Original subtitles

"Beyond Belief, Fact or Fiction."

Hosted by Jonathan Frakes.

Tonight, your challenge is to separate what

is true from what is false.

Five stories, some real, some fake.

Can you judge which are fact and which are fiction?

To find out, you must enter a world

of both truth and deception, a world that is beyond belief.

Sometimes, reality and illusion live side by side.

But to understand the difference,

you must examine all sides.

Take this globe.

A perfect symmetrical form.

But when we check more closely, the truth is revealed.

So it is with tonight's stories.

On the surface, they may seem to be complete representations

of the truth.

We'll tell you which ones are true

and which ones are false at the end of the show.

And remember, check out every angle before you judge.

You may be getting only half the story.

The word redecorate sounds so simple, so carefree.

You try to do it, you're immediately

surrounded by floor plans, swatch charts,

sample books, bills that invariably

add up to thousands of dollars.

Chad is a master carpenter.

He knows how to change rooms.

But he also knows how to change lives.

Victoria Bowen started out as a rich client.

But Chad redecorated her life.

His newest add on is himself.

And he now shares her bed and her bank account.

But watch carefully, because the plans are about to be altered.

Some people's lives are like soap operas.

Take Victoria Bowen.

After her wealthy husband died, she kept falling

in love with the wrong men.

And with her new husband, Chad, the soap opera

was about to intensify.

I love your rough carpenter's hands, Chad.

And they're just for you, baby girl.

The two first met

when Victoria hired Chad to do some remodeling

work on her condo.

They were immediately attracted to each other,

but for different reasons.

Chad?

Yes, baby?

Have you kept your promise?

Of course I have, baby girl.

You're the only one.

I swear.

Victoria had only one rule, that Chad

remain faithful to her.

I can't believe what you do to me.

You're the best, baby girl.

I love being here with you Chad.

I just wish I could stay here all the time.

It'd be so great, if this place was ours.

Well, don't get greedy, Andrea.

We got more money than we ever had.

We got a good thing going here.

I got my own bank account, credit cards.

I know.

I know.

We must enjoy yourselves.

The old bag is gone the whole afternoon.

What a mess.

Can't wait until this remodel is done.

Get out.

Get out of my home, you and that slut.

Get out of here.

Look, Victoria, I can explain.

No, you can not.

I'm an idiot.

And to think I couldn't wait to get home to see you.

Baby girl, we can work this out.

I am not your baby girl.

Your baby girl is in my bed.

It's over, Chad, all of it.

The checking account, the credit cards, the Corvette,

it's all gone.

Look, I know how you feel.

I really do.

All I'm asking for is a little understanding.

You'll get nothing from me.

I'm calling my lawyer and I'm having

you removed from my will.

You understand?

I'm having this whole charade annulled.

Now, get out.

And take that trash with you.

You'll never get my money.

And you'll never leave here.

Where'd you get the gun?

Girls can't have too much protection.

Yeah, right.

I had to do it.

I know.

You just shouldn't have done it here.

How are we gonna get her out of here?

We're not. There's too much security.

We're leaving her here.

What?

Yeah, no, I've been thinking about it.

I can-- I can build a wall in the living room, a fake one.

We'll stuff her behind it.

I got all the building materials I'll need right here.

If they ever find her, we'll be long gone.

Chad, you are so hot.

Yeah, we make a good team.

Yeah, you, me, and her credit cards.

Bye bye, Victoria.

Thanks for everything.

So is that it?

I just got to blow some insulation in the wall

with that popcorn machine.

Then, we're all done.

Let's do it.

All right.

Let it rip.

Hey, good pressure.

This won't take long.

What-- what's going on here?

I don't know.

It just-- it just died.

What the hell's happening here?

Andrea, go get me a hammer.

Help me pull these snails out.

This is too weird.

This i impossible.

Chad, what's happening here?

I don't know, baby girl.

Get me out of this.

It shouldn't be doing that.

I don't know what to do.

I'm stuck.

What the hell is that? - Chad.

I don't know what's happening.

What is that?

I don't know.

This is crazy.

What is happening?

Oh my god.

What is this?

Chad.

The bodies were

discovered three days later.

The entire crime was recorded by a security camera secretly

installed by a suspicious wife.

Was this a series of disastrous accidents?

Or was there something else at work?

Can we really believe that an expert with equipment,

like Chad, would suddenly be victimized

by such out-of-control machinery?

Why wasn't he able to save both himself and Andrea.

Could it be that the supernatural

took over, controlled by the deadly anger

of a betrayed wife?

Was this story of the schemers permanently

caught in the act true?

Or is it just another cover?

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

at the end of our show.

Next, murder stalks a cell block, on "Beyond

Belief, Fact or Fiction."

There are tribes located in various isolated parts

of the world who believe that if someone takes your picture,

they steal your soul.

But in our culture, having your picture taken

is a form of compliment.

We are in effect saying to the subject of the photo,

I like how you look and I want to remember

you just how you have.

However, there are some photos which

nobody wants to be the subject.

With this photograph, you are entitled

to one free call and a night of accommodation,

usually with a roommate from hell.

Buffalo County Jail is about to get a new resident.

But he's not like the other tenants.

Before he leaves, he'll be the talk of the block.

The old man was the strangest case

I'd ever seen.

He had been arrested for destroying public property.

He carried no identification.

And when they ran his prints, they found no previous record.

The only name he'd given the authorities was Anatole.

William Pope, meet your new roommate, Anatole.

I don't want no roommate.

It's not up to you, Pope.

Just behave yourself.

Oh, yeah.

I always do.

Just mind your business, old man.

I'll let you live.

That night, as the other prisoners tell

the story, things were mostly quiet in the cell

of William Pope and Anatole, quiet until it

was time for lights out.

As Anatole lay there on his bunk,

it was the psychopathic killer, William Pope,

who broke the silence.

You ever talk old man?

Not much.

Anatole?

Anatole.

What the hell kind of name is Anatole?

It's just a name.

You ever heard of me?

No.

Don't you ever read the papers or watch TV?

I'm interested in newspapers or television.

Well, you happen to be sharing a cell with a very famous man.

Hey.

You hear me?

I heard you.

Know what it is they say I did?

No.

Say I killed 15 people in 15 months.

That's a person a month.

Did you?

What do you think?

I think it is true.

You ever kill anybody, Anatole?

No.

You do it once and you get a real taste for it.

There was this one kid.

He was the best.

College kid, sitting on this park bench, reading a book,

minding his own business.

I made friends with him.

I gained his trust.

Then, I followed him to his car and as he was unlocking

his door, I grabbed this--

this big piece of concrete.

And I called out his name, Allen.

And I bashed his head in.

You should've seen the look on this guy's face.

What's the matter, old man?

I scare you?

I was called in the next morning.

This is how we found him.

He was still alive last night at lights out.

Then, that old man must have some pretty strong hands.

Yeah.

I don't know how he did it.

Pope was a powerful man.

Yeah, I know.

I was Pope's arresting officer.

Took three of us to bring him down.

Far as I'm concerned, this Anatole guy

saved the state some money.

You know, I still don't understand how he escaped.

There's no way out of here.

Well, maybe someone wasn't doing their job.

What's that?

That's strange.

It's a picture of Pope's last victim.

I remember him.

College kid named Allen Guttenoff.

What's it doing here?

I don't know.

There's an old man there with him.

Hey, he looks just like pope cellmate, Anatole.

Maybe the old man left us a calling card.

I spent the next few days attempting to locate

Allen Guttenoff's father.

I finally traced him to a nursing home

in Phoenix, Arizona.

Have you been to Phoenix before, Detective Murdoch?

No, I haven't.

So this patient of yours, Mr. Guttenoff, what kind of person

is he?

Sweet, quiet, just a wonderful man.

Yeah?

It was so tragic about his son.

Yeah, it was.

Why is he in that wheelchair?

Mr. Guttenoff's been confined to a wheelchair

ever since he had a stroke six months ago.

It happened the day after his son was murdered.

Can I talk to him?

Sure.

Don't be too long.

He tires very easily.

Are you Anatole Guttenoff?

No.

I-- I'm Anatole the Avenger.

I couldn't see booking the old man.

My official report read that I couldn't locate him.

And that was the last I ever heard of Anatole the Avenger.

What happened here?

Was Anatole faking his infirmities

at the end of our story?

Did he actually show up at the jail to commit his revenge?

If so, how did he escape that night?

Was he in collusion with one of the guards?

Or is the explanation more mystical?

Was the visitor to the cell that night and avenging spirit

rejected by a sickly old man to exact punishment

for the death of his son?

Do you believe the tale of Anatole the Avenger?

Or like the concept of revenge itself, is it only an illusion?

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

at the end of our show.

Next, an unattractive woman learns

the meaning of beauty and mystery,

on "Beyond Belief, Fact or Fiction."

Have you wandered pass those state of the art

cosmetics counters lately?

If you have, you may have seen this gizmo.

With the flick of a computer switch,

you can see what you might look like with another look

all together.

Take this, potentially lovely creature, for example.

How would he look, say, without that distinguished beard?

Or perhaps with a more avant-garde hairstyle?

Suppose we just let his hair down altogether.

I was hoping for a more Leonardo DiCaprio thing.

I guess the computer can only do so much.

June Bondy would never spend any time with this type of thing.

She's never cared much about how she looks.

But she's about to learn that real beauty is more than skin

deep.

It pierces the soul.

I worked as a secretary for a large insurance

company for two years.

During that time, I ate my lunch alone on the same park

bench every day.

I knew I wasn't pretty.

And because of that, I wasn't very popular.

I had resigned myself to living a lonely life.

Loneliness is something you get used to.

The hard part is how cruel some people can be.

Doesn't she work with us?

Yeah.

She's a real loser.

Look at her.

I tried to act like I didn't care.

But I heard remarks like those all the time.

And they hurt me deeply.

Would you please just leave me alone?

I'm really not interested.

Yes, you are.

You just don't know you are.

Why don't we try to get to know each other a little bit?

Let got of me.

Come on, babe.

Loosen up.

Please.

Give it a chance.

I'm not gonna bite you.

Please.

Unless you want me to, of course.

Come on, honey.

Leave her alone.

Beat it, lady.

Come here, baby.

You know you want it.

I said, leave her alone.

And I said, beat it, lady.

What do you think you're doing, lady?

You're in big trouble, you hear me?

Why don't we just call a cop and see who's in big trouble?

Forget it.

Thank you so much.

He was such a creep.

I don't know what came over me.

I mean, I took a self-defense class.

But I've never had to use it before.

Well, whatever you learned, it worked.

This must happen to you all the time.

I'm Clarisse.

June, just June.

I'd like to do something for you, to thank you.

Oh, no.

You don't owe me anything.

I feel that I do.

Look, I was a model and I did my own makeup.

Maybe I could show you a few tricks.

I think it's gonna take more than a few tricks.

We'll see.

Clarice seemed to know

exactly what my good colors were and what would

compliment my bone structure.

She reminded me of an artist, the way she worked by instinct.

And even though I felt she knew what she was doing,

I didn't hold out much hope for the final results.

The strange part was, even though she

worked on me all through lunch, she wasn't

using all that much makeup.

I didn't know what to expect.

That's it.

I feel so strange.

Would you like to look at yourself?

I can't believe it's me.

I'm--

You're beautiful, June.

It's my gift to you.

My life changed immediately.

My long forgotten dreams of being pretty and popular

had suddenly come true.

The great thing about the makeover Clarice

gave me was how it stayed.

I woke up the next morning and I looked exactly the same.

And then, I discovered when I washed my face, that I had

hardly any makeup on at all.

Derek, I thought you were having lunch with me today.

Oh, That was today?

Well, I'm almost done.

I might as well just stay here with June.

Doesn't she look great?

Yeah, just dandy.

I hope I didn't cause any trouble.

No.

Not at all.

I was wondering, are you busy for dinner tonight?

Because there's this great place.

I must admit, I was a bit overwhelmed.

It was hard adjusting to all the attention.

It was like I was a whole new person.

I came back to the fountain several days in a row.

But Clarice was never there.

I had to find her and say thank you again.

And then, one day I saw her.

Clarice?

Hello, June.

I've been looking for you every day.

I wanted to thank you.

How did you do this?

You completely changed me and you hardly used any makeup.

What did you do?

It was a gift, from me to you.

Accept it as that.

Wait.

Let me take you to lunch.

Don't be alarmed, June.

What happened to you?

It was in a terrible accident.

When?

I just saw you the other day.

It was burned in a fire two years ago.

But you were so gorgeous.

That one day.

My mind was spinning with a million thoughts.

But none of them made any sense.

I only understood one thing.

I was looking into the face of a friend.

Can I still take you to lunch?

I never saw Clarice after that day.

I don't even know where she came from.

Sometimes, I think she was sent just for me.

All I know is, scarred or not, she was the most beautiful

woman I've ever known.

Who was Clarice?

Was she an angel sent to bestow the gift

of beauty on a deserving June?

Or did she somehow have the ability

to hide her scars with makeup?

Wouldn't June have been able to see that in bright daylight?

Or consider this.

Disabled people have been known to regain

the ability to walk or talk for a day and then lose it again.

Perhaps Clarice regained her beauty for just one day

and then lost it the next.

Could this magical story have a foundation of truth?

Or did we just make it up?

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

at the end of our show.

Next, a careless mistake leads to a life-threatening night,

on "Beyond Belief, Fact or Fiction."

A good mechanic always knows where his tools are.

So an organized workspace is a must

for the home improvement crowd.

Joel Latham is the kind of at home handyman

who makes sure that everything has a place

and there's a place for every.

His son Lauren hasn't found the secret to his dad's

meticulous methods.

In fact, Lauren hasn't found his house

keys for the last 18 years.

But he's about to find himself in trouble from which

there may be no escape.

The day had finally come.

Our son Lauren was leaving for college in upstate New York.

We were trying to be strong.

But we were having a hard time letting go.

After all, he was our only child.

All right.

Let's take this shot.

Go over there, Dad.

OK college man.

And--

We did have good reason to worry about Lauren.

While our son was a very intelligent young man,

he had one serious fault. He was extremely forgetful.

Now, did you remember to pack your jacket?

You know how cold it gets up there.

Yes, Mom, I packed my jacket.

And Mom, you know you're gonna have to stop worrying about me,

right?

I'll be fine.

Pop.

Come here.

All right.

So I'll call you guys when I get there?

OK.

And we'll see you Thanksgiving, sweetie.

Yeah.

Bye.

Bye bye.

Even in this touching moment,

we couldn't forget how absent minded he was.

Lauren hold up a minute.

You forgot your toolbox, buddy.

Was it on the truck?

Mhm.

Ah, man.

I can't believe I almost forgot it.

Thanks, Pop.

Are you as worried as I am?

Yeah.

But we've got to let go.

All right.

Take care.

I kept telling myself things would be all right.

But--

Lauren.

Lauren.

Lauren.

Three months had passed since Lauren left for school.

And I couldn't stop thinking about him.

I knew I was going to miss him, but I didn't

think it would be this hard.

College was supposed to be a big adjustment for a student.

I didn't realize how difficult it was for a parent.

I guess I didn't know how truly connected I was to my son.

So how's that carburetor coming?

It's coming.

I just wish Lauren was here to help me out with it.

Joel, honey, I know you miss Laure.

I miss him too.

But you've got to snap out of this blue funk.

I know.

I know.

I'm concerned about you.

I know.

I know.

And he does call almost every day.

Yeah, but he's still over a thousand miles away.

It's gonna be all right, honey.

It's gonna be all right.

One cold winter's night, Lauren

was coming back from a party and found himself

driving on a deserted road.

It was one of those times when it

didn't pay to be absent minded.

In fact, the temperature had dipped dangerously low.

And as usual, Lauren was not prepared.

Oh, man, I should've brought a coat.

It's got to the carburetor One quick adjustment

and I'm out of here.

Oh, no.

I can't believe this.

I forgot my toolbox.

No. No.

Not snow.

It was the kind of night when

people were found with extreme frostbite,

or even frozen to death.

If only Lauren had remembered to keep

a simple screwdriver in the car, he could've gotten it started.

Dad?

Dad?

- Hello? - Hey.

Hi, Mom. Hey, sorry to call so late, Mom.

Lauren, are you all right?

Yeah, oh, I'm fine.

I just had a little engine trouble.

Well, is he all right.

Yeah, he's fine.

He just had car trouble.

So what happened?

Well, Mom, it was the weirdest thing.

Well, first, my car broke down.

And I didn't have a screwdriver.

And then, I was freezing out here/ and I thought I saw this

guy that looked just like Dad.

He was fixing my carburetor.

Is Dad there? - Yes.

He's right here.

Do you want to talk with him?

No, no.

It's late.

Just tell him I'll call him in the morning.

And Mom, tell Dad I love him, all right?

I love you too, Mom.

OK.

We love you too, honey.

Bye.

What happened? What?

Is he all right?

I mean, what did he say?

He's-- he's fine.

He's going to call you in the morning.

Oh, look at this.

There's grease on the sheets.

Did you wash up before you came to bed?

Yeah.

I took a shower.

Didn't I?

Joel.

What's going on here?

Joel.

What's this doing here?

Joel, you're not going to believe

who Lauren thought helped him out there on the road.

What's the explanation here?

Did Lauren's father have an out-of-body experience

that even he wasn't aware of?

Or was the man who saved Lauren's life

just a wandering good Samaritan who

closely resembled the father?

But then, how do you explain the grease and screwdriver

in the father's bed?

Is this story of the mysterious screwdriver

inspired by an actual event?

Or are we just screwing around?

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

at the end of our show.

Next, a simple mishap almost ruins a man's future,

on "Beyond Belief, Fact or Fiction."

We've all heard the expression,

clothes make the man.

But is it really true?

Well, surveys indicate that the better you look,

the better you feel about yourself, the better you

feel about yourself, the more likely

you are to make a strong, confident impression.

Artie Holman has to make a strong impression today.

He has a lot riding on it, a new job, a chance

to rekindle an old romance.

He's dressed for the part.

But his dreams, his hopes, and his stomach

are about to be tied in a knot.

I was back at my favorite restaurant

for the first time in a year.

That's because I was having the lousiest year of my life.

I had a chance to turn things around in the next 12 hours.

And I was more than a little nervous about it.

Hey, Artie, let me help you with that.

Charlie.

Where'd you come from?

I didn't see you when I came in.

Oh, I've been right over there,

like always, folding my towels.

Where have you been lately?

I haven't seen you in such a long time.

Oh, man.

You would not believe the year I've had.

I-- I lost my job eight months ago.

And then, my head got so messed up Nancy left me.

That's a shame.

She's a good woman.

It was all my fault, Charlie.

She's the best thing that ever happened to me.

I was such an idiot.

Thanks, Charlie.

I'm actually meeting her here today, for lunch.

We're gonna-- gonna talk about us.

That's great.

Charlie had cooled me off.

But I was starting to lose it again.

No, it's not.

She's never gonna take me back.

I got this big job interview this afternoon.

But I already know I have no chance of getting it,

because they're just going to hire somebody else,

somebody less qualified than me.

I-- I hate my life, Charlie.

I never should've left home today.

Artie, Artie, Artie.

You got to calm down, my friend.

You are right.

You'll never get what you want with that attitude.

I know, Charlie.

I know.

I just can't stop being negative.

You've had a run of bad luck.

That's all. What do you think?

You're different than everybody else?

All you gotta do is get out of this rut you're on.

I'm trying.

No, you're not, Artie.

You're not trying at all.

But there is something you can do that'll help.

What? I'll try anything.

What?

All you have to do is believe that today is the first day

of rest your life.

Just don't complicate it by overthinking.

Thank you, Charlie.

No, you keep it, Artie.

I don't need it.

Charlie had always given me great advice.

Five years ago, he encouraged me to propose to Nancy.

And when she said yes, it was the happiest day of my life.

Now, I was trying to put it all back together, once again,

with Charlie's help.

You look good, Nancy.

You already told me that, Artie.

- I did? - Three times.

It's just that you you look really good.

I--

Four-- fourth time saying it.

Why did you want to meet?

Nancy, we-- I-- OK-- I--

It was Charlie reminding me it was the first day

of the rest of my life.

I know I was a jerk before.

And I do not blame you for leaving.

But Nancy, you got to know that I am turning my life around.

Now, I got a big job interview this afternoon.

And after I get this job, I don't want to celebrate alone.

You know, Nancy, today is the first day

of the rest of my life.

So share it with me.

You sound like the Artie I married.

I missed you too.

You did?

Oh, yeah.

Oh, god.

I got to go back to work.

Can I call you later?

I'd like that.

As I watched Nancy walk out,

I just knew my run of bad luck was over.

You'll never get that stain out.

It;s red wine, Mr. Holman.

There's no way it can be removed.

OK. Here's the thing.

I have a very important job interview in an hour.

And I really have to have a clean suit.

Can't you go home and get one?

No.

I can't go home and get one.

This is my only suit.

Don't worry, Artie.

I can get the stains out for you in no time.

How?

Trust me, Artie.

All it takes is a little confidence.

I trusted Charlie.

But I could not believe he could get those stains out

in time for the interview.

I suddenly saw the first day of the rest of my life becoming

the worst day of my life.

And where was Charlie?

I don't believe it.

How did you do this?

This looks better than when I first got it.

Hey, you want to look your best on the first day

of the rest of your life.

Now, go get that job.

I didn't know how Charlie did it.

All I knew was that I had another chance.

And this time, I wasn't gonna blow it.

I came back to tell Charlie I got the job.

It turned out to be a day I'd never forget,

for lots of reasons.

Mr. Holman, how'd you get the stains out of your suit.

Old Charlie got the stains out of my suit.

And I was just going to say thank you to him.

Old Charlie?

The men's room attendant? Mhm.

That's impossible. Oh, yeah?

Why's that?

Charlie died six months ago.

What's the explanation for this story?

Was the man who helped Artie really

the ghost of Charlie Hayes?

Or was it just someone who looked like Charlie?

If so, how did the men's room attendant

know so much about Artie.

Or could Artie have been hallucinate, imagining

that Charlie was there?

If so, then, who removed the wine from Artie's clothing.

Is this story of the old friend who cleaned a suit

an example of pure truth?

Or does it bear a stain of lies?

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

and which are fiction when "Beyond Belief,

Fact or Fiction" returns.

And now, it's time to see which of our stories

are inspired by actual events and which are totally made up.

What was your opinion of the story

of the two scheming lovers who were covered

up by their own misdeeds?

True or false?

What is that?

I don't know.

This is crazy.

Oh my god.

The story points of this one have

been created by the imagination of our writers.

It's fiction.

How did you judge the tale of the invalid father who somehow

avenged his son's murder?

What's the matter, old man?

I scare you?

This time, our research shows that this story

happened in the New York City area prior to 1982.

It's fact.

Let's take another look at the tale of the plain Jane

who was transformed into a raving beauty

by a mysterious stranger.

I can't believe it's me.

I'm-- you're beautiful, June.

It's my gift to you.

Was this one true?

Not this time.

It's a work of fiction.

How About the story of the college student who was

rescued by the spirit of his father thousands of miles away?

Lauren, are you all right?

Yeah, Mom, I'm fine.

I just had a little engine trouble.

What? Is he all right?

He's fine.

He just had car trouble.

If you thought this story was true, we deceived you.

It's fiction.

Let's take another look at the plot

about the man whose day was saved by a ghostly men's room

attendant.

But there is something you can do that'll help.

What? I'll try anything.

What?

All you have to do is believe that today is the first day

of the rest your life.

Our research shows this one happened in a Miami restaurant

in 1979.

It's based on an actual story.

Every day, the concept of truth seems to become stretched,

distorted, and compromised.

Maybe it's time to accept that some things go beyond our ideas

of truth and fall into a category that can best

be described as beyond belief.

I'm Johnathan Frakes.

The story's entitled Anatole and Charlie are true

based upon firsthand research conducted by author Robert

Trallens for "Beyond Belief--

Fact or Fiction."

This is Don Lafontaine.