Warmest Regards, The Leopard: Betty Grable Extortion Letters

She was America's Sweetheart, a woman whose gorgeous gams kept the antifascist Allied forces going as they won WWII. With talent, humor, beauty, and wit;, Betty Grable was a star. And with stardom comes creeps. And with creeps often comes crime. But if you come for Ms. Grable, you best not miss. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ridiculous Crime is a production of iHeartRadio.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
And and and A.

Speaker 3 (00:05):
Elizabeth five, six, seven, and eight was.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Just working on some chair dancer routine.

Speaker 3 (00:10):
Oh, I was doing with deep stretches over here.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Yeah, it's good.

Speaker 3 (00:12):
With the leg warmers.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Yeah, I like those? Are this pink? Or would you
eat more? Future? What is that?

Speaker 3 (00:16):
They're black?

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Oh? I don't have my glasses on, So I got
a question for you. Besides it's about your lovely leg warmers.
Do you know what's ridiculous?

Speaker 3 (00:25):
I certainly do. Do you like baked potatoes? No? Stop it.
Maybe I have a fun fact about the history of
baked potatoes.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Okay, let's pretend Elizabeth. I know a lot about big potato.
Do you like them? Do I like them? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (00:40):
You like a good baked potato?

Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yeah, I mean like if it's like dressed. Well, I mean, actually,
I grew up.

Speaker 3 (00:45):
It's funny you should say it that way.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
I grew up eating a lot of them because my
mother gave us a vegetarian diet, so we had bake
and she's Irish and Catholic, so we had baked potatoes
like twice a week. Sure, So I got I know
a lot of ways to dress up but to baked potato.

Speaker 3 (00:58):
Do you know? But I can also, I mean it
would just butter dress a baked potatoes. No, but you
know in the UK they call them a jacket potato.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
I did not know that.

Speaker 3 (01:07):
A lot of times they put like corn on it.
You've seen that, Like you done that cut off the
corn from a corn cob.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
Do they like boil the corn or no? But I mean,
like did they turn it into like a mash?

Speaker 3 (01:19):
It's just corn on their corn on pizza.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
Corn kernels, Like I'm.

Speaker 3 (01:24):
Not like a corn pone or a polenta. Anyway, I'm
getting off track here. So jacket potatoes in the UK
are baked potatoes over here. And I've talked before about
Aldi they have a special this time of year on
jacket potatoes. Yeah, because they say it's jacket potato season.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
Now, oh, kind of cuffing season.

Speaker 3 (01:44):
Well, no, it's more sweat weather. A companies sweat a
weather and so they have come up with you know,
they have all those cool products in the center aisle.
They have like well they have a new new thing,
but you can't buy it in the store.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
Oh it's only online. It's in the center aisle.

Speaker 3 (02:04):
One steaks. You have to enter on social media to
get purchase.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
Necessarily.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
It's a limited edition jacket potato jacket. So it's a
puffer coat that has the outside print like the outside
of a potato, which kind of makes it look like
this guy's got a skin disorder.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
It looks like something Tyler the creator would wear.

Speaker 3 (02:24):
Ago maybe, but it's all fleece inside, so it looks
like fluffy inside of a potato. And then you can
also it comes with a silver rain poncho over the outside,
wrapped in foil when you bake them. Some people bake
them in foil.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
Some on the street like that. Yeah, I don't know,
like in London, but I've seen that sold that.

Speaker 3 (02:44):
Way, like baked potatoes on the street.

Speaker 2 (02:46):
Yeah, you know, like they sell like hot dogs on
the street.

Speaker 3 (02:49):
They tacos where I'm front, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
People also sell baked potatoes.

Speaker 3 (02:52):
Really freaks. So anyway you can get this, you're the
one with the jacket. Gotta go on, you gotta go
on and try and get you a jacket potato jacket
if you're in aldi UK. Here's my favorite part of it,
and then I'll stop. Julie Ashfield is the chief commercial
officer at Aldi UK. Okay, and she said, you know,

(03:13):
we know our customers love jacket potatoes, so launching this
jacket made sense, especially now the temperatures are dropping. Okay,
that makes sense. Here's the line that I feel like
she wrote for us, enjoying a jacket potato in all
these new jacket potato jacket is sure to be a
mash made in heaven. But I'm chat that is ridiculous

(03:36):
every time.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
Well, if you guys a can just sit back down,
keep those legwarmers present, because you know I got something
for you. Yea, it's ridiculous. Yeah, you know, like lots
of Hollywood stars and celebrities get fan mail, but the
mid century actress and the World War two era sex
symbol Betty Grable, right, she was the rare star who
got lots and lots of extortion letter as fan mail boy. Yeah,

(04:02):
in the immortal words of Keenan Thompson, what's up with that?

Speaker 3 (04:05):
What's up with that?

Speaker 2 (04:27):
This is Ridiculous Crime, a podcast about absurd and outrageous capers,
heists and cons. It's always ninety nine percent murder free
and one hundred percent what one hundred percent?

Speaker 3 (04:42):
What?

Speaker 2 (04:42):
One hundred percent ridiculous.

Speaker 3 (04:45):
Ridiculous, Elizabeth Sar.

Speaker 2 (04:47):
A few weeks back, you told me a story that
blew my mind about the child actor Jackie Coogan.

Speaker 3 (04:52):
Yes, you remember that one, right, I remember it well.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
Today I want to tell you a story about his
better half, one of his wives, the super famous actress
Betty Grabil.

Speaker 3 (05:03):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (05:04):
What do you know about Betty Grabel.

Speaker 3 (05:05):
I know she was married to Jackie Coogan, and I
know she was like a World War two pin up.
She's got the famous one where she's kind of looking
over her shoulder. Yeah, you're looking at her rump in
a swimsuit, like.

Speaker 2 (05:15):
If you look over my shoulder. I've brought a Betty
Grable here.

Speaker 3 (05:18):
Into the student I can see that.

Speaker 2 (05:20):
I always tell you I have a poster of Betty Grable.

Speaker 3 (05:22):
So I took a life size cardboard cutout. Did you
have that in your car?

Speaker 2 (05:26):
Laminated totally for weather never mind? Yeah? So okay, So
now let's dive a little deeper and get to know
Betty Grabil. Yes, she was born in nineteen sixteen and
her parents named her Elizabeth Ruth Grabil, So it's really
her name, Betty Grabil. She was raised in Saint Louis, Missouri,
youngest of three kids. Father was a stockbroker. Her mother

(05:49):
was basically a stage mom. She used she used to
enter her daughter and like beauty contest all the time
as a little girl, and then like as a younger girl,
and she would win, like she want a bunch of them.
She's a looker, right yeah. So after that taste of
early success, and just after the stock market crashed in
nineteen twenty nine, her mother took her out to Hollywood
to chase stardom. Yeah, no mention of her father going

(06:10):
the stockbroker.

Speaker 3 (06:11):
But any way, I hope he was okay.

Speaker 2 (06:13):
Betty Grable was twelve years old at the time, and
her mother lied and said she was fifteen so she
could work in the industry.

Speaker 3 (06:19):
Oh that's disturbing, right yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:21):
So she gets her first movie part that same year,
nineteen twenty nine, and at the time she was using
a stage name, Francis Dean. You got a name like.

Speaker 3 (06:28):
Betty Gray Grable's like the best name.

Speaker 2 (06:30):
Right anyway, Next year nineteen thirty, at age thirteen, she
signs a contract with Samuel Goldwyn and becomes one of
the og.

Speaker 3 (06:37):
Goldwyn Girls at thirteen.

Speaker 2 (06:39):
Right, yeah, which if you're unfamiliar. That's just a Hollywood
knockoff of the Ziegfield Follies, which are the chorus girls
that were all the rage on Broadway at the time.
And again thirteen years old.

Speaker 3 (06:49):
Thirteen yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:50):
So two years later, nineteen thirty two, she signs with
RKAO Pictures. That's where she gets to her start actually
doing acting parts, not just like kicking her legs. She
takes classes because that was the thing back in like
classic Golden age Hollywood. So she's doing acting classes, dance classes,
voice lessons, and she then goes to her birth name
as her stage name, Betty Grabel. After she spends the

(07:13):
thirties basically playing like a typically colleged age girls in
a series of college set films, and she starts to
make a name for herself as Betty Grabel. And then
in nineteen thirty seven she gets married to who former
child star Jackie Coogan. But as you explained in your episode,
at the time, he was all emotionally bogged down with
the lawsuit against his parents over his childhood earnings. So

(07:34):
eventually that puts strain on their marriage and it gets
cramped by all this emotional like you know, baggage and
they get divorced two years later in nineteen thirty nine.
Before they got divorced, they started a movie together called
Million Dollar Legs.

Speaker 3 (07:49):
Million Dollar Legs.

Speaker 2 (07:50):
Yes, that was the movie where she earned her nickname
and they called attention to her world famous legs.

Speaker 3 (07:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (07:56):
Anyways, after her divorce from Jackie Coogan in thirty nine,
the next year, she's feeling a little blue. She's considering
leaving showbism behind. Right, She's like in her feels because
she's been in the industry for a decade.

Speaker 3 (08:08):
So she's twenty three, yeah exactly.

Speaker 2 (08:11):
Now at this point, she goes on this national tour
where she would do personal appearances, and this saves her
career because it rekindles her love of being a star
when she's out amongst the people. Though, yeah those of us,
of the little people, right. But the big deal of
this tour is that she meets Daryl F. Xanik, the
head of twentieth Century Fox, and he's all charmed by
Betty Grabil. He can see potential in this, like untapped

(08:33):
possible megastar. Yeah, So she dyes her hair blonde. She
becomes Xanic Like well, Xank was kind of a sucker
for a blonde star. Right, So she becomes his new
like favorite, like it girl of the moment, and he
believed that he could make this happen for America too.
And this is when her career really starts to take off.
She becomes this glamorous movie star, a blonde bombshell. She's

(08:55):
also essentially known for her self deprecating wit, which really
went a long way in differentiating her from some of
the other stars of the time. Like as far as
why she became a big star, Betty Grabel once said,
as a dancer, I couldn't outdance Ginger Rogers or Eleanor Powell.
As a singer, I'm no rival to Doris Day. As
an actress, I don't take myself seriously. I'm the girl

(09:17):
truck driver's loves. And she also means she's such like
a woman of the people and specifically soldiers. She also acknowledged, yeah,
she said quote, I'm strictly an enlisted man's girl. Oh right, Yeah,
So that's obviously in reference to Betty Grabel being a
major screen icon of the World War two era, because
you know it's gonna kick off in forty one for us,

(09:39):
right now, there's that famous image that you mentioned of
her in the white bathing suit. She's like glancing over
her shoulder, which is just over my shoulder, And that
image it gets painted on the sides of bomber planes
and she becomes the it girl of the day. Darryl's
Anni's call works out perfectly. He's totally right, and she
becomes actually a good luck charm for soldiers over sees

(10:00):
this sexy reminder of why and who they're fighting for
back home. She's what they would call a morale booster.
But who was Betty Grabel beyond the iconic pin up imagery.
So glad you asked you.

Speaker 3 (10:12):
I'm glad to like.

Speaker 2 (10:13):
I've been saying, she was a fun star. She's a
self deprecating woman. She manages to scale the heights of Hollywood.
And also this is, you know, stark contrast to who
she really is, because she was painfully shy, and yet
she becomes really, yeah, this major star. This was because
of a few factors, all right, As Debbie Reynold's, a
fellow actress and a contemporary, once said Betty Grabel was

(10:34):
the most easy going woman in Hollywood. So, like everybody
liked working with her. Everyone liked chilling on the set
with her, and she often said, you know that she
just loved show business, Like she's got this great quote
about show business. It's loud, it's cheap, it's gaudy, it's
like everything I've ever done. I love it.

Speaker 3 (10:51):
I love stars who lean into it, like how good
they have it, how fun it can.

Speaker 2 (10:56):
Be, exactly like a set is incredible. It really does
feel awesome. It feels like you're getting away with something.

Speaker 3 (11:02):
Yeah, and you look at like actors and professional athletes
who moan about it. You know, when you think that
there are people who that's their life's dream and you're
sitting there complaining about this, like, come on.

Speaker 2 (11:13):
You've lost perspective, you have lost the plot exactly now.
Betty Grabel was also a huge star because Betty Grabel
knew who Betty Grabel was. She was super realistic about
what the public wanted from her. She was extremely self
aware as a star in show business terms. She was
essentially a song and dance woman, right, and that's what
those the movies she made. And she once said, there

(11:33):
are two reasons why I am successful in show business,
and I am standing on both of them, or more succinctly.
She once said, there's nothing mysterious about me. My legs
made me. Yeah. I saw this Life magazine pictorial they did.
We had like eighteen pictures of her, and I think
her face is only in like four of them. It's
just always her legs. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (11:54):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (11:54):
I mean they used to use her legs as measurements.
If you went into go buy hosiery, They're like, okay,
Betty Grabel's legs, this, what are yours?

Speaker 3 (12:01):
Oh wow?

Speaker 2 (12:02):
Yeah. Her megastarretan was very much due to this obviously
self awareness and then her sexy legs. Yeah, and you
could say she was also unafraid to flaunt what she had,
namely her million dollar legs.

Speaker 3 (12:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (12:14):
In fact, as this publicity stunt Daryl Zanik in twentieth
Century Fox the Studio, they paid this insurance company, Lloyd's
of London to ensure her legs for one million dollars.

Speaker 3 (12:24):
Every time they do those like I've insured my hands.
Really it's fat, it's so bizarre, lovely if you get hurt,
you know, I guess.

Speaker 2 (12:31):
Now by the nineteen forties, so when World War two
is in full swing, Betty Grabel is the biggest female
star in America, specifically, in nineteen forty three, she was
the number one box office draw in the world. That's
including male actors. Really, she stayed the number one box
office draw for a full decade when she's making these
lush Technicolor musicals. Yeah, Betty, Now, Betty Grabel was more popular.

(12:55):
I want to make this clear, then the big male
stars of the day. She's more popular than Clark Gave,
more popular than Gary Cooper, Humphy, Bauagart, Bob Hope. And
due to that, in forty three, she signs this million
dollar contract with twenty eighth Century Fox, every with hers
million dollars. Yeah, of course, she comes the first woman
to join what was known as the million dollar club
because male actors were getting paid that they'd cross that line.

(13:16):
Right now, since I know you often wondered that this
a million dollars in nineteen forty three would be eighteen
point seven million dollars in today's dollars. Wow, she's like
in the basically the twenty million dollar club.

Speaker 3 (13:27):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (13:28):
Now, for the next ten years, as I said, she
remains the highest paid female star in America. In fact,
the US Treasury confirmed with data that in nineteen forty
six and nineteen forty seven, she was the highest paid
woman in America regardless of the industry.

Speaker 3 (13:42):
Yeah, think too about you know, we talk about salaries
now in Hollywood, but that's also because you have this
global market and they didn't have that then. I mean,
films could make it overseas, but not to the degree
of like that's where the earning is.

Speaker 2 (13:55):
Exactly, and that's what now the majority of the earnings. Yeah,
So to recap Betty Grabel, she's this pin up girl,
She's the sex symbol of her era. She's a major
blonde bombshell. Basically, one way of thinking about is this,
before there was Marilyn Monroe, there was Betty Grabl. Yeah, right,
you can think of her. Actually, you can kind of
think of this this series of famous blonde sex symbols.

(14:16):
It goes like this. First there's Gene Harlow, She's the
first blonde bombshell. She's the Big six symbol of the
nineteen thirties. And then comes Betty Grabl, the pin up girl,
blonde bombshell of World War Two of the nineteen forties.
And then along comes Marilyn Monroe, who fuses the appeal
of both Geen Harlowe and Betty Grabel and then becomes
you know, it's basically the sex appeal Jean Harlowe and

(14:37):
the mystery of her and then the every GI's girl,
all American appeal of Betty Grabel. Right, that's how Maryland
becomes the huge star of the nineteen fifties. So essentially,
Betty Grabel actually even passes the torch to Maryland when
they start together in the movie How to Marry a Millionaire?

Speaker 3 (14:52):
Oh right, right, yeah exactly.

Speaker 2 (14:53):
In fact, Marilyn Monroe would tell anyone who listened when
she was growing up, she idolized Betty Grabel like that's
who she wanted, Yeah, because she knew she had it,
and also she was unapologetic about it.

Speaker 3 (15:05):
That's what I think is interesting when you're describing her
and we know what we know about Marilyn being very
self aware and in control, and you know, they get
portrayed as like ditches and not and kind of manipulated.
Jane Mansfield is another one like that, where these are
really smart women who are savvy and talented and they

(15:27):
play characters and people think they are those characters.

Speaker 2 (15:29):
Exactly and they know that. You know, American audience at
the time in particular, liked these like dumb, daffy, goofy women,
so they would play into that. But you have to
be smart to play that part exactly. So, No, in
the nineteen forties, if you're Betty Grabel and your sex symbol,
if you're at this blonde bombshell and you're the most
famous woman in the world, there's something you also are.
You're a symbol, you're a focus of obsessions, and you

(15:51):
become a target for you guessed it.

Speaker 3 (15:53):
Crime, Oh boy, in this case, oh Betty.

Speaker 2 (15:56):
Ridiculous crime. Now. I mentioned old radio shows far too often,
but in this case who Ida too, because it's relevant
to the story. Because before TV becomes the thing in
nineteen forty eight, radio is what folks did at night
for entertainment, as you know, right. They'd gather around, they'd
listen to sitcoms or news programs. They listened to soap
operas in the daytime, action adventure shows at night for

(16:17):
the kids, major Broadway plays, if you're cultured, Hollywood movies
would get acted on the airways. Right. One of the
big shows of the day was The Green Hornet, which
I've mentioned before. It's the radio show that Seth Rogan
turned into a movie in twenty eleven, but in nineteen
forty that show became the inspiration for a Betty Grabel based.

Speaker 3 (16:35):
Crime waits The Green Hornet.

Speaker 2 (16:38):
The Green Hornet. On December sixth, nineteen forty, someone sat
down and they penned a letter to Betty Grabel. But
this wasn't fan mail. Instead, this person wanted to send
an extortion letter to Betty Grabel, but rather than call
himself by his government name since it was an extortion letter,
he called himself the Yellow Hornet.

Speaker 3 (16:54):
Yellow Hornet.

Speaker 2 (16:54):
Yeah, the letter he's sent read you have been selected
by me, the Yellow Hornet, to pay me the sum
of two thousand dollars in cash. Of course, of course
I love the court lady. No want to start to
a letter. It's like part scam letter, part deranged fantasy.
And also that much money two thousand dollars in nineteen
forty would be yes, forty six thousand dollars that I've

(17:17):
been doing it for you, right forty. So back to
the Yellow Hornet's letter. This amount will be addressed to
Miss Betty Westlake, six' Ten Allison, Avenue, Washington. Pennsylvania the
amount will be sent by special delivery any, way you
prefer By december twenty, Fifth Christmas, day or you will
thus suffer the results is.

Speaker 3 (17:35):
That The Yellow horns. House.

Speaker 2 (17:37):
No, interestingly he doesn't make it clear what these bad
results will. BE i, guess like hel For, ditchcock he
wants to leave it to the. Imagination but The Yellow
hornet then ends his. Letter this is not a, joke
as you may, think but strictly. Business if, you, however
don't send this money to the address, ABOVE i will
personally come out and get. You, sincerely The. Hornet strictly.

Speaker 3 (17:57):
Business no pleasure involved in. This it's LIKE.

Speaker 2 (18:00):
Epmd it's strictly. Business Erica Perrish Macon ducats.

Speaker 3 (18:04):
Come and get.

Speaker 2 (18:05):
You yeah. Right he decides to go with the threat
IF i don't get my money By Christmas, day will
personally come out and get. You AND i assume he
means to come out To, hollywood, right not like to his.
Mother AND i guess he'll buy one of those maps
of the stars homes and just go, knock, knock knock
on her. Door, now another interesting thing about The Yellow hornets.
Letter it's at the address he sent you asked. About
this is the home In East, Washington, pennsylvania was the

(18:28):
home of the superintendent Of schools For East, washington and we,
assumed presumably he was the father Of Betty, westlake except,
for as THE fbi found, out there was No Betty. Westlake,
instead the daughter was Named Mary. Westlake so, yeah, anyway
THE fbi investigates the center of the letter is this
eighteen year old kid Named James, porter Not Betty. Westlake

(18:50):
he didn't even Know betty Or Mary. Westlake and THE
fbi discover all this when they arrest him On january,
third nineteen forty. One, yeah they catch up to The
Yellow hornet before he gets his act together and pops
across the country to go Visit Betty Grabil, yeah because
obviously she did not send the. Money On december twenty, fifth,
obviously after he's arrested by THE fbi and The Pennsylvania State,

(19:12):
Police James porter confesses that he did in fact send the,
letter but not only, that he'd also sent letters to
sixteen of his neighbors in the town Of, Washington.

Speaker 3 (19:20):
Pennsylvania sixteen neighbors Plus Betty.

Speaker 2 (19:23):
Grave exactly why? Not he said they were all part
of His Yellow Hornet. Club oh, yeah which they had
to know. This, no they had not opted to join.
This it's just like he would send quote assignments under
penalty of What i'm going to come out to your
house or. Whatever, now if you're wondering What Betty grabel's
response to the letter, was she never actually received. It

(19:43):
the letter instead was sent to twenty Century fox as fan,
mail so they she never saw. It they, did the
folks At. Fox they opened the fan. Mail then they
send it to THE, fbi like we got a live.
One they contact The Pennsylvania State police and some LOCAL fbi.
Agents you, know they all go out and arrest this confused,
Kid James. Porter and when the press Told Betty grabel
about the yellow hornet, business she, said it's flattering that

(20:06):
someone THINKS i can reach out and produce two thousand
dollars at a moment's. Notice But i've never heard of Miss,
westlake and SO i don't THINK i should make any further.
Comments and, also further, Ironically James porter was released on
two thousand dollars. Bail, okay so that's kind of a weird.
Case some random kid tries to extort A hollywood star
the same way he has been trying to extort his
neighbors and he gets arrested by THE. Fbi get, This,

(20:31):
Elizabeth this was only the start of folks trying to
Extort Betty, grabel and his stories only get weirder as we.
Go but, first let's take a, break chow, out listen
to some, ads and after these, MESSAGES i will tell
you even wilder ones from the life Of Betty. Grabel.

Speaker 5 (20:46):
Nice we're, Back yes we, Are.

Speaker 2 (21:08):
And i've got More Betty grabel for.

Speaker 4 (21:10):
You?

Speaker 2 (21:11):
Nice are you ready for some folks looking to extort
the most, famous most, desired most highly Paid american woman
of the nineteen. Forties so after The december nineteen Forty
january forty one story about The pennsylvania farm Boy James,
porter which becomes obviously national, news it leads to what
we now call copycat. Crime oh, yeah and it didn't
even take. Long one month later the blue, yeah, like

(21:34):
do you know how you heard about? This because he
got Busted, nope doesn't stop. Him In february forty, one
another young man From pennsylvania was, LIKE i want to
Extort Betty grabel.

Speaker 3 (21:44):
Too WHY i make everyone feels like they can do it?

Speaker 2 (21:46):
Better? YEAH i think so, yeah because his second, guy
he wasn't a high school age kid Like James. Porter,
instead he was a twenty four year old nightclub waiter
working In. Philadelphia. Wow but he was also Named James JAMES.
D Thompson ibry. Fourth nineteen forty, one THE fbi Arrested
James thompson after he Sent Betty grabil an extortion. Letter
but unlike the kid who demanded two, grand he went Bigger.

(22:08):
ELIZABETH i, mean he was some punk. Kid he's a
working night.

Speaker 3 (22:11):
Club he has the value of.

Speaker 2 (22:13):
Money he's got a, tailor he's got you, know he's
got people to. Pay he may even have a, bookie who.
Knows but he demanded eighty five hundred dollars From Betty
grabil and what's? That that would be one hundred and
eighty seven thousand.

Speaker 3 (22:26):
Dollars, okay, right, yeah, yeah that's a good.

Speaker 2 (22:28):
Chunk and he said unless the amount was, paid she
would suffer bodily.

Speaker 3 (22:33):
Harm oh, vague, YES i like.

Speaker 2 (22:36):
It leave it to the.

Speaker 3 (22:37):
Magic did he have a fun name at the end
of the.

Speaker 2 (22:39):
Letter, No, no he just well he just sent it as,
like you, know LIKE i don't actually don't remember the bumblebee.
YEAH i don't THINK i found what his name was
on the. Letter they just mentioned different sections of the
letter in the. News but, Yeah so he sends his
letter On january twenty, fourth AND i guess he wasn't
dissuaded by the fact the kid From pittsburgh got. Caught
so he's, like, No i'm From. Philadelphia we're smart kids

(23:00):
in Western. Pennsylvania So thompson the nightclub, waiters like things
will go differently for. Me his plan was slightly. SMARTER
i gotta give him. That rather than have the money
sent to a girl he didn't, know, yeah he demanded
That Betty grabil send the money to him via general,
delivery and then she was to place a personal ad
in a Local philadelphia paper so he would know that
she'd sent it and when to expect the money's.

Speaker 3 (23:21):
Arrival, wait and to his name general. Delivery.

Speaker 2 (23:24):
Yeah. Basically, Yeah, so instead of sending any money to
her Second pennsylvania extortion, Is Betty grabil hands the letter
over to THE. Fbi it takes them a week and
a half this, time and the GM n spring into
action and they arrest the nightclub. Waiter the good news
For Betty grabel was that no one sent her an
extortion letter for the rest of that. Year oh that's,
Good nor did she receive. One in nineteen forty. Two
the war was, on you, know the young men Of

(23:45):
america or busy wondering if they had been draft, yet
had other. Concerns maybe not as much time for, nonsense
but maybe, not because in nineteen forty three it all
starts right back up. Now if you remember from up
top WHEN i was telling you About Betty, grabil nineteen
forty three was her million dollar, year, Right that's the
year she signed her million dollar contract with Twentieth Century,
fox and she had her, legs you, know insured With

(24:07):
lloyd's Of london for a million. Dollars, yeah big million
dollar year for, her, Right and all that talk of
million dollars may have been what triggered the next extortion.
Letter or maybe this is just something you, know something. ELSE
i don't, know because the extortion letter it arrives In
february forty. Three, coincidentally the letter was Postmark february, sixth
which was one day after her previous extortionists had been

(24:28):
busted by the G men back in forty. One oh,
really it almost the. Anniversary, yeah so the story. Goes
in Early, February Betty grabil receives her latest extortion, letter
and it begins rather, Formally Dear Miss, grabil this is
an extortion under threat at your life or a great bodily.
Harm gathered twenty five thousand dollars in uncut diamonds and

(24:50):
mail them in two envelopes addressed To JONATHAN. C Wild,
Esquire Gates hotel fifth And, Figueroa, Sandelus, california signed The.

Speaker 3 (25:02):
Leopard, wait now we're at The. Leopard this we got
to break this letter down for a. Second, right twenty
five grand and uncut diamonds in two, envelopes, envelope slit it.
Up he's, LIKE i think it's gonna go over postage
if you put them all in one, envelopes, like split it.

Speaker 2 (25:16):
Up he doesn't trust the. Mail he's, LIKE i want
to get at least one of these through The.

Speaker 3 (25:20):
Leopard.

Speaker 2 (25:21):
Esquire, yes he's a. LAWYER i guess he's.

Speaker 3 (25:24):
Like bill And. Ted oh, wow.

Speaker 2 (25:27):
By the, way twenty five grand you're, wondering that's four
hundred and sixty eight thousand dollars twenty twenty. Five oh,
yeah half mil, mo, right Because he's, like, yeah you're
worth a million. Dollar your leg's are worth a million.
Dollars i'll take a half Mill i'll take a one
baty grable leg worth of. Money, also what is up
with these, guys The Yellow, hornet The? Leopard these are
like b grade comic book.

Speaker 3 (25:48):
VILLAINS i, know it's.

Speaker 2 (25:49):
Amazing and also the you know The JONATHAN. C wild,
esquire is he even a real? Lawyer is that just.

Speaker 3 (25:55):
Means fancy exactly to be messed? With so is he The?

Speaker 2 (25:59):
Leopard is He JONATHAN?

Speaker 3 (26:00):
C wild?

Speaker 2 (26:01):
With, anyway these are all great.

Speaker 3 (26:02):
Questions send it to my.

Speaker 2 (26:04):
Lawyer OH i like, That i'm. Smart, yeah he's probably
watching a lot of like noir films.

Speaker 3 (26:09):
Exactly.

Speaker 2 (26:10):
Yeah so THE fbi when they hear about, this they're,
like we got. This we're getting pretty good at busting these.
Bozos what is this number? Three so the g men
decided to play. Along this time they send what was
described as a dummy package to the address given by
The leopard way and they had undercover agents watched the
hotel At fifth And figureoa to see who would come
pick up the. Package but no one.

Speaker 3 (26:30):
Came oh, Really, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (26:33):
But one month later In March march, ninth to be,
exact a second letter is sent To Betty. Grabil it
was just as formal as the first and was also
using increasingly violent. Language the letter, read dear Miss, grabil
On march, nineteenth at nine to forty, am come north
On Gower street and a half block south Of Santa Monica.

(26:55):
BOULEVARD i will be waiting leaning on the cemetery. Wall
bring five thousand dollars or you will not be alive
on the, Twentieth Signed Snowy.

Speaker 3 (27:05):
Baker first of, All i'm kind of excited BECAUSE i
know where all these places.

Speaker 2 (27:10):
ARE i thought you.

Speaker 3 (27:11):
Would and Then snowey's sne, Dude Snowy, baker.

Speaker 2 (27:15):
This is apparently the gnome de plume of the. Leopard
he's a snow. Lepard and uh, yeah if you if
you the THE fbi they did had handwriting analysis check the.
Letter they confirmed it was definitely the same. Guy Snowy
baker is the.

Speaker 3 (27:28):
Leopard Snowey baker leaning on the cemetery. Gate, yes That's
Rombi keats And yates on his. SIDE i like, that.

Speaker 2 (27:34):
So five grand in nineteen forty, Three in case you were,
Wondering elizabeth is about ninety three, thousand six hundred dollars these. Days,
okay so still a pretty good. Page, yeah but no
one cut diamonds this. Time he's dropped from twenty five
grand to five, grand a fifth of the. Value but he's,
like you, KNOW i don't know the snowy baker is
and as greedy as the. LEOPARD i don't want to tell.
You but it's still a ton of money in forty. Three.

(27:55):
Yeah so WHAT i also love about this second extortion
letter is how the letter is so damn. Specific, yeah
it's like not half past, nine, no nine, Am like
he's running a, bus.

Speaker 3 (28:04):
Go, yeah. Totally, well you wonder if it does coincide
with a bus that he would he's planning to jump
on a bus right After oh good. Call and he
never picked up the original dummy. Package, no it never.

Speaker 2 (28:14):
Came to The hotel fifth and. Figure now at this,
one at the intersection Of gower And Santa. Monica the
exchange is a half block south Of Santa monica right.
NOW i don't know how well you know The hollywood,
area but that street you, MEAN i know you said
you can know all these But gower was a really
interesting choice at that time to pick because that's where
a bunch of movie studios were located At Sunset boulevard And, gower,

(28:37):
right which is which is just a few blocks. Away
it's about like four city. Blocks so it's a great
exchange place for the leopard if you want to run
into a bunch of like guys dressed like, cowboys because
the area was Called Gower. Gulch, yeah because there's basically
like At sunset And gower. There back in the silent film,
Era sunset And gower was the home of movie, cowboys,

(28:57):
right and this continued into the sound, era so you
Had Columbia studios, there you had The bean Movie Maker
Republic studios which made a ton of. Westerns so extras
and people who just wanted to be a star would
hang out in this area and they would be like
walking around like dressed as like you, know a horse,
rustler and that way they some casting director might see
them and they could get hired for the day to

(29:18):
be a member of a posse, amazing, Right, yeah So
Gower gooles becomes this home of.

Speaker 3 (29:22):
Movie has my own costume guys.

Speaker 2 (29:25):
Exactly and also if you didn't find work that, day
you could go over to The columbia Drug store and
you can just mosey on, in grab a, seat and
enjoy a cup of coffee or sandwich or. Whatever and
this is Where John wayne used to hang out when
he was a young. Actor, also Both Roy rogers And
Gene autry, like if you're looking for, stars, yeah this
is the.

Speaker 3 (29:42):
Space.

Speaker 2 (29:43):
Yeah, anyway so this is just a couple of blocks
away from the leopard who wants to Meet Betty grable
to go at.

Speaker 3 (29:48):
Nine to forty as and there's a, cemetery.

Speaker 2 (29:51):
Yeah where he'll be waiting on the cemetery. Wall, now
this time the g men they decide not to send
a dummy. Package, instead they want to Send Betty grable
to deliver the five grand in cash as. Instructed but
you can't Risk Betty grabil and her million dollar. Legs
you can't send the Real Betty. Grable so instead they
plan to send an UNDERCOVER fbi. Agent now you may

(30:11):
be picturing some clean shape of AN fbi guy drag
and a.

Speaker 3 (30:14):
Bond wahgray, Amazing but it.

Speaker 2 (30:16):
Turns out THE fbi had female agents at the, time
so they scared up an agent who had a passing
resemblance To betty grabil and they sent her to make the.
Exchange oh.

Speaker 4 (30:25):
Wow but rather than me tell you, That, Elizabeth i'd
like you to close your eyes as a Closed i'd like.

Speaker 2 (30:30):
You to picture. It It's march, nineteenth nineteen forty, three
the appointed day for the, exchange the day to hand
over the extortion money to The leopard Aka Snowy. Baker
the g men of THE fbi have planned extensively for
this sting. Operation charts of the street have been created

(30:51):
with precise locations selected for the full surveillance of the
scene of this. Exchange some of the agents are excited
to bring to bear the latest high technology of the,
day cutting edge and surveillance. TECH a, camera but not
just any, camera a handheld movie, camera specifically a sixteen
millimeter camera outfitted with a telephoto.

Speaker 3 (31:11):
Lens Oo La La.

Speaker 2 (31:13):
Jegar hoover's like my boys can make movies. Too, Anyway
they have a plan for total coverage of the. Payoff
the new lightweight sixteen millimeter movie cameras are perfect tool
for a sting. Operation perched in like these advantageous vantage,
points g men have their sixteen millimeter cameras trained on the.
Street there are also spotters using high powered. Binoculars they

(31:34):
have radios to signal the other agents who are down
at street. Level in the, cemetery there ARE fbi field
agents dressed as gardeners digging in the fresh turned. Earth
there are also other UNDERCOVER fbi agents dressed as grave.
Diggers they work the soil with, shovels but they're ready
to spring into action as soon as the perp reveals.
Themselves on both sides of the. Street on the, sidewalk

(31:55):
there are also other undercover g men acting as, lookouts
and they have portable walkie talk is that they have
hidden behind the newspapers and other useful. Items prowling the
corner of the streets are even more UNDERCOVER fbi agents
driving around in radio, equipped unmarked cars and behind the
wheel of a shiny blue. Sedan is You? Elizabeth you

(32:16):
are the lone FEMALE fbi agent working the sting. Operation
at the moment your hands grip the steering wheel of
the shiny blue, sedan you push a few stray wind
blown blonde hairs out of your, eyes because that's right you're.
Dressed Is Betty? Grable you have the windows down because
that's part of the, act and the wind coming in
through the open windows is blowing around the hairs of

(32:36):
your blonde. Wig everything has been. Coordinated you know just
what you are to do with this, sting just as
instructed by the extortion letter sent by The leopard Aka Snowy.
Baker you turn Onto gower at the appointed time nine forty.
Am the shiny blue sedan smoothly corners and you keep
the car in a slow roll as you head Down.

(32:57):
Gower you also keep your eyes peeled searching for or the.
Perp he should be here on the cemetery. Gates as
you approach the drop spot halfway down the block Of,
gower you grip the brown paper wrapped package on the
bench's front seat next to. You you brush a few
more stray blonde wig hairs out of your, eyes but
you still don't see any obvious, perp so you go

(33:17):
ahead and do as. Instructed you lift the brown bundle
and you toss it out of the open window of
the shiny Blue. Sedan the package is weighted appropriately and
is well. Wrapped it slaps at the street when it. Lands,
meanwhile you continue to drive slowly down to the end
of the. Block at that same, moment g men hidden
in second story windows with sixteen millimeter cameras and their telephoto,

(33:39):
lenses as well as THE fbi agents on the roof
perched up there with their high powered. BINOCULARS a spot.
Movement could this be The leopard Aka Snowy baker the.
EXTORTIONIST a gangly young man hops off the cemetery. Wall
he walks between two parked, cars and he heads right
for the brown paper wrapped. Package the surveillance team were
all over. It rate the spotters down on street level

(34:01):
and signal the g men in a cemetery he dressed
as gardeners and, gravediggers but they don't need to be.
Signaled they see the same gangly young. Man they drop
their cover shovels hit the. Grass the UNDERCOVER fbi agents
run out of the. Cemetery the ones with walkie talkies
on the sidewalk break, character and they also run towards
the gangly young man in the middle of the. Street

(34:22):
they SHOUT fbi. Freeze in your rear view, mirror you
see the gangly young man reach down and scoop up
the brown paper wrap packets from the. Street he tucks
it under an arm and makes a run for. It
in the rear view, mirror you watch him run right
towards where you are further down the, block so you
press down on the gas pedal and. Accelerate the shiny

(34:42):
Blue sidan gives a throaty growl of the engine in.
Response you glance again in the rear view, mirror just
in time to see the gangly young man get tackled
by the UNDERCOVER fbi. AGENTS a grave digger wraps him
up like a linebacker for Usc the young man goes
down r his face slaps the. Street you look down
from the rear view mirror in time to turn the

(35:03):
wheel of the Shiny lucidan as the car takes the.
Corner at the same, time you yanked the blonde wig
from your. Head no more need to Be Betty. Grable nice,
Work Agent.

Speaker 3 (35:13):
Dunton that was exciting.

Speaker 2 (35:16):
Now at this, point the man known As Snowy baker
aka The leopard was revealed to be an eighteen year
old high school student From, Omaha. Nebraska own From.

Speaker 3 (35:25):
Nebraska his Name RUSSELL. E.

Speaker 2 (35:29):
Alexanderson, Alexanderson, yes it's very strange. NAME i was, like
AM i seeing that?

Speaker 3 (35:33):
Right? Oh?

Speaker 2 (35:34):
Yeah his father was in The. Army his mother had
gotten a job in THE la area working in an
aircraft plant In, inglewood all, right so she's, like you,
know building planes for the war. Effort, so since this
was the third extortion attempt Of Betty grabil and since
this was now a Major hollywood star aka The Blonde
Bomb show with a million dollar, legs, yeah none other
Than Jagger hoover announces the latest.

Speaker 3 (35:54):
Bus of, Course.

Speaker 2 (35:55):
Jagger hoover swans in to tell the national press that
the eighteen year Old, herp who was a big boy
at six foot, four had been. Waiting he grabbed the
package and tried to make a run for, it But
hoover's g men gave chase and captured the pimply faced
high school boy aka The leopard a block away.

Speaker 3 (36:13):
From the exchange right.

Speaker 2 (36:15):
Now RUSSELL. E, alexanderson who went by his middle Name,
Eugene So Eugene alexanderson was interviewed and interrogated BY Fbi
District Commissioner DAVID. B, head and he confessed To Commissioner
head that quote the threat of harm in the, letters
so it's never intended to be carried out at any.
Time so what was his deal? Then why did he do?

(36:36):
It great, Question. Elizabeth, yeah let's take a, break listen
to some, ads and after these, MESSAGES i will tell
you why he did it and what happens when the
leopard strikes yet.

Speaker 4 (36:45):
Again oh, no, Okay, elizabeth we are.

Speaker 3 (37:10):
Back we're.

Speaker 2 (37:11):
Now we've got some questions about the. Leopard Eugene alexanderson From, Omaha,
nebraska have.

Speaker 3 (37:16):
A lot of. Questions what's his? Deal, yeah, right what's
his major?

Speaker 2 (37:19):
Damage why Did eugene keep sending extortion letters To Petty?
Grable well it turns out the leopard did actually want the.

Speaker 3 (37:27):
Money, WELL i would.

Speaker 2 (37:28):
Imagine, Yeah but for what what would this eighteen year
old kid want during the war, Years you know when
they're rationing, BUTTER i mean like.

Speaker 3 (37:36):
Getting pants with that long of a. Leg good.

Speaker 2 (37:39):
Point he'd outgrown his clothes and.

Speaker 3 (37:42):
They're you, know rationing.

Speaker 2 (37:43):
Fabric he's got him like mid.

Speaker 3 (37:45):
Cast he wants a pair of silk. Slacks they don't do.
That it's For.

Speaker 2 (37:50):
He moved out west and was, LIKE i want one
of them zoot.

Speaker 3 (37:52):
Suits, yeah it could be, so As.

Speaker 2 (37:55):
Eugene alexanderson explained to THE, fbi, QUOTE i wanted them
only to enable me to see movie. STARS i had
no opportunity to see them BECAUSE i had to account
to my mother for every DIME i.

Speaker 3 (38:07):
Spent, wait how many movies did this boy want to?

Speaker 2 (38:10):
Watch joe the movie? Stars he wanted to like go
like Six, Sea LIKE i don't go to The Brown
derby or. Something, yeah you gotta pay for.

Speaker 3 (38:17):
Food that's probably you.

Speaker 2 (38:19):
Know he also bust money or. Whatever so his mom was.
Down but to the quarter and the. Nickel he was
very eager.

Speaker 3 (38:27):
To see a lot of the uncut. Gems, right did
he have a? Fence did he think this? Through like
what was happening in this kid's? Head uncut? Gems so
it's not even, like, Oh i'm going to go pawn the.
Summer you have to go to a to a gem.
Cutter he Wants, airfair To, antwerp Is la.

Speaker 2 (38:48):
Down To they Have downtown L. A they have a jewelry,
district so he could move the loose.

Speaker 3 (38:52):
Rocks this, kid.

Speaker 2 (38:54):
MAYBE i don't, know maybe once again maybe.

Speaker 3 (38:56):
SO i don't. KNOW i don't want to the. Leopard
you never.

Speaker 2 (39:00):
Can underestimate the. Leopard so the kid who wanted to
see movie, stars, right he's ironically LIKE i, said just
blocks away From Gower, gulchi you want to just walk up.

Speaker 3 (39:10):
The street and then also look for Free.

Speaker 2 (39:12):
But Paramount studios is not far away. Either he could
go down to the gates Of Paramount studio to check
out hangout. There it's over like On, melrose, right which
is just parallel To Santa. Monica, anyway he, Decides, Nope
i'm going to Extort Betty. Grable my mom's got all my.
Money fore. MOTHER i WISH i could make it make Sense.
Elizabeth and by the, way now we're under our third

(39:32):
young man who's trying to extort Baby. Grabel and he's
the third to get. Busted, like why don't these like
these guys learn from the kooks who came before? Them,
AGAIN i do not, Know but WHAT i do know
is Since World War two is now in full. Swing
after eighteen year Old Eugene alexanderson pleads, guilty he is
sentenced not to, jail but instead he is inducted into the.

Speaker 3 (39:52):
Army you're in the army, now something about a hall of.
FAME i was, like he's inducted into the.

Speaker 2 (39:58):
Army, yeah he gets drafted.

Speaker 3 (39:59):
Up put him to good.

Speaker 2 (40:01):
Use but when six foot, four pimply Faced eugene shows
up at army. Induction the army gets takes one good
look at, him and The army's like unsuitable stamp and
sends him. Back so instead he's given a sentence of
five years on. Probation right and get This. Elizabeth while
he's on, probation just a few months, later he sends
another extortion letter To Betty.

Speaker 3 (40:21):
Cravele he needs to go TO. Napa he needs to
go To, yeah.

Speaker 2 (40:26):
Then bing bang. Boom In may of forty, three he's arrested.
Again this time he'd sent her a letter demanding even less.
Money he demanded she give him five hundred dollars, yes
or Else i'll kill you and you'll never guess Where
he instructed her to meet him to hand over the.
Money where does he have to go? Regularly that would

(40:49):
be like on his bus route. Trips that's, right His
federal probation. Office, no he's, like meet me at The
federal probation office and, gammy the five hundred dollars are?
You and that's where THE fbi arrested him because he
did show meeting, yes see my. Po so he gets,
interrogated interviewed BY Fbi District Commissioner head again and the,

(41:12):
gangly pimply faced young man explains his latest insane. Plan
eugene said that, QUOTE i just couldn't overcome the desire
to try to see her. Again you See elizabeth the,
man this young, man he had a, heart a heart of.
Fire he was badly in. Love he was out of
his mind with, desire or has he put? It for seven?
Years i've been in love with Miss grable SINCE i

(41:34):
first saw her in. PICTURES i think IF i could see,
Her i'd be. Satisfied at any, RATE i won't write
any more. Letters just give him one of the. Cutouts
keep in mind he's he's yet to actually See Betty, grabil,
unless of, course he means you in a wig in
a moving car for him actually convinced That Betty grabel
was behind the wheel. Anyway Commissioner head was, like we're

(41:55):
not doing this, again, Son.

Speaker 3 (41:56):
No.

Speaker 2 (41:57):
No, eventually a judge releases him on bail while he
considered inappropriate sentence since probation hasn't done, anything and so
While eugene is awaiting, sentencing he decides to get in
one more. Letter, however this time he doesn't send it
To Betty, grable he's moved. On oh, yes he has
a different blonde in. Mind this time he decides to
Extort May.

Speaker 3 (42:17):
WEST i would NOT i would not Cross May. West,
NO i gotta tell you right, now or, NO fbi.

Speaker 2 (42:24):
Right she feels like a woman has a dringer in a.

Speaker 3 (42:25):
BOSOM i feel like she would answer the letters herself
and they'd be, like, Yeah i'll meet.

Speaker 2 (42:29):
You, there show up and cut them with a. RAZOR
i dare. You, Now no one cut diamonds From May. West,
no but the amount he, demanded it's gone back. Up
he's way past five hundred. Dollars eugene writes To May
west that unless you give me one hundred thousand, dollars
she would live her days under threat of your life
or great Bodily.

Speaker 3 (42:48):
HEART i love the great Bodily.

Speaker 2 (42:50):
Heart it's his. Thing one hundred thousand, dollars that's a
major escalation, here.

Speaker 3 (42:54):
Comand from like spot me fifty?

Speaker 2 (42:56):
Bucks that would be one point eight seven million in today's?
Money is it just a cool like near two? Million
Or i'm going to cut?

Speaker 3 (43:04):
Him.

Speaker 2 (43:05):
So The leopard's instructions For maywest were that she was
to put it in a package and bring it to
six two three Three Hollywood boulevard up to the sixth Floor,
Saturday february, sixth at ten ten. Am once, again bus
schedule time.

Speaker 3 (43:21):
Ten, tens ten minutes off of The. Meridian totally. Interesting you, KNOW.

Speaker 2 (43:26):
I Think i've mentioned this. BEFORE i once had an,
office like a like A hollywood, detective like a private
detective office on sixty four oh Four Hollywood, boulevard so
just like two blocks down for, So i'm super familiar
with this part of the. Town it's Basically hollywood And.
Vine it's like super busy at his. Time Yea hollywood
And vine on the sixth floor. Shop so, anyway for

(43:47):
May west, extortion he went back to using his comic
book villain. Nickname he signed his letter The Leopard.

Speaker 3 (43:54):
Ckily for her he should go as the leopard For.
Halloween oh, yeah we're still have.

Speaker 2 (43:59):
To explain it to everyone each. Time only you got
thirty minutes and some pimple.

Speaker 3 (44:04):
Spot it's a bag of uncut, time.

Speaker 2 (44:07):
Exactly, YEAH i.

Speaker 3 (44:07):
Have to explain it all over and. Over you just
have a.

Speaker 2 (44:11):
Handout what are you supposed to?

Speaker 3 (44:12):
Do one?

Speaker 2 (44:13):
Sheet, People and it kind of got a link to
this episode yes. Exactly, Anyway luckily for, her May west
had essentially ignored the extortion letter and the threats. Made
she had read. It she actually got to, her but
then she saw The Betty grabil story in the news
and then she's, like wait a, minute contacts THE Fbi
after The May west. Letter commissioner had was, Like, okay,
yeah that's. It we're done here, kid.

Speaker 3 (44:34):
We know where to find.

Speaker 2 (44:35):
Them. Yeah the judge sentenced The Pimply face Gangly omaha
kid to. Prison, yeah if you can believe. It someone
else decides to press their luck and Extort betty GREG i.

Speaker 3 (44:45):
Cannot imagine prison was kind of Rest Gene.

Speaker 2 (44:47):
No no and his tenuous grasp on. Reality, yeah BUT
i bet.

Speaker 3 (44:52):
You there were so many pictures Of Betty grable up
in the. Cells it just drove them to.

Speaker 2 (44:57):
Madness they just called Them Harry, james, yeah or maybe
Called Jackie. Coogan, Hey, jackie come on in. Here AS
i was, saying if you can believe, it don't ask
me how everyone's been. Caught but someone else is, like
you know What i'm gonna. Do i'm going to Extort Betty.
GRABLE a great.

Speaker 3 (45:10):
Idea now it's done That, no.

Speaker 2 (45:12):
One's gotten away with it, yet but at this point
it's pretty much an easy way to punch your ticket
to being locked up or getting set to the army
to fight. Overseas they're, Like i'm gonna try my. Luck
it hasn't worked out for anyone, else but maybe it'll
work out for me. Now in nineteen forty, five war still.
On Betty grabel was married to the swing music Bandleader Harry. James,
right but that didn't stop someone from, thinking you know,

(45:33):
WHAT i should threaten to do harm To Betty. Grabel
It's january of nineteen forty five when the press report
That Betty grabel has been under police guard for several
days as a result of a tip that a plot
might be directed against. Her, now this time it wasn't
some pimply faced kate with a comic book pen. Name,
nope this time it was two men in a. Bar oh, Okay,

(45:55):
so according to Police Captain Thad, brown two men had
been overheard in a bar discussing a plan to abduct
the star and hold her for. Ransom that's. Gross, yeah
the bar owner felt like you did like? That that's. Gross,
Yeah he's, like you're just you're really mucking up the
vibe in my gin.

Speaker 3 (46:09):
Mill, well he's heard all manner a bad bar bets
exactly bad. Plans and then he hears, This he's, like
absolutely not. Right, yeah it means big stop it to
get A sweatson A.

Speaker 2 (46:20):
World war two era like gin mill bar owner pissed
off enough to contact THE. LAPED i got a live
one for. You he overheard two of, US i, said
two of his customers talking about Kidnapping Betty grabel holding for.
Ransom and since he's worried that one of them is
an ex, convict he calls THE. Lapd so, Please Captain
Thad brown gets in touch with Twentieth Century fox to
make sure that the studio is aware of this threat

(46:41):
to their big star because remember number one box office, draw.

Speaker 3 (46:45):
Right and they have to increase security at the studio and.

Speaker 2 (46:48):
Have somebody with, her, like you, know taking her, home
pick her up in the morning for her early calls
because they don't know when they're going to. Strike, yeah
as the newspapers of the day reported from that time,
on Miss, grable wife of orchestra Leader Harry, james and
walk her dog without tripping over. Guards now her band leader.
Husband he also starts to carry a handgun on him
because he kind of leans that. Way he's, Like i'm
gonna keep that nickel plated on. Me and he wasn't

(47:11):
taking any chances with his new. Wife he's, LIKE i
got lucky to get. HER i ain't gonna lose her right.
Now three weeks, past the two men fail to act
on their like tough guy bar, talk and so eventually studio, officials,
police THE, fbi and forty special agents who guarded The
star agreed it was only a dream and no kidnap.
Plot so eventually it was tough bar.

Speaker 3 (47:29):
Talk oh but you know, what you gotta watch what you.

Speaker 2 (47:33):
Say oh, yeah people are gonna take it for. Real. Yeah,
NO i would love to tell you that that was
the final time someone tried to kidnap her Ransom Betty
rabel or a, Starter but IF i told you, That
i'd be, lying because three years, later in nineteen forty,
eight it happens. Again the war's over.

Speaker 3 (47:48):
Now there's no.

Speaker 2 (47:49):
Excuse people were, like, well remember when we used to
Extort Betty grable. World, NO i thought you'd appreciate, this
are ever curious eagle eyed Researcher Marissa, brown she raised
this interesting in her notes and her research dossier on this,
One marisa, said quote side, note what is it about
winter that makes people want to Kidnap Betty? Grable because

(48:09):
every one of these takes place in the. Winter is
there never summer time? Plans?

Speaker 3 (48:14):
Oh you, know you're bundled, up.

Speaker 2 (48:16):
You're stuck, inside you listen to a lot of. Radio
you're wishing you could afford A tv at this. Point
so yet, again come, winter someone gets the, IDEA i
should Extort Betty grabel for big. Payday it's been a few,
years no one's tried, it so, someone you, know to
catch the. Spirit and then In january of nineteen forty,
Eight Betty, grabel still the number one box office draw

(48:37):
in the, world with the million dollar, contract million dollar,
legs this blonde bombshell pin up girl next door. Vibes
someone Decides i'm gonna threaten to kill her.

Speaker 3 (48:45):
And this one will.

Speaker 2 (48:46):
Work, yeah oh, god but they'd go one pass. Out
they're like, no, no everyone's said, that Like i'm gonna hurt,
You i'm gonna kill, You i'm gonna kidnap. You she's
like this new person's, like what IF i steal her new. Baby, no,
no there ain't nothing funnybout baby steal unless it's The
Coen brothers Movie rais In. Arizona yeah right. True but that,
said this one is still good because oh The Storring.

(49:06):
Coast Elizabeth Jane, bean twenty years old Of, Kaufman, texas
and her Husband WILFORD. E. Bean these names are always cartoon.
Names Jane bean And Willy. Bean willy so mister and Missus.
Bean by the, Way.

Speaker 3 (49:20):
Billy, Bean Billy.

Speaker 2 (49:21):
Bean, yeah there you. Go Billy bean's. Job what does
Mister bean do for a. Living he's an employee at
a glass. Company So i'm imagining him as like some
industrial glass blower coming home to his wife because, like,
honey you want to know WHAT i did? TODAY i
threatened to Take Betty grabel's. Baby we're gonna get, paid.
Honey So Jane bean Of, Kaufman, texas she has a
sort of bright anddea twenty year old fresh To hollywood

(49:44):
would come up with. Stort Betty grable plan is simple
and diabolicals is just snatch your. Baby, yeah then just,
RUN i don't just run up steal steal the.

Speaker 3 (49:53):
Baby what happens? Next what happens, Next Missus, bean all.

Speaker 2 (49:56):
RIGHT i think they're just gonna live high on the.
HOG i GUESS i don't know ABOUT i forgot this.
Part she wrote this fan mail To Betty grable and
sent it to Twentieth Century. Fox, oh so the letters,
like send me five thousand. Dollars, Oh i'm gonna steal your.

Speaker 3 (50:09):
Baby i'm gonna start texting that to my.

Speaker 2 (50:13):
Friends and by the, way that's no small ass because
in nineteen forty, eight five grand would be sixty seven
thousand dollars, today right, Right and by the, way, Also
Jane bean Of, Coffin texas didn't plan to steal the.
Baby she planned to get paid for threatening to steal the.

Speaker 3 (50:29):
Baby she. Wasn't, yeah she wanted to.

Speaker 2 (50:31):
Get paid for playing With Betty grabel's.

Speaker 3 (50:33):
Imagination so scary this letter that she's, like of, course,
please Missus, Bean i'm.

Speaker 2 (50:37):
Going to ransom a theoretical kidnapped baby of the. Future,
yeah and so sad part from His bean is that
she didn't know how to get the future ransom letter
extortion threat To Betty, grable so she sends it as
fan mail and its big star Like Betty grable doesn't
open her own fan. Mail so some poor schmuck in
the mail room at the studio dome like.

Speaker 3 (50:55):
Went on probably to become like a huge. Producer, oh
they start the mail.

Speaker 2 (51:00):
Totally becomes Like Irving thaulberg or. Something, anyway so this
porschmuck in the mail room opens this particular piece of fan,
mail reads the extortion letter future ransom, letter and he's, like,
well that's not. Good so he takes it to his.
Boss they read, it they're, like, well that's not. Good
they take it to the security of the. Studio they're, like,
oh that's not. Good and then they hand the letter
over to THE fbi because at this point the studio

(51:20):
is like a relationship with THE fbi just to Handle
Baby grabel's extortion. Letters so THE fbi agents they read the,
letter and the agents are, like, well that's not, good
and they go look up where they can find Miss
Jane bean Of, Kaufman. Texas And i'm betting she sent
her a return address on her future baby ransom. Letter
probably either, way THE fbi shows up at her home

(51:41):
and then the whole, pitiful deranged story comes out in the.
Papers quote a drab little blonde admitted today she sent,
Baby grable a threat to kidnap her baby because she
wanted some quote easy, money, right newspaper people cutting on them.
Now this is When Missus Jane bean and the rest
of the world learned That Betty grabil never even saw

(52:02):
the future baby ransom, letter, because as the papers also,
reported the movie star and her, husband band Leader Harry,
james didn't know about the threat until they read the.
Newspaper her studio found the, rambling long hand note in
a pile of fan. Letters oh, yeah they're just cutting. Everywhere.
Now if you're wondering, why why would someone send a
rambling longhand note about Stealing Betty grabil's. Baby, yeah unless

(52:25):
she receives five, grand there's a simple. Reason as the
paper put, It Missus Jane bean twenty TOLD fbi agents
she tried to extort five thousand dollars from Miss grable
because she was tired of being poor and.

Speaker 3 (52:36):
Hungry, no, SISTER i get it, right that's not the
way to do.

Speaker 2 (52:40):
It, WELL i guess she figured a hypothetically Stealing Betty
grabil's baby was the best way to fix her world.
Problems would have been my, choice but it is a choice.
Now Missus Jane bean A, Kaufman. Texas she tells THE
fbi agents that arrested her that her motive was actually quite,
straightforward one might, say directed to the. Point as Missus bean,
said it seems like everyone In hollywood has lots of.

(53:00):
MONEY i need some, myself.

Speaker 3 (53:04):
Right to.

Speaker 2 (53:04):
IT i, mean when you put it like, that hard
to argue with. You so there you, Go. Elizabeth the
many extortions Of Betty Grabil my, goodness what's? Ridiculous?

Speaker 3 (53:14):
Takeaway don't try and Extort Betty, grabel, right that's just
rules to live, by don't especially. NOW i told you
it's not worth it.

Speaker 2 (53:22):
Now, no that would be really hard, now a lot of,
digging get those shovels. OUT i THANK i don't.

Speaker 3 (53:27):
Know maybe what's your takeaway.

Speaker 2 (53:29):
Mine is if somebody is the most famous woman in the,
world the one of the highest, earners you're going to
need more than just sending a fan mail, letter as,
like if that's your, plan you're gonna probably need to
buy a star map and figure out how to drop
it in through her actual mail. Saws maybe Kidnap Harry
james and see if she cares about, him you, know
like mix it.

Speaker 3 (53:49):
Up, yeah and you're gonna have to have a little
bit more of a. Plan yeah that would be.

Speaker 2 (53:56):
Good, yeah that would be really. Good actually think through
what you're doing instead of being, like how much money
DO i want and then just asking for that in a,
rambling long winded handwritten. Note, okay so you in the
moon for a talk back a week, Always oh my,

(54:18):
god SUPER.

Speaker 3 (54:22):
I love Get, hi.

Speaker 6 (54:26):
GUYS i need to share something a little bit, ridiculous
and that is THAT i finally figured out Who elizabeth sounds,
like and that would Be Carrie, browns seen specifically when
playing the role Of, tony the feminist bookseller In. PORTLANDIA
i like producer. Ge i'm From Rhode island and it's
freaking hot here and people are sharing that meme about

(54:48):
the heat being, hot and, YEAH i love you. Guys
this Is.

Speaker 3 (54:51):
Jill, Okay, hi thank You.

Speaker 2 (54:53):
Jill he gave me a, Laugh, Jill.

Speaker 3 (54:55):
Jill i've heard far worse than, that SO i take
that as a. Compliment, yeah, yeah as you.

Speaker 2 (54:59):
Should it.

Speaker 3 (55:00):
Is, yeah that's very.

Speaker 2 (55:03):
Good as, always you. Guys you can find us online
a ridiculous crime on social. Media you can email us
if you want a ridiculous crime at gmail dot Com.
Jamail we have the Account Ridiculous crime pod pod as
in short for podcast on. YouTube you check it. Out
there's a great videos there to watch if you prefer
your pods coming through. YouTube also we have a, Website

(55:24):
Ridiculous crime dot. Com, ALSO i don't know if on
YouTube they have the ads just put that in your
pipe and. SMOKE i don't. Know we also we love
your talkbacks, obviously so please go find the iHeart, app download,
it leave a. Talkback maybe you hear your voice, here
we'd like to hear. It, yes and as ALWAYS i
got to say one more, time thank you for. Listening
we will catch you next. Crime Ridiculous crime is hosted

(55:52):
By Elizabeth dutton And Zaron, burnette produced and edited By
Betty grables other bandleader Boy, Toy Dave, kustube and Starring
Analys ruck As. Judith research is by the underwriters For
Betty grabel's Leg Insurance, Policy Marissa brown And Jabbari. Davis
our theme song is by the rhythm section For Harry
James Road, Band Thomas lee And Travis. Dunney host wardrobe

(56:13):
provided By botany five hundred Guest. Harry makeup By sparkleshot
and Mister. Andre executive producers are J Edgar hoover's favorite
UNDERCOVER fbi gravediggers and cemetery, Gardeners Ben bolin And Noel.

Speaker 3 (56:26):
Brown Dis Cry Say It One More.

Speaker 1 (56:35):
Time Cry Ridiculous crime is a production Of iHeartRadio four more.
Podcasts my Heart, radio visit The iHeartRadio, App Apple, podcasts
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Speaker 3 (56:46):
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