Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (1997–2024): Season 3, Episode 1 - Morning Sickness - full transcript
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[theme music playing]
NARRATOR: "Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction," hosted
by Jonathan Frakes.
Tonight, your challenge
is to separate what
is true from what is false.
Five stories, some
real, some fake.
Can you judge which are
fact and which are fiction?
To find out, you
must enter a world
of both truth and deception,
a world that is Beyond Belief.
Is the truth
always easy to see?
Take this picture.
Viewed from this
angle, it appears
to be a dramatic seascape.
However, take this vase, place
it on the picture and observe.
The clear reflection
of a man with a beard.
It happens to be the face
of legendary science fiction
writer Jules Verne, a man
who knew well the blurry
line between fact and fantasy.
Tonight, you will
see stories that
may be inspired
by actual events,
or they may be clever lies.
But in judging them, be careful
of what they may seem to be.
For like this picture,
there may be hidden
truths contained within,
a fact which should
give you pause for reflection.
They come in strips,
sticks, tubes, and kits.
They inform you with dots,
streaks, colors, and symbols.
Today's home pregnancy tests
are available everywhere
and be purchased right alongside
the beer and potato chips.
In fact, these modern versions
are said to be over 99%
accurate.
Yet, one percentage point
still leaves room for doubt.
Take 18-year-old Marissa Baker.
Her body is starting to
feel different, these days.
But whether she's
pregnant or not
will soon be put to
a terrifying test.
MOTHER: This is our home
in Del Mar, California.
Until that terrifying summer,
it was quiet and peaceful.
Our daughter Marissa had just
graduated from high school
that June.
She was starting
college in the fall.
But until then, she
was determined to have
the summer of her young life.
My husband Glenn
and I were beginning
to suspect that she had gotten
herself into a bad situation.
Oh, oh!
Oh, God.
Oh.
Marissa, what's wrong?
[RETCHING
It's her stomach
again, isn't it?
This has been going on
for three weeks now.
It can't be the flu.
Glenn, we both
know what it is.
We just don't want to face it.
Marissa's been spending
a lot of time with Jason.
Maybe they messed up.
It could be morning sickness.
We're gonna have to
have a talk with her.
I know she doesn't want to
talk to us about anything,
but she's gonna have to
talk to us about this.
Glenn, let me do it.
You're getting upset.
All right.
You talk to her.
Marissa?
Sweetie?
I'm not pregnant.
Why can't you believe me?
It's just that all
the symptoms are there.
Now, your father
and I are trying
to figure this whole thing out
and it's something to explore.
There's nothing to explore, ?
OK?
It's no big deal.
I got some kind of
flu bug or something,
but I'm feeling better now.
I'm sure it's going away.
Marissa, we just want you to
know that we're here for you.
If there's anything you
want to talk about--
There's nothing
to talk about, Mom.
I'm not pregnant.
MOTHER: As the days
passed, Marissa
began to have strange cravings.
And nothing seemed to satisfy
her enormous appetite.
Over the next few weeks,
her clothes became
harder and harder to fit into.
Marrissa had always
watched her figure.
Now her waist was
out of control.
What is happening to me?
There is no other
explanation, Marissa.
You must be pregnant.
So let's move out of
denial and into reality.
You and Jason made a mistake.
I know what it must look
like, but it's impossible.
I never had sex with
Jason, or anyone, I swear.
We want to believe
you Marissa, but--
Oh, you could get me
a home pregnancy test.
That'll prove I'm
telling the truth.
Well, according to
this, you're not pregnant.
She's not?
Oh!
MOTHER: What's wrong?
Something moved.
DOCTOR: Well, there's
definitely something there.
GLENN: What do you think
it is Dr. Sapperstein?
I don't want to alarm you,
but it looks like a large cyst.
It's just such an odd shape.
I never seen anything
like it before.
Cyst?
What about the
movement I was feeling?
Oh that was probably a
muscle spasm, or some gas.
It wasn't a muscle
spasm, or gas.
Marissa, the test
came back negative.
You're not pregnant.
What about this tumor
or cyst or whatever it is?
What do we do about it?
Well, I recommend
that we go in and remove
it as quickly as possible.
Mom.
Is she going to be all right?
DOCTOR: Marissa's a
strong young woman.
Whatever it is,
recovery will be quick.
[beeping]
Are we good to go?
NURSE: Yes, Doctor.
OK, scalpel.
[sloshing]
Sponge it, please.
All right, follow me.
Need suction.
Thank you.
Doing great.
Let me get the
retractors in here.
We're in.
All right, let's get
the clamps in there.
Here we go.
Doing great.
Let's see, down the--
Let's find this.
All right, give me some room.
All right, and there it is.
Scalpel.
Whoa, that's strange.
It feels like it's moving.
Oh my god!
NURSE: Doctor, what is it?
DOCTOR: Oh my God.
It's a baby octopus.
MOTHER: The doctors came up
with the only explanation
that made sense.
Marissa had been spending a lot
of time swimming in the ocean
that summer.
She must've swallowed a
fertilized octopus egg,
and her body provided the
incubator for its development.
Our daughter is
fully recovered now,
but we'll never get the
nightmare out of our minds.
The story you've just seen
was suppressed for years,
and is still denied by
the medical community.
But let's be clear
about one thing.
No one is claiming that Marissa
gave birth to an octopus,
only that one was surgically
removed from inside her body.
Despite the contradictions and
cover-ups by those involved,
can this really be possible?
Can a fertilized octopus egg
ingested into the human system
actually grow inside the body?
Certainly other organisms can.
Parasites such as tapeworms
have grown to enormous size
inside their human hosts.
Do you accept this tale
of an octopus who lived
inside a human being as true?
Or is there something
fishy going on here?
NARRATOR We'll find out if
this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a real estate agent sells
a house with a curse on Beyond
Belief Fact or Fiction.
Have you noticed
what big stars
real estate agents have become?
Have you seen their
names and faces
on billboards, on benches,
and in every Sunday newspaper?
Is it any wonder
with star treatment
like this that many
real estate agents begin
to act like stars themselves?
Bev Conklin is a true star
of the real estate world.
See her fast-talking,
charming spiel
is like witnessing
a high-wire act.
But in this case, Bev isn't
working without a net.
She's working
without a conscience.
[music playing]
DON: I'd never met a woman
like Bev Conklin before.
I wish I never had.
Bev was the number one real
estate agent on the East Coast.
She could sell anything,
except Hampton Manor.
I didn't know it at the time,
but the manor was cursed.
All five previous owners had
met with horrible misfortune.
By the time I started
house hunting,
Hampton Manor is
up for sale again.
My wife and I were
fresh from the city.
To Bev, we must've looked
like hors d'oeuvres on a tray,
ready to be devoured.
As we closed the deal
on Hampton Manor,
Bev never mentioned any curse.
Martha and I have been
wanting to move out
of Manhattan for
years, but we just
couldn't find the right house.
Well, you certainly found
it in Hampton Manor, Don.
I can't get over this
fabulous deal you got us, Bev.
I keep thinking,
there has to be
something wrong
with the old place,
but the inspection
checked out fine.
Of course it did.
Bev Conklin only sells the best.
I envy you both.
I just wish I could afford
a home like Hampton Manor.
Will you invite me over once
in a while for a cup of coffee
so I can drool?
You got a deal, Bev.
Me Bye, Don.
Bye, Martha.
Bye-bye, drive safe, now.
Yes!
Yes.
Yes.
Doo doo doo doo doo doo.
What?
What is it?
I just can't
believe you didn't
tell those people about
the curse of Hampton Manor.
We'll keep it up right here
There there's no such thing
as a cursed house.
So those other owners
had some bad luck.
It happens.
It's not my fault.
I just think you should
have said something.
There's nothing in the real
estate code of ethics that says
anything about divulging
dumb superstitions
to potential buyers.
I would have told
them about the curse.
Curse smursh, it's a sale.
Now, you watch.
The Mackles are going
to love that place.
I bet I get a lot of
referrals from that couple.
Go on, go.
Go.
DON: I didn't see Bev Conklin
again for almost six months.
But by this time, things
were very different.
I Who's that sitting at my desk?
That's Mr. Mackle.
Who?
The one that you
sold Hampton Manor to.
Remember?
Oh, the rich stockbroker.
Hmm, he certainly looked better.
OK.
Oh, Mr. Mackle what
are you doing here?
In the market for a
summer home perhaps?
Something on the Cape?
Oh my.
What happened happened to you?
Ever since I took
ownership of Hampton Manor,
my life has gone to ruin.
All my stocks and
bonds collapsed.
My clients abandoned me.
My wife left me for another man.
And I've developed
a bleeding ulcer
that causes me constant pain.
That's all very sad.
What is it you want of me?
I finally learned
from the neighbors
about the curse
of Hampton Manor.
Oh that, really?
Why, why didn't
you tell me about it
before you sold it to me?
That was not my
responsibility.
Now, honestly, Mr.
Mackle, you can't
blame your bad luck on me.
A house is a house.
There is no such
thing as a curse.
I want the Manor
sold immediately.
Oh, well, if you want me to
represent you as your agent,
that's different.
Of course, you understand,
it's going to take
a while to find a buyer.
I mean, that is a
very special house.
No!
It has to be done
today, immediately.
Oh my God, you must be kidding.
I can't find a buyer today.
If I own that house a moment
longer, I know I'll die.
Well, if you'd let
it go for 300,000,
I'd be glad to take it
off your hands today.
But that's less than
half of what I paid for it.
I know.
[gasping]
All right, all
right, it's a deal.
Oh, Don, and you
are going to be so
happy because I am going to
save you so much time in escrow.
I can do it all right here.
DON (VOICEOVER): I signed over
the deal making Bev Conklin
the owner of the
manor she was only
too happy to take
it off my hands But,
then again, she didn't
believe in curses.
I never saw Bev again,
but her assistant Gina,
who definitely
believed in the curse,
told me the rest of the story.
BEV: You know, the
place is fabulous.
I may never sell it.
The bathroom alone is worth
the price of the mortgage.
Oh, now I wish I
was still dating
Reggie, such a nice big tub.
GINA (ON PHONE):
Bev, don't you feel
weird about poor Mr. Mackle?
Why should I?
He's completely nuts.
The place is great.
GINA (ON PHONE):
Aren't you scared?
I told you, I haven't
had one single problem.
GINA (ON PHONE): Seriously?
No, none whatsoever.
GINA (ON PHONE): That's great.
[thunder crashing]
Oh, will you stop already?
There is no curse.
GINA (ON PHONE): Well, I
hope you're right, Bev.
[buzzing]
You know you're just trying
to cover your [inaudible]..
So even if there is some sort of
curse, seven is a lucky number.
[buzzing]
Maybe that will break the chain.
[zapping]
[splashing]
Bev?
Are you all right?
[thunder]
Bev?
Bev?
All
Did Hampton Manor
really have a curse
or was Bev Conklin just
a victim of bad luck?
But then, how do you explain the
misfortune of every other owner
of the property?
Could they all just have
been unlucky people?
Oh, here's something
else to ponder.
We've changed the name and
location of Hampton Manor
for story purposes, but
the home we based it on
had a similar curse.
In fact, a very wealthy couple
bought it in the early '80s.
At the time, they scoffed
at the curse, and why not?
They owned hotels,
skyscrapers, and businesses
all over the world.
Within a short time after
moving into their new home,
their empire crumbled
and dissolved.
Their names?
Harry and Leona Helmsley.
NARRATOR: We'll tell you whether
this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a beheading in
a wax museum on Beyond
Belief Fact or Fiction.
Of all the instruments
of capital punishment,
surely the most fiendish
is the guillotine.
The sentenced
prisoner would place
his or her head
here, affectionately
known as the chopping block.
And then, a blade
sharpened so fine it could
slice a human hair in half would
be released by the executioner.
The result,
[clattering]
A dramatic slice of life.
Of course, the guillotine
has been out of fashion
for a while, but its
legend is still with us.
Pierre St. Jacques is
a student of history.
As a creator of wax
figures, he has to be.
His latest project is the
beheading of French monarch
Marie Antoinette.
And he's praying history
does not repeat itself.
[organ music]
The world-famous
Le Font Wax Museum
is considered by
connoisseurs to be
one of the finest of its kind.
Whether they're duplicating
movie sets, famous moments
from history, the
attention to detail
is legendary, down
to the last bolt.
The creative force behind the
success of the Le Font wax
exhibits was wax
sculptor Pierre St. Jean.
Pierre was not only
a genius in his work,
he was an absolute
perfectionist.
He was so obsessive and
demanding that the only one who
could tolerate his
high-strung behavior
was his loyal brother, Andre.
Together, they have prepared the
precise details for the newest
masterpiece in Pierre's
acclaimed career, the beheading
of Marie Antoinette.
Pierre.
What?
Oh, finally, it's arrived.
Let's see.
[gasping] This is
the exact duplicate
of the blade that separated
poor Marie Antoinette's
head from her body.
Do you really think the public
cares if it's real or not?
I care, and that's
all that matters.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
Pierre's outbursts
were familiar to Andre.
He dismissed them as
the necessary release
of an artistic temperament.
Besides, Pierre was the
one with the talent,
so Andre chose to
tolerate his behavior.
Andre?
Andre!
Why did you put the executioner
in position so soon?
I don't want him here yet.
I didn't.
The last time I look,
he was back there.
Well, Someone moved him here.
Pierre, if I did move
him, wouldn't there
be footprints in the dirt?
Can't you see?
The surface is perfectly smooth.
[piano music]
Oh, I can't be
bothered with this now.
[music playing] Did
you ever think you
would become immortal, Marie?
Is this how it
looked, how it felt?
How close did I come?
[metal squeaking] And what
was going through your head,
those last few moments?
[metal screeching]
[bracket snapping]
[clattering]
Ah!
Pierre, are you all right?
I think so.
It all happened so quickly.
Look.
[rumbling]
[gasping]
Someone is pulling a prank.
ANDRE: Maybe they are
still inside the museum?
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): Pierre
and searched the entire
museum, but could
find no one else there.
The doors were still
bolted from the inside,
so nobody could have left.
The brothers agreed that it
must have been a freak accident,
and went on with their work.
They wanted to put
their fear aside,
that somehow wax
executioner could
be possessed of an evil spirit.
It's strange, it's
just so exciting.
GUEST: Time later.
- Oh, thank you.
ANDRE: It's a great opening
PIERRE: Yes.
Congratulations, brother.
Thank you.
It's everything I
dreamed it would be.
Oh, yes, thank you.
Did you hear the
comments about how
realistic the exhibits are,
especially my Marie Antoinette?
Yes, Pierre, and I
heard the comments.
Perhaps now, finally, you
understand the importance
of my perfectionism.
Perhaps.
[laughter]
Ugh, can you imagine how
horrible that must have been,
to have your head chopped off?
I think it's kind of cool.
I wonder what they did
with all the heads.
That's so sick.
Oh, you know what
would be the bomb?
What?
A picture with your
head in that guillotine.
CHRISSY: Are you crazy?
Come on, Chrissy.
I've got two shots
left on the roll.
It's, it's not like it's real.
It's all wax.
Well, why me?
Why don't you do it?
Because it's got to be a girl.
We're recreating the
beheading of Marie Antoinette.
Come on, it'll be so cool.
OK, but let me know
if somebody's coming.
[rumbling]
[clattering]
[ominous music]
Ha ha, OK, OK, kneel
down and put your head
in the-- on the block.
[rumbling]
Ha ha.
CHRISSY: This is too weird.
Take the picture.
Wait a minute,
wait a minute, I--
I can't get everything in.
[metal squeaking]
Dave, will you just
take the picture?
OK, OK, but it's
not going to work
unless you look more scared.
[ominous music]
But hurry up.
[snapping]
[clattering]
[whooshing]
DAVE: Chrissy!
[banging]
GUEST: What was that?
[guests chattering]
DAVE: Chrissy!
[chrissy whimpering]
What happened?
Are you OK?
I was afraid there
might be another accident,
so I replaced the real blade
with one made of balsa wood.
GUEST: Can someone help her?
Thank you Andre.
GUEST: Is she, is she OK?
Now, I suggest we
replace the executioner.
[ominous music]
[bell tolling]
Did this story really happen?
Or was it merely
overworked imaginations
that made the two
men begin to see
things in their own exhibit?
And why were there no footprints
showing the executioner
had moved?
Was there a demented villain
working behind the scenes?
Or perhaps there
are no explanations
to be found in the real world.
Will this story
of the wax figure
withstand the
lasting test truth?
Or, when all is said and done,
will it simple melt away?
NARRATOR: We'll find out if
this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a hospital becomes a
bloody nightmare on Beyond
Belief Fact or Fiction.
To many seriously ill people,
these bags mean life itself.
The steady drip, drip, drip
of these life giving liquids
provide the beat of life for
patients in critical condition.
But cut off that nourishment,
[beeping]
And the beat goes off.
[alarm droning]
Nurse Gwen Buckbinder
is used to patients who
need nourishment to survive.
But a new patient has just
checked on to her floor
and his medical needs are
about to go off the chart.
GWEN: I'd been
working the midnight
to 7:00 shift at St. Francis
County for the past five years.
I'd seen a lot of strange
cases, but nothing
prepared me for what
came in late one night.
It was just another
John Doe, but this one
was suffering from severe
malnutrition and acute anemia.
He was so far gone, I didn't
think he was going to make it.
He refused all solid food and
was being sustained on glucose
IVs and blood plasma transfers.
But now, only 24 hours later,
his vitals were remarkably up.
It looked like he was
going to pull through.
If you eat some solid food,
you'd recover a lot quicker,
you know.
No appetite yet?
Huh?
If you need anything,
just push your button.
I'm on till 7:00.
[ominous music]
The following night,
I was on my rounds
when I thought I heard voices
coming from inside room 621.
It was 2:00 in the morning,
long past visiting hours.
[mumbling]
Who are you?
And what are you doing here?
Oh we are the Kanes.
We are here to see Eric.
Eric?
His name is Eric Peter.
He did odd jobs for
us around the house.
We became worried last week,
when he did not show up.
So we went to police,
and they sent us here.
[ominous music]
Please leave.
I want to spend some time
with my friends, alone.
It is way past visiting hours.
I'm sorry.
They were not aware.
Please, give us
some time, alone.
[ominous music]
All right, I will break the
rules, but just this once.
Ah, thank you, my dear.
GWEN: So now, I knew the John
Doe's name, Eric Creighton.
But what was really
going on in room 621?
It seemed like more
than just a visit
from a couple of old friends.
And what was that creepy old
man doing in the bathroom?
Excuse me, excuse me.
Could you hold one
second, please?
[doors slamming]
I was determined to get
to the bottom of this.
[monitors beeping]
But I had every right
to check that bathroom.
This was the safest time to do
it without causing an incident.
This patient definitely
had me scared.
What do you want?
I didn't mean to disturb you.
I was just looking
for dirty gowns.
They've already
been picked up.
Now please leave my room.
[door clicking]
GWEN (VOICEOVER): I came
in early the next night.
I just couldn't get Eric
Creighton out of my mind.
Who was he?
Or, more importantly--
Hey, Gwen.
GWEN (VOICEOVER): What was he?
Did you hear about last night?
Somebody ripped of 200 bags
of plasma from the blood bank.
What?
Weird, ain't it?
Yeah, real weird.
Chuck, do me a favor.
Take 621 down to X-ray
and keep him there while.
What's up?
Just do it for me.
I'll tell you later.
All right.
One X-ray coming up.
Don't worry, it
won't hurt a bit.
[ominous music]
Oh my God.
[ominous music]
What are they doing?
[banging]
[gwen screams]
I told you to stay away!
[gwen screams]
Oh my God!
What did you do to him?
Stay away from me!
Medic!
[gwen screams]
Oh!
Oh, no.
No, please no, no.
[growling]
No!
SECURITY: Hey!
[growling]
GWEN: Rick!
Wait, Rick.
[dramatic music]
SECURITY: Hey!
[shattering]
[eric yelling]
[thudding]
GWEN (VOICEOVER):
Hospital officials
kept my story a secret.
[sirens wailing]
They didn't want their hospital
associated with vampires.
And then, it hit me.
Maybe Eric wasn't a vampire.
Maybe his goal, all
along, was to steal
blood and sell it illegally.
By pretending to be
a vampire, he knew
his crime would go unreported.
I guess I'll never know.
What really happened here?
Did the patient
in room 621 really
need to drink blood to survive?
Vampire stories have been
with us for centuries,
and there are
recorded ceremonies
in which certain
tribes and cults
actually drink human blood.
But perhaps the explanation
is more worldly.
Perhaps Eric and his
cohorts were clever thieves
who wanted to give
the impression
of being vampires so their
activities would go unreported.
But then again, how was it
that Eric survived a six
story drop, never to be found?
Is this vampire tale
based on an actual event,
or are we just trying
to suck you in?
NARRATOR: We'll find out if
this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a deadly game of chance on
Beyond Belief Fact or Fiction.
In the heyday of
the touring carnivals,
prize booths were
big money-makers
for the barkers on the midway.
While many carnivals ran
ethical games of chance,
others stacked the odds
in their own favor.
For example, the points of these
darts are left purposely dull.
The balloons
under-inflated, making them
much more difficult to break.
These milk bottles
make a tempting target.
Knock three over, win a prize.
It looks very easy, until
you learn that they're
weighted on the bottom.
[metal clanging]
Big Ralph Zabrisky ran a
crooked booth at a carnival
for 20 years.
He came from a long
line of cheaters,
but he was very
good at what he did.
But as Ralph is about
to learn, no matter
how skilled the con man,
you can't cheat fate.
Big Ralph's Traveling
Carnival looked
like a place devoted to fun, but
it had a wicked underpinning.
Big Ralph, an ex-con who
had committed everything
from grand larceny
to murder, was
hiding out here from the law.
And while he planned
his next major crime,
he spent his time
running the carnival
and cheating little children.
Close one.
You're good, little girl.
I almost lost one
of my stuffed pals.
Another dollar, another
ring, another chance.
What do you say?
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER) Big
Ralph knew that the hoops were
about the same size as
the cans, so to ring one
was next to impossible.
Aw, too bad.
You got any more money, sweetie?
Then beat it, kid.
You're taking up space.
Step right up.
When a beautiful stuffed
animal for just a dollar.
Wait just a minute.
Step right up.
Well, what do you say, pop?
Put your money down.
Try your luck.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
In the next few moments,
Big Ralph's luck and
his entire future
were about to change forever.
[eerie music]
How did you do that, pop?
Guess I'm just lucky.
Yeah right, real lucky.
Which one do you want?
- The bunny.
- I'll take the bunny.
You ever played
this game before, pop?
You look awful familiar.
Nope, never played.
Thank you, mister.
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): The old man
decided to reward
all the kids who had
been cheated by Ralph that day.
You'll never do
that again, old man.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
But Big Ralph was wrong.
The old man would do
it again and again
and again, all day long.
[eerie music]
POP: Big ones.
[rings clattering]
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
This kind of thing had never
happened to Big Ralph before.
The old master
swindler was beginning
to feel he was being
swindled himself,
and there was nothing
he could do to stop it.
[crowd chattering]
SPECTATOR: Hey, get
one for me, mister.
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): Big Ralph
was being taken to the
cleaners by an old man
with an amazing
ability for ring-toss.
In all the time the old man
was winning prize after prize,
Big Ralph was trying to
guess, what's the angle?
Who is this guy?
Was it somebody from Big
Ralph's violent criminal past?
Ooh.
SPECTATOR: Hey,
get one over here.
Hey, hey.
All All right, that's it.
This booth is
closed for repairs.
Just what kind of game
are you playing, old man?
Ring-toss.
[eerie music]
Ring-toss?
[ominous music]
You hustled me,
you old bag of bones.
I don't know how you
did it, but you did it.
Now, you're gonna pay me
for those stuffed animals.
Hey, I won those
animals fair and square.
I don't owe you anything.
Now, I want
what's coming to me.
Whoa-ho-ho-ho.
You'll get what's coming
to you, Big Ralph.
Who are you, old man?
Just a harmless old man.
But you, you're a cheat.
You've been taking advantage
of children for years.
[glasses shattering]
Now, get off these grounds.
And if I see you here
again, I'll give you
a beating you'll never forget.
[eerie music]
[laughing]
Hey, BIg Ralph, ha ha.
You forgot your ring.
Ha ha ha ha ha.
Ooh.
[laughing]
Hey, I've been
looking for you.
Where you been?
Just taking care
of some business.
What's up?
You got a car
off track inside.
Everything's
going wrong today.
[carnival music]
[eerie music]
[howling]
[gears grinding]
[woman screaming]
Oh, come on, you
rusted bucket of bolts.
[groaning]
Dang it.
What the-- That's just great.
[woman screaming] Ah!
Ah.
Ah!
Get out of my face, you
cheap piece of junk.
[groaning]
[wheels clattering]
Ow!
Ah, my foot!
My foot.
Ow!
Big Ralph, are
you OK in there?
What?
Ow, oh, oh.
[laughter]
What's going on?
Somebody, you stop
playing with the sounds.
[buzzing]
Oh, forget this.
[woman screaming]
[laughter]
Oh, it can't be.
It just can't be.
Oh.
Ow!
Jay, Bobby, I need help.
Now!
[laughter]
This laughter's
driving me nuts.
It won't turn off, I tried.
[laughter]
Oh my God.
So the old man had the
last laugh on Big Ralph,
who was now hanged
to death by the hoop
from the game of ring-toss.
Who was the mysterious old man?
Was he some spirit sent to
avenge the wrongful deeds
of Big Ralph?
Or was Big Ralph done in
by some angry employees
who were tired of his
treachery and hateful ways?
But then, how do you explain
the close resemblance
of the old man to
the funhouse figure?
Was that's set up to make
an all too real crime
seem supernatural?
Is this tale of the
deadly game of ring-toss
inspired by an actual event?
Or have we rigged
the game, once again?
NARRATOR: Next, you'll find out
which of our stories are fact
and which are fiction,
when Beyond Belief returns.
Now let's look back
at tonight's stories
and find out which ones are
inspired by actual events,
and which ones
are totally false.
The story of the young girl
who swallowed a fertilized
octopus egg and grew the
creature inside her body,
true or false?
What about the
movement I was feeling?
Oh, that was probably a
muscle spasm, or some gas.
It wasn't a muscle
spasm, or gas.
Marissa, the test
came back negative.
You're not pregnant.
Do you think you've heard
a story like this somewhere?
Is it true?
Only in the world
of urban legends.
Although this one has
been circulated as true,
it's fiction.
[clanging]
Now, let's look at the
house with the curse on it.
Was this story true?
I finally learned
from the neighbors
about the curse
of Hampton Manor.
Oh, that.
Really?
Why, why didn't
you tell me about it
before you sold it to me?
That was not my
responsibility.
Although we changed
the name of the house,
the story was inspired
by an actual event.
[clanging]
The story of the wax museum
with the deadly exhibit,
how did you judge that one?
And what was going
through your head,
those last few moments?
[clattering]
Pierre, are you all right?
This eerie tale
of the wax exhibit
that seems to have a life of
its own has to be false, right?
Wrong, this one happened
in a wax museum in Canada.
Our source material spots
it around three decades ago.
[clanging]
Let's review the
story of the hospital
with a bloodthirsty patient.
GWEN: What are they doing?
[banging]
I told you to stay away!
Oh my God!
What did you do to him?
There is certainly
more than one
cult in this country associated
with vampire-like activities.
Is it possible that one of
them participated in our story?
Yes, it is possible
because our research shows
this story happened to a
Registered Nurse on the East
Coast, about 20 years ago.
It's fact.
[clanging]
what about the cheating carnival
barker who met an ironic fate
in his own funhouse?
This booth is
closed for repairs.
Just what kind of game
are you playing, old man?
Ring-toss.
There's a common
belief that carnivals
employ people with shady or
questionable backgrounds.
This lends credence to the
fact that this story may have
happened, but not this time.
We made it up.
[clanging]
Once again, We've tried
to demonstrate that truth
and falsehood live side by side.
Were you able to separate
fact from fiction tonight?
Or did you find our conclusions
simply Beyond Belief I'm
Jonathan Frakes.
NARRATOR: Join us
next week for more
Beyond Belief Fact or Fiction.
[dramatic music]
[tranquil music]
---
[theme music playing]
NARRATOR: "Beyond Belief--
Fact or Fiction," hosted
by Jonathan Frakes.
Tonight, your challenge
is to separate what
is true from what is false.
Five stories, some
real, some fake.
Can you judge which are
fact and which are fiction?
To find out, you
must enter a world
of both truth and deception,
a world that is Beyond Belief.
Is the truth
always easy to see?
Take this picture.
Viewed from this
angle, it appears
to be a dramatic seascape.
However, take this vase, place
it on the picture and observe.
The clear reflection
of a man with a beard.
It happens to be the face
of legendary science fiction
writer Jules Verne, a man
who knew well the blurry
line between fact and fantasy.
Tonight, you will
see stories that
may be inspired
by actual events,
or they may be clever lies.
But in judging them, be careful
of what they may seem to be.
For like this picture,
there may be hidden
truths contained within,
a fact which should
give you pause for reflection.
They come in strips,
sticks, tubes, and kits.
They inform you with dots,
streaks, colors, and symbols.
Today's home pregnancy tests
are available everywhere
and be purchased right alongside
the beer and potato chips.
In fact, these modern versions
are said to be over 99%
accurate.
Yet, one percentage point
still leaves room for doubt.
Take 18-year-old Marissa Baker.
Her body is starting to
feel different, these days.
But whether she's
pregnant or not
will soon be put to
a terrifying test.
MOTHER: This is our home
in Del Mar, California.
Until that terrifying summer,
it was quiet and peaceful.
Our daughter Marissa had just
graduated from high school
that June.
She was starting
college in the fall.
But until then, she
was determined to have
the summer of her young life.
My husband Glenn
and I were beginning
to suspect that she had gotten
herself into a bad situation.
Oh, oh!
Oh, God.
Oh.
Marissa, what's wrong?
[RETCHING
It's her stomach
again, isn't it?
This has been going on
for three weeks now.
It can't be the flu.
Glenn, we both
know what it is.
We just don't want to face it.
Marissa's been spending
a lot of time with Jason.
Maybe they messed up.
It could be morning sickness.
We're gonna have to
have a talk with her.
I know she doesn't want to
talk to us about anything,
but she's gonna have to
talk to us about this.
Glenn, let me do it.
You're getting upset.
All right.
You talk to her.
Marissa?
Sweetie?
I'm not pregnant.
Why can't you believe me?
It's just that all
the symptoms are there.
Now, your father
and I are trying
to figure this whole thing out
and it's something to explore.
There's nothing to explore, ?
OK?
It's no big deal.
I got some kind of
flu bug or something,
but I'm feeling better now.
I'm sure it's going away.
Marissa, we just want you to
know that we're here for you.
If there's anything you
want to talk about--
There's nothing
to talk about, Mom.
I'm not pregnant.
MOTHER: As the days
passed, Marissa
began to have strange cravings.
And nothing seemed to satisfy
her enormous appetite.
Over the next few weeks,
her clothes became
harder and harder to fit into.
Marrissa had always
watched her figure.
Now her waist was
out of control.
What is happening to me?
There is no other
explanation, Marissa.
You must be pregnant.
So let's move out of
denial and into reality.
You and Jason made a mistake.
I know what it must look
like, but it's impossible.
I never had sex with
Jason, or anyone, I swear.
We want to believe
you Marissa, but--
Oh, you could get me
a home pregnancy test.
That'll prove I'm
telling the truth.
Well, according to
this, you're not pregnant.
She's not?
Oh!
MOTHER: What's wrong?
Something moved.
DOCTOR: Well, there's
definitely something there.
GLENN: What do you think
it is Dr. Sapperstein?
I don't want to alarm you,
but it looks like a large cyst.
It's just such an odd shape.
I never seen anything
like it before.
Cyst?
What about the
movement I was feeling?
Oh that was probably a
muscle spasm, or some gas.
It wasn't a muscle
spasm, or gas.
Marissa, the test
came back negative.
You're not pregnant.
What about this tumor
or cyst or whatever it is?
What do we do about it?
Well, I recommend
that we go in and remove
it as quickly as possible.
Mom.
Is she going to be all right?
DOCTOR: Marissa's a
strong young woman.
Whatever it is,
recovery will be quick.
[beeping]
Are we good to go?
NURSE: Yes, Doctor.
OK, scalpel.
[sloshing]
Sponge it, please.
All right, follow me.
Need suction.
Thank you.
Doing great.
Let me get the
retractors in here.
We're in.
All right, let's get
the clamps in there.
Here we go.
Doing great.
Let's see, down the--
Let's find this.
All right, give me some room.
All right, and there it is.
Scalpel.
Whoa, that's strange.
It feels like it's moving.
Oh my god!
NURSE: Doctor, what is it?
DOCTOR: Oh my God.
It's a baby octopus.
MOTHER: The doctors came up
with the only explanation
that made sense.
Marissa had been spending a lot
of time swimming in the ocean
that summer.
She must've swallowed a
fertilized octopus egg,
and her body provided the
incubator for its development.
Our daughter is
fully recovered now,
but we'll never get the
nightmare out of our minds.
The story you've just seen
was suppressed for years,
and is still denied by
the medical community.
But let's be clear
about one thing.
No one is claiming that Marissa
gave birth to an octopus,
only that one was surgically
removed from inside her body.
Despite the contradictions and
cover-ups by those involved,
can this really be possible?
Can a fertilized octopus egg
ingested into the human system
actually grow inside the body?
Certainly other organisms can.
Parasites such as tapeworms
have grown to enormous size
inside their human hosts.
Do you accept this tale
of an octopus who lived
inside a human being as true?
Or is there something
fishy going on here?
NARRATOR We'll find out if
this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a real estate agent sells
a house with a curse on Beyond
Belief Fact or Fiction.
Have you noticed
what big stars
real estate agents have become?
Have you seen their
names and faces
on billboards, on benches,
and in every Sunday newspaper?
Is it any wonder
with star treatment
like this that many
real estate agents begin
to act like stars themselves?
Bev Conklin is a true star
of the real estate world.
See her fast-talking,
charming spiel
is like witnessing
a high-wire act.
But in this case, Bev isn't
working without a net.
She's working
without a conscience.
[music playing]
DON: I'd never met a woman
like Bev Conklin before.
I wish I never had.
Bev was the number one real
estate agent on the East Coast.
She could sell anything,
except Hampton Manor.
I didn't know it at the time,
but the manor was cursed.
All five previous owners had
met with horrible misfortune.
By the time I started
house hunting,
Hampton Manor is
up for sale again.
My wife and I were
fresh from the city.
To Bev, we must've looked
like hors d'oeuvres on a tray,
ready to be devoured.
As we closed the deal
on Hampton Manor,
Bev never mentioned any curse.
Martha and I have been
wanting to move out
of Manhattan for
years, but we just
couldn't find the right house.
Well, you certainly found
it in Hampton Manor, Don.
I can't get over this
fabulous deal you got us, Bev.
I keep thinking,
there has to be
something wrong
with the old place,
but the inspection
checked out fine.
Of course it did.
Bev Conklin only sells the best.
I envy you both.
I just wish I could afford
a home like Hampton Manor.
Will you invite me over once
in a while for a cup of coffee
so I can drool?
You got a deal, Bev.
Me Bye, Don.
Bye, Martha.
Bye-bye, drive safe, now.
Yes!
Yes.
Yes.
Doo doo doo doo doo doo.
What?
What is it?
I just can't
believe you didn't
tell those people about
the curse of Hampton Manor.
We'll keep it up right here
There there's no such thing
as a cursed house.
So those other owners
had some bad luck.
It happens.
It's not my fault.
I just think you should
have said something.
There's nothing in the real
estate code of ethics that says
anything about divulging
dumb superstitions
to potential buyers.
I would have told
them about the curse.
Curse smursh, it's a sale.
Now, you watch.
The Mackles are going
to love that place.
I bet I get a lot of
referrals from that couple.
Go on, go.
Go.
DON: I didn't see Bev Conklin
again for almost six months.
But by this time, things
were very different.
I Who's that sitting at my desk?
That's Mr. Mackle.
Who?
The one that you
sold Hampton Manor to.
Remember?
Oh, the rich stockbroker.
Hmm, he certainly looked better.
OK.
Oh, Mr. Mackle what
are you doing here?
In the market for a
summer home perhaps?
Something on the Cape?
Oh my.
What happened happened to you?
Ever since I took
ownership of Hampton Manor,
my life has gone to ruin.
All my stocks and
bonds collapsed.
My clients abandoned me.
My wife left me for another man.
And I've developed
a bleeding ulcer
that causes me constant pain.
That's all very sad.
What is it you want of me?
I finally learned
from the neighbors
about the curse
of Hampton Manor.
Oh that, really?
Why, why didn't
you tell me about it
before you sold it to me?
That was not my
responsibility.
Now, honestly, Mr.
Mackle, you can't
blame your bad luck on me.
A house is a house.
There is no such
thing as a curse.
I want the Manor
sold immediately.
Oh, well, if you want me to
represent you as your agent,
that's different.
Of course, you understand,
it's going to take
a while to find a buyer.
I mean, that is a
very special house.
No!
It has to be done
today, immediately.
Oh my God, you must be kidding.
I can't find a buyer today.
If I own that house a moment
longer, I know I'll die.
Well, if you'd let
it go for 300,000,
I'd be glad to take it
off your hands today.
But that's less than
half of what I paid for it.
I know.
[gasping]
All right, all
right, it's a deal.
Oh, Don, and you
are going to be so
happy because I am going to
save you so much time in escrow.
I can do it all right here.
DON (VOICEOVER): I signed over
the deal making Bev Conklin
the owner of the
manor she was only
too happy to take
it off my hands But,
then again, she didn't
believe in curses.
I never saw Bev again,
but her assistant Gina,
who definitely
believed in the curse,
told me the rest of the story.
BEV: You know, the
place is fabulous.
I may never sell it.
The bathroom alone is worth
the price of the mortgage.
Oh, now I wish I
was still dating
Reggie, such a nice big tub.
GINA (ON PHONE):
Bev, don't you feel
weird about poor Mr. Mackle?
Why should I?
He's completely nuts.
The place is great.
GINA (ON PHONE):
Aren't you scared?
I told you, I haven't
had one single problem.
GINA (ON PHONE): Seriously?
No, none whatsoever.
GINA (ON PHONE): That's great.
[thunder crashing]
Oh, will you stop already?
There is no curse.
GINA (ON PHONE): Well, I
hope you're right, Bev.
[buzzing]
You know you're just trying
to cover your [inaudible]..
So even if there is some sort of
curse, seven is a lucky number.
[buzzing]
Maybe that will break the chain.
[zapping]
[splashing]
Bev?
Are you all right?
[thunder]
Bev?
Bev?
All
Did Hampton Manor
really have a curse
or was Bev Conklin just
a victim of bad luck?
But then, how do you explain the
misfortune of every other owner
of the property?
Could they all just have
been unlucky people?
Oh, here's something
else to ponder.
We've changed the name and
location of Hampton Manor
for story purposes, but
the home we based it on
had a similar curse.
In fact, a very wealthy couple
bought it in the early '80s.
At the time, they scoffed
at the curse, and why not?
They owned hotels,
skyscrapers, and businesses
all over the world.
Within a short time after
moving into their new home,
their empire crumbled
and dissolved.
Their names?
Harry and Leona Helmsley.
NARRATOR: We'll tell you whether
this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a beheading in
a wax museum on Beyond
Belief Fact or Fiction.
Of all the instruments
of capital punishment,
surely the most fiendish
is the guillotine.
The sentenced
prisoner would place
his or her head
here, affectionately
known as the chopping block.
And then, a blade
sharpened so fine it could
slice a human hair in half would
be released by the executioner.
The result,
[clattering]
A dramatic slice of life.
Of course, the guillotine
has been out of fashion
for a while, but its
legend is still with us.
Pierre St. Jacques is
a student of history.
As a creator of wax
figures, he has to be.
His latest project is the
beheading of French monarch
Marie Antoinette.
And he's praying history
does not repeat itself.
[organ music]
The world-famous
Le Font Wax Museum
is considered by
connoisseurs to be
one of the finest of its kind.
Whether they're duplicating
movie sets, famous moments
from history, the
attention to detail
is legendary, down
to the last bolt.
The creative force behind the
success of the Le Font wax
exhibits was wax
sculptor Pierre St. Jean.
Pierre was not only
a genius in his work,
he was an absolute
perfectionist.
He was so obsessive and
demanding that the only one who
could tolerate his
high-strung behavior
was his loyal brother, Andre.
Together, they have prepared the
precise details for the newest
masterpiece in Pierre's
acclaimed career, the beheading
of Marie Antoinette.
Pierre.
What?
Oh, finally, it's arrived.
Let's see.
[gasping] This is
the exact duplicate
of the blade that separated
poor Marie Antoinette's
head from her body.
Do you really think the public
cares if it's real or not?
I care, and that's
all that matters.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
Pierre's outbursts
were familiar to Andre.
He dismissed them as
the necessary release
of an artistic temperament.
Besides, Pierre was the
one with the talent,
so Andre chose to
tolerate his behavior.
Andre?
Andre!
Why did you put the executioner
in position so soon?
I don't want him here yet.
I didn't.
The last time I look,
he was back there.
Well, Someone moved him here.
Pierre, if I did move
him, wouldn't there
be footprints in the dirt?
Can't you see?
The surface is perfectly smooth.
[piano music]
Oh, I can't be
bothered with this now.
[music playing] Did
you ever think you
would become immortal, Marie?
Is this how it
looked, how it felt?
How close did I come?
[metal squeaking] And what
was going through your head,
those last few moments?
[metal screeching]
[bracket snapping]
[clattering]
Ah!
Pierre, are you all right?
I think so.
It all happened so quickly.
Look.
[rumbling]
[gasping]
Someone is pulling a prank.
ANDRE: Maybe they are
still inside the museum?
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): Pierre
and searched the entire
museum, but could
find no one else there.
The doors were still
bolted from the inside,
so nobody could have left.
The brothers agreed that it
must have been a freak accident,
and went on with their work.
They wanted to put
their fear aside,
that somehow wax
executioner could
be possessed of an evil spirit.
It's strange, it's
just so exciting.
GUEST: Time later.
- Oh, thank you.
ANDRE: It's a great opening
PIERRE: Yes.
Congratulations, brother.
Thank you.
It's everything I
dreamed it would be.
Oh, yes, thank you.
Did you hear the
comments about how
realistic the exhibits are,
especially my Marie Antoinette?
Yes, Pierre, and I
heard the comments.
Perhaps now, finally, you
understand the importance
of my perfectionism.
Perhaps.
[laughter]
Ugh, can you imagine how
horrible that must have been,
to have your head chopped off?
I think it's kind of cool.
I wonder what they did
with all the heads.
That's so sick.
Oh, you know what
would be the bomb?
What?
A picture with your
head in that guillotine.
CHRISSY: Are you crazy?
Come on, Chrissy.
I've got two shots
left on the roll.
It's, it's not like it's real.
It's all wax.
Well, why me?
Why don't you do it?
Because it's got to be a girl.
We're recreating the
beheading of Marie Antoinette.
Come on, it'll be so cool.
OK, but let me know
if somebody's coming.
[rumbling]
[clattering]
[ominous music]
Ha ha, OK, OK, kneel
down and put your head
in the-- on the block.
[rumbling]
Ha ha.
CHRISSY: This is too weird.
Take the picture.
Wait a minute,
wait a minute, I--
I can't get everything in.
[metal squeaking]
Dave, will you just
take the picture?
OK, OK, but it's
not going to work
unless you look more scared.
[ominous music]
But hurry up.
[snapping]
[clattering]
[whooshing]
DAVE: Chrissy!
[banging]
GUEST: What was that?
[guests chattering]
DAVE: Chrissy!
[chrissy whimpering]
What happened?
Are you OK?
I was afraid there
might be another accident,
so I replaced the real blade
with one made of balsa wood.
GUEST: Can someone help her?
Thank you Andre.
GUEST: Is she, is she OK?
Now, I suggest we
replace the executioner.
[ominous music]
[bell tolling]
Did this story really happen?
Or was it merely
overworked imaginations
that made the two
men begin to see
things in their own exhibit?
And why were there no footprints
showing the executioner
had moved?
Was there a demented villain
working behind the scenes?
Or perhaps there
are no explanations
to be found in the real world.
Will this story
of the wax figure
withstand the
lasting test truth?
Or, when all is said and done,
will it simple melt away?
NARRATOR: We'll find out if
this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a hospital becomes a
bloody nightmare on Beyond
Belief Fact or Fiction.
To many seriously ill people,
these bags mean life itself.
The steady drip, drip, drip
of these life giving liquids
provide the beat of life for
patients in critical condition.
But cut off that nourishment,
[beeping]
And the beat goes off.
[alarm droning]
Nurse Gwen Buckbinder
is used to patients who
need nourishment to survive.
But a new patient has just
checked on to her floor
and his medical needs are
about to go off the chart.
GWEN: I'd been
working the midnight
to 7:00 shift at St. Francis
County for the past five years.
I'd seen a lot of strange
cases, but nothing
prepared me for what
came in late one night.
It was just another
John Doe, but this one
was suffering from severe
malnutrition and acute anemia.
He was so far gone, I didn't
think he was going to make it.
He refused all solid food and
was being sustained on glucose
IVs and blood plasma transfers.
But now, only 24 hours later,
his vitals were remarkably up.
It looked like he was
going to pull through.
If you eat some solid food,
you'd recover a lot quicker,
you know.
No appetite yet?
Huh?
If you need anything,
just push your button.
I'm on till 7:00.
[ominous music]
The following night,
I was on my rounds
when I thought I heard voices
coming from inside room 621.
It was 2:00 in the morning,
long past visiting hours.
[mumbling]
Who are you?
And what are you doing here?
Oh we are the Kanes.
We are here to see Eric.
Eric?
His name is Eric Peter.
He did odd jobs for
us around the house.
We became worried last week,
when he did not show up.
So we went to police,
and they sent us here.
[ominous music]
Please leave.
I want to spend some time
with my friends, alone.
It is way past visiting hours.
I'm sorry.
They were not aware.
Please, give us
some time, alone.
[ominous music]
All right, I will break the
rules, but just this once.
Ah, thank you, my dear.
GWEN: So now, I knew the John
Doe's name, Eric Creighton.
But what was really
going on in room 621?
It seemed like more
than just a visit
from a couple of old friends.
And what was that creepy old
man doing in the bathroom?
Excuse me, excuse me.
Could you hold one
second, please?
[doors slamming]
I was determined to get
to the bottom of this.
[monitors beeping]
But I had every right
to check that bathroom.
This was the safest time to do
it without causing an incident.
This patient definitely
had me scared.
What do you want?
I didn't mean to disturb you.
I was just looking
for dirty gowns.
They've already
been picked up.
Now please leave my room.
[door clicking]
GWEN (VOICEOVER): I came
in early the next night.
I just couldn't get Eric
Creighton out of my mind.
Who was he?
Or, more importantly--
Hey, Gwen.
GWEN (VOICEOVER): What was he?
Did you hear about last night?
Somebody ripped of 200 bags
of plasma from the blood bank.
What?
Weird, ain't it?
Yeah, real weird.
Chuck, do me a favor.
Take 621 down to X-ray
and keep him there while.
What's up?
Just do it for me.
I'll tell you later.
All right.
One X-ray coming up.
Don't worry, it
won't hurt a bit.
[ominous music]
Oh my God.
[ominous music]
What are they doing?
[banging]
[gwen screams]
I told you to stay away!
[gwen screams]
Oh my God!
What did you do to him?
Stay away from me!
Medic!
[gwen screams]
Oh!
Oh, no.
No, please no, no.
[growling]
No!
SECURITY: Hey!
[growling]
GWEN: Rick!
Wait, Rick.
[dramatic music]
SECURITY: Hey!
[shattering]
[eric yelling]
[thudding]
GWEN (VOICEOVER):
Hospital officials
kept my story a secret.
[sirens wailing]
They didn't want their hospital
associated with vampires.
And then, it hit me.
Maybe Eric wasn't a vampire.
Maybe his goal, all
along, was to steal
blood and sell it illegally.
By pretending to be
a vampire, he knew
his crime would go unreported.
I guess I'll never know.
What really happened here?
Did the patient
in room 621 really
need to drink blood to survive?
Vampire stories have been
with us for centuries,
and there are
recorded ceremonies
in which certain
tribes and cults
actually drink human blood.
But perhaps the explanation
is more worldly.
Perhaps Eric and his
cohorts were clever thieves
who wanted to give
the impression
of being vampires so their
activities would go unreported.
But then again, how was it
that Eric survived a six
story drop, never to be found?
Is this vampire tale
based on an actual event,
or are we just trying
to suck you in?
NARRATOR: We'll find out if
this story is true or false
at the end of our show.
Next, a deadly game of chance on
Beyond Belief Fact or Fiction.
In the heyday of
the touring carnivals,
prize booths were
big money-makers
for the barkers on the midway.
While many carnivals ran
ethical games of chance,
others stacked the odds
in their own favor.
For example, the points of these
darts are left purposely dull.
The balloons
under-inflated, making them
much more difficult to break.
These milk bottles
make a tempting target.
Knock three over, win a prize.
It looks very easy, until
you learn that they're
weighted on the bottom.
[metal clanging]
Big Ralph Zabrisky ran a
crooked booth at a carnival
for 20 years.
He came from a long
line of cheaters,
but he was very
good at what he did.
But as Ralph is about
to learn, no matter
how skilled the con man,
you can't cheat fate.
Big Ralph's Traveling
Carnival looked
like a place devoted to fun, but
it had a wicked underpinning.
Big Ralph, an ex-con who
had committed everything
from grand larceny
to murder, was
hiding out here from the law.
And while he planned
his next major crime,
he spent his time
running the carnival
and cheating little children.
Close one.
You're good, little girl.
I almost lost one
of my stuffed pals.
Another dollar, another
ring, another chance.
What do you say?
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER) Big
Ralph knew that the hoops were
about the same size as
the cans, so to ring one
was next to impossible.
Aw, too bad.
You got any more money, sweetie?
Then beat it, kid.
You're taking up space.
Step right up.
When a beautiful stuffed
animal for just a dollar.
Wait just a minute.
Step right up.
Well, what do you say, pop?
Put your money down.
Try your luck.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
In the next few moments,
Big Ralph's luck and
his entire future
were about to change forever.
[eerie music]
How did you do that, pop?
Guess I'm just lucky.
Yeah right, real lucky.
Which one do you want?
- The bunny.
- I'll take the bunny.
You ever played
this game before, pop?
You look awful familiar.
Nope, never played.
Thank you, mister.
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): The old man
decided to reward
all the kids who had
been cheated by Ralph that day.
You'll never do
that again, old man.
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
But Big Ralph was wrong.
The old man would do
it again and again
and again, all day long.
[eerie music]
POP: Big ones.
[rings clattering]
JONATHAN FRAKES (VOICEOVER):
This kind of thing had never
happened to Big Ralph before.
The old master
swindler was beginning
to feel he was being
swindled himself,
and there was nothing
he could do to stop it.
[crowd chattering]
SPECTATOR: Hey, get
one for me, mister.
JONATHAN FRAKES
(VOICEOVER): Big Ralph
was being taken to the
cleaners by an old man
with an amazing
ability for ring-toss.
In all the time the old man
was winning prize after prize,
Big Ralph was trying to
guess, what's the angle?
Who is this guy?
Was it somebody from Big
Ralph's violent criminal past?
Ooh.
SPECTATOR: Hey,
get one over here.
Hey, hey.
All All right, that's it.
This booth is
closed for repairs.
Just what kind of game
are you playing, old man?
Ring-toss.
[eerie music]
Ring-toss?
[ominous music]
You hustled me,
you old bag of bones.
I don't know how you
did it, but you did it.
Now, you're gonna pay me
for those stuffed animals.
Hey, I won those
animals fair and square.
I don't owe you anything.
Now, I want
what's coming to me.
Whoa-ho-ho-ho.
You'll get what's coming
to you, Big Ralph.
Who are you, old man?
Just a harmless old man.
But you, you're a cheat.
You've been taking advantage
of children for years.
[glasses shattering]
Now, get off these grounds.
And if I see you here
again, I'll give you
a beating you'll never forget.
[eerie music]
[laughing]
Hey, BIg Ralph, ha ha.
You forgot your ring.
Ha ha ha ha ha.
Ooh.
[laughing]
Hey, I've been
looking for you.
Where you been?
Just taking care
of some business.
What's up?
You got a car
off track inside.
Everything's
going wrong today.
[carnival music]
[eerie music]
[howling]
[gears grinding]
[woman screaming]
Oh, come on, you
rusted bucket of bolts.
[groaning]
Dang it.
What the-- That's just great.
[woman screaming] Ah!
Ah.
Ah!
Get out of my face, you
cheap piece of junk.
[groaning]
[wheels clattering]
Ow!
Ah, my foot!
My foot.
Ow!
Big Ralph, are
you OK in there?
What?
Ow, oh, oh.
[laughter]
What's going on?
Somebody, you stop
playing with the sounds.
[buzzing]
Oh, forget this.
[woman screaming]
[laughter]
Oh, it can't be.
It just can't be.
Oh.
Ow!
Jay, Bobby, I need help.
Now!
[laughter]
This laughter's
driving me nuts.
It won't turn off, I tried.
[laughter]
Oh my God.
So the old man had the
last laugh on Big Ralph,
who was now hanged
to death by the hoop
from the game of ring-toss.
Who was the mysterious old man?
Was he some spirit sent to
avenge the wrongful deeds
of Big Ralph?
Or was Big Ralph done in
by some angry employees
who were tired of his
treachery and hateful ways?
But then, how do you explain
the close resemblance
of the old man to
the funhouse figure?
Was that's set up to make
an all too real crime
seem supernatural?
Is this tale of the
deadly game of ring-toss
inspired by an actual event?
Or have we rigged
the game, once again?
NARRATOR: Next, you'll find out
which of our stories are fact
and which are fiction,
when Beyond Belief returns.
Now let's look back
at tonight's stories
and find out which ones are
inspired by actual events,
and which ones
are totally false.
The story of the young girl
who swallowed a fertilized
octopus egg and grew the
creature inside her body,
true or false?
What about the
movement I was feeling?
Oh, that was probably a
muscle spasm, or some gas.
It wasn't a muscle
spasm, or gas.
Marissa, the test
came back negative.
You're not pregnant.
Do you think you've heard
a story like this somewhere?
Is it true?
Only in the world
of urban legends.
Although this one has
been circulated as true,
it's fiction.
[clanging]
Now, let's look at the
house with the curse on it.
Was this story true?
I finally learned
from the neighbors
about the curse
of Hampton Manor.
Oh, that.
Really?
Why, why didn't
you tell me about it
before you sold it to me?
That was not my
responsibility.
Although we changed
the name of the house,
the story was inspired
by an actual event.
[clanging]
The story of the wax museum
with the deadly exhibit,
how did you judge that one?
And what was going
through your head,
those last few moments?
[clattering]
Pierre, are you all right?
This eerie tale
of the wax exhibit
that seems to have a life of
its own has to be false, right?
Wrong, this one happened
in a wax museum in Canada.
Our source material spots
it around three decades ago.
[clanging]
Let's review the
story of the hospital
with a bloodthirsty patient.
GWEN: What are they doing?
[banging]
I told you to stay away!
Oh my God!
What did you do to him?
There is certainly
more than one
cult in this country associated
with vampire-like activities.
Is it possible that one of
them participated in our story?
Yes, it is possible
because our research shows
this story happened to a
Registered Nurse on the East
Coast, about 20 years ago.
It's fact.
[clanging]
what about the cheating carnival
barker who met an ironic fate
in his own funhouse?
This booth is
closed for repairs.
Just what kind of game
are you playing, old man?
Ring-toss.
There's a common
belief that carnivals
employ people with shady or
questionable backgrounds.
This lends credence to the
fact that this story may have
happened, but not this time.
We made it up.
[clanging]
Once again, We've tried
to demonstrate that truth
and falsehood live side by side.
Were you able to separate
fact from fiction tonight?
Or did you find our conclusions
simply Beyond Belief I'm
Jonathan Frakes.
NARRATOR: Join us
next week for more
Beyond Belief Fact or Fiction.
[dramatic music]
[tranquil music]