1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Welcomed Aaron Manky's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of I 2 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is full 3 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, 4 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: all of these amazing tales are right there on display, 5 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet 6 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: of Curiosities. Bare knuckle boxing was a rather peculiar sport. 7 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 1: Two men, usually with high trousers and thick mustaches, would 8 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:47,159 Speaker 1: step into a ring with no protective equipment whatsoever, and, 9 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 1: as the name suggests, use their bare knuckles to subdue 10 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: the other. It is, as they say, a sport of gentlemen, 11 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: the origin of modern day boxing, and a romanticized image 12 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: of nineteen in early one yeth century manliness. After all, 13 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 1: historical figures like Teddy Roosevelt actively participated in it, and 14 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 1: he certainly had the mustache to make the grade. The 15 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:12,960 Speaker 1: fact that bare knuckle boxing originated in prison fighting shouldn't 16 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 1: be that surprising by most estimations. The sport arrived in 17 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 1: Australia in sev with convicts from the British first Fleet 18 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 1: of Prisoners sent there. Within a few years, the first 19 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 1: recorded fight took place in New South Wales. After a 20 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: few more decades, the sport had finally become a more 21 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:34,040 Speaker 1: gentlemanly affair, just two fellas, knuckles primed, ready to beat 22 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: on each other until the other gives up. The sport 23 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:39,759 Speaker 1: found such a footing in Australia that by the mid 24 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: nineteenth century, boxers the world over were flocking to the 25 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: Rings of Victoria, and that's where one of the most 26 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: peculiar matches of all time was staged. In one corner, 27 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: a guy named James Kelly, an Irish immigrant of some 28 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 1: boxing acclaim, fresh off of victory over a local Australian 29 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: fighter known simply as Hammy. In the other corner, Jonathan 30 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: Smith of British origins, who had built a decent reputation 31 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 1: in Britain and the US before trying his luck in Australia. 32 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 1: Two well respected boxers, two veterans of the ring, and 33 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 1: all the anticipation in the world. Neither Smith nor Kelly, 34 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:18,799 Speaker 1: nor even the crowd spending their morning around the ring 35 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: could have known what sort of match was in store 36 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:23,920 Speaker 1: for them that day. But despite heavy rains the night before, 37 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: thousands of spectators turned out to watch these two mustachioed 38 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 1: titans duke it out, and as the match began, bright 39 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 1: and early at nine am, the crowd was in full swing, 40 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: and those two boxers did as two boxers often do. 41 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: They jabbed and fainted, landing more than a few blows 42 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 1: on each other, and by the end of the first round, 43 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: the crowd was buzzing with energy. Two hours later, though, 44 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:49,640 Speaker 1: things began to take on a different look. The crowd 45 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: was restless, closing in around the fighters in an attempt 46 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: to push the match along. By round eight, James Kelly 47 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: had suffered his worst blow of the match, earning himself 48 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:02,360 Speaker 1: a bloody nose. By round twelve, the biggest highlight was 49 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 1: well still the bloody knows, and by round fourteen, now 50 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: more than five hours into the match, the highlight was 51 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 1: well still that nose and people talking about how it 52 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 1: had caused James Kelly a great deal of annoyance. By 53 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: around fifteen, the booze and hisses began to float in 54 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:20,640 Speaker 1: from the crowd, no doubt encouraged by the beer that 55 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: had been flowing for hours. With neither boxer willing to 56 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 1: take a risk, the fight looked like it would continue 57 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 1: on for eternity. Finally, in round seventeen, James Kelly, his 58 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: bloody nose apparently no longer a problem, taunted Smith into 59 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: finally fighting, at which point Smith threw a wayward punch 60 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: that was quickly countered by Kelly, causing Smith to call 61 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 1: it quits. They shook hands and the fight finally concluded 62 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: after six hours and fifteen minutes. It was the longest 63 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:54,840 Speaker 1: bare knuckle boxing fights of all time. In the papers 64 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 1: the next day, the match was reported in detail, the 65 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 1: writer having to exercise a bit of creative to write 66 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: more than a sentence about each round. To be honest, 67 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 1: the morning reader might have found more entertainment in the 68 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 1: ads next to the article, including one that offered a 69 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: cure for gingervitus and truth be told. After over six 70 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 1: hours of waiting, very little drama, and no satisfying knockout 71 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: at the end, I'm guessing anyone who stayed for the 72 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 1: full match would have preferred a little dental work. Talent 73 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 1: is kind of a nebulous concept. Some people believe that 74 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:41,480 Speaker 1: talent is innate, that we are born with it and 75 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,720 Speaker 1: don't really improve upon it as we grow. Others see 76 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 1: talent as something to be taught that with enough training 77 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:51,600 Speaker 1: and experience, anyone can become an expert musician or painter. 78 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 1: But when it came to acting, James Cagney once said, 79 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 1: learn your lines, find your mark, look him in the eye, 80 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 1: and tell him the truth. To him, talent wasn't really 81 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:04,600 Speaker 1: part of the equation, and maybe he was right. Perhaps 82 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:06,919 Speaker 1: a skill like acting could be taught to just about 83 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:10,800 Speaker 1: anyone off the street. In fact, actors Nadine and Katherine 84 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:14,360 Speaker 1: Dennis discovered Hollywood's next big star just by taking a walk. 85 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 1: The pair had found him when he was young, abandoned 86 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 1: by his parents and fending for himself on the streets 87 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 1: of her sins. They took him home and cleaned him up. 88 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 1: Soon after, his hidden talents started to show. For one, 89 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:30,119 Speaker 1: he could do anything on command, cross his eyes, laugh, 90 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 1: drink from a bottle. The little guy could handle whatever 91 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:35,600 Speaker 1: the pair threw at him, and since they already lived 92 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:38,280 Speaker 1: in Tinseltown, it wasn't hard to imagine how they could 93 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 1: capitalize on this new addition to their family. They just 94 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: needed a name, something with pizzazz and star power. Legend 95 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:48,000 Speaker 1: has it that they took his name from a comic 96 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: strip published in the papers at the time, which featured 97 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 1: a character name Puzzums, so that's what they called him. 98 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:57,040 Speaker 1: Puzzums got his big break after appearing in a Los 99 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: Angeles pageant in The Times had printed photos of him 100 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 1: doing tricks for the audience at only a few years old. 101 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: From then on he was a star. He was signed 102 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:10,600 Speaker 1: to his studio by producer Max Sennett, who had made 103 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 1: a name for himself producing slapstick films featuring the Keystone Cops. 104 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: Possums contract was for three years, at fifty bucks a week, 105 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:21,920 Speaker 1: more than Katherine and Nadine had been making combined on 106 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: their own, not too shabby. He started showing up in 107 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: silent comedies like The Chicken about a family dinner gone ray, 108 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: or Run Girl Run, in which Carol Lombard played a 109 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:35,840 Speaker 1: track star trying to sneak away to see her boyfriend 110 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 1: without the coach finding out. Before the big meat. Possums 111 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 1: even acted for Cecil b DeMille and performed alongside heavyweights 112 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:46,719 Speaker 1: like Will Rogers, often poised as the comic relief in 113 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:49,360 Speaker 1: a scene. The actor once had to play Checkers while 114 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:52,359 Speaker 1: sitting in a high chair and dressed in silly hats 115 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 1: and glasses for publicity shoots and drink from a baby 116 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:58,719 Speaker 1: bottle from time to time, and at his peak his 117 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 1: pay increased from that healthy fifty dollars to two fifty 118 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:05,720 Speaker 1: dollars per week, and pretty soon he was working for 119 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 1: any studio in need of a ringer. Sadly, his life 120 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: was cut short after one of his teeth became infected. 121 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 1: Possums died in nineteen thirty four, but don't worry. Fans 122 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 1: can still pay their respects by visiting his grave at 123 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:25,000 Speaker 1: the Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park and Creamatory. That's right, 124 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 1: Possums was a cat, and one with more talent than 125 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: most dogs and humans in Hollywood at the time. His 126 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:35,280 Speaker 1: career jump started a tradition that has carried on right 127 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 1: up to today of pets performing in films. There was Orangey, 128 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 1: the orange tabby scene in films like nineteen sixty Ones, 129 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Mr Bigglesworth, the hairless sphinx belonging 130 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:51,160 Speaker 1: to Dr Evil in the Austin Powers films, whose real 131 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: name was I Kid You not Ted knud Gent. Even today, 132 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 1: whenever a film calls for an animal to react to 133 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 1: something in the scene, it's often not special effects or 134 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 1: a puppet being operated from behind the scenes, it's a 135 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 1: trained animal working like any other performer. Cats often get 136 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 1: a bad rap for being distant or hard to control, 137 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 1: but possums and those who followed in his little footsteps 138 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 1: prove those naysayers wrong. Sometimes being a good actor doesn't 139 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 1: involve decades of studying or method training. Sometimes all you 140 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 1: need is the ability to nail the perfect take. I 141 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 1: hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. 142 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 1: Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about 143 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:42,800 Speaker 1: the show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show 144 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:46,319 Speaker 1: was created by me Aaron Manky in partnership with how 145 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:49,960 Speaker 1: Stuff Works. I make another award winning show called Lore, 146 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:53,840 Speaker 1: which is a podcast, book series, and television show, and 147 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 1: you can learn all about it over at the World 148 00:08:56,120 --> 00:09:00,480 Speaker 1: of Lore dot com. And until next time, stay curious.