January 15, 2026 • 10 mins
Sometimes the roots of a wildly popular thing are just as curious as the rest of the story.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Aaron Manke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of
iHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild. Our world is full of
the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all
of these amazing tales are right there on display, just
waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities.
(00:36):
I think it's fair to say that just about everyone
loves a good adventure story. The risks, the thrills, and
the satisfying conclusions are always the perfect recipe for a
good time, and few adventure formats are as powerful as
a good old fashioned treasure hunt movie. Maybe you're a
fan of the National Treasure films and they're deep dive
into the mysteries of the early days of the United States.
(00:58):
Perhaps you grew up on Goonies and their amazing journey
through an underground passageway full of traps and clues and
devilishly difficult puzzles. The list could go on and on,
and most of us would probably nod and smile as
we remember each amazing film. But it's hard to beat
the icon, isn't it So? Unless you're driving or using
a dangerous tool right now, I want you to close
(01:19):
your eyes and imagine a certain world and cast of
characters with me. It's a story set in a once
glorious land that has become lost to time, taking far
too many secrets and treasures with it. It's exotic and
beautiful and full of danger. At the center of the
story is our adventurer, a man who has left his
day job behind for a while in order to find
(01:41):
an item of particular importance. There's the now obligatory female
companion and love interest. Naturally, there's also a bad guy,
because what adventure movie would be complete without one, right,
And then, of course there's the treasure, an object of
immense beauty, crafted of gold by ancient artisans. It has
monetary value, for sure, but that's not what our adventurer
(02:02):
sees in it. No, it has priceless cultural value, and
that's the true prize. This object doesn't belong in the
hands of some rich evildoer. No, it belongs in a
museum or some other place where it can be appreciated
for what it truly is. In one memorable scene in
this movie, our handsome, rugged adventurer is inside an ancient structure,
a temple or a tomb of some kind and has
(02:24):
just taken possession of his prize when his assistant betrays
him and takes it away. You know what I'm talking about, right,
Because betrayal is another one of those key ingredients to
a great adventure movie, and our hero has to work
hard to get that treasure back. And of course, who
could forget the scene where our hero is inside that
chamber all by himself and has to use a beam
(02:45):
of light to pinpoint the exact location of the treasure.
It's tense and brilliant in its simplicity. I love it,
and at the end of the day, we just love
the hero, right, his chiseled good looks, that stubble on
his chin, his tan pants, leather jacket and trademark Fedora hat.
Sure he's got a revolver tucked into his belt, but
that's not getting used all the time. No, he prefers
(03:07):
to punch his way through trouble and use his ingenuity instead.
Of course, adventure films have moved on since then, all
those years ago. Today they're so full of massive CGI
components and big explosions. They usually involve billionaire bad guys
or riddles wrapped in art history symbolism. But there's no
beating a classic, is there That old adventure story starring
(03:30):
our beloved hero called The Secret of the Incas? Wait?
Was that not what you were expecting. It's a real
movie starring a real hunk of a Hollywood a lister,
Charlton Heston pulled on that leather jacket and Fedora for
the Secret of the Inca's way back in nineteen fifty four.
And all those scenes that I described for you are
(03:50):
straight from that movie. Of course, his character is called Harry,
not Henry, he doesn't carry a whip, there are no Nazis,
and it's set in Machu Pichu instead of Egypt. But
it's Indiana Jones through and through nonetheless, Why Because when
Raiders of the Lost Dark was in pre production, many
of the crew watched Secret of the Incas multiple times
(04:11):
for inspiration. Legendary Hollywood costume designer Deborah Nadulman Landis, who
created Indiana Jones' trademark outfit, drew inspiration from that film,
and even more elements found themselves into the writing and
the filming decisions. Don't call it a ripoff, though, think
of it more as an homage, a callback to an
adventure film from three decades earlier that inspired a bunch
(04:34):
of people so deeply that they had to make their
own and frankly, I'm glad they did. I don't think
my childhood or Hollywood itself would have been filled with
such joy and fun without Indiana Jones, the fictional embodiment
of curiosity. William Pennybrooks was a small town boy with
(05:06):
a big vision. Born in the town of much Wenlock,
a small town in Shropshire, England, his father was a
well regarded local physician. As William grew up, he was
inspired to follow the same path, and so when he
came of age, he left home to study medicine in London,
before leaving the country with his brother John to further
their studies at the University of Padua. He was in
(05:27):
Paris in eighteen thirty when he learned that his father
had died, and so returned home for good the next year.
Taking over his father's medical practice, Brooks provided affordable care
to the rural poor, often treating patients free of charge.
He was also a fierce advocate for common sense modern
medical standards like clean drinking water, better conditions for factory workers,
(05:50):
and vaccinations. His bedside manner and willingness to travel long
distances earned him deep respect among farmers, laborers, and the
emerging industrial workforce. A fierce advocate for the well being
of the poor, Brooks believed that physical fitness and structured
learning should be available to all. In eighteen forty one,
he founded the Agricultural Reading Society, Convinced that having access
(06:12):
to free learning would help lift people out of poverty.
He wrote to numerous wealthy individuals for funding, and his
pursuit was rewarded richly in donations of books and enough
money to keep the society running. It provided the community
with a lending library and offered classes in arts, botany,
and music training, among many others. To further his passion
(06:33):
for physical fitness for all, he founded a sporting competition
inspired by the ancients Olympic Games. The first Wenlock Olympics
were held in eighteen fifty and featured numerous sports like running, jumping, throwing, wrestling, cycling, gymnastics,
and rifle shooting. The games also included pageantry, with a
parade of competitors and organizers, complete with bands and flag bears,
(06:56):
which would march through town to the event. Spaces. They
were open to people of all ages and social classes,
a radical concept for Victorian England, whose caste system rigidly
separated the haves and the have nots. Over the coming years,
the Wenlock Games expanded and grew in popularity, with competitors
coming from all over England to compete, and as it grew,
(07:18):
Brooks started corresponding with other fitness reformers across Europe, inviting
athletes from all over to attend. Although numbers remained modest,
the idea of an international competition was seated, and it
was through these letters that Brooks first came upon Baron
Pierre deck Kuberton, who arrived to experience the Games in
eighteen ninety. The Baron was deeply impressed by the event,
(07:40):
as well as by Brooks himself. In subsequent years, the
Frenchman would write of him, mister Brooks has shown that
the Olympic ideal can live again in the modern world.
Following the Games, the men met to feverishly discuss the
role of sporting in nation building and the need for
a universal periodic competition to inspire the mass to take
(08:00):
up physical fitness. In the following years, they would correspond regularly.
In eighteen ninety four, De Kubertan formed the International Olympic
Committee for the purpose of planning and executing the very
first Modern Olympic Games, which were to be held in
eighteen ninety six and were largely patterned after Wenlock's Games.
Athletes would come from all over the world to compete. Tragically,
(08:23):
though Brooks would not live to see his dream made real.
He passed away in December of eighteen ninety five, peacefully
in his home, mere months before the very first modern
Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece, where the ancient
Games had been held in the past. Brooks was buried
in the churchyard at Holy Trinity in Much Wenlock, where
he had spent his life dedicated to the betterment of all.
(08:45):
A Wenlock Olympian Society that he founded still operates today
organizing the Wenlock Olympic Games. Decuberton made sure to give
Brooks his due posthumously, telling the world that the Olympic
Games would not be alive today if an hadn't been
for doctor William Penny Brooks. He was further memorialized in
nineteen ninety six for the one hundredth anniversary of the
(09:07):
modern Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Although Brooks died just
months before the inaugural Games, his belief that physical fitness
and free learning should belong to everyone lived on in
every stadium and at each podium. The Wenlock Games continue
to this day, and the International Olympic Flame still burns
and enduring testament to the power of a small town
(09:30):
dream that help shaped our history. I hope you've enjoyed
today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for
free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the show
by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was created
by me Aaron Mankey in partnership with how Stuff Works.
(09:52):
I make another award winning show called Lore, which is
a podcast, book series, and television show, and you can
learn all about it over at Theworldoflore dot com. And
until next time, stay curious.
Welcome to Aaron Manke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of
iHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild. Our world is full of
the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all
of these amazing tales are right there on display, just
waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities.
(00:36):
I think it's fair to say that just about everyone
loves a good adventure story. The risks, the thrills, and
the satisfying conclusions are always the perfect recipe for a
good time, and few adventure formats are as powerful as
a good old fashioned treasure hunt movie. Maybe you're a
fan of the National Treasure films and they're deep dive
into the mysteries of the early days of the United States.
(00:58):
Perhaps you grew up on Goonies and their amazing journey
through an underground passageway full of traps and clues and
devilishly difficult puzzles. The list could go on and on,
and most of us would probably nod and smile as
we remember each amazing film. But it's hard to beat
the icon, isn't it So? Unless you're driving or using
a dangerous tool right now, I want you to close
(01:19):
your eyes and imagine a certain world and cast of
characters with me. It's a story set in a once
glorious land that has become lost to time, taking far
too many secrets and treasures with it. It's exotic and
beautiful and full of danger. At the center of the
story is our adventurer, a man who has left his
day job behind for a while in order to find
(01:41):
an item of particular importance. There's the now obligatory female
companion and love interest. Naturally, there's also a bad guy,
because what adventure movie would be complete without one, right,
And then, of course there's the treasure, an object of
immense beauty, crafted of gold by ancient artisans. It has
monetary value, for sure, but that's not what our adventurer
(02:02):
sees in it. No, it has priceless cultural value, and
that's the true prize. This object doesn't belong in the
hands of some rich evildoer. No, it belongs in a
museum or some other place where it can be appreciated
for what it truly is. In one memorable scene in
this movie, our handsome, rugged adventurer is inside an ancient structure,
a temple or a tomb of some kind and has
(02:24):
just taken possession of his prize when his assistant betrays
him and takes it away. You know what I'm talking about, right,
Because betrayal is another one of those key ingredients to
a great adventure movie, and our hero has to work
hard to get that treasure back. And of course, who
could forget the scene where our hero is inside that
chamber all by himself and has to use a beam
(02:45):
of light to pinpoint the exact location of the treasure.
It's tense and brilliant in its simplicity. I love it,
and at the end of the day, we just love
the hero, right, his chiseled good looks, that stubble on
his chin, his tan pants, leather jacket and trademark Fedora hat.
Sure he's got a revolver tucked into his belt, but
that's not getting used all the time. No, he prefers
(03:07):
to punch his way through trouble and use his ingenuity instead.
Of course, adventure films have moved on since then, all
those years ago. Today they're so full of massive CGI
components and big explosions. They usually involve billionaire bad guys
or riddles wrapped in art history symbolism. But there's no
beating a classic, is there That old adventure story starring
(03:30):
our beloved hero called The Secret of the Incas? Wait?
Was that not what you were expecting. It's a real
movie starring a real hunk of a Hollywood a lister,
Charlton Heston pulled on that leather jacket and Fedora for
the Secret of the Inca's way back in nineteen fifty four.
And all those scenes that I described for you are
(03:50):
straight from that movie. Of course, his character is called Harry,
not Henry, he doesn't carry a whip, there are no Nazis,
and it's set in Machu Pichu instead of Egypt. But
it's Indiana Jones through and through nonetheless, Why Because when
Raiders of the Lost Dark was in pre production, many
of the crew watched Secret of the Incas multiple times
(04:11):
for inspiration. Legendary Hollywood costume designer Deborah Nadulman Landis, who
created Indiana Jones' trademark outfit, drew inspiration from that film,
and even more elements found themselves into the writing and
the filming decisions. Don't call it a ripoff, though, think
of it more as an homage, a callback to an
adventure film from three decades earlier that inspired a bunch
(04:34):
of people so deeply that they had to make their
own and frankly, I'm glad they did. I don't think
my childhood or Hollywood itself would have been filled with
such joy and fun without Indiana Jones, the fictional embodiment
of curiosity. William Pennybrooks was a small town boy with
(05:06):
a big vision. Born in the town of much Wenlock,
a small town in Shropshire, England, his father was a
well regarded local physician. As William grew up, he was
inspired to follow the same path, and so when he
came of age, he left home to study medicine in London,
before leaving the country with his brother John to further
their studies at the University of Padua. He was in
(05:27):
Paris in eighteen thirty when he learned that his father
had died, and so returned home for good the next year.
Taking over his father's medical practice, Brooks provided affordable care
to the rural poor, often treating patients free of charge.
He was also a fierce advocate for common sense modern
medical standards like clean drinking water, better conditions for factory workers,
(05:50):
and vaccinations. His bedside manner and willingness to travel long
distances earned him deep respect among farmers, laborers, and the
emerging industrial workforce. A fierce advocate for the well being
of the poor, Brooks believed that physical fitness and structured
learning should be available to all. In eighteen forty one,
he founded the Agricultural Reading Society, Convinced that having access
(06:12):
to free learning would help lift people out of poverty.
He wrote to numerous wealthy individuals for funding, and his
pursuit was rewarded richly in donations of books and enough
money to keep the society running. It provided the community
with a lending library and offered classes in arts, botany,
and music training, among many others. To further his passion
(06:33):
for physical fitness for all, he founded a sporting competition
inspired by the ancients Olympic Games. The first Wenlock Olympics
were held in eighteen fifty and featured numerous sports like running, jumping, throwing, wrestling, cycling, gymnastics,
and rifle shooting. The games also included pageantry, with a
parade of competitors and organizers, complete with bands and flag bears,
(06:56):
which would march through town to the event. Spaces. They
were open to people of all ages and social classes,
a radical concept for Victorian England, whose caste system rigidly
separated the haves and the have nots. Over the coming years,
the Wenlock Games expanded and grew in popularity, with competitors
coming from all over England to compete, and as it grew,
(07:18):
Brooks started corresponding with other fitness reformers across Europe, inviting
athletes from all over to attend. Although numbers remained modest,
the idea of an international competition was seated, and it
was through these letters that Brooks first came upon Baron
Pierre deck Kuberton, who arrived to experience the Games in
eighteen ninety. The Baron was deeply impressed by the event,
(07:40):
as well as by Brooks himself. In subsequent years, the
Frenchman would write of him, mister Brooks has shown that
the Olympic ideal can live again in the modern world.
Following the Games, the men met to feverishly discuss the
role of sporting in nation building and the need for
a universal periodic competition to inspire the mass to take
(08:00):
up physical fitness. In the following years, they would correspond regularly.
In eighteen ninety four, De Kubertan formed the International Olympic
Committee for the purpose of planning and executing the very
first Modern Olympic Games, which were to be held in
eighteen ninety six and were largely patterned after Wenlock's Games.
Athletes would come from all over the world to compete. Tragically,
(08:23):
though Brooks would not live to see his dream made real.
He passed away in December of eighteen ninety five, peacefully
in his home, mere months before the very first modern
Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece, where the ancient
Games had been held in the past. Brooks was buried
in the churchyard at Holy Trinity in Much Wenlock, where
he had spent his life dedicated to the betterment of all.
(08:45):
A Wenlock Olympian Society that he founded still operates today
organizing the Wenlock Olympic Games. Decuberton made sure to give
Brooks his due posthumously, telling the world that the Olympic
Games would not be alive today if an hadn't been
for doctor William Penny Brooks. He was further memorialized in
nineteen ninety six for the one hundredth anniversary of the
(09:07):
modern Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Although Brooks died just
months before the inaugural Games, his belief that physical fitness
and free learning should belong to everyone lived on in
every stadium and at each podium. The Wenlock Games continue
to this day, and the International Olympic Flame still burns
and enduring testament to the power of a small town
(09:30):
dream that help shaped our history. I hope you've enjoyed
today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for
free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the show
by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was created
by me Aaron Mankey in partnership with how Stuff Works.
(09:52):
I make another award winning show called Lore, which is
a podcast, book series, and television show, and you can
learn all about it over at Theworldoflore dot com. And
until next time, stay curious.
Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities News
Host
Aaron Mahnke
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