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 --> 00:00:22,599 Speaker 1: of these amazing tales right there on display, just waiting 5 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. 6 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:39,520 Speaker 1: Prolific authors leave behind a great deal when they die, 7 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:42,479 Speaker 1: not just their completed works, but every piece of paper 8 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: that ever touched their pens suddenly becomes valuable for their 9 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 1: next of kin. Going through the notes and assembling a 10 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: legacy for the deceased writer can be a lifelong duty. 11 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: In nineteen twelve, an irishwoman named Florence fell into this 12 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 1: very situation. She became a widow at the age of 13 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 1: fifty four, her husband succumbing to disease almost immediately. She 14 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 1: had work to do, not just in arranging his funeral 15 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 1: or comforting his bereaved friends, but she also had to 16 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: manage his literary estate for work. Her husband, Abe, had 17 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 1: been a theater manager for most of his life and 18 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 1: the assistant to a famous stage actor, and while the 19 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:20,559 Speaker 1: short stories and books were well received, they'd never sold 20 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 1: quite as well as he had hoped. Florence hoped in 21 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 1: her own way that she could provide literary success for 22 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:29,400 Speaker 1: her husband in death that he had not achieved in life. 23 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 1: So throughout the nineteen tens she edited together collections of 24 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 1: his short stories and negotiated with publishers to keep his 25 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 1: novels in print. They provided the same modest income that 26 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 1: they always had, never quite enough. And then in nineteen 27 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: twenty two, ten years after her husband's death, she received 28 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: a strange letter in the mail. The envelope contained a 29 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: handbill advertising and upcoming motion picture screening in Berlin. It 30 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: wasn't an invitation, she lived in London, after all, but 31 00:01:57,360 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 1: looking at the handbill there was no denying that it 32 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: was meant for her. Her emblazoned underneath the film's title 33 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: was her husband's name. They had changed the title in 34 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: many plot elements, but the film was undeniably based on 35 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 1: the book that Abe had written twenty five years before, 36 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: and Florence was insulted. Despite making a screen adaptation of 37 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: her husband's work, the producers had not asked for her 38 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: permission or made any effort to secure film rights for 39 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:25,519 Speaker 1: the material. Florence didn't have the money to hire a 40 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 1: lawyer herself. But she couldn't let this sort of behavior stand. 41 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:33,119 Speaker 1: She contacted the British Incorporated Society of Authors, imploring them 42 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 1: to sponsor a copyright lawsuit against the production company, Prana Film. 43 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 1: They accepted and engaged a Berlin based lawyer to take 44 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: on Florence's case. As you'd imagine, the case dragged on 45 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 1: for years, but as it did, the offending film spread 46 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: from country to country. The case rolled on for more 47 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:54,120 Speaker 1: years to come. Prana Film fought Florence every step of 48 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: the way, but ultimately the court found the case in 49 00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: the widow's favor. There would be no payout. However, in 50 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 1: the court of the lawsuit, Prana Film ran out of 51 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: money and declared bankruptcy. They couldn't afford to pay Florence 52 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: even if the court ordered them to, so she had 53 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 1: to get justice some other way. In July of nineteen 54 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 1: twenty five, at her own request, the court ordered the 55 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,799 Speaker 1: producers to destroy all copies of the film in circulation. 56 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:21,960 Speaker 1: Unfortunately for her, this order would be difficult to enforce. 57 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:24,919 Speaker 1: Each copy of the film was seven reels of thirty 58 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 1: five millimeter film stock, and once they were sent abroad, 59 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:31,240 Speaker 1: tracking them down required a lot of legwork. The film 60 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 1: had already played in Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, and by 61 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 1: the late nineteen twenties copies were already spreading to the 62 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: United States and Great Britain. Ultimately, a great many copies 63 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 1: of this offending film would be destroyed, but at least 64 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: one print would survive, preserving the adaptation for one hundred 65 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 1: years to come. You may have already guessed by now 66 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 1: that the Florence of this story is Florence Balcom, who 67 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: had become the wife of Brahms Stoker, author of Dracula. 68 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 1: She managed his literary estate for the rest of his life. 69 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: The motion picture that she tried so hard to destroy 70 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: is Nosferatu, the silent film that today is considered a 71 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 1: landmark in the history of horror cinema. In a strange way, 72 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: the result of Florence's Stoker lawsuit is a historical compromise. 73 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 1: The producers of Nosferatu never made a profit from her 74 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 1: husband's work, yet the groundbreaking art that resulted from their 75 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:27,599 Speaker 1: copyright infringement survived to the present day. The value of 76 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:29,720 Speaker 1: a work of art is greater than the amount of 77 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 1: profit it makes in its lifetime. Bromstoker's Dracula, despite being 78 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:36,479 Speaker 1: one of the most beloved novels of its era, was 79 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:40,320 Speaker 1: not enough to guarantee financial security for his family. If 80 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: it had been, maybe Florence wouldn't have pursued Prana film 81 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:48,280 Speaker 1: so aggressively. But Dracula and Nosferatu by extension, is a 82 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: tenacious tale. Even when you try to kill it, it'll 83 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 1: just rise up from the dead again, ready to spread 84 00:04:54,160 --> 00:05:13,040 Speaker 1: the vampire's curse to a whole new generation. Everyone has preferences. 85 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:16,040 Speaker 1: You might want your dream partner to be athletic, or 86 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: love the opera, or be really really into camping. Your friend, 87 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 1: on the other hand, might want a homebody who loves 88 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:25,039 Speaker 1: to cook and play chess. For King Frederick William the 89 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: First of Prussia, there was only one thing he cared 90 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:30,160 Speaker 1: about when it came to picking soldiers for his own 91 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: personal regiment. He didn't care if they could shoot, or march, 92 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 1: or even win in battle. None of that mattered so 93 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: long as they were tall. When King Frederick took the 94 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 1: throne in seventeen thirteen, his first order of business was 95 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: strengthening his army. But while the rest of his troops 96 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 1: recruited average type men, he had a special project of 97 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:53,599 Speaker 1: creating a regiment entirely composed of the largest men he 98 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:56,599 Speaker 1: could find. To join the regiment, a soldier had to 99 00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:59,479 Speaker 1: be at least six foot two, a tall order today 100 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 1: back then now. King Frederick himself was only five foot six, 101 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 1: but that didn't stop him from scouring the country for 102 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 1: tall recruits, and when Prussia's supply had been exhausted, he 103 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: turned to other kingdoms. Zar Peter the Great of Russia 104 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 1: sent Frederick a platoon of giant fighters as a gift, 105 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 1: as did the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Other lanky 106 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:24,280 Speaker 1: legioneers were begged, borrowed, or stolen from other armies. They 107 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:27,359 Speaker 1: were promised high pay, and if that didn't work, sometimes 108 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 1: they were simply kidnapped. One of the tallest men in 109 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: the regiment, the towering seven foot one inch Irishman James Kirkland, 110 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:38,559 Speaker 1: was tricked into service when he boarded a Prussian ship. Now, 111 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 1: life wasn't all that bad for this regiment. The group, 112 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: nicknamed the Potsdam Giants or the Longfellows, enjoyed better housing, 113 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:48,760 Speaker 1: better rations, and better pay than the rest of the 114 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:52,440 Speaker 1: king's army. However, the pay scale was decided by height, 115 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: which probably left some of the smaller recruits feeling underappreciated. 116 00:06:57,040 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: Despite all of this, not every one of his soldiers 117 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:02,840 Speaker 1: was with their new life. Some, especially those who had 118 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 1: been kidnapped, deserted the regiment, or even tried to take 119 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 1: their own lives. Still, things weren't terrible for the Potsdam giants. 120 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 1: For example, they never really saw any real action. Rather 121 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 1: than being on the front lines, they remained in the capitol, 122 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 1: acting as more of a ceremonial guard than a deadly 123 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 1: military team. King Frederick oversaw drills of the Longfellows every day, 124 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:27,679 Speaker 1: delighting and watching them march through their maneuvers. He dressed 125 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 1: them in striking uniforms with blue and gold jackets, clean 126 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: white pants, and red hats that were eighteen inches tall, 127 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 1: adding nearly two feet so they are already impressive height. 128 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:41,320 Speaker 1: It was Frederick's favorite diversion to parade them before visiting 129 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 1: diplomats and leaders, having them march in time following their mascot, 130 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 1: a particularly large bear. He also enjoyed spending time with 131 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 1: the troops and painting their images from memory. Even in 132 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 1: his sick bed, he delighted in being brought to a 133 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 1: window to watch the tall soldiers march outside. The kings 134 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:03,480 Speaker 1: of session with tall soldiers, and the limited supply available 135 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 1: soon led him into a new, darker direction. In his 136 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 1: own personal eugenics experiments, he paired tall men with tall 137 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: brides in hopes that their children would become fresh new 138 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:16,920 Speaker 1: recruits for his army. Although he didn't live long enough 139 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 1: to see these children grow up. There were rumors for 140 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 1: generations that the people of Potsdam were particularly vertically gifted, 141 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 1: and in another dark turn, rumors swirled that the king 142 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 1: tried to make his soldiers even taller by affixing them 143 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: by the hand and feet to torture devices called the rack. 144 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:36,200 Speaker 1: He likely hoped that he could stretch these soldiers even longer, 145 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:38,839 Speaker 1: but as the story goes, he gave up when too 146 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:42,240 Speaker 1: many of them died in the process. Despite his interest 147 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:45,080 Speaker 1: in building up his regiment, though King Frederick's rule was 148 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 1: mostly peaceful, he spent his time not in battle but 149 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 1: reforming the military, bringing on new recruits and training them 150 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 1: in new fighting techniques. By the time the king died 151 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 1: in seventeen forty, the army had three two hundred giants 152 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:01,280 Speaker 1: on its roster, but his us on Frederick the Great 153 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,400 Speaker 1: didn't have the same enthusiasm for height as his father. 154 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:08,320 Speaker 1: Frederick the Great disbanded the regiment, sending soldiers to serve 155 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 1: in other areas of the army. And here's hoping that 156 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 1: those who were kidnapped were also allowed to return home. 157 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:17,440 Speaker 1: And Frederick the Great is remembered as both an impressive 158 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:20,200 Speaker 1: military leader and a patron of the arts. He made 159 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:24,680 Speaker 1: Prussia a huge military power, embraced Enlightenment ideals, and even 160 00:09:24,679 --> 00:09:28,840 Speaker 1: wrote operas. But unlike his father, his enthusiasm for giants 161 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 1: in uniform, well, let's just say that fell a little short. 162 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 1: I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet 163 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:43,480 Speaker 1: of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn 164 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:47,959 Speaker 1: more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. 165 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:51,680 Speaker 1: The show was created by me Aaron Mankey in partnership 166 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 1: with how Stuff Works. I make another award winning show 167 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:59,200 Speaker 1: called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, and television show, 168 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:02,199 Speaker 1: and you can learn all about it over at Theworldoflore 169 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:08,360 Speaker 1: dot com. And until next time, stay curious.