A VINTAGE ORIGINAL 8X10 INCH PHOTO SIGNED BY THE WORLDS TALLEST WOMAN SANDY ALLEN
Sandra Elaine Allen (June 18, 1955 – August 13, 2008) was an American woman recognized by the Guinness World Records as the tallest woman in the world. She was 7 feet 7 inches (231 cm) tall.
Sandra Elaine Allen (June 18, 1955 – August 13, 2008) was an American woman recognized by the Guinness World Records as the tallest woman in the world.[1][2] She was 7 feet 7 inches (231 cm) tall.[2]
Allen wrote a book, Cast a Giant Shadow. Although over the years other women have taken the title of the tallest woman, Allen held it for the last sixteen years of her life.[2][3] Her height was due to a tumor in her pituitary gland that caused it to release growth hormone uncontrollably, between 200 and 1,000 times more than usual.[4] She grew up in Shelbyville, Indiana, and was raised by her grandmother, who worked as a cleaning woman.[4] At the age of 22, in 1977, she underwent surgery for the condition.[5] Lacking this procedure, Allen would have continued to grow and suffer further medical problems associated with gigantism.[2]
She appeared in Fellini's Casanova, in the TV movie Side Show, and in a Canadian/American documentary film, Being Different.[6] The New Zealand band Split Enz wrote a song about her, "Hello Sandy Allen", released on their 1982 album Time and Tide. Allen never married, saying that she was "an oldfashioned [sic] girl" and would not date a man shorter than her.[7][4]
In later years, Allen used a wheelchair because her legs and back could no longer support her tall stature while standing. At one point, she was bedridden due to disease, causing atrophy of the muscles. Due to this limitation, she spent her last years in Shelbyville, Indiana, in the same retirement center as Edna Parker, the oldest living human at the time.[8]
Allen died on August 13, 2008.[1][5] Her family friend, Rita Rose, revealed that she suffered from a recurring blood infection, along with Type 2 diabetes, breathing troubles, and kidney failure.[9]
A scholarship was dedicated in Allen's name at Shelbyville High School.[7] In 2020, Allen's friend and manager, John Kleiman, donated a collection of her memorabilia to Ripley's Museums.[3]
Guinness World Records, known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as The Guinness Book of Records and in previous United States editions as The Guinness Book of World Records, is a reference book published annually, listing world records both of human achievements and the extremes of the natural world. The brainchild of Sir Hugh Beaver, the book was co-founded by twin brothers Norris and Ross McWhirter in Fleet Street, London, in August 1955.
The first edition topped the best-seller list in the United Kingdom by Christmas 1955. The following year the book was launched internationally, and as of the 2022 edition, it is now in its 67th year of publication, published in 100 countries and 23 languages, and maintains over 53,000 records in its database.
The international franchise has extended beyond print to include television series and museums. The popularity of the franchise has resulted in Guinness World Records becoming the primary international authority on the cataloguing and verification of a huge number of world records. The organisation employs record adjudicators to verify the authenticity of the setting and breaking of records. Following a series of owners, the franchise has been owned by the Jim Pattison Group since 2008, with its headquarters moved to South Quay Plaza, Canary Wharf, London in 2017. Since 2008, Guinness World Records has orientated its business model toward inventing new world records as publicity stunts for companies and individuals, which has attracted criticism.
History
Norris McWhirter co-founded the book with his twin brother Ross at 107 Fleet Street, London, in August 1955
On 10 November 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver, then the managing director of the Guinness Breweries,[3] went on a shooting party in the North Slob, by the River Slaney in County Wexford, Ireland. After missing a shot at a golden plover, he became involved in an argument over which was the fastest game bird in Europe, the golden plover or the red grouse (it is the plover).[4] That evening at Castlebridge House, he realised that it was impossible to confirm in reference books whether or not the golden plover was Europe's fastest game bird.[5][6] Beaver knew that there must have been numerous other questions debated nightly among the public, but there was no book in the world with which to settle arguments about records. He realised then that a book supplying the answers to this sort of question might prove successful.[7] Beaver's idea became reality when Guinness employee Christopher Chataway recommended university friends Norris and Ross McWhirter, who had been running a fact-finding agency in London.[8] The twin brothers were commissioned to compile what became The Guinness Book of (Superlatives and now) Records, in August 1954. A thousand copies were printed and given away.[9]
After the founding of The Guinness Book of Records office at the top of Ludgate House, 107 Fleet Street, London, the first 198-page edition was bound on 27 August 1955 and went to the top of the British best-seller list by Christmas.[10] The following year, it was introduced into the United States by New York publisher David Boehm and sold 70,000 copies.[11] Since then, Guinness World Records has sold more than 100 million copies in 100 countries and 37 languages.[12]
Japanese competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi with two Guinness World Record certificates
The North Beach (Nazaré, Portugal), listed on the Guinness World Records for the biggest waves ever surfed
Because the book became a surprise hit, many further editions were printed, eventually settling into a pattern of one revision a year, published in September/October, in time for Christmas. The McWhirters continued to compile it for many years. Both brothers had an encyclopedic memory; on the BBC television series Record Breakers, based upon the book, they would take questions posed by children in the audience on various world records and were able to give the correct answer. Ross McWhirter was assassinated by two members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army in 1975 for offering a £50,000 reward for their capture.[13] Following Ross's assassination, the feature in the show where questions about records posed by children were answered was called Norris on the Spot. Norris carried on as the book's sole editor.[8]
Guinness Superlatives, later Guinness World Records Limited, was formed in 1954 to publish the first book. Sterling Publishing owned the rights to the Guinness book in the US for decades until it was repurchased by Guinness in 1989 after an 18-month long lawsuit.[11] The group was owned by Guinness PLC and subsequently Diageo until 2001, when it was purchased by Gullane Entertainment for $65 million.[14] Gullane was itself purchased by HIT Entertainment in 2002. In 2006, Apax Partners purchased HIT and subsequently sold Guinness World Records in early 2008 to the Jim Pattison Group, the parent company of Ripley Entertainment, which is licensed to operate Guinness World Records' Attractions. With offices in New York City and Tokyo, Guinness World Records' global headquarters remain in London, specifically South Quay Plaza, Canary Wharf,[15] while its museum attractions are based at Ripley headquarters in Orlando, Florida, US.
Evolution
Lucky Diamond Rich is "the world's most tattooed person", and has tattoos covering his entire body. He holds the Guinness World Records title as of 2006.
Recent editions have focused on record feats by individuals. Competitions range from obvious ones such as Olympic weightlifting to the longest egg tossing distances, or for longest time spent playing Grand Theft Auto IV or the number of hot dogs that can be consumed in three minutes.[16] Besides records about competitions, it contains such facts such as the heaviest tumour,[17] the most poisonous fungus,[18] the longest-running soap opera[19] and the most valuable life-insurance policy,[20] among others. Many records also relate to the youngest people to have achieved something, such as the youngest person to visit all nations of the world, currently held by Maurizio Giuliano.[21]
Each edition contains a selection of the records from the Guinness World Records database, as well as select new records, with the criteria for inclusion changing from year to year.[22]
The retirement of Norris McWhirter from his consulting role in 1995 and the subsequent decision by Diageo Plc to sell The Guinness Book of Records brand have shifted the focus of the books from text-oriented to illustrated reference. A selection of records are curated for the book from the full archive but all existing Guinness World Records titles can be accessed by creating a login on the company's website. Applications made by individuals for existing record categories are free of charge. There is an administration fee of $5 to propose a new record title.[23]
A number of spin-off books[24] and television series have also been produced.
Guinness World Records bestowed the record of "Person with the most records" on Ashrita Furman of Queens, NY, in April 2009; at that time, he held 100 records, while he currently[when?] holds over 220.[25]
In 2005, Guinness designated 9 November as International Guinness World Records Day to encourage breaking of world records.[26] In 2006, an estimated 100,000 people participated in over 10 countries. Guinness reported 2,244 new records in 12 months, which was a 173% increase over the previous year.[26] In February 2008, NBC aired The Top 100 Guinness World Records of All Time and Guinness World Records made the complete list available on their website.[27]
The popularity of the franchise has resulted in Guinness World Records becoming the primary international authority on the cataloguing and verification of a huge number of world records.[28][29][30][31]
Defining records
Sultan Kösen (Turkey) is the tallest living person, at 8 feet 3 inches (2.51 m), as verified by Guinness World Records.
Chandra Bahadur Dangi (Nepal), recognised as the world's shortest man ever by Guinness World Records
Cracking open a wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese as a part of a 2013 world record by Whole Foods Market[32]
The team achieved 14 performance based Guinness World Records and other records.
Fiann Paul, Alex Gregory and Carlo Facchino aboard Polar Row, the most record-breaking expedition in history[33]
For many records, Guinness World Records is the effective authority on the exact requirements for them and with whom records reside, the company providing adjudicators to events to determine the veracity of record attempts. The list of records which the Guinness World Records covers is not fixed, records may be added and also removed for various reasons. The public is invited to submit applications for records, which can be either the bettering of existing records or substantial achievements which could constitute a new record.[34] The company also provides corporate services for companies to "harness the power of record-breaking to deliver tangible success for their businesses."[35]
Ethical and safety issues
Steven Petrosino drinking 1 litre of beer in 1.3 seconds in June 1977.[36][37] Petrosino set record times for 250 ml, 500 ml and 1.5 litres as well, but Guinness accepted only the record for one litre. They later dropped all alcohol records from their compendium in 1991, then reinstated the records in 2008.
Guinness World Records states several types of records it will not accept for ethical reasons, such as those related to the killing or harming of animals.[38]
Several world records that were once included in the book have been removed for ethical reasons, including concerns for the well-being of potential record breakers. For example, following publication of the "heaviest fish" record, many fish owners overfed their pets beyond the bounds of what was healthy, and therefore such entries were removed.[citation needed] The Guinness Book also dropped records within their "eating and drinking records" section of Human Achievements in 1991 over concerns that potential competitors could harm themselves and expose the publisher to potential litigation.[39] These changes included the removal of all spirit, wine and beer drinking records, along with other unusual records for consuming such unlikely things as bicycles and trees.[39] Other records, such as sword swallowing and rally driving (on public roads), were closed from further entry as the current holders had performed beyond what are considered safe human tolerance levels. There have been instances of closed categories being reopened. For example, the sword swallowing category was listed as closed in the 1990 Guinness Book of World Records, but has since been reopened with Johnny Strange breaking a sword swallowing record on Guinness World Records Live.[40][41] Similarly, the speed beer drinking records which were dropped from the book in 1991, reappeared 17 years later in the 2008 edition, but were moved from the "Human Achievements" section of the older book[42] to the "Modern Society" section of the newer edition.[43]
As of 2011, it is required in the guidelines of all "large food" type records that the item be fully edible, and distributed to the public for consumption, to prevent food wastage.[34]
Chain letters are also not allowed: "Guinness World Records does not accept any records relating to chain letters, sent by post or e-mail."[44]
At the request of the U.S. Mint, in 1984, the book stopped accepting claims of large hoardings of pennies or other currency.[45]
Environmentally unfriendly records (such as the releasing of sky lanterns and party balloons) are no longer accepted or monitored, in addition to records relating to tobacco or cannabis consumption or preparation.[46]
Difficulty in defining records
For some potential categories, Guinness World Records has declined to list some records that are too difficult or impossible to determine. For example, its website states: "We do not accept any claims for beauty as it is not objectively measurable."[38]
However, other categories of human skill relating to measurable speed such as "Worlds Fastest Clapper" were instated. On 27 July 2010, Connor May (NSW, Australia) set the record for claps, with 743 in 1 minute.
On 10 December 2010, Guinness World Records stopped accepting submissions for the "dreadlock" category after investigation of its first and only female title holder, Asha Mandela, determining it was impossible to judge this record accurately.[47]
Change in business model
Traditionally, the company made a large amount of its revenue via book sales to interested readers, especially children. The rise of the Internet began to cut into book sales in the 2000s and forward, part of a general decline in the book industry. According to a 2017 story by Planet Money of NPR, Guinness began to realise that a lucrative new revenue source to replace falling book sales was the would-be record-holders themselves.[48] While any person can theoretically send in a record to be verified for free, the approval process is slow. Would-be record breakers that paid fees ranging from US$12,000 to US$500,000 would be given advisors, adjudicators, help in finding good records to break as well as suggestions for how to do it, prompt service, and so on. In particular, corporations and celebrities seeking a publicity stunt to launch a new product or draw attention to themselves began to hire Guinness World Records, paying them for finding a record to break or to create a new category just for them.[48]
Since 2008, Guinness World Records has orientated its business model toward inventing new world records as publicity stunts for companies and individuals, which has attracted criticism.[49][48][50]
Criticism
Guinness World Records was criticised by television talk show host John Oliver on the program Last Week Tonight with John Oliver in August 2019.[51][52] Oliver pointed serious criticism at Guinness for taking money from authoritarian governments for pointless vanity projects as it related to the main focus of his story, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow.[51] Oliver asked for Guinness to work with Last Week Tonight to adjudicate a record for "Largest cake featuring a picture of someone falling off a horse," but according to Oliver, the offer did not work out after Guinness insisted on a non-disparagement clause. Guinness World Records denied the accusations and stated that they declined Oliver's offer to participate because "it was merely an opportunity to mock one of our record-holders," and that Oliver did not specifically request the record for the largest marble cake.[53] As of 2021, the Guinness World Record for "Largest marble cake" remains with Betty Crocker Middle East, set in Saudi Arabia.[54] Following Oliver's episode, Guinness World Records' ethics were subsequently called into question by human rights groups.[50]
Museums
Guinness Museum in Hollywood
In 1976, a Guinness Book of World Records museum opened in the Empire State Building. Speed shooter Bob Munden then went on tour promoting The Guinness Book of World Records by performing his record fast draws with a standard weight single-action revolver from a Western movie-type holster. His fastest time for a draw was 0.02 seconds.[55] Among exhibits were life-size statues of the world's tallest man, Robert Wadlow, and world's largest earthworm, an X-ray photo of a sword swallower, repeated lightning strike victim Roy Sullivan's hat complete with lightning holes and a pair of gem-studded golf shoes on sale for $6,500.[56] The museum closed in 1995.[57]
In more recent years, the Guinness company has permitted the franchising of small museums with displays based on the book, all currently (as of 2010) located in towns popular with tourists: Tokyo, Copenhagen, San Antonio. There were once Guinness World Records museums and exhibitions at the London Trocadero, Bangalore, San Francisco, Myrtle Beach, Orlando,[58] Atlantic City, New Jersey,[59] and Las Vegas, Nevada.[60] The Orlando museum, which closed in 2002, was branded The Guinness Records Experience;[58] the Hollywood, Niagara Falls, Copenhagen, and Gatlinburg, Tennessee museums also previously featured this branding.[60]
Television series
Guinness World Records has commissioned various television series documenting world record breaking attempts, including:
Country Name Network Broadcast Host(s)
Arab World العرب في موسوعة جينيس
Arabs in the Guinness Book of Records Al Dar 1 2021 Turki Al Omari
George Kurdahi
Australia Australia's Guinness World Records Seven Network 2005 Grant Denyer
Shelley Craft
Australia Smashes Guinness World Records 2010 James Kerley
Bulgaria Световните рекорди Гинес bTV 2006–2007 Krasimir Vankov
China The day of Guinness in China CCTV 2006–2014 Wang Xuechun
Zhu Xun
Lin Hai
France L'émission des records (1999–2002)
L'été des records (2001) TF1 1999–2002 Vincent Perrot
L'été de tous les records (2003–2005)
50 ans, 50 records (2004) France 3 2003–2005 Pierre Sled
La nuit des records France 2 2006 Olivier Minne
Adriana Karembeu
Le monde des records W9 2008–2010 Alexandre Devoise
Karine Ferri
Les trésors du livre des records Gulli 2015 Fauve Hautot
Willy Rovelli
Germany Guinness World Records – Die größten Weltrekorde RTL Television 2004–2008 Oliver Welke (2004)
Oliver Geissen (2005–2008)
Greece Guinness World Records Mega Channel 2009–2011 Katerina Stikoudi (2009–2010)
Kostas Fragkolias (2009–2010)
Giorgos Lianos (2010–2011)
India Guinness World Records – Ab India Todega Colors TV 2011 Preity Zinta
Shabbir Ahluwalia
Italy Lo show dei record Canale 5 2006 (pilot)
2008–2012
2015
2022– Barbara d'Urso (1–2)
Paola Perego (3)
Gerry Scotti (4, 6–8)
Teo Mammucari (5)
La notte dei record TV8 2018 Enrico Papi
New Zealand NZ Smashes Guinness World Records TV2 2009 Marc Ellis
Philippines Guinness Book of World Records Philippine Edition ABC 2004 Cookie Calabig
The Best Ka! GMA Network 2022– Mikael Daez
Poland Światowe Rekordy Guinnessa Polsat 2009–2011 Maciej Dowbor
Portugal Guinness World Records Portugal SIC 2014 Rita Andrade
João Ricardo
Spain El show de los récords Antena 3 2001–2002 Mar Saura
Manu Carreño
Mónica Martínez
Guinness World Records Telecinco 2009 Carmen Alcayde
Luis Alfonso Muñoz
Sweden Guinness rekord-TV TV3 1999–2000 Mårten Andersson (1999)
Linda Nyberg (1999)
Harald Treutiger (2000)
Suzanne Sjögren (2000)
United Kingdom Record Breakers BBC1 1972–2001 Roy Castle (1972–1993)
Norris McWhirter (1972–85)
Ross McWhirter (1972–75)
Guinness World Records (UK) ITV 1999–2001 Ian Wright
Kate Charman
Ultimate Guinness World Records Challenge 2004 Jamie Rickers
Guinness World Records Smashed Sky1 2008–2009 Steve Jones
Konnie Huq
Totally Bonkers Guinness Book of Records ITV2 2012–2015 Matt Edmondson
Officially Amazing CBBC 2013–2018 Ben Shires
United States The Guinness Game Syndicated 1979–1980 Bob Hilton
Don Galloway
Guinness World Records Primetime Fox 1998–2001 Cris Collinsworth
Mark Thompson
Guinness World Records Unleashed / Gone Wild truTV 2013–2014 Dan Cortese
Specials:
Guinness World Records: 50 Years, 50 Records – on ITV (UK), 11 September 2004
With the popularity of reality television, Guinness World Records began to market itself as the originator of the television genre, with slogans such as "we wrote the book on Reality TV".
Suresh Joachim Arulanantham is an Indian Canadian film actor and producer and multiple-Guinness World Record holder who has broken over 50 world records set in several countries in attempts to benefit the underprivileged children around the world. Some world record attempts are more unusual than others: he is pictured here minutes away from breaking the ironing world record at 2 days, 7 hours and 5 minutes, at Shoppers World, Brampton.
Gamer's edition
Not to be confused with Guinness World Records: The Videogame.
In 2008, Guinness World Records released its gamer's edition, a branch that keeps records for popular video game high scores, codes and feats in association with Twin Galaxies. The Gamer's Edition contains 258 pages, over 1,236 video game related world records and four interviews including one with Twin Galaxies founder Walter Day. The most recent edition is the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2020, which was released 5 September 2019.
The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles
Main article: British Hit Singles & Albums
The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles was a music reference book first published in 1977. It was compiled by BBC Radio 1 DJs Paul Gambaccini and Mike Read with brothers Tim Rice and Jonathan Rice. It was the first in a number of music reference books that were to be published by Guinness Publishing with sister publication The Guinness Book of British Hit Albums coming in 1983. After being sold to Hit Entertainment, the data concerning the Official Chart Company's singles and albums charts were combined under the title British Hit Singles & Albums, with Hit Entertainment publishing the book from 2003 to 2006 (under the Guinness World Records brand). After Guinness World Records was sold to The Jim Pattison Group, it was effectively replaced by a series of books published by Ebury Publishing/Random House with the Virgin Book of British Hit Singles first being published in 2007 and with a Hit Albums book following two years later.[61][62][63]
Other media and products
Board game
In 1975, Parker Brothers marketed a board game, The Guinness Game of World Records, based on the book. Players compete by setting and breaking records for activities such as the longest streak of rolling dice before rolling doubles, stacking plastic pieces, and bouncing a ball off alternating sides of a card, as well as answering trivia questions based on the listings in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Video games
A video game, Guinness World Records: The Videogame, was developed by TT Fusion and released for Nintendo DS, Wii and iOS in November 2008.
Film
In 2012, Warner Bros. announced the development of a live-action film version of Guinness World Records with Daniel Chun as scriptwriter. The film version will apparently use the heroic achievements of record holders as the basis for a narrative that should have global appeal.[64]
Aug. 14, 2008— -- INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A woman who grew to be 7 feet, 7 inches talland was recognized as the world's tallest female died Wednesday, afriend said. She was 53.
Sandy Allen, who used her height to inspire schoolchildren toaccept those who are different, died at a nursing home in herhometown of Shelbyville, family friend Rita Rose said.
The cause of death was not yet known. Allen had beenhospitalized in recent months as she suffered from a recurringblood infection, along with diabetes, breathing troubles and kidneyfailure, Rose said.
In London, Guinness World Records spokesman Damian Fieldconfirmed Wednesday that Allen was still listed as the tallestwoman. Some Web sites cite a 7-foot-9 woman from China.
Coincidentally, Allen lived in the same nursing home, HeritageHouse Convalescent Center, as 115-year-old Edna Parker, whomGuinness has recognized as the world's oldest person since August2007.
Allen said a tumor caused her pituitary gland to produce toomuch growth hormone. She underwent an operation in 1977 to stopfurther growth.
But she was proud of her height, Rose said. "She embraced it,"she said. "She used it as a tool to educate people."
Allen appeared on television shows and spoke to church andschool groups to bring youngsters her message that it was all rightto be different.
After Allen was listed by Guinness as the world's tallest woman,she won a role in Federico Fellini's 1976 film "Casanova,"appearing as "Angelina the Giantess." She was featured in the1981 Canadian documentary "Being Different." She also appeared ina TV movie called "Side Show" in 1981.
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said he met Allen twice.
"Then, and from a distance, I admired very much the way shehandled a uniquely difficult situation with uncomplaining grace,"he said.
Allen weighed 6-1/2 pounds when she was born in June 1955. Bythe age of 10 she had grown to be 6-foot-3, and by age 16 she was7-1.
She wrote to Guinness World Records in 1974, saying she wouldlike to get to know someone her own height.
"It is needless to say my social life is practically nil andperhaps the publicity from your book may brighten my life," shewrote.
The recognition as the world's tallest woman helped Allen accepther height and become less shy, Rose said.
"It kind of brought her out of her shell," Rose said. "Shegot to the point where she could joke about it."
In the 1980s, she appeared for several years at the GuinnessMuseum of World Records in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
"I'll never forget the old Japanese man who couldn't speakEnglish, so he decided to feel for himself if I was real," sherecalled with a chuckle when she moved back to Indiana in 1987.
"At Guinness there were days when I felt like I was doing afreak show," she said. "When that feeling came too often, I knewI had to come back home."
Difficulty with mobility had forced Allen to curtail her publicspeaking in recent years, Rose said. She had suffered from diabetesand other ailments and used a wheelchair to get around.
A scholarship fund has been set up in Allen's name through theBlue River Community Foundation, Rose said, with proceeds going toShelbyville High School.
"She loved talking to kids because they would ask more honestquestions," Rose said. "Adults would kind of stand back and stareand not know how to approach her."
Ripley's Believe It or Not! is an American franchise founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims. Originally a newspaper panel, the Believe It or Not feature proved popular and was later adapted into a wide variety of formats, including radio, television, comic books, a chain of museums and a book series.
The Ripley collection includes 20,000 photographs, 30,000 artifacts and more than 100,000 cartoon panels. With 80-plus attractions, the Orlando, Florida-based Ripley Entertainment, Inc., a division of the Jim Pattison Group a Canadian global company with an annual attendance of more than 12 million guests. Ripley Entertainment's publishing and broadcast divisions oversee numerous projects, including the syndicated TV series, the newspaper cartoon panel, books, posters and games.
Syndicated feature panel
Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Ripley410112.gif
Robert Ripley's Believe It or Not (January 12, 1941).
Author(s)
Robert Ripley (1919–1949)
Paul Frehm (1949–1978)
Walter Frehm (1978–1989)
Don Wimmer (1989-2004)
John Graziano (2004–2021)
Kieran Castaño (2021–present)
Launch date December 19, 1918
Alternate name(s) Champs and Chumps (1918–1919)
Syndicate(s)
Associated Newspapers (1924–1929)
King Features Syndicate (1930–1989)[1]
United Feature Syndicate (1989–present)
Genre(s) Bizarre facts
Ripley first called his cartoon feature, originally involving sports feats, Champs and Chumps, and it premiered on December 19, 1918, in The New York Globe. Ripley began adding items unrelated to sports, and in October 1919, he changed the title to Believe It or Not. When the Globe folded in 1923, Ripley moved to the New York Evening Post. In 1924, the panel began being syndicated by Associated Newspapers,[2] (formed as part of a cooperative that had included the Globe). That same year, Ripley hired Norbert Pearlroth as his researcher, and Pearlroth spent the next 52 years of his life in the New York Public Library, working ten hours a day and six days a week in order to find unusual facts for Ripley.[3]
Other writers and researchers included Lester Byck. In 1930, Ripley moved to the New York American and was picked up by the King Features Syndicate, being quickly syndicated on an international basis.[4]
Ripley died in 1949; those working on the syndicated newspaper panel after his death included Paul Frehm (1938–1978; he became the full-time artist in 1949), and his brother Walter Frehm (1948–1989); Walter worked part-time with his brother Paul and became a full-time Ripley artist from 1978 to 1989. Others who assisted included Clem Gretter (1941–1949), Bob Clarke (1943–1944), Joe Campbell (1946–1956), Art Sloggatt (1971–1975), Carl Dorese, and Stan Randall. Paul Frehm won the National Cartoonists Society's Newspaper Panel Cartoon Award for 1976 for his work on the series. Clarke later created parodies of Believe It or Not! for Mad, as did Wally Wood and Ernie Kovacs, who also did a recurring satire called "Strangely Believe It!" on his TV programs. Other strips and books borrowed the Ripley design and format, such as Ralph Graczak's Our Own Oddities, John Hix's Strange as It Seems, and Gordon Johnston's It Happened in Canada. Don Wimmer took up the panel from 1989-2004.[5] John Graziano from 2005-2021.[6] The current artist is Kieran Castaño and is supported by the Ripley's Research Team.[7]
At the peak of its popularity, the syndicated feature was read daily by about 80 million readers, and during the first three weeks of May 1932 alone, Ripley received over two million pieces of fan mail. Dozens of paperback editions reprinting the newspaper panels have been published over the decades. Recent Ripley's Believe It or Not! books containing new material have supplemented illustrations with photographs.
Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz's first publication of artwork was published by Ripley. It was a cartoon claiming his dog was "a hunting dog who eats pins, tacks, screws, nails and razor blades".[8] Schulz's dog Spike later became the model for Peanuts' Snoopy.[9]
Books
Some notable books:
Believe It or Not! by Ripley The Big Little Book (1931)
Ripley's Believe It or Not (1929), reprinted in 2004
Ripley's Mammoth Book of Believe It or Not (1953)
Ripley's Giant Book of Believe It or Not (1976)
Ripley's 35th Anniversary Believe It or Not (1954)
Ripley's 50th Anniversary Believe It or Not (1968)
Ripley's Believe It or Not Special Edition 2012 (2011)
A series of paperback books containing annotated sketches from the newspaper feature:
Ripley's Believe It or Not 1st Series (1941)
Ripley's Believe It or Not 2nd Series (1948)
Ripley's Believe It or Not 3rd Series (1954)
Ripley's Believe It or Not 34th Series (1982)
Ripley Entertainment produces a range of books featuring unusual facts, news stories and photographs. In 2004 Ripley Entertainment founded Ripley Publishing Ltd, based in the United Kingdom, to publish new Believe It or Not titles.[10] The company produces the New York Times bestselling Ripley's Believe It or Not! Annuals, the children's fiction series Ripley's RBI, an educational series called the Ripley's Twists, the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Special Edition in conjunction with Scholastic USA and a number of other titles.[11][12][13] At the height of his popularity Robert Ripley received thousands of letters a day from the public,[14] and Ripley Entertainment continues to encourage submissions from readers who have strange stories and photographs that could be featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not! books and media.[15]
The people whose items are featured in such books as Strikingly True have what Edward Meyer, Vice President of Exhibits and Archives at Ripley Entertainment Inc., describes as an obsession: "Whatever it is they're after, it is so important to them that all the rest of the world can go on without them. They want to make something that makes them immortal, makes them a little different than you and me".[16] Despite the wide range of true and unbelievable art, sculpture, photographs, interactive devices, animal oddities, and recycled objects contained within the Ripley's collection, rarely considered are alien or witchcraft-type stories, which are, according to Meyers, difficult to prove. To be included in Ripley's Believe It or Not books, museums, or television shows, items must undergo scrutiny from Ripley's staff and be 100% authenticated.[16]
Comic books
In 1953, Harvey Comics published the first Ripley's Believe It or Not! comic book, titled Ripley's Believe It or Not! Magazine and lasted for four issues until March 1954.[17]
From 1965 until 1980, Gold Key Comics published the second Ripley's Believe It or Not! comic book, which lasted for 94 issues.[18]
In 2002, Dark Horse Comics published the third Ripley's Believe It or Not! comic book, written by Haden Blackman, which lasted for three issues and was later collected in a trade paperback published by Dark Horse in May 2003, entitled Ripley's Believe It or Not! (ISBN 1-56971-909-8)[19]
In 2015, Zenescope published a two issue comic edited by Terry Kavanagh.[20][21]
Radio
On April 14, 1930, Ripley brought "Believe It or Not" to radio, the first of several series heard on NBC, CBS and the Mutual Broadcasting System.[22] As noted by the website Ripley On Radio, Ripley's broadcasts varied in length from 15 minutes to 30 minutes and aired in numerous different formats. When Ripley's 1930 debut on The Collier Hour brought a strong listener reaction, he was given a Monday night NBC series beginning April 14, 1930, followed by a 1931–32 series airing twice a week. After his strange stories were dramatized on NBC's Saturday Party, Ripley was the host of The Baker's Broadcast from 1935 to 1937. He was scheduled in several different 1937–38 NBC timeslots and then took to the road with popular remote broadcasts. See America First with Bob Ripley (1938–40) on CBS expanded geographically into See All the Americas, a 1942 program with Latin music. In 1944, he was heard five nights a week on Mutual in shows with an emphasis on World War II. Romance, Rhythm and Ripley aired on CBS in 1945, followed by Pages from Robert L. Ripley's Radio Scrapbook (1947–48).
Robert Ripley is known for several radio firsts. He was the first to broadcast nationwide on a radio network from mid-ocean, and he also participated in the first broadcast from Buenos Aires to New York City. Assisted by a corps of translators, he was the first to broadcast to every nation in the world simultaneously.[23]
As the years went on, the show became less about oddities and featured guest-driven entertainment such as comedy routines. Sponsors over the course of the program included Pall Mall cigarettes and General Foods. The program ended its successful run in 1948 as Ripley prepared to convert the show format to television.
Films, television, Internet, and computer game
The newspaper feature has been adapted into more than a few films and TV shows.
Film
Ripley hosted a series of two dozen Believe It or Not! theatrical short films between 1930 and 1932 for Warner Bros. Vitaphone. A 2-DVD release featuring 24 of these theatrical shorts is available in the United States beginning March 16, 2010, from Warner Home Video, through their Warner Archive manufacture-on-demand program.[24] Directors on the shorts included Murray Roth (on the first five), Roy Mack and Alfred J. Goulding (latter half of second season). Leo Donnelly assisted later on commentary.
He also appeared in a Vitaphone musical short, Seasons Greetings (1931), with Ruth Etting, Joe Penner, Ted Husing, Thelma White, Ray Collins, and others.
Ripley's short films were parodied in a 1939 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon titled Believe It or Else. Released on June 25, 1939, directed by Tex Avery and written by Dave Monahan, it featured a running gag in which Egghead (a prototype Elmer Fudd) appeared to declare, "I don't believe it!" On November 5 of the same year, another Avery documentary parody, Fresh Fish, was released. Written by Jack Miller, this cartoon's running gag was a two-headed fish that kept swimming onto the screen to ask, "Pardon me, but can you tell me where I can find Mister Ripley?"
20th Century Fox produced another film short titled Acquitted by the Sea, released on September 27, 1940, produced by Truman Talley and directed by Earl Allvine. This told an unusual story involving the Titanic.
Possible film
In October 2004, Paramount Pictures announced plans for a film that would chronicle the life of Robert Ripley. The film was to be produced by James Jacks and his Alphaville Films company, associated with Paramount. Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski were hired to write the script. Jacks explained: "It's about the exploits of Robert Ripley, one of the most popular newspaper cartoonists in the '30s and '40s, who was well known for going around the world and looking for oddities and getting into adventures while doing so. We want to make a series of movies that, if not quite the truth, are the adventures that should have happened. We want to turn it into an Indiana Jones, a goofy version, as played by Johnny Depp. When they saw we had the writers from Larry Flynt, they thought that we wanted to make the kinky version, but we saw a chance to do a Spielberg-type movie with one of their characters".[25]
In November 2005, Tim Burton was attached to direct the film, with Jim Carrey starring as Robert Ripley. Filming was to begin in October 2006, for a 2007 release. Paramount hinted that the film, if successful, could be the start of a Ripley's film series.[26] In addition to Jacks, Sean Daniel and Richard D. Zanuck were to serve as producers for the film.[27] Zanuck spent six weeks in China to scout filming locations for the project.[28]
In June 2006, Paramount delayed the start of production on the film for at least a year because its projected budget went over the allowed $150 million. Carrey had waived his entire upfront salary to help keep costs low, but the project remained over budget. Burton and Carrey also wanted to have Alexander and Karaszewski make changes to the film's script to focus more on Ripley's Believe It or Not column. Carrey was adamant on avoiding what happened with his previous project Fun with Dick and Jane, which required reshoots and additional editing as a result of beginning production without a script. Filming had been scheduled to begin in China in November 2006. Although Paramount could have delayed production to spring 2007, the film was delayed further to allow Burton to film Sweeney Todd.[29][30]
In December 2006, Burton and Carrey approved writer Steve Oedekerk to rewrite the script. Oedekerk had worked with Carrey on several previous projects. Production was to begin in China in winter 2008, for a 2009 release.[31] Later in January, Zanuck said he was no longer involved with the project, and that he was unaware that it was proceeding.[28] Oedekerk's draft was completed in June 2007, and was approved that month by Paramount, Burton, and Carrey. At that time, Carrey hoped to have production finished by summer 2008.[32] Later that month, Paramount was searching for a new director.[33]
In October 2008, Chris Columbus pitched an idea for the film that was approved by Carrey and Paramount. Columbus' idea involved scrapping the previous China-based storyline entirely. Negotiations were underway that month to hire Columbus as director, with plans to hire a writer afterwards. Paramount planned to release the film in 2011, and hoped that it would be the start of a Ripley's film series.[34] In January 2011, Eric Roth was hired to write the script, with Carrey still attached to star. Ken Atchity and Chi-Li Wong joined the project as producers, alongside Jacks and Daniel.[27]
Television
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