"Mysteries at the Museum" Hoaxes: Special

1 00:00:01,750 --> 00:00:04,450 The greatest hoax in the history of sports... 2 00:00:04,460 --> 00:00:06,720 LEWIS: Who is this woman? Race officials of 3 00:00:06,730 --> 00:00:10,390 the Boston Marathon were totally stunned. 4 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:13,100 A mythical beast that's full of hot air... 5 00:00:13,100 --> 00:00:16,070 HARRISON: There are reports of a mysterious sea creature, 6 00:00:16,070 --> 00:00:19,200 big eyes, giant teeth. 7 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:22,970 And a notorious news flash from outer space. 8 00:00:22,980 --> 00:00:25,210 FALBER: Newspapers were sending out reporters 9 00:00:25,210 --> 00:00:27,440 to find out what was going on. 10 00:00:27,450 --> 00:00:30,380 These are the mysteries at the museum. 11 00:00:36,290 --> 00:00:38,050 New York City. 12 00:00:38,060 --> 00:00:43,730 In 1524, renowned Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano 13 00:00:43,730 --> 00:00:45,930 became the first European to sail into 14 00:00:45,930 --> 00:00:49,030 what is now the city's harbor, changing the world forever, 15 00:00:49,030 --> 00:00:52,700 so it's fitting that his accomplishment is honored 16 00:00:52,700 --> 00:00:55,470 by the city's epic Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, 17 00:00:55,470 --> 00:00:58,180 the longest suspension bridge in the nation. 18 00:00:58,180 --> 00:01:02,150 Today, one historic institution pays tribute to 19 00:01:02,150 --> 00:01:04,750 that same spirit of adventure -- 20 00:01:04,750 --> 00:01:08,690 the Explorers Club, founded in 1905. 21 00:01:10,990 --> 00:01:14,860 Its vast collection includes tusks that belonged to 22 00:01:14,860 --> 00:01:18,090 a rare four-tusked elephant in the Congo, 23 00:01:18,100 --> 00:01:21,300 a marine compass used by Arctic explorer 24 00:01:21,300 --> 00:01:23,930 Robert A. Bartlett in the 1920s, 25 00:01:23,940 --> 00:01:26,370 and gloves worn by a Russian cosmonaut 26 00:01:26,370 --> 00:01:28,840 on a mission to an early space station. 27 00:01:31,810 --> 00:01:34,640 But amidst these objects from across the globe 28 00:01:34,650 --> 00:01:37,710 is one that was part of an adventure that began 29 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:40,020 right here at the Explorers Club. 30 00:01:40,020 --> 00:01:42,590 FLINT: The artifact is six inches wide 31 00:01:42,590 --> 00:01:44,020 and nine inches tall, 32 00:01:44,020 --> 00:01:46,760 it's black and white, it's made of paper, 33 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:51,230 and it's got kind of a cartoonish look to it. 34 00:01:51,230 --> 00:01:54,230 WILDMAN: This faded menu recalls a culinary caper 35 00:01:54,230 --> 00:01:57,000 that had mouths watering all over the world. 36 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:59,940 FLINT: This is a story about the dinner party of the century. 37 00:02:03,810 --> 00:02:07,710 WILDMAN: January 13, 1951, New York. 38 00:02:07,710 --> 00:02:10,050 The Explorers Club, the nation's 39 00:02:10,050 --> 00:02:13,550 preeminent organization for adventurers is scientists, 40 00:02:13,550 --> 00:02:15,450 is holding its annual dinner. 41 00:02:15,450 --> 00:02:18,090 Hosted by chairman Wendell Phillips Dodge, 42 00:02:18,090 --> 00:02:20,320 the event is one of the highlights 43 00:02:20,330 --> 00:02:23,430 of the Big Apple's social calendar, 44 00:02:23,430 --> 00:02:26,760 but this year's banquet promises to be like no other. 45 00:02:26,770 --> 00:02:29,370 The reason? Dodge has told his guests 46 00:02:29,370 --> 00:02:32,340 that the menu will contain something that 47 00:02:32,340 --> 00:02:34,970 no one has ever been served before, 48 00:02:34,970 --> 00:02:38,540 but the wily chairman won't say exactly what it is. 49 00:02:38,540 --> 00:02:40,480 FLINT: Everyone is really anticipating 50 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:42,510 that this was going to be the best dinner 51 00:02:42,510 --> 00:02:44,380 that the Explorers Club had ever had. 52 00:02:44,380 --> 00:02:47,580 WILDMAN: The special course is so hotly anticipated 53 00:02:47,590 --> 00:02:50,090 that one guest who is unable to attend 54 00:02:50,090 --> 00:02:54,360 even arranges for his portion to be sent to him by mail. 55 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:59,700 Before diners get a taste of the mysterious menu item, 56 00:02:59,700 --> 00:03:03,370 they are served an array of exotic courses. 57 00:03:03,370 --> 00:03:06,640 This dinner had Pacific spider crab, 58 00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:08,410 there was bison steak. 59 00:03:08,410 --> 00:03:10,640 It was a really lavish event. 60 00:03:10,640 --> 00:03:12,680 WILDMAN: Even the water is served 61 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:16,410 with a chunk of ice from a glacier. 62 00:03:16,420 --> 00:03:20,850 Finally, Dodge brings out a silver platter 63 00:03:20,850 --> 00:03:23,720 and announces that the dish... 64 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,720 is prehistoric meat. 65 00:03:26,730 --> 00:03:30,630 FLINT: This was one exciting, exotic, and very rare item, 66 00:03:30,630 --> 00:03:32,560 and the guests are really wondering 67 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:34,730 which extinct prehistoric animal was it. 68 00:03:34,730 --> 00:03:37,500 WILDMAN: But Dodge remains tight-lipped. 69 00:03:37,500 --> 00:03:40,570 All he will say is that the animal from which 70 00:03:40,570 --> 00:03:44,110 the flesh came is now extinct and that it is so scarce 71 00:03:44,110 --> 00:03:47,340 that everyone will be served just a tiny sliver. 72 00:03:47,350 --> 00:03:50,750 The atmosphere is electric. 73 00:03:50,750 --> 00:03:53,350 Consuming the flesh of an extinct creature 74 00:03:53,350 --> 00:03:55,650 is a once in a lifetime opportunity. 75 00:03:55,650 --> 00:03:58,220 As the guests eat their small portions, 76 00:03:58,220 --> 00:04:00,820 they remark on the meat's strange taste 77 00:04:00,830 --> 00:04:03,830 and offer their theories as to what it must be. 78 00:04:03,830 --> 00:04:05,460 Some assume it's come from 79 00:04:05,460 --> 00:04:07,960 a defrosted wooly mammoth from Alaska. 80 00:04:07,970 --> 00:04:11,970 Others think it could be from an ancient species of giant sloth. 81 00:04:11,970 --> 00:04:13,170 FLINT: Really nobody knew, 82 00:04:13,170 --> 00:04:15,110 and that's what the talk of the dinner was, 83 00:04:15,110 --> 00:04:17,140 is how did they get this here and what is it? 84 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:22,110 But the dinner ends without the chairman 85 00:04:22,110 --> 00:04:25,350 giving them the satisfaction of a proper explanation 86 00:04:25,350 --> 00:04:26,920 as to what the meat was. 87 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:29,950 The next day, news of the Explorers Club's 88 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:34,990 lavish dinner and its mysterious menu item hits the press. 89 00:04:34,990 --> 00:04:38,560 FLINT: It was heralded as this fantastical spectacle. 90 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:42,400 People said it was the dinner party of the century. 91 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:44,100 WILDMAN: In subsequent years, 92 00:04:44,100 --> 00:04:46,640 the Explorers Club continues the tradition 93 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:49,210 that was started by Wendell Phillips Dodge. 94 00:04:49,210 --> 00:04:51,780 It serves deep-fried tarantulas, 95 00:04:51,780 --> 00:04:55,050 martinis garnished with goat eyeballs, 96 00:04:55,050 --> 00:04:59,180 and even the barbecued sex organs of bulls. 97 00:04:59,180 --> 00:05:02,450 Yet the question of exactly what Dodge cooked up 98 00:05:02,450 --> 00:05:05,490 at the 1951 dinner remains one of New York's 99 00:05:05,490 --> 00:05:09,260 most enduring mysteries. 100 00:05:09,260 --> 00:05:12,330 But more than 60 years after the famed event, 101 00:05:12,330 --> 00:05:16,500 a new discovery reveals the truth behind the enigmatic dish. 102 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:23,010 2014, Yale University in Connecticut. 103 00:05:23,010 --> 00:05:25,610 An anthropology professor named Eric Sargis 104 00:05:25,610 --> 00:05:28,950 is looking through the archives of the Yale Peabody Museum 105 00:05:28,950 --> 00:05:32,320 when he comes across a vial containing a curious specimen. 106 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:37,120 The label says that inside is a sample of preserved meat 107 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:40,420 from the 1951 Explorers Club dinner. 108 00:05:40,430 --> 00:05:43,690 It's from the guest who could not attend the gala 109 00:05:43,700 --> 00:05:47,000 and had asked for his portion to be mailed to him. 110 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,100 Rather than consume the meat, 111 00:05:49,100 --> 00:05:52,270 the absent diner decided to preserve it. 112 00:05:52,270 --> 00:05:54,270 The sample was eventually filed away 113 00:05:54,270 --> 00:05:58,240 in the archives of the Yale Peabody Museum. 114 00:06:00,210 --> 00:06:03,050 Sargis and his colleagues realize that this 115 00:06:03,050 --> 00:06:06,620 is their chance to finally identify the prehistoric meat. 116 00:06:06,620 --> 00:06:09,120 FLINT: They wanted to get to the bottom of the question 117 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:11,350 that Wendell Phillips Dodge refused to answer -- 118 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:15,660 what was served at that dinner, what is actually in that vial. 119 00:06:15,660 --> 00:06:18,430 They extracted a piece of the meat 120 00:06:18,430 --> 00:06:22,130 and did some DNA testing to discover what it really was. 121 00:06:22,130 --> 00:06:24,770 WILDMAN: And when the results come back, 122 00:06:24,770 --> 00:06:26,970 Sargis and his team are stunned. 123 00:06:29,340 --> 00:06:30,740 FLINT: Ultimately it was discovered 124 00:06:30,740 --> 00:06:34,410 that the meat in the vial was... 125 00:06:34,410 --> 00:06:37,310 green sea turtle. 126 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:40,020 WILDMAN: Green sea turtles are endangered 127 00:06:40,020 --> 00:06:41,820 but are by no means extinct. 128 00:06:41,820 --> 00:06:45,120 The discovery leads Sargis to an amusing conclusion. 129 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:48,260 Wendell Phillips Dodge pulled a giant prank 130 00:06:48,260 --> 00:06:50,990 on the Explorers Club. 131 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:54,030 WILDMAN: So why did Dodge want his guests and the world 132 00:06:54,030 --> 00:06:56,800 to think he served prehistoric meat? 133 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:59,700 Many believe that it was all part of a publicity stunt 134 00:06:59,700 --> 00:07:03,440 Dodge cooked up to bring attention to the Explorers Club, 135 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:05,210 and it seemed to have worked. 136 00:07:05,210 --> 00:07:08,340 FLINT: Wendell Phillips Dodge went to all of this trouble 137 00:07:08,350 --> 00:07:10,780 because he wanted this dinner to be this spectacle, 138 00:07:10,780 --> 00:07:12,180 and he did that. 139 00:07:12,180 --> 00:07:15,220 He created this dinner that everybody's still talking about. 140 00:07:17,290 --> 00:07:20,860 WILDMAN: Today, this menu from the infamous 1951 dinner 141 00:07:20,860 --> 00:07:23,360 is on display at the Explorers Club. 142 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:26,260 It's a reminder of a prehistoric prank 143 00:07:26,260 --> 00:07:29,200 that was almost impossible to swallow. 144 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:35,470 Connecticut is a state of many firsts. 145 00:07:35,470 --> 00:07:38,580 It's where the first Frisbee was invented, 146 00:07:38,580 --> 00:07:40,710 the first hamburger was served, 147 00:07:40,710 --> 00:07:44,050 and even the first submarine was built. 148 00:07:44,050 --> 00:07:45,720 And one town, Windsor, 149 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:48,950 is particularly proud of its claim to fame. 150 00:07:48,950 --> 00:07:53,220 It's the home of the nation's very first FM radio station. 151 00:07:53,230 --> 00:07:56,160 And one institution celebrates that history -- 152 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:58,630 the Vintage Radio and Communications Museum 153 00:07:58,630 --> 00:08:02,830 of Connecticut. 154 00:08:02,830 --> 00:08:06,140 The vast archive holds an early record player 155 00:08:06,140 --> 00:08:07,800 known as a phonograph, 156 00:08:07,810 --> 00:08:10,410 one of the first movie projectors 157 00:08:10,410 --> 00:08:12,180 to play film with sound, 158 00:08:12,180 --> 00:08:15,450 and a telephone switchboard from the 1950s. 159 00:08:17,650 --> 00:08:20,920 But among these triumphs of technology is an item 160 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:23,890 that almost brought the nation to its knees. 161 00:08:23,890 --> 00:08:27,690 FALBER: The artifact measures approximately 12 inches high. 162 00:08:27,690 --> 00:08:29,360 It is 80 years old. 163 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:32,800 The object is round and curved in several places. 164 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:35,830 When used correctly, this object can amplify sound. 165 00:08:39,470 --> 00:08:41,500 WILDMAN: A microphone just like this 166 00:08:41,510 --> 00:08:44,370 took center stage in a terrifying tale 167 00:08:44,380 --> 00:08:46,780 that spawned a Hollywood legend. 168 00:08:46,780 --> 00:08:49,280 FALBER: This item represents a creative genius 169 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:52,180 and a broadcast that rocked the nation. 170 00:08:52,180 --> 00:08:55,590 WILDMAN: The fabled story of how Orson Welles' radio version 171 00:08:55,590 --> 00:08:59,360 of "The War of the Worlds" spread panic across the country 172 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:00,620 is one of the greatest moments 173 00:09:00,630 --> 00:09:02,430 in the history of popular entertainment. 174 00:09:02,430 --> 00:09:04,630 MAN: Orson Welles... 175 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:11,730 WILDMAN: The tale begins in the late 1930s in New York City. 176 00:09:11,740 --> 00:09:13,540 23-year-old Orson Welles 177 00:09:13,540 --> 00:09:17,010 is a promising young theater actor and director 178 00:09:17,010 --> 00:09:19,310 who's desperate to make the big time. 179 00:09:19,310 --> 00:09:22,180 FALBER: Orson was a very driven person. 180 00:09:22,180 --> 00:09:24,180 He was experimental. 181 00:09:24,180 --> 00:09:27,450 He always wanted to expand the realm 182 00:09:27,450 --> 00:09:30,850 of the creative field that he was working in. 183 00:09:30,860 --> 00:09:34,620 WILDMAN: In July 1938, following a successful run 184 00:09:34,630 --> 00:09:37,630 on Broadway of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," 185 00:09:37,630 --> 00:09:42,670 Welles is invited to produce a live radio drama for CBS. 186 00:09:42,670 --> 00:09:45,840 FALBER: Orson played different voices on the radio for years, 187 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:48,200 but this was the first time that he got to be 188 00:09:48,210 --> 00:09:53,280 in complete creative control of a show on the radio. 189 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:55,450 WILDMAN: Keen to make a mark in the new medium, 190 00:09:55,450 --> 00:09:57,910 Welles and his team adapt one of the greatest 191 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:00,080 sci-fi stories ever written, 192 00:10:00,090 --> 00:10:03,520 the classic tale of Martians invading planet Earth -- 193 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:05,020 "The War of the Worlds." 194 00:10:05,020 --> 00:10:07,620 But his version will be different 195 00:10:07,630 --> 00:10:09,930 in one unforgettable way. 196 00:10:09,930 --> 00:10:12,730 FALBER: He thought that the real way to get people interested 197 00:10:12,730 --> 00:10:15,870 was to make it sound as realistic as possible. 198 00:10:18,470 --> 00:10:21,470 WILDMAN: So Welles comes up with the idea of telling the story 199 00:10:21,470 --> 00:10:24,070 through a series of news broadcasts. 200 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:28,180 FALBER: Welles had wanted to do sort of a show in the style 201 00:10:28,180 --> 00:10:30,910 of a news broadcast for a long time, 202 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:33,420 and he decided that "War of the Worlds" 203 00:10:33,420 --> 00:10:35,950 might be the perfect opportunity. 204 00:10:38,420 --> 00:10:39,860 WILDMAN: For inspiration, 205 00:10:39,860 --> 00:10:41,860 the group studies the way news broadcasters 206 00:10:41,860 --> 00:10:44,330 covered the big events of the era, 207 00:10:44,330 --> 00:10:48,060 such as the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby 208 00:10:48,070 --> 00:10:50,600 and the Hindenburg airship disaster. 209 00:10:54,510 --> 00:10:57,210 FALBER: They started to listen to the way 210 00:10:57,210 --> 00:10:59,680 that it had been reported on the air, 211 00:10:59,680 --> 00:11:02,010 the tension and the tone of voice. 212 00:11:05,950 --> 00:11:08,720 WILDMAN: Finally, after one week of preparation, 213 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:10,890 the script is ready. 214 00:11:10,890 --> 00:11:15,290 On Sunday, October 30, 1938, Welles gathers his troupe 215 00:11:15,290 --> 00:11:18,660 at CBS Studios to perform their version 216 00:11:18,660 --> 00:11:21,930 of "The War of the Worlds" live on the radio. 217 00:11:21,930 --> 00:11:23,700 FALBER: And everybody circled around Welles 218 00:11:23,700 --> 00:11:26,570 almost as if he was conducting an orchestra. 219 00:11:26,570 --> 00:11:28,840 WILDMAN: Orson Welles introduces the program... 220 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:30,670 WELLES: We know now that in the early years 221 00:11:30,680 --> 00:11:32,180 of the 20th century, 222 00:11:32,180 --> 00:11:36,810 this world was being watched closely by intelligences. 223 00:11:36,820 --> 00:11:38,150 WILDMAN: And for one hour, 224 00:11:38,150 --> 00:11:40,720 the actors perform their roles perfectly. 225 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:48,074 226 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:53,860 Welles' clever presentation is so effective that, 227 00:11:53,870 --> 00:11:55,470 as the story goes, 228 00:11:55,470 --> 00:11:58,730 millions of American listeners are fooled into believing 229 00:11:58,740 --> 00:12:02,670 that a Martian invasion is really underway. 230 00:12:14,450 --> 00:12:17,890 Legend has it that in the aftermath of the broadcast, 231 00:12:17,890 --> 00:12:20,090 a wave of panic sweeps the nation 232 00:12:20,090 --> 00:12:23,490 as people flee the imaginary invaders from space. 233 00:12:26,130 --> 00:12:29,730 FALBER: The press is saying that people have died in car crashes, 234 00:12:29,730 --> 00:12:33,240 that they've trampled each other while taking to the streets, 235 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:35,610 that they've had heart attacks. 236 00:12:35,610 --> 00:12:37,840 WILDMAN: But the reality of the situation 237 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:39,510 eventually becomes clear, 238 00:12:39,510 --> 00:12:42,780 and the so-called panic subsides. 239 00:12:42,780 --> 00:12:44,580 Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds" 240 00:12:44,580 --> 00:12:47,720 goes down as one of the most infamous radio broadcasts 241 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:49,690 in entertainment history. 242 00:12:49,690 --> 00:12:52,660 But is this really what happened? 243 00:12:52,660 --> 00:12:56,760 It turns out the real story behind "The War of the Worlds" 244 00:12:56,760 --> 00:12:58,860 is actually very different. 245 00:13:02,870 --> 00:13:06,200 The tale of how Orson Welles' infamous radio adaptation 246 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:07,570 of "The War of the Worlds" 247 00:13:07,570 --> 00:13:11,210 sent thousands into a blind panic has gone down 248 00:13:11,210 --> 00:13:13,940 as one of the great moments in broadcast history, 249 00:13:13,940 --> 00:13:17,410 but the truth behind the legend is quite different. 250 00:13:17,420 --> 00:13:23,820 So what really happened that October night in 1938? 251 00:13:23,820 --> 00:13:26,260 The truth is that very few Americans 252 00:13:26,260 --> 00:13:29,090 were listening to Welles' broadcast at all. 253 00:13:29,090 --> 00:13:31,490 FALBER: Welles was up against "The Chase and Sanborn Hour," 254 00:13:31,500 --> 00:13:35,700 one of the most popular programs on the radio at the time. 255 00:13:35,700 --> 00:13:37,930 WILDMAN: And those who were listening were even warned 256 00:13:37,940 --> 00:13:41,370 by Welles himself not to take the show seriously. 257 00:13:41,370 --> 00:13:43,940 WELLES: And remember, please, that was no Martian. 258 00:13:43,940 --> 00:13:46,110 It's Halloween. 259 00:13:46,110 --> 00:13:48,240 WILDMAN: Despite this, for a brief moment, 260 00:13:48,250 --> 00:13:51,310 there was some confusion among the listening audience 261 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:54,750 as to whether the drama was fact or fiction, 262 00:13:54,750 --> 00:13:57,090 and some people did call their local stations 263 00:13:57,090 --> 00:13:59,190 wanting to know if the events were real, 264 00:13:59,190 --> 00:14:01,660 but the numbers were relatively small. 265 00:14:01,660 --> 00:14:03,930 FALBER: News stations were getting calls 266 00:14:03,930 --> 00:14:06,160 and newspapers were sending out reporters 267 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:09,570 to find out what was going on. 268 00:14:09,570 --> 00:14:11,630 WILDMAN: But if so few people were listening 269 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:13,900 and hardly any of them were taken in, 270 00:14:13,900 --> 00:14:17,470 where did the reports of mass hysteria come from? 271 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:20,410 The answer is simple. 272 00:14:20,410 --> 00:14:23,280 Sensing an opportunity to sell more papers, 273 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:25,610 the print journalists leapt on the idea 274 00:14:25,620 --> 00:14:27,980 that some people had been taken in 275 00:14:27,990 --> 00:14:30,650 and then blew the story out of all proportion. 276 00:14:30,650 --> 00:14:34,820 FALBER: The fascinating thing, really, is how the media 277 00:14:34,830 --> 00:14:39,160 took this story and inflated it into something so large 278 00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:43,730 that we still think of it today as this huge panic. 279 00:14:43,730 --> 00:14:46,800 WILDMAN: And as time went on, the tale went viral. 280 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:49,870 FALBER: It got bigger and bigger as more and more people heard it 281 00:14:49,870 --> 00:14:51,840 and started talking about it. 282 00:14:55,050 --> 00:14:57,910 WILDMAN: And as for Welles, he simply rides 283 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:00,550 the wave of publicity all the way to Hollywood. 284 00:15:00,550 --> 00:15:03,490 FALBER: People started talking about the boy genius 285 00:15:03,490 --> 00:15:05,150 who had fooled America, 286 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:08,860 and he actually wound up being offered a movie deal 287 00:15:08,860 --> 00:15:12,560 to produce his masterpiece, "Citizen Kane." 288 00:15:14,530 --> 00:15:17,500 WILDMAN: Today, a replica of the RCA microphone 289 00:15:17,500 --> 00:15:20,800 that Orson Welles used during his infamous radio broadcast 290 00:15:20,810 --> 00:15:23,340 of "War of the Worlds" is on display at 291 00:15:23,340 --> 00:15:25,440 the Vintage Radio and Communications Museum 292 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:26,810 of Connecticut. 293 00:15:26,810 --> 00:15:30,210 It recalls a real-life case of fake news 294 00:15:30,210 --> 00:15:33,220 and the Martian invasion that never was. 295 00:15:36,350 --> 00:15:38,550 Los Angeles, California. 296 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:42,830 This sprawling metropolis has over seven million cars 297 00:15:42,830 --> 00:15:46,800 and 527 miles of freeway, 298 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:49,600 so it's no surprise that there's an institution 299 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:52,940 which celebrates this city's love affair with driving -- 300 00:15:52,940 --> 00:15:55,570 the Petersen Automotive Museum. 301 00:15:55,570 --> 00:16:01,080 Spanning over 300,000 square feet of exhibition space, 302 00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:05,010 here visitors can find 150 automotive marvels 303 00:16:05,020 --> 00:16:07,150 from all over the world. 304 00:16:07,150 --> 00:16:09,790 But among the famous American sports cars 305 00:16:09,790 --> 00:16:12,050 and innovative vehicles on display 306 00:16:12,060 --> 00:16:16,990 is one bright specimen that hides a dark mystery. 307 00:16:16,990 --> 00:16:18,930 KENDALL: The artifact has three wheels -- 308 00:16:18,930 --> 00:16:20,860 two in the front, one in the back -- 309 00:16:20,870 --> 00:16:24,970 has seating capacity for two, and one door. 310 00:16:24,970 --> 00:16:28,640 WILDMAN: This car promised more than just a smooth ride. 311 00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:34,280 This was going to solve America's car problems. 312 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:36,750 WILDMAN: So how was this car supposed to rescue 313 00:16:36,750 --> 00:16:39,480 the automobile industry, 314 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:44,550 and what secrets lurk behind its glossy exterior? 315 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:47,660 Los Angeles, 1973. 316 00:16:47,660 --> 00:16:52,090 America is in the midst of an unprecedented energy crisis. 317 00:16:52,100 --> 00:16:56,160 In just three months, gas prices have quadrupled, 318 00:16:56,170 --> 00:16:58,400 and with the nation reeling from a recession 319 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:00,370 and nine percent unemployment, 320 00:17:00,370 --> 00:17:06,040 the American public is looking for an automotive answer. 321 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:10,010 KENDALL: America was really longing for the kind of car 322 00:17:10,010 --> 00:17:12,920 that would give them performance and comfort 323 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:16,250 and style along with fuel economy 324 00:17:16,250 --> 00:17:19,520 that no American car could then provide. 325 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:21,690 WILDMAN: But in 1974, 326 00:17:21,690 --> 00:17:24,390 one woman says she has the answer. 327 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,160 Her name is Elizabeth Carmichael. 328 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:30,930 The founder of a new company called Twentieth Century Motors, 329 00:17:30,940 --> 00:17:35,000 Carmichael claims her research lab has developed a new model 330 00:17:35,010 --> 00:17:37,770 that will solve the country's energy crisis. 331 00:17:37,780 --> 00:17:40,880 KENDALL: The car was supposed to get 70 miles to the gallon 332 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:43,180 and go a hundred miles an hour 333 00:17:43,180 --> 00:17:46,620 and is made of a rocket structural resin. 334 00:17:46,620 --> 00:17:49,120 WILDMAN: Carmichael calls the vehicle the Dale, 335 00:17:49,120 --> 00:17:52,520 and promotional materials declare that dollar for dollar, 336 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:54,820 it's the best car ever built. 337 00:17:54,830 --> 00:17:57,160 KENDALL: The price of the car, $2,000, 338 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:02,930 was nearly half the price of the average car in 1974. 339 00:18:02,930 --> 00:18:05,500 WILDMAN: The promise of a Dale catapults it into 340 00:18:05,500 --> 00:18:08,070 the national spotlight, and within weeks, 341 00:18:08,070 --> 00:18:11,510 it becomes the most sought-after car in the country. 342 00:18:11,510 --> 00:18:13,610 KENDALL: Elizabeth Carmichael generated 343 00:18:13,610 --> 00:18:15,610 a great deal of positive press. 344 00:18:15,610 --> 00:18:17,780 She had what America wanted. 345 00:18:17,780 --> 00:18:21,980 The press looked to her as a kind of wise guru. 346 00:18:21,990 --> 00:18:24,320 WILDMAN: But to bring her car to the masses, 347 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:27,320 she needs a massive influx of cash, 348 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:29,890 so she uses her charm, experience, 349 00:18:29,890 --> 00:18:34,230 and compelling biography to woo investors. 350 00:18:34,230 --> 00:18:36,870 KENDALL: She spread the word that she had a degree 351 00:18:36,870 --> 00:18:39,870 in mechanical engineering and that she was the widow 352 00:18:39,870 --> 00:18:42,470 of a NASA engineer with five children 353 00:18:42,470 --> 00:18:46,140 and that she would ultimately rule the industry like a queen. 354 00:18:46,140 --> 00:18:48,340 WILDMAN: Carmichael's tantalizing pitch 355 00:18:48,350 --> 00:18:50,310 has the public and investors 356 00:18:50,310 --> 00:18:52,210 eating from the palm of her hand. 357 00:18:52,220 --> 00:18:54,820 KENDALL: People started putting down deposits on cars 358 00:18:54,820 --> 00:18:58,650 and investment money just kept rolling in. 359 00:18:58,660 --> 00:19:01,120 WILDMAN: Carmichael's business is flourishing. 360 00:19:01,130 --> 00:19:05,630 The public and investors are eager to see a finished product. 361 00:19:05,630 --> 00:19:07,660 She has a prototype in her office, 362 00:19:07,670 --> 00:19:10,830 now on display at the Peterson Automotive Museum, 363 00:19:10,830 --> 00:19:14,870 but seems keen to keep curious buyers at bay. 364 00:19:14,870 --> 00:19:17,340 Whenever an investor asked Liz Carmichael 365 00:19:17,340 --> 00:19:19,410 if they could see a working prototype, 366 00:19:19,410 --> 00:19:20,910 she would be happy to point to the one 367 00:19:20,910 --> 00:19:22,210 that was in her office, 368 00:19:22,210 --> 00:19:25,150 but she would never let them get close to it. 369 00:19:25,150 --> 00:19:28,780 WILDMAN: Then, without warning, America's automotive queen 370 00:19:28,790 --> 00:19:31,120 moves her seemingly prosperous business 371 00:19:31,120 --> 00:19:33,290 from L.A. to Dallas. 372 00:19:33,290 --> 00:19:36,120 KENDALL: Why would somebody who's just gaining traction 373 00:19:36,130 --> 00:19:39,360 in the industry make such a drastic change? 374 00:19:39,360 --> 00:19:42,330 WILDMAN: With questions swirling over the legitimacy 375 00:19:42,330 --> 00:19:46,030 of Carmichael's company, the public wants to know -- 376 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:48,770 is there more to this automotive entrepreneur 377 00:19:48,770 --> 00:19:51,410 and her miracle car than meets the eye? 378 00:19:54,380 --> 00:19:57,510 It's the 1970s in Dallas, Texas. 379 00:19:57,520 --> 00:19:59,620 Businesswoman Elizabeth Carmichael 380 00:19:59,620 --> 00:20:02,490 has taken the auto industry by storm. 381 00:20:02,490 --> 00:20:06,820 She says she has built the best car the world has ever seen, 382 00:20:06,830 --> 00:20:10,030 but are her claims too good to be true? 383 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:14,460 Despite the rumors, Carmichael carries on 384 00:20:14,470 --> 00:20:17,970 marketing the Dale from her new headquarters in Dallas. 385 00:20:17,970 --> 00:20:21,070 KENDALL: She continued to take deposits on dealer franchises 386 00:20:21,070 --> 00:20:23,910 and found a lot of people willing to put down money. 387 00:20:23,910 --> 00:20:25,640 WILDMAN: But Carmichael's journey 388 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:27,710 is about to hit a pothole. 389 00:20:27,710 --> 00:20:29,550 Authorities have been investigating her 390 00:20:29,550 --> 00:20:31,980 for selling stock without a license 391 00:20:31,980 --> 00:20:34,320 and obtain a warrant to search the California 392 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:36,390 research and development lab. 393 00:20:36,390 --> 00:20:39,990 There they make a startling discovery about the prototype. 394 00:20:39,990 --> 00:20:44,830 The car was not a viable automobile. 395 00:20:44,830 --> 00:20:46,500 Looking closely at the Dale, 396 00:20:46,500 --> 00:20:49,530 it was partially constructed of 2x4s 397 00:20:49,530 --> 00:20:52,300 and wood screws and nails, 398 00:20:52,300 --> 00:20:55,240 all held together in a very haphazard way, 399 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:57,970 and the body wasn't rocket structural resin 400 00:20:57,980 --> 00:21:02,110 like it was advertised to be, it was fiberglass. 401 00:21:02,110 --> 00:21:04,850 WILDMAN: Police raid Carmichael's home in Dallas, 402 00:21:04,850 --> 00:21:07,280 but by the time they get there, she has fled, 403 00:21:07,290 --> 00:21:08,750 leaving behind evidence 404 00:21:08,750 --> 00:21:11,850 of an even more surprising twist. 405 00:21:11,860 --> 00:21:15,660 KENDALL: They discovered some wigs, false breasts, 406 00:21:15,660 --> 00:21:18,930 and a device that female impersonators use 407 00:21:18,930 --> 00:21:21,130 to conceal their sex. 408 00:21:21,130 --> 00:21:24,030 WILDMAN: And as they sort through these bizarre clues, 409 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:27,540 the investigators learn that Elizabeth Carmichael 410 00:21:27,540 --> 00:21:29,470 used to be a man. 411 00:21:29,470 --> 00:21:33,210 Liz turned out to be a man named Jerry Dean Michael 412 00:21:33,210 --> 00:21:35,780 who had had a very checkered past. 413 00:21:35,780 --> 00:21:39,020 WILDMAN: Jerry Dean Michael has been wanted by the FBI 414 00:21:39,020 --> 00:21:42,790 since 1961 for counterfeiting. 415 00:21:42,790 --> 00:21:45,350 KENDALL: Jerry Dean Michael used his female appearance 416 00:21:45,360 --> 00:21:49,690 to avoid being captured by the police 417 00:21:49,690 --> 00:21:53,930 and to help sell the Dale vehicle. 418 00:21:53,930 --> 00:21:56,370 WILDMAN: The conniving car dealer 419 00:21:56,370 --> 00:21:59,000 is finally tracked down in April 1975 420 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:03,270 and is convicted of grand theft, fraud, and conspiracy. 421 00:22:03,270 --> 00:22:05,340 Eventually, Jerry Dean Michael 422 00:22:05,340 --> 00:22:08,810 is sentenced to 32 months behind bars. 423 00:22:10,980 --> 00:22:13,080 And this car, now on display at 424 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:15,990 the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, 425 00:22:15,990 --> 00:22:18,450 stands as the symbol of a promise 426 00:22:18,460 --> 00:22:20,390 that was too good to be true. 427 00:22:25,660 --> 00:22:29,370 Windswept beaches, quaint high streets, 428 00:22:29,370 --> 00:22:31,230 and delicious seafood. 429 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:34,270 Nantucket, Massachusetts is one of the most popular 430 00:22:34,270 --> 00:22:37,140 summer destinations in the country, 431 00:22:37,140 --> 00:22:39,940 but centuries ago, the island was best known 432 00:22:39,940 --> 00:22:42,550 for its production of whale oil. 433 00:22:42,550 --> 00:22:45,550 Today, the history of this bygone trade 434 00:22:45,550 --> 00:22:49,590 is preserved at the Nantucket Whaling Museum. 435 00:22:49,590 --> 00:22:53,490 Here visitors can see the skeleton of 436 00:22:53,490 --> 00:22:58,660 a 46-foot sperm whale, a 600-pound glass lens 437 00:22:58,660 --> 00:23:01,500 from the community's first lighthouse, 438 00:23:01,500 --> 00:23:06,100 and a two-story beam press once used to extract whale oil. 439 00:23:08,510 --> 00:23:11,910 But amid these larger-than-life artifacts 440 00:23:11,910 --> 00:23:15,810 is a series of much smaller items. 441 00:23:15,810 --> 00:23:18,920 The objects we have come in various sizes, 442 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:22,250 monochromatic, and made of paper. 443 00:23:22,250 --> 00:23:24,020 What this seems to be at first glance 444 00:23:24,020 --> 00:23:26,260 are photographs of giant footprints in the sand. 445 00:23:28,990 --> 00:23:31,030 WILDMAN: These images are evidence of 446 00:23:31,030 --> 00:23:35,230 a jaw-dropping event that seized the attention of the nation. 447 00:23:35,230 --> 00:23:37,730 HARRISON: The photographs brought to light 448 00:23:37,740 --> 00:23:40,300 one of Nantucket's most notorious mysteries. 449 00:23:40,310 --> 00:23:45,110 WILDMAN: What bizarre beast was captured in these pictures? 450 00:23:48,380 --> 00:23:52,950 August 11, 1937, Nantucket. 451 00:23:52,950 --> 00:23:55,480 A local businessman named Ed Crocker 452 00:23:55,490 --> 00:23:58,290 offers the editors of the town newspaper 453 00:23:58,290 --> 00:24:01,060 a set of astonishing photographs. 454 00:24:01,060 --> 00:24:02,660 He says they show the evidence 455 00:24:02,660 --> 00:24:05,130 of a giant monster that's roaming the coast. 456 00:24:05,130 --> 00:24:12,100 One of the photographs shows Ed Crocker and a friend 457 00:24:12,100 --> 00:24:18,110 standing by two giant webbed footprints in the sand. 458 00:24:18,110 --> 00:24:19,980 They're more than 60 inches long 459 00:24:19,980 --> 00:24:23,880 and they look like they've emerged from the sea. 460 00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:25,850 WILDMAN: Crocker explains that the photographs 461 00:24:25,850 --> 00:24:30,150 were taken the previous day on Nantucket's Madaket Beach. 462 00:24:33,890 --> 00:24:38,090 The bizarre photos are a huge scoop for the newspaper. 463 00:24:38,100 --> 00:24:41,930 On August 14, the photos are published. 464 00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:48,640 Nantucket residents are stunned, but soon, 465 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:51,740 other locals come forward claiming to have not seen 466 00:24:51,740 --> 00:24:55,510 just footprints, but the beast itself. 467 00:24:55,510 --> 00:24:58,480 There are reports of a mysterious sea creature 468 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:01,720 being spotted off Nantucket. 469 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:04,850 People saw something greenish and large 470 00:25:04,860 --> 00:25:09,130 with big, bulbous eyes rising above the waves. 471 00:25:09,130 --> 00:25:12,260 WILDMAN: The massive creature is dubbed 472 00:25:12,260 --> 00:25:15,530 the Nantucket Sea Monster. 473 00:25:15,530 --> 00:25:19,840 Zoologists are asked to analyze the evidence, 474 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:21,470 but even they are baffled. 475 00:25:21,470 --> 00:25:25,070 At least one scientist comments that no known marine mammal 476 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:29,180 could have left footprints of quite this shape and size. 477 00:25:29,180 --> 00:25:31,380 WILDMAN: With speculation running wild about 478 00:25:31,380 --> 00:25:35,520 the creature's origins, an incredible theory emerges. 479 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:40,790 Since the earliest days of maritime exploration, 480 00:25:40,790 --> 00:25:43,790 sailors have told tales of vicious monsters 481 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:46,200 that attack humans and sink ships. 482 00:25:48,530 --> 00:25:54,600 The beasts are known as sea serpents. 483 00:25:54,610 --> 00:25:57,070 So is one of these legendary animals 484 00:25:57,080 --> 00:25:59,210 lurking off the Nantucket coast? 485 00:26:04,250 --> 00:26:06,450 It's 1937. 486 00:26:06,450 --> 00:26:09,350 Residents of Nantucket Island have reported seeing 487 00:26:09,350 --> 00:26:13,320 a strange green monster rising out of the ocean. 488 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:16,790 Some believe the creature to be a real-life sea serpent. 489 00:26:16,790 --> 00:26:18,990 So what's the truth behind the rumors 490 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:23,630 of a bizarre beast lurking in the waters? 491 00:26:23,630 --> 00:26:26,400 Four days after the photographs are published, 492 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,340 the community gets its answer. 493 00:26:29,340 --> 00:26:33,010 Islanders wake to an incredible vision -- 494 00:26:33,010 --> 00:26:36,250 a massive creature resting in plain sight 495 00:26:36,250 --> 00:26:37,450 right on the beach. 496 00:26:37,450 --> 00:26:40,180 HARRISON: People see a giant, green head, 497 00:26:40,180 --> 00:26:43,750 big eyes, giant teeth. 498 00:26:43,750 --> 00:26:45,920 It's just what's been reported in the newspaper reports, 499 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:48,720 but there's one key detail 500 00:26:48,730 --> 00:26:51,190 that hasn't been reported before, 501 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:55,130 and that is the serpent... 502 00:26:55,130 --> 00:26:58,270 is a giant rubber balloon. 503 00:26:58,270 --> 00:27:03,010 WILDMAN: It seems the fearsome sea monster was a hoax. 504 00:27:03,010 --> 00:27:06,510 The perpetrator immediately steps forward -- 505 00:27:06,510 --> 00:27:10,310 famed puppeteer and Nantucket resident Tony Sarg. 506 00:27:12,380 --> 00:27:15,020 Sarg designs the balloons for the Macy's 507 00:27:15,020 --> 00:27:17,590 Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, 508 00:27:17,590 --> 00:27:20,320 and he explains that his sea-monster stunt 509 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:22,560 was an attempt to boost excitement 510 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:24,360 for the annual event. 511 00:27:24,360 --> 00:27:26,600 Sarg proposed a sea serpent balloon 512 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:28,200 to R.H. Macy and Company 513 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:31,730 for their 1937 Thanksgiving parade. 514 00:27:31,740 --> 00:27:34,800 He also suggested to them that maybe the balloon 515 00:27:34,810 --> 00:27:37,740 could be shown earlier than Thanksgiving 516 00:27:37,740 --> 00:27:41,080 as a way to drum up interest 517 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:43,580 and thought that it would be good for business. 518 00:27:45,980 --> 00:27:49,750 WILDMAN: Sarg confesses he used a boat and a long towline 519 00:27:49,750 --> 00:27:54,260 to float his sea serpent balloon in the waters. 520 00:27:54,260 --> 00:27:55,960 The massive footprints on the beach 521 00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:58,590 were also his creation. 522 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:00,660 And with the help of local reporters 523 00:28:00,660 --> 00:28:02,830 who were in on the gag, 524 00:28:02,830 --> 00:28:06,270 he was able to fool an entire community. 525 00:28:06,270 --> 00:28:11,010 Surprisingly, Sarg's admission is met with joy and excitement. 526 00:28:11,010 --> 00:28:13,840 HARRISON: Everybody loved this and embraced this, 527 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:16,010 and when you look at the photographs 528 00:28:16,010 --> 00:28:20,950 of this balloon, it's really funny. 529 00:28:20,950 --> 00:28:24,250 WILDMAN: Several weeks later, Sarg's sea monster 530 00:28:24,260 --> 00:28:26,290 is sent to New York City, 531 00:28:26,290 --> 00:28:31,360 where it floats between skyscrapers on Thanksgiving Day. 532 00:28:31,360 --> 00:28:35,030 Today, these photographs at the Nantucket Whaling Museum 533 00:28:35,030 --> 00:28:38,900 document a wild chapter in this island's history, 534 00:28:38,900 --> 00:28:41,440 when stories of a strange monster 535 00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:44,140 turned out to be full of hot air. 536 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:51,150 The Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York 537 00:28:51,150 --> 00:28:54,280 are an outdoor enthusiast's paradise. 538 00:28:54,290 --> 00:28:57,950 Visitors can enjoy a range of action-packed excursions 539 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:01,720 such as hiking, kayaking, and fishing, 540 00:29:01,730 --> 00:29:04,460 and in the city of Utica is an institution 541 00:29:04,460 --> 00:29:08,330 that tracks another popular athletic activity -- 542 00:29:08,330 --> 00:29:11,170 the National Distance Running Hall of Fame. 543 00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:18,140 Its collection includes trophies won by marathon runners, 544 00:29:18,140 --> 00:29:21,010 track shoes from the 1970s, 545 00:29:21,010 --> 00:29:26,280 and vintage uniforms worn during the 1956 Olympic Games. 546 00:29:28,220 --> 00:29:31,920 But among these celebrations of athletic achievement 547 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:34,820 is an artifact that recalls a dark chapter 548 00:29:34,830 --> 00:29:36,960 in the history of sports. 549 00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:38,990 LEWIS: It's about the size of a silver dollar. 550 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:42,200 It hangs on a nine-inch blue and yellow ribbon 551 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:44,100 and only weighs a few ounces. 552 00:29:44,100 --> 00:29:50,040 On the back, it is inscribed "1980 Winner." 553 00:29:50,040 --> 00:29:52,470 WILDMAN: This gold medal was at the center 554 00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:54,940 of an audacious hoax that went farther 555 00:29:54,950 --> 00:29:57,350 than any runner could have expected. 556 00:29:57,350 --> 00:29:59,280 LEWIS: Even today, it is the most 557 00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:02,750 unbelievable story that this sport has ever seen. 558 00:30:05,990 --> 00:30:09,730 WILDMAN: April 21, 1980, Boston. 559 00:30:09,730 --> 00:30:12,630 The city's famous marathon is underway. 560 00:30:12,630 --> 00:30:15,760 Thousands of runners race through the streets. 561 00:30:15,770 --> 00:30:17,770 LEWIS: The Boston Marathon is very special. 562 00:30:17,770 --> 00:30:20,800 People from all over the world come to run in 563 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:23,170 this very prestigious event. 564 00:30:27,010 --> 00:30:29,340 WILDMAN: At 2:12 p.m., 565 00:30:29,350 --> 00:30:32,010 the men's winner crosses the finish line, 566 00:30:32,020 --> 00:30:35,050 and the crowd waits to see who will come out on top 567 00:30:35,050 --> 00:30:37,150 in the women's race. 568 00:30:37,150 --> 00:30:39,350 It's expected to be a tight contest 569 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:42,160 between two of the sport's superstars, 570 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:45,230 Jacqueline Gareau and Patti Lyons. 571 00:30:45,230 --> 00:30:47,900 18 minutes later, 572 00:30:47,900 --> 00:30:50,430 the leader of the pack comes into view, 573 00:30:50,430 --> 00:30:54,700 but it's neither Gareau nor Lyons. 574 00:30:54,710 --> 00:30:56,910 In fact, it's a complete unknown. 575 00:30:56,910 --> 00:30:58,440 LEWIS: Who is this woman? 576 00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:01,610 No one could believe what they were seeing. 577 00:31:01,610 --> 00:31:04,510 WILDMAN: The mysterious runner crosses the finish line, 578 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:07,420 blowing away the rest of the competition. 579 00:31:07,420 --> 00:31:09,480 The crowd is amazed. 580 00:31:09,490 --> 00:31:12,190 It looks like they've just witnessed the biggest upset 581 00:31:12,190 --> 00:31:14,260 in the history of athletics. 582 00:31:14,260 --> 00:31:15,720 LEWIS: Everyone was stunned. 583 00:31:15,730 --> 00:31:17,190 It was totally unexpected. 584 00:31:19,830 --> 00:31:22,360 WILDMAN: The surprise champion is revealed to be 585 00:31:22,370 --> 00:31:26,100 a 26-year-old amateur athlete named Rosie Ruiz. 586 00:31:26,100 --> 00:31:28,740 Race officials award the unknown underdog 587 00:31:28,740 --> 00:31:31,110 a laurel wreath and a gold medal. 588 00:31:33,110 --> 00:31:37,710 Ruiz's improbable victory catapults her to instant fame. 589 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:40,950 LEWIS: Rosie Ruiz had shocked the running community. 590 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:45,650 WILDMAN: But there's more to this remarkable run to stardom 591 00:31:45,660 --> 00:31:47,290 than meets the eye. 592 00:31:47,290 --> 00:31:50,260 LEWIS: Rosie Ruiz had just won the Boston Marathon, 593 00:31:50,260 --> 00:31:52,960 but her story was just getting started. 594 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:01,040 It's 1980 in Boston, Massachusetts. 595 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:03,670 An unknown runner named Rosie Ruiz 596 00:32:03,670 --> 00:32:06,680 shocks the sports world by coming out of nowhere 597 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:08,840 to win the Boston Marathon. 598 00:32:08,850 --> 00:32:11,080 Her victory is heralded as one of the great 599 00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:13,150 underdog stories of all time, 600 00:32:13,150 --> 00:32:15,550 but there's something about her amazing upset 601 00:32:15,550 --> 00:32:18,020 that doesn't quite add up. 602 00:32:18,020 --> 00:32:21,260 Moments after Ruiz crossed the finish line, 603 00:32:21,260 --> 00:32:23,160 race officials began to notice 604 00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:25,560 there was something odd about the runner. 605 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:27,230 The Boston Marathon is brutal. 606 00:32:27,230 --> 00:32:28,400 It beats you up. 607 00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:30,200 When you finish, you're sweating, 608 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:32,570 you're tired, you just want to sit down. 609 00:32:32,570 --> 00:32:35,870 WILDMAN: Ruiz did not appear to be in that condition. 610 00:32:35,870 --> 00:32:37,810 LEWIS: Ruiz had a very clean jersey, 611 00:32:37,810 --> 00:32:39,110 her hair was parted, 612 00:32:39,110 --> 00:32:43,780 and she didn't appear as if she extended herself. 613 00:32:43,780 --> 00:32:46,250 WILDMAN: While the press hails Ruiz as a hero, 614 00:32:46,250 --> 00:32:50,120 concerned marathon officials launch an investigation. 615 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:53,120 They gather news footage from the race 616 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:55,590 and go through it frame by frame, 617 00:32:55,590 --> 00:32:58,160 and what they find, or rather, 618 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:01,500 what they don't find, is alarming. 619 00:33:01,500 --> 00:33:05,730 Ruiz can't be seen anywhere for the first 25 miles 620 00:33:05,740 --> 00:33:09,070 of the 26-mile course. 621 00:33:09,070 --> 00:33:11,040 Then comes the smoking gun. 622 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:13,680 Having seen Ruiz's picture in newspapers, 623 00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:17,550 two spectators come forward with an astounding claim. 624 00:33:17,550 --> 00:33:20,720 They say they witnessed the so-called miracle runner 625 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:23,620 jumping out of the bushes and onto the course 626 00:33:23,620 --> 00:33:26,920 less than a mile from the finish line. 627 00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:28,860 LEWIS: Race officials of the Boston Marathon 628 00:33:28,860 --> 00:33:32,230 were totally stunned. 629 00:33:32,230 --> 00:33:35,100 WILDMAN: It seems that Ruiz snuck onto the course 630 00:33:35,100 --> 00:33:37,870 25 miles into the race 631 00:33:37,870 --> 00:33:41,670 and only ran a short distance to the end. 632 00:33:41,670 --> 00:33:45,310 LEWIS: Rosie Ruiz was a cheat. 633 00:33:45,310 --> 00:33:48,180 WILDMAN: Ruiz is immediately stripped of her title 634 00:33:48,180 --> 00:33:50,310 and denounced as a fraud. 635 00:33:50,310 --> 00:33:53,450 They say cheaters never prosper. 636 00:33:53,450 --> 00:33:56,020 I can't imagine how humiliating it would be 637 00:33:56,020 --> 00:33:57,990 to be exposed as a cheat. 638 00:34:00,990 --> 00:34:03,630 WILDMAN: And it seems that Boston wasn't the only place 639 00:34:03,630 --> 00:34:07,230 where Rosie Ruiz pulled a fast one. 640 00:34:07,230 --> 00:34:09,100 In the aftermath of the scandal, 641 00:34:09,100 --> 00:34:12,000 officials uncover that six months earlier, 642 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:14,800 Ruiz faked her way to the finish line 643 00:34:14,810 --> 00:34:16,370 of the New York City Marathon 644 00:34:16,370 --> 00:34:20,340 after taking the subway most of the way there. 645 00:34:20,340 --> 00:34:23,480 This bizarre track record earns her a unique 646 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:26,720 and ignominious place in the history of running. 647 00:34:26,720 --> 00:34:29,480 LEWIS: It's a moment in sport that people are still talking about. 648 00:34:29,490 --> 00:34:31,720 To this day, you mention the name 649 00:34:31,720 --> 00:34:35,590 and people will talk about Rosie Ruiz the cheater. 650 00:34:37,860 --> 00:34:41,160 WILDMAN: Today, this medal from the 1980 Boston Marathon 651 00:34:41,170 --> 00:34:45,230 is on display at the National Distance Running Hall of Fame. 652 00:34:45,240 --> 00:34:49,740 It recalls the audacious cheat and her race to infamy. 653 00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:55,480 Newport, Rhode Island. 654 00:34:55,480 --> 00:34:59,050 During the late 19th century, this seaside enclave 655 00:34:59,050 --> 00:35:02,650 was a playground for society's upper crust. 656 00:35:02,650 --> 00:35:06,490 Today, visitors can explore miles of pristine shoreline 657 00:35:06,490 --> 00:35:10,960 on the Cliff Walk, go for a sail in the bay, 658 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:15,100 or tour spectacular Gilded Age mansions, 659 00:35:15,100 --> 00:35:17,370 and one of the most magnificent of these buildings 660 00:35:17,370 --> 00:35:19,330 is Vernon Court. 661 00:35:19,340 --> 00:35:22,200 Built in 1898, it's now the home 662 00:35:22,210 --> 00:35:25,740 of the National Museum of American Illustration. 663 00:35:25,740 --> 00:35:28,510 The institution holds the largest collection 664 00:35:28,510 --> 00:35:31,310 of American illustrations in the world, 665 00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:35,220 works that were originally intended for magazines, 666 00:35:35,220 --> 00:35:39,590 calendars, and to adorn the walls of office buildings. 667 00:35:42,260 --> 00:35:45,260 And among these pieces is a seemingly simple 668 00:35:45,260 --> 00:35:47,430 and touching image. 669 00:35:47,430 --> 00:35:55,340 GOFFMAN CUTLER: The artifact is approximately 44 inches square. 670 00:35:55,340 --> 00:36:00,610 It is flat and almost smooth to the touch, 671 00:36:00,610 --> 00:36:03,310 and it depicts a father and son. 672 00:36:06,150 --> 00:36:08,150 WILDMAN: This painting was at the center of 673 00:36:08,150 --> 00:36:09,650 an extraordinary mystery 674 00:36:09,650 --> 00:36:12,420 that confounded the art world for years. 675 00:36:12,420 --> 00:36:15,020 GOFFMAN CUTLER: This artifact was one of 676 00:36:15,030 --> 00:36:19,490 the most popular images of the 20th century. 677 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:28,440 WILDMAN: It's 2002 in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. 678 00:36:28,440 --> 00:36:30,870 Curators at the Norman Rockwell Museum 679 00:36:30,870 --> 00:36:32,970 are responsible for the largest collection 680 00:36:32,980 --> 00:36:35,610 of this artist's works anywhere. 681 00:36:35,610 --> 00:36:38,650 GOFFMAN CUTLER: Normal Rockwell was a very talented artist, 682 00:36:38,650 --> 00:36:43,890 and he did over 323 Saturday Evening Post covers. 683 00:36:43,890 --> 00:36:48,020 WILDMAN: One day, the curators receive an unexpected visit. 684 00:36:48,030 --> 00:36:50,290 Two men say they are moving their father, 685 00:36:50,290 --> 00:36:52,630 a cartoonist named Donald Trachte, 686 00:36:52,630 --> 00:36:54,330 into a retirement home. 687 00:36:54,330 --> 00:36:56,930 They want to loan the museum one of their father's 688 00:36:56,930 --> 00:36:59,870 most prized possessions for safekeeping -- 689 00:36:59,870 --> 00:37:03,910 a Norman Rockwell painting called "Breaking Home Ties." 690 00:37:03,910 --> 00:37:05,870 GOFFMAN CUTLER: The painting depicts 691 00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:09,780 a very emotional moment in a son's life 692 00:37:09,780 --> 00:37:12,950 when he's about to go off to college. 693 00:37:15,850 --> 00:37:18,690 WILDMAN: The painting had originally appeared as a cover 694 00:37:18,690 --> 00:37:21,860 on the Saturday Evening Post in 1954 695 00:37:21,860 --> 00:37:26,190 and had been in Donald Trachte's private collection since 1960, 696 00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:28,700 but as the curators compare the painting 697 00:37:28,700 --> 00:37:33,340 to the original magazine cover, they notice something odd. 698 00:37:33,340 --> 00:37:36,170 GOFFMAN CUTLER: There were discrepancies. 699 00:37:36,170 --> 00:37:39,470 WILDMAN: In the painting, the boy's face seems to be wider 700 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:41,240 than it is on the magazine cover, 701 00:37:41,240 --> 00:37:43,850 and his expressions don't appear to be the same. 702 00:37:43,850 --> 00:37:46,280 There also appear to be differences in the colors 703 00:37:46,280 --> 00:37:49,880 of the man's hat and the matches in his hand. 704 00:37:49,890 --> 00:37:52,290 The curators chalk the discrepancies up 705 00:37:52,290 --> 00:37:54,590 to what may have been a poor restoration 706 00:37:54,590 --> 00:37:56,860 or an overzealous cleaning. 707 00:37:56,860 --> 00:38:01,830 GOFFMAN CUTLER: Perhaps it had been damaged and then restored. 708 00:38:01,830 --> 00:38:04,300 WILDMAN: But they never doubt the painting's origin. 709 00:38:04,300 --> 00:38:07,300 GOFFMAN CUTLER: The provenance was impeccable. 710 00:38:07,300 --> 00:38:10,770 The painting was sold to Don Trachte 711 00:38:10,770 --> 00:38:14,710 and it always remained in his collection. 712 00:38:14,710 --> 00:38:16,850 WILDMAN: The curators agree to hold on to the work 713 00:38:16,850 --> 00:38:20,820 for safekeeping just as the Trachte family asked, 714 00:38:20,820 --> 00:38:23,020 but a nagging sense of uncertainty 715 00:38:23,020 --> 00:38:26,420 continues to surround the painting. 716 00:38:26,420 --> 00:38:28,290 Then, in 2006, 717 00:38:28,290 --> 00:38:32,190 Donald Trachte dies at the age of 89. 718 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:36,400 While his sons are cleaning out his home in Vermont, 719 00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:38,500 they discover something astounding 720 00:38:38,500 --> 00:38:42,140 behind a set of bookcases in the living room. 721 00:38:42,140 --> 00:38:47,110 GOFFMAN CUTLER: They see that there is a artificial wall. 722 00:38:47,110 --> 00:38:50,850 They were able to slide one door apart and then the other. 723 00:38:50,850 --> 00:38:54,250 WILDMAN: And what they find behind these secret doors 724 00:38:54,250 --> 00:38:55,880 is one of the greatest discoveries 725 00:38:55,890 --> 00:38:58,150 in the history of American art. 726 00:39:03,330 --> 00:39:07,260 It's 2006 in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. 727 00:39:07,270 --> 00:39:09,700 Curators at the Norman Rockwell Museum 728 00:39:09,700 --> 00:39:12,670 have been given what they're told is a valuable Rockwell 729 00:39:12,670 --> 00:39:16,010 original called "Breaking Home Ties," 730 00:39:16,010 --> 00:39:18,070 but something about it seems odd. 731 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:22,440 The painting doesn't seem to match an original print. 732 00:39:22,450 --> 00:39:25,610 So what's the truth behind this renegade Rockwell? 733 00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:29,490 The curators learn that following the death 734 00:39:29,490 --> 00:39:32,660 of the owner of the painting, Donald Trachte, 735 00:39:32,660 --> 00:39:35,660 his sons decided to clean out the family home. 736 00:39:35,660 --> 00:39:37,390 In their father's living room, 737 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:39,900 they made an incredible discovery -- 738 00:39:39,900 --> 00:39:44,130 behind a set of bookcases was a false wall. 739 00:39:44,140 --> 00:39:46,900 As the sons peered behind the false wall, 740 00:39:46,900 --> 00:39:49,810 there, inexplicably, was another version 741 00:39:49,810 --> 00:39:54,310 of Norman Rockwell's "Breaking Home Ties." 742 00:39:54,310 --> 00:39:58,910 They knew instantly that that was the original painting. 743 00:39:58,920 --> 00:40:01,020 WILDMAN: This version matches 744 00:40:01,020 --> 00:40:04,150 the Saturday Evening Post cover perfectly. 745 00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:06,760 The painting loaned to the Norman Rockwell Museum 746 00:40:06,760 --> 00:40:08,760 must be a copy. 747 00:40:08,760 --> 00:40:10,860 GOFFMAN CUTLER: The minute they found the painting, 748 00:40:10,860 --> 00:40:14,330 all the pieces fell into place. 749 00:40:14,330 --> 00:40:18,570 WILDMAN: Back in 1949, Trachte, a cartoonist, 750 00:40:18,570 --> 00:40:21,200 moved to Vermont to be part of the flourishing 751 00:40:21,210 --> 00:40:24,770 artistic community that included Norman Rockwell. 752 00:40:24,780 --> 00:40:27,440 Trachte spent time in Rockwell's studio 753 00:40:27,450 --> 00:40:31,450 and learned the painter's techniques. 754 00:40:31,450 --> 00:40:35,520 The Trachte boys are convinced through careful mimicry 755 00:40:35,520 --> 00:40:39,620 their father created a duplicate of "Breaking Home Ties." 756 00:40:39,620 --> 00:40:42,120 It could have only been their father 757 00:40:42,130 --> 00:40:44,830 that had painted this painting. 758 00:40:46,860 --> 00:40:49,130 WILDMAN: But to the curators and family alike, 759 00:40:49,130 --> 00:40:52,370 Trachte's motives remain unclear. 760 00:40:52,370 --> 00:40:54,640 Some say he merely wanted to guard 761 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:56,640 the masterpiece from theft. 762 00:40:56,640 --> 00:40:59,610 Others think that he hid the original to protect it 763 00:40:59,610 --> 00:41:02,880 during a contentious divorce settlement. 764 00:41:02,880 --> 00:41:04,980 Though the world will never know for sure 765 00:41:04,980 --> 00:41:06,550 why he copied the painting, 766 00:41:06,550 --> 00:41:09,620 Donald Trachte's hiding spot preserved it better 767 00:41:09,620 --> 00:41:12,120 than anyone could have imagined. 768 00:41:12,120 --> 00:41:14,660 GOFFMAN CUTLER: No one could have devised a more perfect 769 00:41:14,660 --> 00:41:18,590 hiding place that would not damage the painting. 770 00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:21,060 I mean, that was perfect. 771 00:41:21,070 --> 00:41:23,400 WILDMAN: The Trachte family sells the original 772 00:41:23,400 --> 00:41:25,930 "Breaking Home Ties" to a private collector 773 00:41:25,940 --> 00:41:29,640 for a whopping $15.4 million. 774 00:41:32,240 --> 00:41:35,410 Today, this replica painted by Donald Trachte 775 00:41:35,410 --> 00:41:37,980 hangs on display at the National Museum 776 00:41:37,980 --> 00:41:40,650 of American Illustration in Newport, Rhode Island. 777 00:41:40,650 --> 00:41:45,020 It's a reminder that looks can be deceiving. 778 00:41:47,890 --> 00:41:52,830 From a fraudulent feast to an inflatable serpent, 779 00:41:52,830 --> 00:41:56,770 a marathon cheat to a phony car, 780 00:41:56,770 --> 00:41:58,130 I'm Don Wildman, 781 00:41:58,140 --> 00:42:00,740 and these are the mysteries at the museum. 781 00:42:01,305 --> 00:43:01,324 Do you want subtitles for any video? -=[ ai.OpenSubtitles.com ]=-