William Castle, a b-movie maker, allowed audiences refunds if a movie was too scary. Many abused it, angering Castle. The abuse stopped when he made refund seekers go to a “Coward’s Corner” in the theater as a record screamed “Watch the chicken!” and a yellow light followed across the theater. In addition, Castle made them sign a Coward’s Certificate to get the money.
Facts
After Hitler’s rise to power, he founded…
After Hitler’s rise to power, he founded the German Fashion Institute, Deutsches Modeamt. He hated makeup, lipstick, smoking, hair dye, and trousers on women. He wanted to create an Aryan fashion industry to rival Paris as he hated unnaturally slender bodies and slim hips.
In 1968 US businessman Robert P McCulloch…
In 1968 US businessman Robert P McCulloch bought London Bridge for $2,460,000 plus shipping costs of around $240,000 and moved it to the Arizona desert. Instead of applying the 11% import tax for granite, US customs declared the 137-year-old bridge to be an “antique” and therefore duty-free.
Bizarre Christmas Cards in Victorian England
Christmas Cards in Victorian England were bizarre to put it mildly. Featuring dead birds, frogs murdering one another, sinister snowmen and others.
Mercedes-Benz will send you an award…
Mercedes-Benz will send you an award certificate and a radiator emblem if you reach milestones of 250,000, 500,000, 750,000, 1,000,000, and 1,610,000 kilometers on your vehicle.
Krista and Tatiana Hogan are one of…
Krista and Tatiana Hogan are the one of the rarest forms of conjoined twins. Their brains are connected by a thalamic bridge which gives them unique neurological capabilities. They can feel and taste what the other is experiencing, can see through each other’s eyes, and hear each other’s thoughts.
Research finds that crows know…
Research finds that crows know what they know and can ponder the content of their own minds, a manifestation of higher intelligence and analytical thought long believed the sole province of humans and a few other higher mammals.
In 1998, Tom and Eileen Lonergran were scuba…
In 1998, Tom and Eileen Lonergran were scuba diving with a group in Australia, but the boat transporting them left before the couple surfaced from the water. The incident would later inspire the 2004 film Open Water.
The borders between Belgium and the Netherlands…
The borders between Belgium and the Netherlands are so complex that many buildings have an international border running right through them. A bank was built on top of the border so paperwork was moved from one side of the building to the other whenever one nationality’s tax inspectors came.
Following the 1973 release of The Exorcist…
Following the 1973 release of The Exorcist, six people who saw it had to be admitted to a Chicago hospital “straight from the theater.” Psychiatrist James Bozzuto examined four of them and concluded they were suffering from “cinematic neurosis” — a term he coined. Basically, this was neurosis caused by watching a movie. Symptoms of this condition included “anxiety, helplessness, sleeplessness and repetitive post-traumatic dreams.”
Phil Collins, composer of the soundtrack…
Phil Collins, composer of the soundtrack to Disney’s 1999 animated film “Tarzan”, performed all the songs not only in English, but French, German, Italian and Spanish as well.
In 1992, popular British electronic band…
In 1992, popular British electronic band The KLF fired machine gun blanks at their audience at the BRIT Awards, dumped a dead sheep at the afterparty, retired from the music industry, deleted their back catalogue and burned a million pounds just to say they made music for the art not the money.