: world the one of the highest, earners you're going to

1140
00:53:35,680 --> 00:53:38,719
Speaker 2: need more than just sending a fan mail, letter as,

1141
00:53:38,800 --> 00:53:40,600
Speaker 2: like if that's your, plan you're gonna probably need to

1142
00:53:40,600 --> 00:53:43,279
Speaker 2: buy a star map and figure out how to drop

1143
00:53:43,320 --> 00:53:46,479
Speaker 2: it in through her actual mail. Saws maybe Kidnap Harry

1144
00:53:46,560 --> 00:53:48,840
Speaker 2: james and see if she cares about, him you, know

1145
00:53:48,880 --> 00:53:49,680
Speaker 2: like mix it.

1146
00:53:49,760 --> 00:53:52,240
Speaker 3: Up, yeah and you're gonna have to have a little

1147
00:53:52,239 --> 00:53:56,480
Speaker 3: bit more of a. Plan yeah that would be.

1148
00:53:56,480 --> 00:53:59,000
Speaker 2: Good, yeah that would be really. Good actually think through

1149
00:53:59,040 --> 00:54:01,319
Speaker 2: what you're doing instead of being, like how much money

1150
00:54:01,400 --> 00:54:04,480
Speaker 2: DO i want and then just asking for that in a,

1151
00:54:04,719 --> 00:54:09,680
Speaker 2: rambling long winded handwritten. Note, okay so you in the

1152
00:54:09,680 --> 00:54:17,680
Speaker 2: moon for a talk back a week, Always oh my,

1153
00:54:18,080 --> 00:54:20,520
Speaker 2: god SUPER.

1154
00:54:22,120 --> 00:54:26,279
Speaker 3: I love Get, hi.

1155
00:54:26,320 --> 00:54:28,879
Speaker 6: GUYS i need to share something a little bit, ridiculous

1156
00:54:28,920 --> 00:54:32,800
Speaker 6: and that is THAT i finally figured out Who elizabeth sounds,

1157
00:54:32,920 --> 00:54:37,080
Speaker 6: like and that would Be Carrie, browns seen specifically when

1158
00:54:37,120 --> 00:54:41,880
Speaker 6: playing the role Of, tony the feminist bookseller In. PORTLANDIA

1159
00:54:42,640 --> 00:54:45,239
Speaker 6: i like producer. Ge i'm From Rhode island and it's

1160
00:54:45,239 --> 00:54:47,720
Speaker 6: freaking hot here and people are sharing that meme about

1161
00:54:48,120 --> 00:54:51,240
Speaker 6: the heat being, hot and, YEAH i love you. Guys

1162
00:54:51,239 --> 00:54:51,480
Speaker 6: this Is.

1163
00:54:51,560 --> 00:54:53,480
Speaker 3: Jill, Okay, hi thank You.

1164
00:54:53,600 --> 00:54:55,279
Speaker 2: Jill he gave me a, Laugh, Jill.

1165
00:54:55,560 --> 00:54:57,960
Speaker 3: Jill i've heard far worse than, that SO i take

1166
00:54:58,000 --> 00:54:59,680
Speaker 3: that as a. Compliment, yeah, yeah as you.

1167
00:54:59,680 --> 00:55:00,319
Speaker 2: Should it.

1168
00:55:00,360 --> 00:55:03,319
Speaker 3: Is, yeah that's very.

1169
00:55:03,320 --> 00:55:05,880
Speaker 2: Good as, always you. Guys you can find us online

1170
00:55:05,880 --> 00:55:08,600
Speaker 2: a ridiculous crime on social. Media you can email us

1171
00:55:08,640 --> 00:55:10,959
Speaker 2: if you want a ridiculous crime at gmail dot Com.

1172
00:55:11,120 --> 00:55:15,279
Speaker 2: Jamail we have the Account Ridiculous crime pod pod as

1173
00:55:15,320 --> 00:55:18,359
Speaker 2: in short for podcast on. YouTube you check it. Out

1174
00:55:18,400 --> 00:55:20,560
Speaker 2: there's a great videos there to watch if you prefer

1175
00:55:20,840 --> 00:55:24,040
Speaker 2: your pods coming through. YouTube also we have a, Website

1176
00:55:24,080 --> 00:55:26,040
Speaker 2: Ridiculous crime dot. Com, ALSO i don't know if on

1177
00:55:26,120 --> 00:55:28,640
Speaker 2: YouTube they have the ads just put that in your

1178
00:55:28,640 --> 00:55:32,239
Speaker 2: pipe and. SMOKE i don't. Know we also we love

1179
00:55:32,280 --> 00:55:35,240
Speaker 2: your talkbacks, obviously so please go find the iHeart, app download,

1180
00:55:35,239 --> 00:55:37,919
Speaker 2: it leave a. Talkback maybe you hear your voice, here

1181
00:55:38,160 --> 00:55:40,719
Speaker 2: we'd like to hear. It, yes and as ALWAYS i

1182
00:55:40,800 --> 00:55:42,880
Speaker 2: got to say one more, time thank you for. Listening

1183
00:55:42,960 --> 00:55:52,360
Speaker 2: we will catch you next. Crime Ridiculous crime is hosted

1184
00:55:52,360 --> 00:55:55,680
Speaker 2: By Elizabeth dutton And Zaron, burnette produced and edited By

1185
00:55:55,719 --> 00:55:59,320
Speaker 2: Betty grables other bandleader Boy, Toy Dave, kustube and Starring

1186
00:55:59,320 --> 00:56:02,759
Speaker 2: Analys ruck As. Judith research is by the underwriters For

1187
00:56:02,800 --> 00:56:06,720
Speaker 2: Betty grabel's Leg Insurance, Policy Marissa brown And Jabbari. Davis

1188
00:56:07,040 --> 00:56:09,239
Speaker 2: our theme song is by the rhythm section For Harry

1189
00:56:09,320 --> 00:56:13,160
Speaker 2: James Road, Band Thomas lee And Travis. Dunney host wardrobe

1190
00:56:13,160 --> 00:56:16,800
Speaker 2: provided By botany five hundred Guest. Harry makeup By sparkleshot

1191
00:56:16,840 --> 00:56:20,880
Speaker 2: and Mister. Andre executive producers are J Edgar hoover's favorite

1192
00:56:20,960 --> 00:56:26,000
Speaker 2: UNDERCOVER fbi gravediggers and cemetery, Gardeners Ben bolin And Noel.

1193
00:56:26,560 --> 00:56:35,799
Speaker 3: Brown Dis Cry Say It One More.

1194
00:56:35,840 --> 00:56:41,680
Speaker 1: Time Cry Ridiculous crime is a production Of iHeartRadio four more.

1195
00:56:41,719 --> 00:56:45,319
Speaker 1: Podcasts my Heart, radio visit The iHeartRadio, App Apple, podcasts

1196
00:56:45,400 --> 00:56:46,840
Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite.

1197
00:56:46,840 --> 00:56:47,200
Speaker 3: Shows