This is a collection of seven short black and white segments copyrighted in 1961. Not a formal TV show, these short Ripley’s Believe It or Not segments were shown as interstitials on TV stations, filling up time left in the program schedule. It seems likely the date of their production was actually 1949-1950, an earlier era of television when short form TV shows were more common.

These shows were directed by Ray Kellogg, and a Sceptre Production. Thomas Edison’s Secret features Edison’s 1868 patent, electric vote recorder, and early patents (0:21-0:37). Shown are a Victor RCA phonograph, Seeburg G100 Selectomatic Deluxe 45 jukebox, built-in stereo with wall speakers, hi fi stereo console likely made by RCA Victor, dictating machine, hearing aid, telegraph, Kinetoscope camera, and Mutoscope peep-show (0:38-1:19). A family wears early 3D glasses and a woman records with a home video camera (1:33-1:40). Edison mixes chemicals (1:41-1:48). An electric streetcar and electric fire bell are shown (2:01-2:21), and Moses G. Farmer works with an electric lamp (2:22-2:58). The Man Who Gave Adam Back His Rib opens with images of antique skeleton studies (3:20-3:56). A Medieval clothed hand reaches for medical instruments (3:57-4:02). Reenacted Roman gladiators fight (4:03-4:10), and a bloody hand is examined with medical tools (4:11-4:21). Gondolas sail at Rialto Bridge, Venice (4:22-4:30). A reenactment of Andreas Vesalius, the 16th-century Flemish physician, examines a human skeleton, walks through a cemetery, and examines a covered corpse (4:30-5:44). Vesalius stands trial and sails off but his ship sinks (5:45-6:05). The Death Curse of the White Chamois opens with an illuminated map of 1914 pre-WWI western Europe, and an image of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. A reenactment of Austrian heir-apparent Archduke Franz Ferdinand hunting follows (6:35-6:47). The Aisne-Marne American Cemetery WWI cemetery is shown (6:48-6:59). Ferdinand shoots a White Chamois goat (7:00-7:40). Sarajevo has a parade (8:12-8:29) where Ferdinand is shot and killed, marking the beginning of World War I (8:30-9:16). The Useless One showcases a British unbroken vigil that lasted for 142 years defending the city of Rye against the threat of Napoleon Bonaparte. Medieval knights fight (9:28-9:42). An armed soldier in a Napoleonic Wars-era British Army uniform stands on guard (10:03-10:27). The passage of time is shown by aging the guard, an hourglass, covered wagon, train, plane, radio, a Cricket match, WWI, and WWII (11:12-12:03). The Broom That Changed History features an Aristocrat disguised as a peasant during the French Revolution. A montage of French guillotine-related clips is shown (12:47-13:02). The man sneaks into an office and burns letters, saving hundreds of Aristocrats from execution, including a French woman in the hallway (13:03-14:42). She marries Napoleon Bonaparte (14:43-15:25). The Secret Treasure of Monte Cassino. A little girl is given a treasure map in 1878 (15:36-16:32). She sails to Italy on her honeymoon, where Saint Theodore the Dragon Slayer, St Mark’s Basilica, and Monte Cassino help her realize the meaning. They dig up a treasure box of gold challises (16:33-18:03). The Prophecy of Doom reenacts the evil Queen Catherine De Medici (18:39). She plots to have Gaspard de Coligny killed, which happens in the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in 1572 (19:36). She built the Tuileries Palace but wouldn’t move in due to a soothsayer’s prophecy (19:44-19:57). Her fears drive her to her death (19:58-21:27).

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