1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to Aaron Manke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of 2 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild. Our world is full of 3 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 1: the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all 4 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:22,159 Speaker 1: of these amazing tales are right there on display, just 5 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. 6 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 1: Most of us have heard the term devil's advocate used 7 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: to describe someone who takes the wrong side of an argument, 8 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:46,279 Speaker 1: knowingly essentially picking the side the devil would take. Longtime 9 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: listeners of the show would know that this term originates 10 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: in the legal code of the Catholic Church as a reminder. 11 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 1: In order for a saint to be canonized, an expert 12 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: needed to take the stand to give their best arguments 13 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: for why the person shouldn't become a saint, and the 14 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:05,319 Speaker 1: Latin title for that role was advocatus diabali, the Devil's advocate. 15 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: The connection between the devil and legal minutia goes even 16 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 1: deeper than that, though. In fact, the first appearance of 17 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:14,959 Speaker 1: the term satan in the Bible is referring not to 18 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 1: a proper name, but a role being performed by another 19 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 1: heavenly deity. The term satan means accuser or adversary. In 20 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 1: the Book of Job, for example, it is one of 21 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: these satans who encourages God to punish the devout Job 22 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 1: to test his faith. According to some scholars, the role 23 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: of this satan is not as the cause of all evil, 24 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,760 Speaker 1: but as someone who provokes the advocates of good to 25 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 1: prove themselves. And this connection between the concept of the 26 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: biblical devil and legal procedure often gets overlooked, likely because 27 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 1: legal scholars and biblical scholars work in quite distinct fields. 28 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: Then again, it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone 29 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 1: that Satan has appeared in legal court documents in the 30 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: United States, not as a religious reference, but as a defendant. 31 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 1: In NI teen seventy one, for example, a prisoner in 32 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 1: Pittsburgh's Western Penitentiary decided that the only way out of 33 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 1: this maximum security facility was to take his grievances to 34 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: the top. The twenty two year old man filed a 35 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:15,359 Speaker 1: lawsuit not against the state of Pennsylvania or the judges 36 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,680 Speaker 1: who had put him in prison, but against the devil himself. 37 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 1: The resulting court case was labeled Gerald Mayo Versus Satan. 38 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: And his staff. Mayo alleged that the Devil and his 39 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 1: agents had placed roadblocks in his way that guaranteed that 40 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: he would live a miserable life. His life, he claimed, 41 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 1: was a series of misfortunes that could only mean that 42 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:38,359 Speaker 1: he was being set up to fail. Ultimately, the judge 43 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 1: decided to throw the case out, although not for the 44 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 1: reason that you might expect. Instead of flatly labeling the 45 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 1: case ludicrous and not worth hearing at all, the judge 46 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: bothered to write up a procedural reason for dismissing the case. 47 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: In his ruling, he determined that Gerald Mayo had filed 48 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:58,359 Speaker 1: a lawsuit that would be impossible to execute. How had 49 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: he expected the court of legal notice to the devil himself. Moreover, 50 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: the judge wrote, Mayo would have to prove that similar 51 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:09,799 Speaker 1: cases like his were universal, that others who had been 52 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 1: targeted by the Devil wound up with a similar fate. 53 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: Without such examples, he could not prove to the judges 54 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 1: that he was not responsible for the actions and decisions 55 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: that had landed him in prison in the first place. 56 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:24,920 Speaker 1: So there you go, with the case dismissed, Mayo returned 57 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 1: to prison. Now his goal for this case would never 58 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 1: be fully clear to us for over fifty years. Perhaps 59 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: he intended to get media attention that would help him 60 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 1: get a more lenient sentence. Perhaps he wanted to serve 61 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 1: a case so ludicrous that the court would have to 62 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: hear him out. Or maybe he was just so desperate 63 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: that even this action was better than none at all, 64 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: and wasting the court's time was a fair way to 65 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 1: spend his days behind bars. As any other idle hands 66 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 1: are the devil's workshop, as they say, Well, whatever the 67 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: real reason, this lawsuit would have a unique legacy, you 68 00:03:57,200 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: see to this day it's used by law professors to 69 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 1: tea which the necessary elements of building a case. Even 70 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 1: in a society where lawsuits are an easy way to 71 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 1: address your problems, suing someone isn't just about the grievance. 72 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 1: It also requires a target who is subject to the 73 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 1: same laws you're using to sue Satan, it would seem 74 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:19,679 Speaker 1: is literally above the law. So I guess it turns 75 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:36,600 Speaker 1: out that he won't be needing that Devil's advocate. Albert 76 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:40,600 Speaker 1: didn't start out making movies. In fact, had everything gone differently, 77 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 1: he might have spent his life in the family business. 78 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 1: In long Island, But in the nineteen thirties, with his 79 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:49,159 Speaker 1: head full of dreams and his feet itching for adventure, 80 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:52,280 Speaker 1: he struck out west to make a family business of 81 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 1: his own. Albert had tried his hand at farming like 82 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:57,720 Speaker 1: his father. He even worked for a time in the 83 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 1: family coffin business, but when he went to visit a 84 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: cousin who'd become a talent agent, he fell in love 85 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:06,800 Speaker 1: with Hollywood. It didn't hurt that his cousin introduced him 86 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 1: to the superstar Carry Grant, so in nineteen thirty three, 87 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: Albert packed up his hoe and his handsaw and headed 88 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:17,279 Speaker 1: to Los Angeles. Now Albert tooled around Hollywood for the 89 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 1: next fifteen years, making friends and making strides. He worked 90 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 1: in the mail room at twentieth Century Fox. He befriended 91 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: director Howard Hughes, who made him an assistant director on 92 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 1: the nineteen forty three film The Outlaw, but he quickly 93 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:35,160 Speaker 1: found being assistant director mostly meant driving star Jane Russell 94 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: to set. When World War Two started, he recruited stars 95 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: to perform for the troops with the USO, and after 96 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: the war he worked as a talent agent. But Albert's 97 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 1: big break came in the nineteen fifties, when he realized 98 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 1: there was real money to be made as a producer. 99 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:52,279 Speaker 1: At the time, the British government announced that it would 100 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 1: give money to films that hired eighty percent of their 101 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 1: crew from England. Alberts and his producing partner were the 102 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:01,720 Speaker 1: first to set up shop there, making Anglo American co 103 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:05,679 Speaker 1: productions that netted them an extra few million dollars. After 104 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:09,279 Speaker 1: a few modest successes with high flying action films, Albert 105 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: was looking for his next project when fates intervened in 106 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:15,839 Speaker 1: the form of a paperback. Albert quickly became a fan 107 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 1: of books by a former British intelligence agent named Ian Fleming. 108 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 1: In them, a spy named James Bond number double seven 109 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:26,480 Speaker 1: with a license to kill, charmed his way past deadly 110 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:29,440 Speaker 1: traps and over the top villains. It was the perfect 111 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:33,680 Speaker 1: character to bring to the big screen. However, Hollywood didn't 112 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:37,160 Speaker 1: quite see it that way. In meeting after meeting, Albert 113 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 1: kept getting turned down. James Bond was too suave, too sexual, 114 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 1: and let's face it, to British they didn't think American 115 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 1: audiences would buy tickets. Finally, a friend at United Artists 116 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:51,279 Speaker 1: set up Albert with a meeting. He came in ready 117 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: to be rejected once again. To his surprise, forty five 118 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 1: minutes later, he had a six picture deal in place. 119 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:00,279 Speaker 1: They had one million dollars to make the first film, 120 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 1: Doctor No. Now all they needed was their bond. While 121 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: one million dollars was a lot in those days, it 122 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 1: wasn't enough to get big stars. Albert's first choice, Carrie Grant, 123 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 1: was off the table, so they needed an unknown to 124 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 1: bring Bond to the big screen. After spending days sorting 125 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: through head shots and movie reels, it was Albert's wife, 126 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 1: Dana who actually made the choice. When a young Scottish 127 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 1: actor named Sean Connery appeared on screen, she shouted cast 128 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: that one he's gorgeous, and so movie history was made, 129 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: and the chances are good that you're probably familiar with 130 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: what came next. James Bond has been the subject of 131 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 1: dozens of movies and has now been played by six 132 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: actors Sean Connery, George Lazenbye, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce 133 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 1: Brosnan and Daniel Craig. The impact that Albert's Bond movies 134 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 1: have had on her collective pop culture consciousness is immense. 135 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 1: Think of James Bond, and the same things come to mind, 136 00:07:56,040 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 1: death defying stunts, ingenius gadgets, beautiful Bond girls, and Martini's 137 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:05,560 Speaker 1: shaken not stirred. In bringing James Bond to life, Albert 138 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: created a new family business. In recent years, his daughter 139 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:12,360 Speaker 1: Barbara and son Michael have co produced every Bond film 140 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: from Albert's death in nineteen ninety six until they sold 141 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 1: the rights to Amazon in twenty twenty five. Albert carved 142 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: out a pretty good legacy for himself and his family, 143 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 1: But you might be surprised that bringing James Bond to 144 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 1: the big screen isn't his only claim to fame. For that, 145 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 1: we have to rewind a bit to whin. Albert's family 146 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:34,199 Speaker 1: lived in Carrera, Calabria. According to his wife Dana's research, 147 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: Albert's ancestors claimed to be the first people to cross 148 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 1: two vegetables, cauliflower and rob This created a dark green, 149 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: treelike vegetable with thick stalks. Albert's father and his uncle 150 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 1: brought those seeds of this crossbreed from Calabria to Long 151 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: Island on the same farm where Albert worked as a child. 152 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: His family introduced America to their very own family heirloom, 153 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 1: and the name of that vegetable, well, they gave it 154 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 1: the family name. Let me tell you OL's full name 155 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 1: and I'll let you figure out the rest. The James 156 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 1: Bond movie Pioneer is Albert Broccoli. I hope you've enjoyed 157 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:16,080 Speaker 1: today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for 158 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 1: free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the show 159 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 1: by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. This show was created 160 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:27,360 Speaker 1: by me Aaron Mankey in partnership with how Stuff Works. 161 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:30,920 Speaker 1: I make another award winning show called Lore, which is 162 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: a podcast, book series, and television show, and you can 163 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 1: learn all about it over at the Worldoflore dot com. 164 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 1: And until next time, stay curious.