Original subtitles

Tonight's stories on "Beyond Belief"

all contain a touch of evil.

"Beyond Belief--

Fact or Fiction?"

Hosted by Jonathan Frakes.

We live in a world where the real and the unreal

live side by side, where substance

is disguised as illusion and the only explanations

are unexplainable.

Can you separate truth from fantasy?

To do so, you must break the web of your experience

and open your mind to things beyond belief.

Truth can be an elusive thing.

In this illustration, there are actually two cubes,

but we see only one.

Our eyes will not permit us to see both boxes at once,

yet the truth is, they both exist.

Tonight, we examine two concepts that also exist side by side,

good and evil.

Each of our stories tonight has an evil twist.

It's your challenge to judge whether they are true or false.

We'll tell you the answers at the end of the show.

In the meantime, remember, when you attempt

to determine the truth, keep an open mind

and don't box yourself in.

The charm of the merry-go-round, the memories

it brings back of carefree summer days,

cotton candy, carnival balloons.

Penny Bell's childhood contains more

carousel memories than most.

It was her family's business.

She grew up learning how to scrub the horses,

how to polish the brass ring, and how to keep

the gears running smoothly.

And Penny also learned something else

about a carousel, round and round it goes

and where evil lurks, nobody knows.

This grand ole

merry-go-round was owned and operated

by my late father, Oscar Bell.

And for years it was the only carousel

in the Florida Everglades.

People came from all over the area to visit this attraction.

It was such a big part of my childhood.

I'll never forget the first time my daddy lifted me

on to one of the carved ponies.

I was a baby then.

Now, 23 years later, he's left it all to me in his will.

I asked my boyfriend, George, to help

me get the old merry-go-round running again.

Start her up, Penny.

She should roll now.

It turned out to be

the worst decision of my life.

The last year of my daddy's life, strange things

started to happen on the merry-go-round.

It began with small accidents, one day the ride

went completely out of control.

A lot of people were injured and one actually died.

Word spread that the ride was cursed

and people stopped coming.

My daddy finally dismantled it and put it

into a storage at a warehouse near the Everglades.

People were too afraid to ride it, so we had no choice.

The curse-- the curse, it got me.

That's not funny, George.

Come on, Penny, you know I'm just joking.

You're not still worried about that ridiculous curse, are you?

Old legends die hard in this part of the country.

How we going to get the public to come?

What about a marathon?

A what?

A marathon, like, I'll ride it for 100 hours or sometimes,

set a new world record.

Ha ha ha.

You're crazy.

No.

No, think about it.

I mean, the press loves that kind of stuff.

We'll get all sorts of publicity and then everyone

will know that it is safe.

It's actually not such a bad idea.

See?

How are you going to sit up there for 100 hours?

Oh, just throw me a Bologna sandwich and a bottle of water

and I'll be just fine.

George?

I screwed up.

George, is that you?

George, quit messing around.

Penny?

You all right?

Who are you?

It's OK.

George, this is Ike.

He used to work on the carousel with my dad.

Big mistake, Ms. Penny, putting

this thing together again.

Your daddy, he never believed that this merry-go-round

is possessed by evil spirits, but I do.

Yeah, right.

These horses are from hell.

Let me tell you something, young fella,

I was at the controls that day.

And this thing went wild.

It wouldn't stop.

People were being thrown off everywhere.

I quit that day.

I'm sorry, but this damned thing should be burned up.

Burned, I tell you, burned!

Ike went a little crazy after the accident.

Oh, really?

He seems fine to me.

Burned!

Hey, George, how long--

George and I worked hard to get the press

to come out to the marathon.

We had a good turnout, but what nobody

knew was that they were about to get a bigger

story than they ever imagined.

George, come on--

When I climb down from this horse, 100 and some hours

from now, I will have set a new World Record

and proven once and for all that this merry-go-round is

perfectly safe.

What about the curse?

There ain't no curse, you can quote me on that.

Ready George?

Of course, I'm ready.

Set your watches boys, I'll see you in four days.

I couldn't believe it.

My father's dream was alive again.

I was filled with hope.

That's when the nightmare started.

What's wrong?

You're not going to believe this,

but I could swear the horse just bit me.

Right, George. - No. no, really.

I know it sounds ridiculous but I just--

I had my hand on his head and then he took a bite out of it.

OK, George, very funny.

Quit messing around.

I'm not messing around.

Somebody, help me!

Please stop the ride!

Stop the ride!

He's always just fooling around.

George?

Are you all right?

He's dead, Ms. Penny.

It's a curse.

The story goes that the carousel horses had been kept

in storage inside a shed in the Everglades,

a shed that was located in the middle of snake country.

Apparently, a snake had crawled in during the winter months

and made its way inside the opening in the horse's head.

Are we just repeating an urban myth

that never really happened?

Or did we get the truth straight from the horse's mouth?

We'll find out whether this story is true or false

at the end of the show.

Next, a house is haunted by a red-eyed creature,

on "Beyond Belief--

Fact or Fiction?"

Is it possible to see something that isn't there?

Before you answer, consider this simple looking wand.

Can you believe it's actually capable of displaying

the time in mid-air?

Watch.

See the numbers?

Yet, they're not really there.

The Sterling family has been seeing things lately.

They're not sure exactly how to describe it, but then again,

how do you describe terror?

We loved this house the first time

we laid eyes on it.

It had everything.

There was a great backyard for Billy.

A new gourmet kitchen for my wife, Sally--

You could almost taste the great meals that were going to come

out of a kitchen like this one.

Oh, I love it.

What do you think? All right?

This is great.

Cool.

There were

also separate maids quarters for our trusted nanny, Maggie.

We were lucky to have her.

She and Billy had developed a very special bond.

Oh, I think it's time for bed, Billy.

Goodnight.

We were sure that this would be

our home for a long, long time.

The trouble began one night when Billy woke up hungry

and decided to raid the kitchen for cookies and milk.

Who's there?

It's OK, sweetheart.

It's OK.

It's all right.

I checked everywhere, buddy.

There was nothing there.

It was just your imagination, Billy.

Maggie's right, son.

There is no red-eyed creature.

Shh, it's OK.

It's OK.

Several days went

by without any other incidents.

But Billy was still shaken by the red-eyed monster.

He kept insisting that it was real

no matter what we told him.

I turned in early that night.

Sally was still in the kitchen cleaning up.

Oh, no, not a short.

Come on.

Come on.

Who's there?

Linda, I need full disclosure on the house.

Yes--

I called the realtor first thing

the next morning.

Well, tell him--

I finally

got her to admit that there was something unusual

associated with the house.

The original owner hanged himself in the garage.

There was no note--

suicide?

- no explanation.

No one ever figured out why it happened,

but the realtor insisted that there

was never any paranormal activity reported.

No, I don't believe those kind of things.

But I'm tell-- it--

it's the-- it's still something you need

to know before you buy a house.

OK, the first thing I want to say

is this house is not haunted.

I agree with Mr. Sterling.

Now, I know we're all a bit on edge,

but there's got to be a logical explanation.

Was there a logical explanation

for why the original owner committed suicide?

What does that mean?

Suicide isn't always a logical act, Sal.

I know that.

But I know what I saw, Don.

OK, maybe the house isn't haunted.

But how do you explain what Billy and I both witnessed

right here in this room.

Well, if you don't mind my saying so,

I think we should all calm down.

Wait a minute.

What-- what are you doing?

Look over there.

Oh.

OK, that's a possibility.

But what made the lights suddenly go off?

And Billy and I both heard that horrible breathing sound.

There was a short.

I told you, I checked the circuit breaker.

Maybe the breathing you heard was the heating fan kicking in.

I don't know, Don.

It was so real and so frightening.

I just--

I think Mr. Sterling's right.

Well, there's an explanation.

But, you know, we're overlooking the larger picture here,

and that's Billy.

You're right, Maggie.

Billy just hasn't been the same since he saw

those eyes the other night--

those lights.

Maybe we should have him see a child psychologist.

Do you really think that's necessary.

Oh, I think that's a bit drastic.

I'll have a little talk with him, we're friends.

OK.

You're still very upset, aren't you Billy?

Maggie-- it was real scary.

Well, I'm sure it was, dear.

But you know where all that comes from, don't you?

Right up here.

Why, you have a wonderful imagination.

It's the greatest gift a child can have.

But it made me feel so bad.

Well sure, that's how it works.

You know, sometimes we imagine things that make us happy.

Sometimes we imagine things that make us afraid.

And then as we grow older, we pay less and less

attention to our imaginations and we

live very dull lives indeed.

You won't let that happen, will you, boy-o?

I won't.

Promise me?

Promise.

I love you, Maggie.

I love you, Billy.

Goodnight.

Goodnight, sweetheart.

Was there an evil presence at work here?

If so, was it really the nanny?

She didn't live in the house at the time of the other problem.

Or perhaps the red-eyed specter was

now protecting the Sterlings.

No bad incidents had ever happened

to them, not yet anyway.

Is this story totally made up or is it glowing with truth?

We'll find out whether this story is true or false

at the end of our show.

Next, evil pays a visit to a used car

lot on "Beyond Belief--

Fact or Fiction?"

When you're shopping for a used car

do you really know what to look for?

Even if you fancy yourself somewhat of an expert,

it pays to be thorough.

For example, you might think to pay full price for this car

and then realize you should be getting half off.

That's why we're often forced to place

our trust in the salesman.

Then again, every salesman is not to be trusted.

Take Sonny Rhodes, in order to sell a car

he'll break almost any rule.

In fact, he's about to break a few commandments.

Hey baby, great news, I see tail lights.

Ha ha ha ha.

It's not the car you wanted, but it's

got you written all over it.

Sonny Rhodes, hustling up

another sale, a corny joke, a flattering remark,

and the customer is putty in his greasy hands.

He's every nasty thing you've ever

heard about used car salesmen, gives us all a bad name.

I'm telling you, baby, it's never going to need a tune-up.

No, no, no, no, it self-tunes.

Yeah.

Well, you know, a lot of people don't know about that.

That's why you come to Sunny, right?

Ha ha ha.

There were

four of us working the lot, but Sonny was

always salesman of the month.

Listen, I got to go.

I'll call you back.

Of course,

the way he gets salesman of the month

is by stealing customers, especially mine.

I appreciate you coming out on a day like today.

No problem.

It seems in good condition, but what about that larger

sedan over there?

You really don't want to buy that car, Mrs. Klein.

That engine has over 150,000 miles on it

and hasn't been taken care of.

I could make more money selling it to you,

but it wouldn't be right.

Now this one, on the other hand, this is a beauty.

Walt Dunbar, you're wanted in the General Manager's

office right away, please.

If you can excuse me, that's the boss,

but I'll be right back.

No problem.

How are you today?

My name is Sonny Rhodes.

Mr. Dunbar's been tied up, so I'm going to be

helping you from here on out.

Oh,

That's too bad, such a nice young man.

Yeah, but you know, he didn't really know what you need.

You see, I believe that a car should fit the person.

And you are far too classy a lady to be driving around

in anything but the best.

Oh, why thank you.

Here, let me show you something

that I think is going to fit you like a designer gown.

Come on.

No, no, no, no, I just want to talk to him.

Look, he made me look like a fool in front of the boss

and he stole my customer.

Settle down, Walt, you don't want to do this, man.

Look, I do, I really do.

Aren't you guys sick of him pulling this stuff

all the time? - Yes, we are.

But look, think about it, if you go out there right now

and if you make a scene, who do you think

is going to get fired?

All right, Tom, you're right.

I really hate that guy.

I know.

Bye-bye.

Absolutely fabulous.

Ha ha.

You stole my customer, you low-life.

Don't cut into my livelihood.

Well, baby, you should have seen me,

you could have learned a few things.

I took a car that hasn't been serviced in six months

and I sold it to that old bat for more

than the sticker price.

I don't believe you, Sonny.

You are actually proud of ripping that lady off,

aren't you?

It's a dog-eat-dog business, guys, and you should know that.

If you don't like the way I operate, quit.

Excuse me, kids, I'm working.

The next day,

Sonny was trying to close a deal with a leader

of a small four-man group, Lenny Height and his Society Kings.

They had a big lounge gig in Vegas

and they needed a new van right away.

I'll have a mechanic check it out, you could have this baby

by the end of the day.

I can't wait that long.

Look, we've got to be loaded up and

on the road the next couple of hours, we're playing tonight.

Sonny knew that the car was unsafe,

but he didn't care.

All he wanted was the sale.

OK, Lenny, she's all yours.

It's just routine we check these out anyway,

this baby's a cream puff.

It's the best van on the lot, I guarantee that.

All right, let's go deal with it.

Let's go.

All right, man.

Take care.

Hey, fellas--

Read the story.

Lenny Height and the Society Kings

died tragically yesterday in a major traffic accident.

The highway patrol reported that their brakes of their van

failed on a steep incline on their way to Las Vegas.

Gee, that's too bad.

Too bad?

That's all you got to say?

You knew that van needed new brakes, but you didn't care.

All you wanted was the sale.

Hey, I offered to have them checked.

He didn't want to wait.

He was in a hurry, that's not my fault.

Yeah, it is.

Oh, right, you're going to blame me for all

these guys dying, come on.

Their time was up, baby.

When your number's up, it's up.

You can't stick this one on old Sonny, uh-uh.

You can stick this one on fate.

You're unbelievable, man.

The three of us salesmen

went home early that night.

But Sonny worked late, so it was his turn to close up.

No one can explain what happened next, but it did happen.

Who is that?

Walt, is that you?

All right, what's going on here?

Tom, come on out of there.

All right, fellas--

all right-- come on, the joke's over now.

Come on out where I can see you.

All right-- all right, fellas, the joke's over.

Fellas.

Come on--

No!

Sunny Rhodes never ripped off another customer.

He died that very night under very mysterious circumstances.

Each of the three salesmen had airtight alibis

for their whereabouts at the time of Sonny's death.

And even if you believe it was them, how do

you explain the fourth vehicle?

Or could it have been the spirits

of the recently departed Lenny Height

and the Society Kings who were behind the four steering wheels

that night?

By the way, in deciding whether this story is true or false,

you must rely on your own judgment.

We offer no warranty.

We'll tell you whether this story is true or false

at the end of our show.

Next, a convenience store stays open all night for a customer

from hell, on "Beyond Belief--

Fact or Fiction?"

All of us are stars these days.

We appear on screen in elevators, airports, shopping

malls, and convenience stores.

Often, the tapes of our images are

erased at the end of the day so that new stars

can take our place tomorrow.

But sometimes authorities must look at the tapes

as evidence of some evil doing.

At Alec Wizowski's convenience store,

the camera doesn't have to capture the evil on tape,

it hangs heavy in the air.

I left my homeland

of Serbia one year ago to come here to America

and start a new life.

I was able to make a small down payment

and take over this convenience store.

24 hours, every day, I dream about only one thing,

to bring my wife and two children here to America.

When I left Serbia, I couldn't afford to bring them with me

and I count the hours until they can join me again.

I worked many hours and saved every penny I made,

affording myself no pleasures.

I was looking at $8,000, enough money

to finally bring my family to America.

Good morning, Mrs. Romana.

Buongiorno to you, Mr. Wizowski.

How are you doing?

I'm good.

I'm going to see my family very soon.

Oh, I'm so happy for you.

Oh, I can't wait to meet your family.

You're such a wonderful man.

Thanks.

I hate to speak ill of a dead man, but Mr. Ritter, you know,

the old owner, may his soul rest in peace,

he was terrible, terrible man.

He hated everybody, even the little children.

I heard that.

I wonder what makes people that way.

He had no heart.

He had only evil, evil in his chest.

He was always so mean to the poor, to the homeless,

even though they had no money to come

and buy something in the store, he wouldn't

allow them in the store.

That's terrible.

You know that he was murdered?

A year ago, right there where you stand.

And that camera, it took the pictures of the killers

but they were never found.

I know it's wrong for me to feel this way,

but when I heard about his death I wasn't sad.

How much do I owe you?

$5.50.

I decided to close the store--

early so I could go to the travel agent

and purchase airline tickets for my family.

I was almost done when I heard the bell above the door.

Whoever it was would be my last customer of the day.

I should have locked up sooner.

What can I do for you?

Give me the money.

Please, don't hurt me.

I don't want that.

I want the box, the metal box.

What metal box?

The one you've got under the counter.

I didn't

know how he knew about the metal cash box, but I gave it to him,

and with it went all my dreams.

Now lay down on the floor.

Now!

Flat!

And don't move!

I had no choice.

I did what I was ordered to do.

Several minutes went by and finally, I heard the bell.

At last, I thought he had left.

It seemed like I was safe, but then--

Give us all your money, now!

This is chump change, where's the rest of it?

I swear, I don't have any!

There's nothing.

Lets get out of here.

I couldn't believe

what had happened to me.

I had never been robbed before.

And now, twice in less than an hour, everything was gone.

Hey, how much do I owe you?

Give us your money.

Now!

I don't understand, what

happened to the first thief?

He's not on the tape.

We went through it twice.

It doesn't make any sense.

He was the one who stole my metal box with $8,000 in it.

He's got to be on the tape.

Well, I don't know what to tell you.

Hey, I found something.

This is my box.

How can this be?

I swear to you, the first thief stole my box.

I don't know what happened here.

But at least you got your property back.

Two days later, officer Blake

dropped by with news.

What happened will stay with me until the day I die.

Just thought I'd let you know, we caught

those guys that held you up.

Really?

Yeah.

That's wonderful news.

That's not all of it, they

confessed to the murder of Stanley

Ritter, the original owner of this place.

What?

Yeah, we were taking a look at the old surveillance

tape, and it was them.

You know, you were real lucky.

Look, I have a copy of the tape, you want to take a look at it?

Sure.

I was about to see something

that cannot be explained.

Wait, that's him--

that's the man who stole my money.

That's what I thought.

He fit your description perfectly.

Do you know who he is?

Yeah, Stanley Ritter, the previous owner.

Stanley Ritter,

the previous owner, but it couldn't have been him,

he's been dead for over a year.

Two weeks later, Alec's family arrived in America.

But what about the box?

Who stole it?

Was it someone who looked like Stanley

Ritter, the former owner or was it the spirit of Stanley

himself?

Maybe Stanley's evil soul was trying to redeem itself

by saving a good man's money.

Is this mysterious tale fact or fiction?

You make the choice at your convenience.

We'll tell you if this story is true or false

at the end of our show.

Next, a World War II story with a surprising twist

on "Beyond Belief--

Fact or Fiction?"

Have you ever had the desire to write

your initials in wet cement?

Tempting, isn't it?

Of course, this is something we would never advocate.

Fortunately, I have a tool to restore the damage.

In these days of spray painted walls,

it's hard to remember that there was a time not that long

ago when defacing property was simply not tolerated,

no matter what the message was.

Let's go back in time to a year when a school principal, Harvey

Block, is facing a problem that is

new to both him and his school.

The year is 1941, the problem is graffiti.

The school year of 1941

was the strangest I'd ever had.

There was a fire in the gymnasium

and two students almost died.

I had my suspicions about who set it,

but I couldn't prove anything.

I take great pride in my automobile

and I have the same attitude about Ambrose Pierce High.

But there are always kids who just won't follow the rules.

Principal Block, Principal Block--

Gabe, good morning.

Good morning, sir.

There's something I think that you should see.

Please, excuse us.

"Remember Pearl Harbor,"

someone has deliberately defaced school property

and I have a pretty good idea who it was.

I know you got money.

Empty your pockets or I'll empty them for you.

- such a bully.

What is going on, Evans?

Nothing.

What do you mean, nothing?

This creep owes me money, don't you, Creep?

You go along to your next class.

You, come with me.

I never knew

a kid as bad as Johnny Evans.

He had no conscience.

He was unreachable, very dangerous.

When I was around him, I lost my perspective.

I just wanted him out of my school.

You really think you're a tough guy, don't you?

Don't you?

Tougher than you.

You think you can get to me, do you?

You know what you are, you're just

a no good, dirty little hood.

I want you to write the words, "remember Pearl

Harbor" on that blackboard.

Why?

Because somebody defaced school property and I

think it was you.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Why is it that every time something

goes wrong at this stupid school, you blame me?

Because you deserve the blame.

You are just no good, Evans.

Are you done?

No, I'm not done.

I think you had something to do with the fire in the gym.

Prove it.

I worked on that boy

for over an hour.

As hard as I tried, I just couldn't get him to crack.

The only rules he respected were his rules,

the rules of the street.

I knew he was a bad influence on the other students

and I worried about that.

It was like he had his own code of evil.

I never had a kid defy me like this kid.

He was the worst thing that ever happened

to Ambrose Pierce High.

I thought finally that I might have a way to kick him out.

You know what these are?

Books.

This is the school attendance book.

This is the conduct book.

First, let's see if you've ditched enough days

to get you thrown out of here.

What is this?

I don't believe this.

You broke into my office and defaced my books, didn't you?

I'm sorry to interrupt you, Principal Block.

But I think you better look out the window.

You defaced my automobile!

You monstrous little--

No, no, no, calm down, sir.

Calm down!

I would hate to see you get into trouble for hitting this--

this punk.

When?

What do you mean, when?

When did I touch your car?

I've been here with you the whole time.

He was right.

As usual, I had no proof that he did anything.

In my heart, I knew the kid was hopelessly bad.

I hated to do it, but I had to let him go.

As strange as the situation was, it got stranger.

You know, Mr. Block, those same three words

are written all over the school.

I don't get it.

What does, "remember Pearl Harbor" mean?

I wish I knew.

Two days later,

the Japanese launched a sneak attack on our Naval base

at Pearl Harbor.

Our story took place before Pearl Harbor.

How could Johnny Evans have known

about an enemy action that took our entire military

by surprise?

Was it just coincidence or was Johnny some devil

on earth channeling an event that

was certainly among the most evil of our century?

Is this story of the unexplainable

graffiti based on an actual event

or have we engaged in a sneak attack on the truth?

Next, you'll find out which of our stories are true

and which are false when "Beyond Belief--

Fact or Fiction?"

returns.

Let's take a look at our five tales of evil

to see which ones are inspired by actual events

and which are totally false.

Now let's take another look at the story of the merry-go-round

with a deadly curse.

You're not going to believe this,

but I could swear the horse just bit me.

Right, George. - No.

No, really.

I know it sounds ridiculous, but I just--

I had my hand on his head and then he took a bite out of it.

OK, George, very funny.

Now quit messing around.

I'm not messing around.

Although this story has been widely circulated as fact,

it's an urban legend that never happened.

What about the story of the glowing red eyes

that stalked the family?

Is this one true or false?

I checked everywhere,

buddy, there was nothing there.

It was just your imagination, Billy.

Maggie's right, son.

There is no red-- eyed creature.

The story of the red-eyed evil is inspired by an actual event.

And how did you judge the story of the used car

salesman who became a victim of his own greed, true or false?

All right.

All right, fellas, the joke's over.

Fellas, come on-- what is this?

If you guessed this story it was true, you're wrong.

We made this one up.

What was your opinion of the convenience store

that was visited by the ghost of the former owner,

real or unreal?

I don't understand.

What happened to the first thief?

He's not on the tape.

We went through it twice.

It doesn't make any sense.

He was the one who stole my metal box with $8,000 in it

This strange story was inspired by an actual event

according to firsthand interviews conducted

by author Robert Tralins.

And now let's review the story of the strange graffiti that

showed up before the attack on Pearl Harbor

took place, truth or fantasy.

You defaced my automobile.

No, no, now calm down, sir.

Calm down, I would hate to see you get

in trouble for hitting this--

this punk.

When?

What do you mean, when?

When did I touch your car?

Did this story of the graffiti that foretold

a disaster ever happen?

Yes, a similar incident did take place.

Our theme tonight has been evil.

The truth is, we designed these stories to test your ability

to discover fact from fiction.

But if you were unable to tell the difference, we implore you,

don't think evil of us.

For "Beyond Belief," I'm Jonathan Frakes.

Join us for more stories

next time on "Beyond Belief--

Fact or Fiction?"