All notes filed under:
Verified
Well-documented by reputable humans and is logical given other things we know to be true.
002 |
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00:00:51 | Image: Johns Hopkins University exterior | Medical Education |
Photograph of Johns Hopkins taken by Harvey Cushing circa 1900. View Full FootnotePhotograph of Johns Hopkins taken by Harvey Cushing circa 1900. |
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022 |
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00:04:41 | Image: Chapter I text page | The Life of a Man |
The text here is reproduced from The Life of a Man‘s preface (with minor edits). View Full FootnoteThe text here is reproduced from The Life of a Man‘s preface (with minor edits). |
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040 |
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00:06:36 | Image: Train depot |
This drawing is based on a photo of the real Milford train depot (date unknown). View Full FootnoteThis drawing is based on a photo of the real Milford train depot (date unknown). |
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042 |
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00:06:44 | Image: Milford, built up | Advertising & PR, Puffery |
Brinkley’s status as perpetual benefactor to his community is a big part of the image he cultivated, for obvious reasons. There are loads of period newspaper references to how much Brinkley “built up” Milford (“the Milford [Little League baseball] team wears uniforms furnished by Dr. Brinkley” said The Junction City Daily Union in 1922, and … View Full FootnoteBrinkley’s status as perpetual benefactor to his community is a big part of the image he cultivated, for obvious reasons. There are loads of period newspaper references to how much Brinkley “built up” Milford (“the Milford [Little League baseball] team wears uniforms furnished by Dr. Brinkley” said The Junction City Daily Union in 1922, and “[Brinkley] gave the town a $25,000 Methodist church in memory of his mother” claimd The San Bernardino County Sun in 1933) but they’re all pretty hard to substantiate. He certainly made many improvements to his own property, and spared no expense (“Brinkley built electrical, water and sewage systems for his hospital, and soon his power plant supplied Milford businesses, then the Methodist church, then residences. He expanded the water and sewer systems also, and sidewalks were built,” wrote Lee). And there’s little doubt that Milford benefitted from its new status as rejuvenation destination (“trains stop regularly at Milford and electric lights and asphalt streets have supplanted kerosene lamps and mud roads” said the Wilmington News-Journal in 1923, and “the town is planning a new hotel” said The San Bernardino County Sun in 1923). But remember that he’s got a paid staff of PR people working for him to place stories just like these in newspapers! |
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043 |
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00:06:47 | Dialogue: “became very active in the Methodist church” |
In fact, he built the Methodist Church! View Full FootnoteIn fact, he built the Methodist Church! |
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00:06:53 | Dialogue: “they loved him” |
They loved him so much that in 1933, newspapers reported that a “majority of voters” in Milford unsuccessfully petitioned to have the town itself renamed “Brinkley.” View Full FootnoteThey loved him so much that in 1933, newspapers reported that a “majority of voters” in Milford unsuccessfully petitioned to have the town itself renamed “Brinkley.” |
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00:07:27 | Text: Author, “Charlatan” | Expert Interview |
Pope Brock wrote a Brinkley biography called Charlatan, which is how we found out about Brinkley in the first place! View Full FootnotePope Brock wrote a Brinkley biography called Charlatan, which is how we found out about Brinkley in the first place! |
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051 |
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00:07:37 | Dialogue: “Pretty soon he had his own herd of goats out back” |
This is logical, we’ve read it in multiple sources, and we’re guessing we can believe the photo caption. View Full FootnoteThis is logical, we’ve read it in multiple sources, and we’re guessing we can believe the photo caption. |
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057 |
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00:08:01 | Dialogue: “1923, when radio was just beginning” |
True, radio was really taking off in the early 1920s. View Full FootnoteTrue, radio was really taking off in the early 1920s. |
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058 |
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00:08:04 | Dialogue: “Brinkley realized what radio could do” | “Great Man” Theory |
The story goes that he “realized what radio could do” when he visited California in 1922. “In February 1922 the doctor received a brusque invitation from Harry Chandler, owner of the Los Angeles Times, to come to the West Coast and put goat glands in one of his editors” (Brock, 56). “Chandler was in the … View Full FootnoteThe story goes that he “realized what radio could do” when he visited California in 1922. “In February 1922 the doctor received a brusque invitation from Harry Chandler, owner of the Los Angeles Times, to come to the West Coast and put goat glands in one of his editors” (Brock, 56). “Chandler was in the midst of constructing Los Angeles’ first radio station, KHJ. Brinkley saw it and had a religious experience” (Brock, 60). In September of 1922, Brinkley installed a state of the art radio receiving set in his own home, a big enough deal to make the papers. |
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063 |
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00:08:40 | Image: KFKB |
The drawing of the station is based on a real photograph of KFKB. (See also: notes 8 and 23 on the origin of this image of Milford.) View Full FootnoteThe drawing of the station is based on a real photograph of KFKB. (See also: notes 8 and 23 on the origin of this image of Milford.) |
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067 |
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00:08:47 | Text: “Sunshine station in the heart of the nation” | Advertising & PR |
“The Sunshine Station in the Heart of the Nation” was the real slogan of KFKB (which he would repurpose for his later Mexican radio station as “The Sunshine Station Between the Nations”). Sometimes Brinkley said KFKB stood for “Kansas First, Kansas Best” and other times “Kansas Folks Know Best.” (See also: note 185 on XERA … View Full Footnote“The Sunshine Station in the Heart of the Nation” was the real slogan of KFKB (which he would repurpose for his later Mexican radio station as “The Sunshine Station Between the Nations”). Sometimes Brinkley said KFKB stood for “Kansas First, Kansas Best” and other times “Kansas Folks Know Best.” (See also: note 185 on XERA slogan.) |
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072 |
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00:09:41 | Soundtrack: Potted palm music |
The “potted palm” music is by the Victor Salon Orchestra, from a record called “Music to Relax By” (late 1920s or early 1930s). View Full FootnoteThe “potted palm” music is by the Victor Salon Orchestra, from a record called “Music to Relax By” (late 1920s or early 1930s). |
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076 |
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00:11:00 | Dialogue: “Then he worked out this whole thing with druggists” |
Brinkley indeed had this “network of druggists”: the Brinkley Pharmaceutical Association, who stocked Brinkley medicines. People who listened to Medical Question Box would be told which medicine to take for what ailment, and they could visit any number of “official” Brinkley medicine purveyors to buy them. View Full FootnoteBrinkley indeed had this “network of druggists”: the Brinkley Pharmaceutical Association, who stocked Brinkley medicines. People who listened to Medical Question Box would be told which medicine to take for what ailment, and they could visit any number of “official” Brinkley medicine purveyors to buy them. |
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081 |
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00:11:39 | Dialogue: “When I left my little cabin” | Brinkley Family, Origin Story, The Life of a Man |
Brinkley was specifically from Beta, North Carolina. View Full FootnoteBrinkley was specifically from Beta, North Carolina. |
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00:11:43 | Dialogue: “I’d known very few” | Brinkley Family, Origin Story, The Life of a Man |
According to Brinkley himself (who else are you supposed to believe when it comes to the personal details of a life that can’t be otherwise verified?), he indeed grew up in these conditions. View Full FootnoteAccording to Brinkley himself (who else are you supposed to believe when it comes to the personal details of a life that can’t be otherwise verified?), he indeed grew up in these conditions. |
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083 |
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00:11:51 | Image: Brinkley’s mother | Brinkley Family, Origin Story, The Life of a Man |
John R. Brinkley was born a bastard. This image of a photo of his birth mother, Sarah Candace Burnett, who was impregnated by an unknown man outside of wedlock. The boy was named after and raised by his uncle John Brinkley, married to the aunt of his birth mother. (Did you follow that? No, we … View Full FootnoteJohn R. Brinkley was born a bastard. This image of a photo of his birth mother, Sarah Candace Burnett, who was impregnated by an unknown man outside of wedlock. The boy was named after and raised by his uncle John Brinkley, married to the aunt of his birth mother. (Did you follow that? No, we didn’t either, but this appears to be correct.) |
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084 |
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00:11:57 | Image: Brinkley as a boy | Brinkley Family, Origin Story, The Life of a Man |
This is a photo of young Brinkley included in The Life of a Man. View Full FootnoteThis is a photo of young Brinkley included in The Life of a Man. |
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00:12:01 | Image: Brinkley’s father | Brinkley Family, Origin Story, The Life of a Man |
This is a photo of Brinkley’s father included in The Life of a Man. View Full FootnoteThis is a photo of Brinkley’s father included in The Life of a Man. |
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00:13:41 | Image: Roses | Brinkley Family, Puffery |
We play up Brinkley’s verified love of flowers, especially roses, whenever we can because it makes him seem like a bit of a romantic. View Full FootnoteWe play up Brinkley’s verified love of flowers, especially roses, whenever we can because it makes him seem like a bit of a romantic. |
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096 |
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00:13:56 | Dialogue: “A tutor” | Brinkley Family |
Johnny Boy indeed had a tutor named Lowell Brown, a former grade school principal. View Full FootnoteJohnny Boy indeed had a tutor named Lowell Brown, a former grade school principal. |
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00:14:04 | Dialogue: “He is gonna make a man” | Brinkley Family |
This line is borrowed from the last ever letter Brinkley wrote Minnie in 1942. (See also: note 306 for more on “the last love letter.”) View Full FootnoteThis line is borrowed from the last ever letter Brinkley wrote Minnie in 1942. (See also: note 306 for more on “the last love letter.”) |
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098 |
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00:14:24 | Dialogue: “A blatant quack” |
Fishbein’s words throughout this section are paraphrased from his actual writing. Here is the first time we bring the word “quack” into this film. It’s worth taking a second to define it. We like Stephen Barret’s definition of quackery as “anything involving overpromotion in the field of health. This definition would include questionable ideas as … View Full FootnoteFishbein’s words throughout this section are paraphrased from his actual writing. Here is the first time we bring the word “quack” into this film. It’s worth taking a second to define it. We like Stephen Barret’s definition of quackery as “anything involving overpromotion in the field of health. This definition would include questionable ideas as well as questionable products and services, regardless of the sincerity of their promoters. In line with this definition, the word ‘fraud’ would be reserved only for situations in which deliberate deception is involved. Unproven methods are not necessarily quackery. Those consistent with established scientific concepts may be considered experimental. Legitimate researchers and practitioners do not promote unproven procedures in the marketplace but engage in responsible, properly-designed studies. Methods not compatible with established scientific concepts should be classified as nonsensical or disproven rather than experimental. Methods that sound scientific but are nonsensical can also be classified as pseudoscientific. Folk medicine, even when known to be erroneous, is not generally considered quackery so long as it is not done for gain. Thus, self-treatment, family home treatment, neighborly medical advice, and the noncommercial activities of folk healers should not be labeled as quackery. However, folk medicine and quackery are closely connected because folk medicine often provides a basis for commercial exploitation. For example, herbs long gathered for personal use have been packaged and promoted by modern entrepreneurs, and practitioners who once served their neighbors voluntarily or for gratuities may market themselves outside their traditional communities. All things considered, I find it most useful to define quackery as the promotion of unsubstantiated methods that lack a scientifically plausible rationale. Promotion usually involves a profit motive. Unsubstantiated means either unproven or disproven. Implausible means that it either clashes with well-established facts or makes so little sense that it is not worth testing.” We have already established Brinkley as the hero of this story and are trying to keep you identifying with him as such. So we’re doing a lot of manipulative things to make you think that he is not a quack, and to ensure that even if you already know that Brinkley is a quack, at this point you may think he is at least not a fraud (maybe he’s just a bit of a weirdo who believes this stuff works.) Later, we will make it as clear as possible that we think he is both a quack and a fraud. Conversely, we are now introducing Morris Fishbein as Brinkley’s nemesis. So we’re doing what we can to make him as unappealing and unreasonable as possible. Later, we will make it clear that Fishbein was hardly perfect, but when it comes to Brinkley he was entirely correct. |
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100 |
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00:14:43 | Image: Archival of AMA exterior, Fishbein’s office | Medical Education |
Archival imagery taken from “Men Of Medicine” (American Medical Association, 1938). It’s from a slightly later time period than is being discussed here… View Full FootnoteArchival imagery taken from “Men Of Medicine” (American Medical Association, 1938). It’s from a slightly later time period than is being discussed here… |
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00:14:49 | Text: Medical Historian | Expert Interview |
Professor Megan Seaholm is a senior lecturer in the Dept. of History at UT Austin. One of her research areas is the social construction of medical science and medical practice. View Full FootnoteProfessor Megan Seaholm is a senior lecturer in the Dept. of History at UT Austin. One of her research areas is the social construction of medical science and medical practice. |
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00:15:04 | Image: Archival of medical students | Medical Education |
Archival imagery taken from “Men Of Medicine” (American Medical Association, 1938). It’s from a slightly later time period than is being discussed here… View Full FootnoteArchival imagery taken from “Men Of Medicine” (American Medical Association, 1938). It’s from a slightly later time period than is being discussed here… |
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00:15:30 | Image: Archival of Fishbein at podium |
Archival imagery taken from “Men Of Medicine” (American Medical Association, 1938). It’s from a slightly later time period than is being discussed here… View Full FootnoteArchival imagery taken from “Men Of Medicine” (American Medical Association, 1938). It’s from a slightly later time period than is being discussed here… |
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00:16:41 | Image: FRC members |
This is actually a photo of the Federal Radio Commission in 1929, so pretty close to the right time period. Also: omg, look at how big their ears are!!! View Full FootnoteThis is actually a photo of the Federal Radio Commission in 1929, so pretty close to the right time period. Also: omg, look at how big their ears are!!! |
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00:16:43 | Dialogue: “Wild radio dial” |
The FRC was created in 1926 to regulate radio use “as the public interest, convenience, or necessity” requires. The Radio Act of 1927 superseded the Radio Act of 1912, which had given regulatory powers over radio communication to the Secretary of Commerce and Labor. View Full FootnoteThe FRC was created in 1926 to regulate radio use “as the public interest, convenience, or necessity” requires. The Radio Act of 1927 superseded the Radio Act of 1912, which had given regulatory powers over radio communication to the Secretary of Commerce and Labor. |
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115 |
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00:16:49 | Dialogue: “The FCC” |
True. The Federal Radio Commission became the Federal Communications Commission in 1934. View Full FootnoteTrue. The Federal Radio Commission became the Federal Communications Commission in 1934. |
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00:17:03 | Dialogue: “America’s favorite radio station” |
True: KFKB was voted the most popular radio station in America in a 1929 survey conducted by the Chicago-based magazine Radio Times. But we’ve noticed that quacks are especially good at calling on their fans to vote in things like this. They can always marshal popularity when credibility is scarce. View Full FootnoteTrue: KFKB was voted the most popular radio station in America in a 1929 survey conducted by the Chicago-based magazine Radio Times. But we’ve noticed that quacks are especially good at calling on their fans to vote in things like this. They can always marshal popularity when credibility is scarce. |
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122 |
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00:18:40 | Dialogue: “Alternative medicine” |
This term “alternative practitioners” is not historically accurate, but it’s more legible to a contemporary audience than “irregular doctors.” (That’s what they called alternative practitioners back then!) View Full FootnoteThis term “alternative practitioners” is not historically accurate, but it’s more legible to a contemporary audience than “irregular doctors.” (That’s what they called alternative practitioners back then!) |
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00:18:54 | Dialogue: “Is only in an experimental stage” | Puffery |
We borrowed the lines, “Of course gland transplantation is only in an experimental stage – for some people…” from The Life of A Man (254). The point is that this guy is right: gland transplantation was only in an experimental stage, and was soon abandoned as totally ineffective (see note 12 on omitted background on the era of … View Full FootnoteWe borrowed the lines, “Of course gland transplantation is only in an experimental stage – for some people…” from The Life of A Man (254). The point is that this guy is right: gland transplantation was only in an experimental stage, and was soon abandoned as totally ineffective (see note 12 on omitted background on the era of experimental gland transplantation). |
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00:22:05 | Image: FRC members |
This is actually a photo of the Federal Radio Commission in 1929, so pretty close to the right time period. Also: omg, look at how big their ears are!!! View Full FootnoteThis is actually a photo of the Federal Radio Commission in 1929, so pretty close to the right time period. Also: omg, look at how big their ears are!!! |
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00:22:22 | Dialogue: “Pornography” |
Brinkley faced three charges: KFKB had deviated from its assigned wave length; he was broadcasting obscene and indecent things; and his answers to listeners to his Medical Question Box were “inimical to the public interest.” We are reenacting this hearing as if the FRC were just snobs who didn’t like country music or hated the … View Full FootnoteBrinkley faced three charges: KFKB had deviated from its assigned wave length; he was broadcasting obscene and indecent things; and his answers to listeners to his Medical Question Box were “inimical to the public interest.” We are reenacting this hearing as if the FRC were just snobs who didn’t like country music or hated the First Amendment. While these issues were certainly at play, it was most of all the advisability and safety of Medical Question Box (which we’re leaving out completely) that was at issue at the hearing. Prescribing medicines for people over the air was seen as a pretty bad thing to do. |
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00:22:32 | Image: Brinkley supporters |
According to Brock, about thirty Brinkley supporters took the stand, but mostly they talked about was how much they loved Medical Question Box. View Full FootnoteAccording to Brock, about thirty Brinkley supporters took the stand, but mostly they talked about was how much they loved Medical Question Box. |
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00:23:51 | Dialogue: “They revoked both” | Brinkley Family |
It’s more accurate to say that the FRC declined to renew his radio license. The FRC decision was made on Friday the 13th(!) of June 1930. The vote was 3-2. Also, Brinkley appealed both of these decisions and the appeals process went on for a few more months, but we’re leaving all that our for … View Full FootnoteIt’s more accurate to say that the FRC declined to renew his radio license. The FRC decision was made on Friday the 13th(!) of June 1930. The vote was 3-2. Also, Brinkley appealed both of these decisions and the appeals process went on for a few more months, but we’re leaving all that our for brevity since his appeals failed anyway. |
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00:27:06 | Image: Chapter III title page | The Life of a Man |
“The Will of the People” is Clement Wood’s title for Chapter XIII in his book, dealing with the same period. The title refers to Brinkley’s preferred version of the story of the gubernatorial race: “Thousands of Kansans have written urging me to run for governor,” he said. “Judging from my mail the people of Kansas … View Full Footnote“The Will of the People” is Clement Wood’s title for Chapter XIII in his book, dealing with the same period. The title refers to Brinkley’s preferred version of the story of the gubernatorial race: “Thousands of Kansans have written urging me to run for governor,” he said. “Judging from my mail the people of Kansas seem to believe that I have been persecuted, not prosecuted, and as long as I have a leg to stand on I will fight'” (quoted in Brock, 155). |
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00:27:31 | Image: Goat paperweight |
A real paperweight, yes. View Full FootnoteA real paperweight, yes. |
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00:27:37 | Image: Headline, “Lakes” |
Weird but true, this business with the lakes! It had to do with increasing rainfall. “Brinkley also proposed building a recreational lake in every county in the state” (Lee, 122). View Full FootnoteWeird but true, this business with the lakes! It had to do with increasing rainfall. “Brinkley also proposed building a recreational lake in every county in the state” (Lee, 122). |
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00:27:39 | Dialogue: “When God made Kansas” |
Weird but true, this business with the lakes! It had to do with increasing rainfall. “Brinkley also proposed building a recreational lake in every county in the state” (Lee, 122). We feel that we didn’t make up the actual line “When God made Kansas, He blessed her with everything but lakes” (it sure sounds like … View Full FootnoteWeird but true, this business with the lakes! It had to do with increasing rainfall. “Brinkley also proposed building a recreational lake in every county in the state” (Lee, 122). We feel that we didn’t make up the actual line “When God made Kansas, He blessed her with everything but lakes” (it sure sounds like Brinkley!), but we can’t track down the reference now, so maybe we did make it up? |
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155 |
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00:27:49 | Dialogue: “The first thing I’ll do” |
True! “He favored free textbooks, free medical services for the poor, and health clubs for children in every county” (Lee, 122). View Full FootnoteTrue! “He favored free textbooks, free medical services for the poor, and health clubs for children in every county” (Lee, 122). |
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00:28:27 | Dialogue: “Put on shows featuring the stars of KFKB” |
True. Also there is an omission here: although the FRC had revoked KFKB’s broadcasting license, Brinkley appealed to the U.S. Appeals Court and was given a temporary stay. He used KFKB to great advantage during this campaign. View Full FootnoteTrue. Also there is an omission here: although the FRC had revoked KFKB’s broadcasting license, Brinkley appealed to the U.S. Appeals Court and was given a temporary stay. He used KFKB to great advantage during this campaign. |
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00:29:26 | Dialogue: “Brinkley was going to win” |
It really did appear to many that he was going to win! Some sources say that his campaign brought out the most voters in Kansas history. View Full FootnoteIt really did appear to many that he was going to win! Some sources say that his campaign brought out the most voters in Kansas history. |
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00:29:53 | Dialogue: “Spell his name” |
Smith really did issue this ruling about the spelling issue on November 1 (three days before the election). View Full FootnoteSmith really did issue this ruling about the spelling issue on November 1 (three days before the election). |
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00:30:41 | Dialogue: “Was not correct” |
We never looked this up ourselves, but we trust that Reardon did. He researched this episode extensively. View Full FootnoteWe never looked this up ourselves, but we trust that Reardon did. He researched this episode extensively. |
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00:30:51 | Dialogue: “Say it with me” | Advertising & PR |
True. Brinkley really did lead crowds in spelling out his name correctly. He even handed out pencils imprinted with the correct spelling. View Full FootnoteTrue. Brinkley really did lead crowds in spelling out his name correctly. He even handed out pencils imprinted with the correct spelling. |
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00:31:19 | Dialogue: “Vote count would go on for 12 days” |
True: the polls closed November 4, and the election was decided November 16. View Full FootnoteTrue: the polls closed November 4, and the election was decided November 16. |
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00:31:34 | Dialogue: “People wrote in Brinkey’s name for everything: the Supreme Court…” |
The Kansas City Times reported that he received votes for both Senate seats, Supreme Court justice, for Congress, and for other county positions, and that Brinkley got more than 20,000 votes in Oklahoma. View Full FootnoteThe Kansas City Times reported that he received votes for both Senate seats, Supreme Court justice, for Congress, and for other county positions, and that Brinkley got more than 20,000 votes in Oklahoma. |
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00:32:02 | Image: Vote tally |
Woodring received 217,171 votes, to Haucke’s 216,920, and Brinkley’s 183,278. View Full FootnoteWoodring received 217,171 votes, to Haucke’s 216,920, and Brinkley’s 183,278. |
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00:32:34 | Image: Archival of fishing trip |
This bizarre 1934 film is a professionally filmed record of a three-month journey aboard the Brinkleys’ yacht (named the “Doctor Brinkley,” of course). It is seventy-five minuts long and culminates with Dr. Brinkley’s 788-pound tuna catch, which broke the Western Hemisphere record held by Zane Grey. The film also includes a visit to Brinkley’s birthplace … View Full FootnoteThis bizarre 1934 film is a professionally filmed record of a three-month journey aboard the Brinkleys’ yacht (named the “Doctor Brinkley,” of course). It is seventy-five minuts long and culminates with Dr. Brinkley’s 788-pound tuna catch, which broke the Western Hemisphere record held by Zane Grey. The film also includes a visit to Brinkley’s birthplace in Beta, NC. We loved this film so very much, in part because it contains a reference to the idea of the “fish story,” or “big fish story” – a colloquial term for an outlandish and far-fetched story full of lies… or a story that’s just too good to be true. |
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00:35:56 | Text: “Sunshine Station” | Advertising & PR |
“The Sunshine Station Between The Nations” was a reworking of his earlier KFKB slogan, “The Sunshine Station in the Heart of the Nation” (see note 67). View Full Footnote“The Sunshine Station Between The Nations” was a reworking of his earlier KFKB slogan, “The Sunshine Station in the Heart of the Nation” (see note 67). |
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00:36:07 | Dialogue: “5,000 watts” |
True (also see note 65 for details on KFKB power). View Full FootnoteTrue (also see note 65 for details on KFKB power). |
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197 |
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00:37:09 | Soundtrack: Carter Family |
The Carter Family were in fact one of the “in house bands” at XERA from 1937 to 1939. “Their three year stint on XERA would turn the Carter Family from regional stars into national icons, ‘the inventors of commercial country music,’ ‘the big bang of country music,’ the first act elected to the Country Music … View Full FootnoteThe Carter Family were in fact one of the “in house bands” at XERA from 1937 to 1939. “Their three year stint on XERA would turn the Carter Family from regional stars into national icons, ‘the inventors of commercial country music,’ ‘the big bang of country music,’ the first act elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.” |
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00:37:32 | Image: Advertisement for happiness | Advertising & PR |
This ad is for a line of products by a charlatan named Rose Dawn who looked a lot like Mae West. “Border performers were rated by how much mail they could ‘pull.’ Rose Dawn, Brinkley’s personal astrologer, became ‘one of the most successful mail pullers in border radio history.’ Rose would read listeners’ horoscopes, pray … View Full FootnoteThis ad is for a line of products by a charlatan named Rose Dawn who looked a lot like Mae West. “Border performers were rated by how much mail they could ‘pull.’ Rose Dawn, Brinkley’s personal astrologer, became ‘one of the most successful mail pullers in border radio history.’ Rose would read listeners’ horoscopes, pray for a radio fan, or give lovelorn advice for $1 per service – with no discounted rates for a combination thereof. Rose also offered a book that would make a personality ‘blossom like a flower’ or vials of perfume that would affect one’s own and other people’s behavior in an extraordinary manner, for $1 each. Some wags began referring to [Del Rio] as Dollar Rio. Rose was married to Koran, a missionary for an occult society called the Mayan Order, and the couple was ‘an ethereal sight on the streets of Del Rio as the glided past gawking onlookers in their pink Chrysler trimmed in green with orchid wheels” (Lee, 161). |
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00:38:04 | Dialogue: “Kolor-Bak is a solution” | Advertising & PR |
The Kolor-Bak radio ad is from a real XERA broadcast, c. 1937-9; the voice is one of the members of the Pickard Family. The image is also from a real Kolor-Bak ad we found online. View Full FootnoteThe Kolor-Bak radio ad is from a real XERA broadcast, c. 1937-9; the voice is one of the members of the Pickard Family. The image is also from a real Kolor-Bak ad we found online. |
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00:38:10 | Dialogue: “Kolor-Bak actually had some kind of lead” | Advertising & PR |
In 1922, the American Medical Association analyzed KolorBak and found it to be made primarily of lead (with some sulphur, salt and alcohol), warning that the product could cause lead poisoning. View Full FootnoteIn 1922, the American Medical Association analyzed KolorBak and found it to be made primarily of lead (with some sulphur, salt and alcohol), warning that the product could cause lead poisoning. |
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00:38:14 | Image: Kolor-Bak ad detail | Advertising & PR |
The Kolor-Bak radio ad is from a real XERA broadcast, c. 1937-9; the voice is one of the members of the Pickard Family. The image is also from a real Kolor-Bak ad we found online. View Full FootnoteThe Kolor-Bak radio ad is from a real XERA broadcast, c. 1937-9; the voice is one of the members of the Pickard Family. The image is also from a real Kolor-Bak ad we found online. |
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00:38:48 | Image: Gate |
This image is from a film made in 1934 about Brinkley’s fishing exploits titled “Making A World’s Record.” So, actually it’s just about chronologically correct in this usage! View Full FootnoteThis image is from a film made in 1934 about Brinkley’s fishing exploits titled “Making A World’s Record.” So, actually it’s just about chronologically correct in this usage! |
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00:39:54 | Image: Congressional bill |
This is indeed the text of a Congressional bill. View Full FootnoteThis is indeed the text of a Congressional bill. |
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00:40:17 | Image: Congressional bill |
True: Section 325(b) of the Communications Act of 1934 was written into law in an attempt to halt live broadcasting via telephone lines from radio studios in the United States linked to “border blaster” transmitters on the Mexican side of the border. This amendment is colloquially referred to as the “Brinkley Act.” View Full FootnoteTrue: Section 325(b) of the Communications Act of 1934 was written into law in an attempt to halt live broadcasting via telephone lines from radio studios in the United States linked to “border blaster” transmitters on the Mexican side of the border. This amendment is colloquially referred to as the “Brinkley Act.” |
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00:40:28 | Dialogue: “Brinkley circumvented” | “Great Man” Theory, Puffery |
Brinkley probably didn’t himself “invent” this method of recording on transcription discs, but he was an early adopter of the technology and was the first to use it to circumvent the new law. So many transcription discs were produced and discarded by XERA that locals supposedly used them as roofing shingles. View Full FootnoteBrinkley probably didn’t himself “invent” this method of recording on transcription discs, but he was an early adopter of the technology and was the first to use it to circumvent the new law. So many transcription discs were produced and discarded by XERA that locals supposedly used them as roofing shingles. |
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00:40:52 | Dialogue: “Soon became an industry standard” | “Great Man” Theory |
Yup. View Full FootnoteYup. |
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00:41:28 | Dialogue: “He had his record breaking tuna” |
True. View Full FootnoteTrue. |
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00:41:45 | Dialogue: “Every Sunday evening” |
We don’t know if it was “every Sunday evening,” but Brinkley in fact owned a giant fountain with interactive colored lights he controlled from a panel inside his house. We have seen the panel, which is still in the Brinkley Mansion, or it was as of 2009 when we visited. He also had a (rare … View Full FootnoteWe don’t know if it was “every Sunday evening,” but Brinkley in fact owned a giant fountain with interactive colored lights he controlled from a panel inside his house. We have seen the panel, which is still in the Brinkley Mansion, or it was as of 2009 when we visited. He also had a (rare and expensive) player organ inside his house and installed giant speakers so he could play the music outside. Eventually the Brinkleys installed a parking lot across the street from their house for all the cars bringing the onlookers. |
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00:42:18 | Image: Archival film of Romulus and Remus statue | Rome |
This statue is a replica of the iconic “Capitoline Wolf,” depicting future founders of Rome Romulus and Remus suckling at a wolf’s teat. The image was a favorite of Mussolini’s, who liked to cast himself as the founder of “New Rome.” He gave replicas of the Capitoline Wolf to many U.S. cities called “Rome” as … View Full FootnoteThis statue is a replica of the iconic “Capitoline Wolf,” depicting future founders of Rome Romulus and Remus suckling at a wolf’s teat. The image was a favorite of Mussolini’s, who liked to cast himself as the founder of “New Rome.” He gave replicas of the Capitoline Wolf to many U.S. cities called “Rome” as a gesture of goodwill c. 1929-1931. We don’t know where Brinkley got his copy from, but Brinkley visited Italy in 1925 (where he received a medical degree from the University of Pavia, later rescinded). He was quite enamoured of Italian culture and especially Mussolini himself. Incidentally, the Capitoline Wolf was traditionally thought to be an Etruscan work from the 5th century B.C., with the twins added in the 15th century A.D., but recent scholarship and carbon dating have established pretty certainly that the sculpture is from between the 11th and 12th centuries A.D. |
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00:43:37 | Image: Sound archival film of Brinkley’s lecture |
The gist of this filmed lecture (from which of course we’ve only used a tiny excerpt) was to tell patients that they can’t bring their whole families with them when they visit the Brinkley Hospital. He goes on to explain this at great length. It’s very weird. View Full FootnoteThe gist of this filmed lecture (from which of course we’ve only used a tiny excerpt) was to tell patients that they can’t bring their whole families with them when they visit the Brinkley Hospital. He goes on to explain this at great length. It’s very weird. |
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00:44:55 | Image: Junk mail | Advertising & PR |
Real circulars from Brinkley’s many ventures. We have not, until now, given you a real sense of just how much junk mail this man produced! Watch the letterheads and slogans change; he changes the name of his hospital, operation, etc. even more often than he changes their locations. View Full FootnoteReal circulars from Brinkley’s many ventures. We have not, until now, given you a real sense of just how much junk mail this man produced! Watch the letterheads and slogans change; he changes the name of his hospital, operation, etc. even more often than he changes their locations. |
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00:45:40 | Image: Hospital, Little Rock postcard | Advertising & PR |
Brinkley called this one “The World’s Most Beautiful Hospital” or the “Country Club Hospital.” View Full FootnoteBrinkley called this one “The World’s Most Beautiful Hospital” or the “Country Club Hospital.” |
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00:45:42 | Image: Hospital, Downtown Little Rock |
This one was in downtown Little Rock. View Full FootnoteThis one was in downtown Little Rock. |
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00:45:47 | Dialogue: “Remember Del Rio” | Advertising & PR |
Yes, this is an actual thing Brinkley said. View Full FootnoteYes, this is an actual thing Brinkley said. |
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00:45:53 | Image: Junk mail and ads piling up | Advertising & PR |
Real circulars from Brinkley’s many ventures. We have not, until now, given you a real sense of just how much junk mail this man produced! View Full FootnoteReal circulars from Brinkley’s many ventures. We have not, until now, given you a real sense of just how much junk mail this man produced! |
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00:46:20 | Image: True Happiness | Advertising & PR, Brinkley Family |
An advertisement from one of his Doctor Books. View Full FootnoteAn advertisement from one of his Doctor Books. |
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00:46:31 | Image: Photos of mansion, etc. |
We are now sharing lots of images that we haven’t shared before because we’ve been downplaying the true extent of both his wealth and his narcissism. View Full FootnoteWe are now sharing lots of images that we haven’t shared before because we’ve been downplaying the true extent of both his wealth and his narcissism. |
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00:46:37 | Dialogue: “No more sense than the geese” | Puffery, Quack Clichés, Rome, The Life of a Man |
“If only they had the wisdom to cooperate with the inspired healer from Milford . . . but the doctors had no more sense than the geese of Rome who could only call out ‘Quack! ‘Quack!,’” is taken directly from The Life of a Man (219). View Full Footnote“If only they had the wisdom to cooperate with the inspired healer from Milford . . . but the doctors had no more sense than the geese of Rome who could only call out ‘Quack! ‘Quack!,'” is taken directly from The Life of a Man (219). |
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00:46:52 | Image: Cruise ship |
This is the SS Normandie, considered by some to the greatest ocean liners of all time. The Brinkleys traveled aboard the Normandie in 1937 on their way home to a “grand tour” of Europe. View Full FootnoteThis is the SS Normandie, considered by some to the greatest ocean liners of all time. The Brinkleys traveled aboard the Normandie in 1937 on their way home to a “grand tour” of Europe. |
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00:47:50 | Dialogue: “In John R. Brinkley” |
This rant/lecture by Fishbein is composed almost entirely of things he really wrote, primarily in the February 1938 Hygeia article “Modern Medical Charlatans.” View Full FootnoteThis rant/lecture by Fishbein is composed almost entirely of things he really wrote, primarily in the February 1938 Hygeia article “Modern Medical Charlatans.” |
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00:49:24 | Image: Newspaper headline |
We created this headline in Photoshop. None of the real ones were this clear. But Brinkley indeed sued Fishbein for libel, asserting that he was owed $250,000 in damages. By the way, by 1939 Brinkley had already sued Fishbein, the Kansas City Star, the AMA and many others quite a number of times, which we’ve … View Full FootnoteWe created this headline in Photoshop. None of the real ones were this clear. But Brinkley indeed sued Fishbein for libel, asserting that he was owed $250,000 in damages. By the way, by 1939 Brinkley had already sued Fishbein, the Kansas City Star, the AMA and many others quite a number of times, which we’ve left out of the film. |
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00:49:23 | Dialogue: “March 22, 1939” |
True. We are pleased to report that some things in this story are actually easy to verify! View Full FootnoteTrue. We are pleased to report that some things in this story are actually easy to verify! |
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00:49:31 | Dialogue: “And it was packed, it was packed out the door” |
“Judge R. J. McMillan’s oblong little court room in the federal building is filled an hour before each day’s trial begins, but that doesn’t mean there is much of a crowd on hand. Its seating capacity is less than 100, and some twenty-five or thirty form a waiting line outside” (Millard Cope, San Angelo Standard-Times … View Full Footnote“Judge R. J. McMillan’s oblong little court room in the federal building is filled an hour before each day’s trial begins, but that doesn’t mean there is much of a crowd on hand. Its seating capacity is less than 100, and some twenty-five or thirty form a waiting line outside” (Millard Cope, San Angelo Standard-Times coverage of the trial, quoted in “The Case of Brinkley v. Fishbein”, Journal of the American Medical Association, May 13, 1939, Volume 112, No. 19, p. 1952). |
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00:50:11 | Dialogue: “Honorable Judge” |
True, Robert J. McMillan was the judge. View Full FootnoteTrue, Robert J. McMillan was the judge. |
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00:51:09 | Dialogue: “The testimony provided by patients” |
It is true that the judge decided in this case that patients would not be allowed to testify, though not quite as immediately as we’ve portrayed it: “Judge McMillan took a long night to think it over. Next morning he announced his decision. ‘Gentlemen, I am of the opinion that the specific instances of malpractice couldn’t be … View Full FootnoteIt is true that the judge decided in this case that patients would not be allowed to testify, though not quite as immediately as we’ve portrayed it: “Judge McMillan took a long night to think it over. Next morning he announced his decision. ‘Gentlemen, I am of the opinion that the specific instances of malpractice couldn’t be shown, nor could specific instances of good result obtained by [Brinkley] be shown… [If the attempt were made], it would open up an unlimited field of evidence in which, maybe, seventy five or a hundred patients might appear and, for some reason or other, claim they had been benefited, and seventy five or a hundred might appear on the other side and claim they had been mistrated or hadn’t been benefited, and the first thing you know the drial would deteriorate from a trial of issues before the court and jury to one of prejudice and passion and feeling… I don’t think that kind of evidence is admissable'” (Brock, 239-240). |
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00:51:23 | Dialogue: “Mr. Brown” |
Clinton Brown was in fact the name of Fishbein’s lawyer. Brown, a former mayor of San Antonio, was considered one of the most capable lawyers in Texas. View Full FootnoteClinton Brown was in fact the name of Fishbein’s lawyer. Brown, a former mayor of San Antonio, was considered one of the most capable lawyers in Texas. |
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00:51:28 | Dialogue: “Dr. Richard Ross” |
We made up the name “Richard Ross” and we can’t remember why; the name of the urologist who gave this testimony at the trial was Dr. A. I. Folsom. Other than his name, this exchange is very close to that found directly in the transcript. View Full FootnoteWe made up the name “Richard Ross” and we can’t remember why; the name of the urologist who gave this testimony at the trial was Dr. A. I. Folsom. Other than his name, this exchange is very close to that found directly in the transcript. |
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00:51:37 | Dialogue: “Objection!” |
True. Brinkley’s lawyers unsuccessfully argued that the goat gland surgeries were not relevant to this case, wanting (for obvious reasons) to limit testimony to Brinkley’s activities after 1933, when he stopped performing the goat gland surgeries. Judge McMillan ruled that the jury should consider the entirety of Brinkley’s career, including the goat gland surgeries, when … View Full FootnoteTrue. Brinkley’s lawyers unsuccessfully argued that the goat gland surgeries were not relevant to this case, wanting (for obvious reasons) to limit testimony to Brinkley’s activities after 1933, when he stopped performing the goat gland surgeries. Judge McMillan ruled that the jury should consider the entirety of Brinkley’s career, including the goat gland surgeries, when deciding whether or not Fishbein libelled him by calling him a quack. |
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00:53:20 | Dialogue: “Xenotransplantation of this sort” |
See note 12 on how many other people – real scientists and quacks alike – had attempted “xenotransplantation of this sort.” View Full FootnoteSee note 12 on how many other people – real scientists and quacks alike – had attempted “xenotransplantation of this sort.” |
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00:53:34 | Dialogue: “Would the mere transplanting of the gland” |
These claims were all actually made by Brinkley. View Full FootnoteThese claims were all actually made by Brinkley. |
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00:54:53 | Dialogue: “I am, I have analyzed it” |
True, a chemist testified about his analysis of Formula 1020 at the trial. View Full FootnoteTrue, a chemist testified about his analysis of Formula 1020 at the trial. |
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00:55:24 | Dialogue: “Doctor, what is Formula 1020?” |
At the trial, chemist Dr. Eugene W. Schoeffel testified that Formula 1020 was in fact just colored water. View Full FootnoteAt the trial, chemist Dr. Eugene W. Schoeffel testified that Formula 1020 was in fact just colored water. |
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01:01:13 | Dialogue: “When you say to the best of your recollection” |
This insane back and forth about whether he is “absolutely certain” or “relatively certain” is taken (almost) verbatim from the transcript. Can’t make this stuff up. View Full FootnoteThis insane back and forth about whether he is “absolutely certain” or “relatively certain” is taken (almost) verbatim from the transcript. Can’t make this stuff up. |
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01:01:41 | Dialogue: “I made eleven hundred thousand dollars” |
Again, we kept this pretty close to the transcript: Q– Now, what was your gross income for the year 1937? A– If I remember correctly, the gross income for 1937 was pretty close to eleven hundred thousand. Q– Doctor, wouldn’t most people refer to that number, that eleven hundred thousand, as one million, one hundred … View Full FootnoteAgain, we kept this pretty close to the transcript: Q– Now, what was your gross income for the year 1937? A– If I remember correctly, the gross income for 1937 was pretty close to eleven hundred thousand. Q– Doctor, wouldn’t most people refer to that number, that eleven hundred thousand, as one million, one hundred thousand dollars? A– I couldn’t say what most people would say. I would say I made about eleven hundred thousand in 1937. |
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01:02:22 | Dialogue: “Do you also put LLD” |
Brinkley indeed said, “I don’t remember,” when asked about the LLD degree. View Full FootnoteBrinkley indeed said, “I don’t remember,” when asked about the LLD degree. |
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01:02:34 | Image: The Life of a Man | The Life of a Man |
We have finally come full circle: the way that The Life of a Man functioned at this trial was a major source of inspiration for the entire structure of this film. We’ve represented the way the book worked in the trial pretty accurately in this scene, with Brown reading the more absurd portions out loud … View Full FootnoteWe have finally come full circle: the way that The Life of a Man functioned at this trial was a major source of inspiration for the entire structure of this film. We’ve represented the way the book worked in the trial pretty accurately in this scene, with Brown reading the more absurd portions out loud and forcing Brinkley to respond to them, Brinkley trying to say he doesn’t even know what’s in it, and eventually admitting he paid for it and published it himself as a sort of promotional item. |
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01:02:42 | Dialogue: “Interesting reading, if you have the stomach” | The Life of a Man |
Brown actually said, “Interesting reading… if you’ve got a strong stomach.” View Full FootnoteBrown actually said, “Interesting reading… if you’ve got a strong stomach.” |
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01:03:23 | Dialogue: “To a woman named Sally Wike” | Brinkley Family, The Life of a Man |
Sally came up at the trial, but only in a minor way in trying to get Brinkley’s early life story straight. It’s not true that Sally doesn’t appear in The Life of a Man; it is true that she doesn’t appear in this film. We’ve withheld information about her both because it didn’t seem too … View Full FootnoteSally came up at the trial, but only in a minor way in trying to get Brinkley’s early life story straight. It’s not true that Sally doesn’t appear in The Life of a Man; it is true that she doesn’t appear in this film. We’ve withheld information about her both because it didn’t seem too relevant and because keeping it from you until this point only adds to the sense that Brinkley’s life story – and thus, this film – has been pretty untrustworthy. |
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01:03:50 | Dialogue: “You were nowhere near Johns Hopkins in 1902” | Brinkley Family, Origin Story, The Life of a Man |
We’re condensing a lot into this section, but it is true that Brinkley’s early life selling snake oil both with and without his first wife Sally was an important part of the evidence presented in this trial. View Full FootnoteWe’re condensing a lot into this section, but it is true that Brinkley’s early life selling snake oil both with and without his first wife Sally was an important part of the evidence presented in this trial. |
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01:04:03 | Dialogue: “Diploma from the Eclectic Medical University” | Medical Education, Origin Story, The Life of a Man |
“On May 7, 1915, the Eclectic Medical University of Kansas City presented him with a certificate signed by its president, Dr. Date R. Alexander. To become an alumnus of E.M.U. (later described in court proceedings as ‘vague, obliging and long defunct’) cost Brinkley one hundred dollars and got him licensed in eight states” (Brock, 25). View Full Footnote“On May 7, 1915, the Eclectic Medical University of Kansas City presented him with a certificate signed by its president, Dr. Date R. Alexander. To become an alumnus of E.M.U. (later described in court proceedings as ‘vague, obliging and long defunct’) cost Brinkley one hundred dollars and got him licensed in eight states” (Brock, 25). |
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01:04:34 | Dialogue: “You were incarcerated in Greenville, SC” | Medical Education, Origin Story |
True: Brinkley had been arrested for the colored water scam in Greenville, SC. Not true: it was on the very same day he claimed to be graduating. So: a chronological distortion for effect. View Full FootnoteTrue: Brinkley had been arrested for the colored water scam in Greenville, SC. |
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01:04:53 | Dialogue: “You called this German Electric Medicine” |
We learned about the “German Electric Medicine” thing from Pope Brock (although we made up the bit about Robert Bunsen). So, Verified, and also Invention. Maybe this should have been two different notes. But, really, at this point, does anyone think these footnotes are complete????? View Full FootnoteWe learned about the “German Electric Medicine” thing from Pope Brock (although we made up the bit about Robert Bunsen). So, Verified, and also Invention. Maybe this should have been two different notes. But, really, at this point, does anyone think these footnotes are complete????? |
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01:05:17 | Dialogue: “I have not read this book, I do declare” | The Life of a Man |
Brinkley’s actual line was, “I declare, I don’t know what is in that biography!” View Full FootnoteBrinkley’s actual line was, “I declare, I don’t know what is in that biography!” |
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01:06:31 | Dialogue: “How much did you pay the author?” | The Life of a Man |
We invented the $5,000 figure, but Brinkley did acknowledge having paid Wood to write this book in the trial. View Full FootnoteWe invented the $5,000 figure, but Brinkley did acknowledge having paid Wood to write this book in the trial. |
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01:07:40 | Dialogue: “Is goat gland surgery possible?” |
Here is an excerpt from the trial transcript inspiring this part of this scene; we’ve condensed and clarified it greatly but the spirit is the same: Q– Now tell us, please, does a little goat gland have little nerves there, when you take a testicle out of a young goat? A– Naturally, any living organism in … View Full FootnoteHere is an excerpt from the trial transcript inspiring this part of this scene; we’ve condensed and clarified it greatly but the spirit is the same: Q– Now tell us, please, does a little goat gland have little nerves there, when you take a testicle out of a young goat? A– Naturally, any living organism in an animal body has nerves and blood vessels. Q– Now explain to us, please, how you could make that little testicle of a 3-week old goat live and grow after you implanted it into a human testicle? A– Some of them seemed to grow and enlarge, and others, the majority of them, went through a process of absorption. Q– Absorption? A– Yes, sir, they were gradually absorbed. Some of them were gone in 3 or 6 months. Q– You mean to say that this little thing lived still inside there? A– No sir, that is not how I conceive it. Q– You don’t claim that you connected up the nerves or the blood vessels? A– Oh Lord, no! Q– You would examine the testicle before you transplanted a goat gland, would you? A– You seem to be of the opinion that all of my gland operations were in the testicle but that’s not the case; I transplanted them in many different places. The majority were in the cremaster or in the fasciae of the scrotum. Q– Well can you tell us about the testicle version? A– Certain ones I took and cut a hole out of the man’s testicle and took a chunk out and filled it with the goat gland. Q– Would you put just a little piece of the goat gland? A– No, I would transplant the entire gland from a 3 week old goat. Q– You would put a goat gland into one testicle and another in the other testicle? A– Yes, and sometimes put them in the abdominal muscles. There were different places for them. Q– Then, your goat glands had something to do with hormone production, is that it? A– My idea of whatever good they did was that when you put them in a man, it caused him to urinate, and so forth, and he was getting that sex hormone to balance his own to the level with the female sex hormone, and that was there the good came from. |
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01:09:30 | Dialogue: “At this time I must” | The Life of a Man |
Clement Wood was a well-known hack said to “churn out manuscripts nearly on demand” and to write “at the pace of 80,000 words in 30 days” (not the best pace for careful research and fact-checking). Clement Wood wrote some other biographies-for-hire. Wood’s list of published works is astonishingly diverse and poor in quality. One of … View Full FootnoteClement Wood was a well-known hack said to “churn out manuscripts nearly on demand” and to write “at the pace of 80,000 words in 30 days” (not the best pace for careful research and fact-checking). Clement Wood wrote some other biographies-for-hire. Wood’s list of published works is astonishingly diverse and poor in quality. One of his books, Flesh And Other Stories, published in 1929, was the subject of an important obscenity trial. Wood was a one-time lawyer turned teacher turned Greenwich Village hipster who supposedly hosted orgies as a means of satisfying the sexual needs of his beautiful wife Gloria Goddard; he himself was said to be impotent. He is a fascinating person that we did a lot of unnecessary research on, and his Wikipedia page deserves much more attention. |
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01:10:40 | Dialogue: “The jury was sent out” |
The jury returned in less than 4 hours, according to The Journal of the American Medical Association. View Full FootnoteThe jury returned in less than 4 hours, according to The Journal of the American Medical Association. |
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01:11:20 | Dialogue: “Suddenly he’s bankrupt” |
Brinkley declared bankruptcy on February 1, 1941, claiming over a million dollars in debt. View Full FootnoteBrinkley declared bankruptcy on February 1, 1941, claiming over a million dollars in debt. |
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01:11:25 | Dialogue: “His health collapsed” |
Brinkley had a heart attack on July 24, 1941. A blood clot formed in his leg and he had to have it amputated on August 29, 1941. View Full FootnoteBrinkley had a heart attack on July 24, 1941. A blood clot formed in his leg and he had to have it amputated on August 29, 1941. |
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01:11:31 | Dialogue: “He was dead in less than 3 years” |
Brinkley died on May 26, 1942 (just over three years from the conclusion of the libel case). There are many letters attesting to Brinkley’s desperation and despair during the last few years of his life; i.e., “On January 10, 1942, the doctor wrote one of his attorneys, Wallace Davis of San Antonio, begging for help: … View Full FootnoteBrinkley died on May 26, 1942 (just over three years from the conclusion of the libel case). There are many letters attesting to Brinkley’s desperation and despair during the last few years of his life; i.e., “On January 10, 1942, the doctor wrote one of his attorneys, Wallace Davis of San Antonio, begging for help: ‘I am in bankruptcy and everything I own has been sold . . . I have been in bed since August 23rd. My weight fell from 175 to 130. The amputated bone is diseased and the leg has never healed properly. I am in constant pain… Until we were indicted we could borrow money, but since the indictment even our personal friends will not take a chance . . . In days gone by I paid you every cent you charged me. One time I had to borrow money to pay you, but you were paid. I am flat on my back and helpless and I am asking for a little mercy…'” (quoted in Brock, 271-272). |
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01:11:37 | Text: Malpractice / IRS |
True, although the $550,000 figure is not consistent across sources; Lee, for example, puts it at $115,000. We used the highest number we found. View Full FootnoteTrue, although the $550,000 figure is not consistent across sources; Lee, for example, puts it at $115,000. We used the highest number we found. |
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01:11:43 | Text: Mail fraud |
True. “The most crushing blow of all fell on September 22, 1941, when a grand jury in Little Rock indicted John, Minnie, and six of their former employees . . . on fifteen counts of using the mail to defraud” (Lee, 224). View Full FootnoteTrue. “The most crushing blow of all fell on September 22, 1941, when a grand jury in Little Rock indicted John, Minnie, and six of their former employees . . . on fifteen counts of using the mail to defraud” (Lee, 224). |
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01:11:48 | Text: XERA seized |
True; according to the Associated Press, Mexican officials claimed that the station was broadcasting Nazi propaganda. Minnie Brinkley denied the Nazi affiliation. Historians have pointed out that whether or not the Nazi claim was true, the United States and Canada finally agreed to share use of the airwaves with Mexico – if the border radio stations … View Full FootnoteTrue; according to the Associated Press, Mexican officials claimed that the station was broadcasting Nazi propaganda. Minnie Brinkley denied the Nazi affiliation. Historians have pointed out that whether or not the Nazi claim was true, the United States and Canada finally agreed to share use of the airwaves with Mexico – if the border radio stations were shut down. So there were other incentives for this action regardless of the Nazi connection. |
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01:11:57 | Text: Mexican president |
True. See previous note. View Full FootnoteTrue. See previous note. |
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01:12:54 | Text: Brinkley died |
True. View Full FootnoteTrue. |
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01:14:29 | Dialogue: “I knew he was bilking me” | Stittsworth |
It was reported in the New York Press that an old man at Brinkley’s funeral said, “I knew he was bilking me… but I liked him anyway.” We made this anonymous old man into Stittsworth, because: storytelling, closure, full circle, etc. View Full FootnoteIt was reported in the New York Press that an old man at Brinkley’s funeral said, “I knew he was bilking me… but I liked him anyway.” We made this anonymous old man into Stittsworth, because: storytelling, closure, full circle, etc. |
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01:14:41 | Text: XERA wasn’t torn down |
True. View Full FootnoteTrue. |
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01:14:47 | Text: XERA reborn as XERF |
True. There is much more we could say about this; the history of border radio is long and rich. We recommend the book Border Radio as an entertaining primer on the subject. View Full FootnoteTrue. There is much more we could say about this; the history of border radio is long and rich. We recommend the book Border Radio as an entertaining primer on the subject. |
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01:14:55 | Text: Milford flooded |
True, but our text is off by one year: the town was flooded in 1962. View Full FootnoteTrue, but our text is off by one year: the town was flooded in 1962. |
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01:15:21 | Text: Minnie lived alone | Brinkley Family |
All true. The issue of Minnie’s belief is obviously not something we can verify by talking to her ourselves, but several sources indicate her continued claim that her the goat gland cure was “ahead of its time” for decades after her husband’s death. View Full FootnoteAll true. The issue of Minnie’s belief is obviously not something we can verify by talking to her ourselves, but several sources indicate her continued claim that her the goat gland cure was “ahead of its time” for decades after her husband’s death. |
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01:16:28 | Image: Johnny Boy drinking | Brinkley Family |
“Daunted by repeated failures, Johnny turned to alcohol . . .” (Lee, 235). View Full Footnote“Daunted by repeated failures, Johnny turned to alcohol . . .” (Lee, 235). |
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01:16:43 | Text: Suicide | Brinkley Family |
“. . . finally overwhelmed, took his own life. On October 23, 1976, police found the body of John R. Brinkley III in his home. A 9mm German Luger was in his left hand. A bullet had pierced the left side of his head and exited behind his right ear” (Lee, 235). But! Remember Brinkley … View Full Footnote“. . . finally overwhelmed, took his own life. On October 23, 1976, police found the body of John R. Brinkley III in his home. A 9mm German Luger was in his left hand. A bullet had pierced the left side of his head and exited behind his right ear” (Lee, 235). But! Remember Brinkley had daughters, too, with his first wife. We’ve let this scene play out as if it’s the end of the family line, because it’s poetic and tragic. But that’s not really true. |
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01:17:16 | Image: Party scene [under closing credits] |
We’ve based this closing credits scene on a real party at the Brinkley Mansion in April of 1937. It sounds like the best party of all time! “[W]hile a stunt pilot did barrel rolls in the opalescent evening sky, fourteen hundred guests milled about the Brinkley estate under a wide web of glowing paper lanterns. Floodlights … View Full FootnoteWe’ve based this closing credits scene on a real party at the Brinkley Mansion in April of 1937. It sounds like the best party of all time! “[W]hile a stunt pilot did barrel rolls in the opalescent evening sky, fourteen hundred guests milled about the Brinkley estate under a wide web of glowing paper lanterns. Floodlights buried in the bushes produced an effect of ‘intense moonlight, almost as bright as day, such as seen in Japan in the cherry blossom time.’ High-school girls dressed as geishas hoisted seventy pounds of canapes. From a twinkling bandstand a San Antonio hotel orchestra dealt out dance music and the blues. It was the biggest party the doctor ever threw, the biggest south Texas could recall. After short speeches and a big feed, the night was crowned by an apocalyptic fireworks display: dogs, cats, ducks, soldiers on horseback appeared in the heavens etched in flame, each greeted with gasps and applause (Brock, 211). |