Synopsis

During the Great Depression, Robert Ripley's fascination with the peculiar and his sharp eye for the unusual propelled him to considerable success in America. Over a period of three decades, his *Believe It or Not!* franchise blossomed into a vast entertainment empire, extending from newspaper comics to radio, then to film, and finally to television. Americans embraced not only his outlandish stories but also the man himself; the eccentric, jet-setting playboy became an unexpected national icon.