1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Aaron Menkey's Cabinet of Curiosity is a production 2 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world 3 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: is full of the unexplainable, and if history is an 4 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: open book, all of these amazing tales are right there 5 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: on display, just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to 6 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:38,240 Speaker 1: the Cabinet of Curiosities. When we're told that we can't 7 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:40,840 Speaker 1: have something, we only want it more. If we can't 8 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 1: read a certain book or listen to a particular band 9 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:46,839 Speaker 1: on the radio, It's forbidden nature only makes it more irresistible. 10 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:52,200 Speaker 1: By playwright Eugene O'Neill had written almost twenty full length 11 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: plays and twenty one one act plays. To call him 12 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: prolific would have been an understatement. He was born and 13 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: bred in New York and overcame tuberculosis in nineteen twelve, 14 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 1: only to go on and write some of the most 15 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: highly revered and well known plays ever performed on stage. 16 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:12,320 Speaker 1: Often considered his magnum opus, ninety two's Long Day's Journey 17 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: Into Night was a Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner, earning 18 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: O'Neill legendary status and eventually a Broadway theater with his 19 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 1: own name on it. But O'Neill had a long way 20 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: to go before he'd reach his long day, and that 21 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: road included one show so taboo it was banned in 22 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,120 Speaker 1: almost every city where they tried to stage a production. 23 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:36,040 Speaker 1: It was called Strange Interlude. Written between nineteen six and nine, 24 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: the show follows the main character of Nina Leeds, whose 25 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 1: fiance is killed in World War One. Nina, grieving and 26 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: in need of companionship, begins having affairs with several men 27 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 1: before marrying a man named Sam Evans. Soon, Nina is 28 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 1: with child, but Sam's mother informs her that insanity, which 29 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 1: has befallen many Evans children over the years, could be 30 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 1: passed down to her own. All. Nina and Sam want 31 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 1: is a child, but she didn't want to go through 32 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: the pain of wondering if hers will fall victim to 33 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: such an illness. Throughout the rest of the play, topics 34 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 1: such as abortion and infidelity are discussed, Relationships are tested, 35 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 1: regrets that had once been buried rise up to the 36 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: surface through O'Neill's use of soliloquies long monologues where the 37 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 1: characters tell their deepest thoughts to the audience. The play 38 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: opened on Broadway on January thirty nineteen twenty eight, and 39 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: a London production was staged a few years later. But 40 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,839 Speaker 1: between nineteen twenty eight and nineteen thirty one, O'Neill tried 41 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 1: to put on a version of the show in Boston, Massachusetts, 42 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: and it didn't go well. Boston's mayor of the time, 43 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: Malcolm Nichols, didn't appreciate the show's taboo nature, and in 44 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:44,640 Speaker 1: a nod to the city's puritan roots, refused to let 45 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:47,919 Speaker 1: the show go on. Instead, the production was moved about 46 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: ten miles away to the town of Quincy. Despite the 47 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:55,359 Speaker 1: complex story and delicate subject matter, Strange Interlude was a hit. Today, 48 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 1: many theaters that produced the show tend to cut it 49 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 1: down to a more manageable three hours, and Quincy, however, 50 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: O'Neill's nine act play, ran unedited for over five hours long. 51 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:09,119 Speaker 1: A dinner break had to be scheduled that intermission, which 52 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: meant Quincy theater goers needed somewhere to grab a quick 53 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 1: bite to eat before going back for Act two. Luckily, 54 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:17,359 Speaker 1: a new restaurant had opened across the street a few 55 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: years before, and most of them headed there. It was 56 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: a small operation, serving hot dogs grilled in butter, chicken 57 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: pop pies, baked beans, fried clams, and hand cranked ice 58 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:31,640 Speaker 1: cream loaded with butter fat. Healthy it was not, but 59 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: it gave hungry audience members something to fill up on 60 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 1: as they prepared for the final few hours of the show. 61 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: As the play gained steam and Quincy, so did the restaurant, 62 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: which welcomed hundreds of patrons throughout its run. The publicity 63 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 1: was a godsend, as were the new highways being built 64 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: over the next decade. The restaurant's popularity led to expansion 65 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:53,560 Speaker 1: all over New England. When the Pennsylvania Turnpike was completed 66 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 1: in nineteen forty, the little restaurant from Quincy became the 67 00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 1: highways exclusive eatery for hungry motorists. World War Two brought 68 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: all but twelve of the restaurants to a close, but 69 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 1: after nineteen forty five, two hundred more open for business 70 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 1: in New Jersey, Ohio and beyond. The country was flooded 71 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 1: with them, and by the nineteen seventies there were over 72 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 1: a thousand in business. About half were tied to motor lodges, too, 73 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 1: providing weary travelers with a warm meal and a warm bed, 74 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 1: all in one convenient place. Sadly, the good times didn't last. Today, 75 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 1: only one of these restaurants remains. It's located in Lake George, 76 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 1: New York, and can be recognized by its iconic orange 77 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 1: roof and the sign outside, which bears the name of 78 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:38,600 Speaker 1: the man who ran that original restaurant, and, for over 79 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 1: six decades was a household name for motorists all over America. 80 00:04:43,680 --> 00:05:01,719 Speaker 1: Who was he? Howard Johnson. Childhood is a time for dreaming, 81 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: a time when the future is as far away as 82 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: another planet, but still somehow within reach. When asked what 83 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: we want to be when we grow up, we respond 84 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 1: with words like astronauts, or firefighter or doctor. Whether those 85 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:18,360 Speaker 1: aspirational answers come to fruition, well that's another story. But 86 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 1: one man had a dream that wasn't so far fetched. 87 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:23,040 Speaker 1: He might have gone on to pursue it too, had 88 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 1: he been given the chance. His name was Harry and 89 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:28,160 Speaker 1: he was born in eighteen eighty four in Lamar, Missouri, 90 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 1: a small town about four and a half hours southwest 91 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 1: to St. Louis. His family moved around a lot while 92 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 1: he was very young. When he was six, his mother, Martha, 93 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 1: and his father John moved Harry and his brother and 94 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 1: sister over one miles away to Independence, Missouri. The town 95 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:45,600 Speaker 1: was a lot bigger than Lamar was six thousand residents, 96 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: but it meant a fresh start for everyone. From a 97 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 1: young age, Harry took a keen interest in the arts. 98 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,160 Speaker 1: Music was a particular passion of his. Every morning, at 99 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: five o'clock, he would wake up and practice the piano. 100 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 1: He also studied privately twice a week until he was fifteen. 101 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 1: Harry considered going to college to study music with the 102 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: goal of becoming a concert pianist. His first choice had 103 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 1: been West Point, but he was turned away due to 104 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:13,719 Speaker 1: his poor eyesight. His father is financial situation also made 105 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 1: a four year college impossible. Instead, Harry enrolled at a 106 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: business college in Kansas City for one year, after which 107 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: he was forced to drop out to help his family. 108 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:25,600 Speaker 1: Money had become tighter than ever, so Harry found himself 109 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 1: at a job in a mail room at the Kansas 110 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: City Star newspaper. He bounced around from job to job 111 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 1: over the next several years, working for a construction company 112 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:37,159 Speaker 1: for a short time before taking a position as a 113 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: bank clerk. He carried that knowledge with him in nineteen 114 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:42,359 Speaker 1: oh six, when he left the workforce to rejoin his 115 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:45,240 Speaker 1: brother and father on their farm. He was their bookkeeper 116 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 1: for the next ten years. Still, Harry knew that there 117 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 1: was more out there for him. In nineteen seventeen, he 118 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 1: joined the National Guard to serve in World War One, 119 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:56,919 Speaker 1: where he proved himself as a competent leader. His unit, 120 00:06:57,000 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 1: which had been looked down on for their wild behavior 121 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 1: and lack of direction, was quickly tamed like a difficult 122 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 1: piece of music under Harry's fingers. They became a well 123 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 1: regarded battery, taking on missions overseas towards the end of 124 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 1: the war. After his service had ended, Harry and a 125 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 1: war buddy of his went into business together. The experience 126 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 1: allowed him to keep in touch with the other men 127 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 1: he served with, some of whom introduced him to powerful 128 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: people who could help him move up the business letter. 129 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: Harry worked his way up through different positions thanks to 130 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 1: his fellow National guardsmen and their network of professional connections. 131 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 1: Over the next two decades, Harry started a family and 132 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 1: became a success, yet still remembered his days tickling the 133 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:40,200 Speaker 1: ivories as a child. It wasn't until World War Two 134 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 1: when his musical skills would come back to help him again. 135 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:47,280 Speaker 1: It was February oft and Hollywood actress Lauren Bacall had 136 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 1: arrived at a lounge in Washington to perform for a 137 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: group of US troops. At the time, Harry was there 138 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 1: to give a speech, but a piano sitting off to 139 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:57,880 Speaker 1: the side gave him a better idea. He sat down 140 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: and started playing. Bacall, egged on by her press agents, 141 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: climbed on top of the piano and post for pictures 142 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 1: alongside him. The pictures have since become iconic, a truly 143 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 1: viral moment in history, captured for all time. The idea 144 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 1: of mounting that particular piano for a photo op became 145 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:19,240 Speaker 1: so common that would eventually collapsed and the piano had 146 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 1: to be rebuilt. Even the room where it happened was 147 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: renamed for the man who started it all, the Vice 148 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 1: President who would go on to become the thirty third 149 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 1: President of the United States, Harry Truman. I hope you've 150 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe 151 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:41,680 Speaker 1: for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the 152 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:46,440 Speaker 1: show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was 153 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 1: created by me Aaron Manky in partnership with how Stuff Works. 154 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: I make another award winning show called Lore which is 155 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:57,440 Speaker 1: a podcast, book series, and television show and you can 156 00:08:57,520 --> 00:08:59,840 Speaker 1: learn all about it over at the world of Lore 157 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 1: dot come and until next time, stay curious.