Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:13,347 --> 00:00:15,597
AARON MAHNKE:
Just south of Mexico City,
2
00:00:15,641 --> 00:00:18,021
in the middle of
the Xochimilco canals,
3
00:00:18,060 --> 00:00:19,560
is an island--
4
00:00:19,603 --> 00:00:22,903
an island with
a disturbing history.
5
00:00:22,940 --> 00:00:27,610
Isla de Las Muñecas--
Island of the Dolls--
6
00:00:27,653 --> 00:00:30,663
so named because,
in the mid-1950s,
7
00:00:30,698 --> 00:00:33,658
a man named Julian Santana
moved here.
8
00:00:33,701 --> 00:00:35,491
He told some people
9
00:00:35,536 --> 00:00:38,576
he was abandoning
his wife and child.
10
00:00:38,622 --> 00:00:41,792
One day, after years
of seclusion,
11
00:00:41,834 --> 00:00:45,504
Julian is said to have made
a horrifying discovery--
12
00:00:48,340 --> 00:00:51,220
the lifeless body
of a drowned girl.
13
00:00:55,097 --> 00:00:57,767
Nearby, he found
something else--
14
00:00:57,808 --> 00:00:59,768
a doll.
15
00:01:01,645 --> 00:01:03,355
A precious possession
16
00:01:03,397 --> 00:01:05,437
she must have clutched
in her final moments.
17
00:01:08,068 --> 00:01:10,488
According to those
who knew Don Julian,
18
00:01:10,529 --> 00:01:13,949
he believed the spirit of
the girl began to haunt him--
19
00:01:13,991 --> 00:01:16,871
a curse
for leaving his family.
20
00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:22,040
So he retrieved the doll
21
00:01:22,082 --> 00:01:24,672
and cared for it
as if it were his child.
22
00:01:27,087 --> 00:01:30,167
He hoped that this might
appease the girl's ghost.
23
00:01:31,884 --> 00:01:34,054
He began searching
the banks of the river
24
00:01:34,094 --> 00:01:35,684
looking for more dolls.
25
00:01:37,973 --> 00:01:41,023
Sometimes he would even sneak
to the mainland to find them.
26
00:01:48,984 --> 00:01:52,034
He hung these offerings
to her everywhere.
27
00:01:53,447 --> 00:01:55,617
[children giggling]
28
00:01:55,658 --> 00:01:59,868
For Don Julian, it seemed
that they pleased her spirit.
29
00:01:59,912 --> 00:02:02,462
As the dolls
swayed in the wind,
30
00:02:02,498 --> 00:02:04,498
he believed she was
playing with them.
31
00:02:06,585 --> 00:02:09,375
He believed they were alive
and protected him.
32
00:02:11,882 --> 00:02:13,682
As a father myself,
33
00:02:13,717 --> 00:02:16,847
I know that children can
grow tired of their toys.
34
00:02:18,180 --> 00:02:19,970
Maybe that's what Don Julian
35
00:02:20,015 --> 00:02:21,425
came to believe--
36
00:02:21,475 --> 00:02:23,185
That the spirit of the girl
37
00:02:23,227 --> 00:02:25,187
lost interest
in her old dolls
38
00:02:25,229 --> 00:02:27,609
and wanted more
and more new ones,
39
00:02:27,648 --> 00:02:32,608
dolls that, as he aged,
he had trouble providing.
40
00:02:32,653 --> 00:02:36,123
For the old man, the banks of
the river became treacherous.
41
00:02:37,992 --> 00:02:41,622
But still he had to feed
the spirit's hunger
42
00:02:41,662 --> 00:02:46,132
until one day he may have
sought out one doll too many.
43
00:02:48,961 --> 00:02:52,551
Don Julian was found drowned
in the same dark water
44
00:02:52,590 --> 00:02:53,970
where he'd
discovered the girl
45
00:02:54,008 --> 00:02:55,968
all those years before.
46
00:02:56,010 --> 00:02:57,850
To this day,
47
00:02:57,887 --> 00:03:00,307
there are more
than 1,500 dolls
48
00:03:00,347 --> 00:03:02,557
hanging in the tropical sun.
49
00:03:04,184 --> 00:03:05,904
I'm Aaron Mahnke,
50
00:03:05,936 --> 00:03:08,016
and this is Lore.
51
00:03:22,870 --> 00:03:25,370
A doll can be
a lot of things--
52
00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:31,300
a guardian or the companion
we'll always remember.
53
00:03:31,337 --> 00:03:33,547
DOLL: Let's play house.
54
00:03:33,589 --> 00:03:36,219
GIRL: She does talk!
55
00:03:36,258 --> 00:03:38,548
Like a real little girl!
56
00:03:38,594 --> 00:03:40,974
MAHNKE: A toy
we can't live without.
57
00:03:43,182 --> 00:03:44,642
A trusted friend...
58
00:03:45,809 --> 00:03:47,189
a confidant.
59
00:03:49,313 --> 00:03:50,903
Yet it's not uncommon
60
00:03:50,940 --> 00:03:54,530
for people to feel
uneasy around dolls.
61
00:03:54,568 --> 00:03:57,278
Those glass eyes almost seem
62
00:03:57,321 --> 00:03:59,781
like they're staring
right back at us...
63
00:03:59,823 --> 00:04:02,203
[whimpering]
64
00:04:02,242 --> 00:04:05,412
which, is something we can
blame our brains for.
65
00:04:05,454 --> 00:04:08,464
They're hardwired
to recognize faces.
66
00:04:10,167 --> 00:04:11,957
But it doesn't
always work out.
67
00:04:12,002 --> 00:04:14,842
There's a concept
in psychology
68
00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:16,720
known as the uncanny valley,
69
00:04:16,757 --> 00:04:20,007
where our minds instinctively
reject human look-alikes
70
00:04:20,052 --> 00:04:24,182
that are almost but not
quite perfectly accurate.
71
00:04:24,223 --> 00:04:26,683
It has a way
of setting off alarms
72
00:04:26,725 --> 00:04:28,515
within our basic instincts.
73
00:04:30,312 --> 00:04:32,652
Despite that, we're
still all too willing
74
00:04:32,690 --> 00:04:35,940
to project humanity
upon objects,
75
00:04:35,985 --> 00:04:39,025
and in doing so,
we give them control.
76
00:04:40,823 --> 00:04:42,373
DOLL: I love you.
77
00:04:42,408 --> 00:04:44,948
But that's a dangerous
game to play
78
00:04:44,994 --> 00:04:49,464
because sometimes, it seems,
they refuse to give it back.
79
00:05:00,926 --> 00:05:04,596
Thomas and Minnie Otto were
natives of Key West, Florida,
80
00:05:04,638 --> 00:05:08,178
and in 1898, they completed
building a new home,
81
00:05:08,225 --> 00:05:10,265
nestled there
on Eaton Street.
82
00:05:13,355 --> 00:05:16,315
They were a well-off
and well-traveled couple
83
00:05:16,358 --> 00:05:18,858
who had a deep love
for the arts.
84
00:05:18,902 --> 00:05:23,282
And they had a young son
named Robert Eugene Otto.
85
00:05:23,323 --> 00:05:26,623
But everyone called him Gene.
86
00:05:26,660 --> 00:05:28,500
Gene was quiet.
87
00:05:28,537 --> 00:05:31,247
Some might say
he was an odd child.
88
00:05:31,290 --> 00:05:32,830
He kept to himself,
89
00:05:32,875 --> 00:05:35,375
and it was hard for Gene
to make friends.
90
00:05:35,419 --> 00:05:37,419
-THOMAS: ...the fingers.
-MINNIE: So delicate.
91
00:05:37,463 --> 00:05:38,383
Gene!
92
00:05:39,465 --> 00:05:41,465
Never touch the art, Gene.
93
00:05:41,508 --> 00:05:43,008
Do you understand me?
Never touch it.
94
00:05:43,052 --> 00:05:44,892
You have your own toys.
Go play with them.
95
00:05:56,690 --> 00:06:00,360
A gift was mailed to Gene
by Thomas' aunt Bridget,
96
00:06:00,402 --> 00:06:02,782
who was traveling overseas.
97
00:06:04,364 --> 00:06:05,914
While in Germany,
98
00:06:05,949 --> 00:06:07,739
Aunt Bridget found
the perfect present
99
00:06:07,785 --> 00:06:09,575
for her great-nephew.
100
00:06:09,620 --> 00:06:11,960
It had been a window display
101
00:06:11,997 --> 00:06:13,577
and was larger
than most dolls.
102
00:06:16,043 --> 00:06:18,963
"Met this little sailor
in a store window in Germany."
103
00:06:20,589 --> 00:06:22,509
"He said he'd be
a good friend to Gene."
104
00:06:30,808 --> 00:06:34,728
The doll had
an immediate hold on Gene.
105
00:06:34,770 --> 00:06:38,020
He even named it
after himself: Robert.
106
00:06:38,065 --> 00:06:39,395
Robert the doll.
107
00:07:32,452 --> 00:07:35,832
Gene, take the doll
away from the table.
108
00:07:35,873 --> 00:07:37,503
Robert
isn't hurting anyone.
109
00:07:41,461 --> 00:07:42,591
How long do you intend
110
00:07:42,629 --> 00:07:44,169
to permit this
childish behavior?
111
00:07:44,214 --> 00:07:47,344
As long as Robert likes
the food we serve.
112
00:07:47,384 --> 00:07:49,054
[chuckle]
113
00:07:49,094 --> 00:07:50,804
You know
the neighbors all laugh
114
00:07:50,846 --> 00:07:53,266
about the Otto boy
and his doll.
115
00:07:53,307 --> 00:07:56,097
And did you write
to Aunt Bridget again
116
00:07:56,143 --> 00:07:57,693
about what the neighbors
might think?
117
00:07:57,728 --> 00:08:00,518
Wanting her advice
over mine?
118
00:08:00,564 --> 00:08:02,234
No, I'm too ashamed
119
00:08:02,274 --> 00:08:03,904
to reply to her letters
asking about him.
120
00:08:05,569 --> 00:08:06,859
She's the one responsible
121
00:08:06,904 --> 00:08:09,114
for bringing it
into this house.
122
00:08:09,156 --> 00:08:11,366
Robert is Gene's friend.
123
00:08:11,408 --> 00:08:13,198
If you spoke to your son,
124
00:08:13,243 --> 00:08:16,543
you'd know that doll might
well be his only friend.
125
00:08:16,580 --> 00:08:19,210
And you're fixing
to take that away?
126
00:08:38,018 --> 00:08:40,768
[distant chatter]
127
00:08:46,318 --> 00:08:49,028
Thomas, I thought
you went to the office.
128
00:08:57,788 --> 00:08:59,668
[chatter continues]
129
00:08:59,706 --> 00:09:02,166
Thomas?
130
00:09:02,209 --> 00:09:04,209
Are you up here with Gene?
131
00:09:05,963 --> 00:09:07,513
Are you up here with Gene?
132
00:09:16,431 --> 00:09:18,181
I thought
I heard your father.
133
00:09:22,854 --> 00:09:24,154
Gene.
134
00:09:41,248 --> 00:09:42,918
[laughing]
135
00:09:52,009 --> 00:09:54,889
[clatter overhead]
136
00:09:54,928 --> 00:09:56,758
Gene, I told you
to go to bed!
137
00:10:03,603 --> 00:10:05,193
[clatter continue]
138
00:10:18,618 --> 00:10:20,118
[clatter]
139
00:10:31,298 --> 00:10:33,258
MINNIE: Why would you
do this to your toys?
140
00:10:33,300 --> 00:10:35,430
-GENE: I didn't.
-[sigh] I am so sick
141
00:10:35,469 --> 00:10:38,849
of you being ugly to us,
and the behavior and the lies.
142
00:10:38,889 --> 00:10:41,179
Well, you won't get
any new toys
143
00:10:41,224 --> 00:10:42,854
until you prove
you can be responsible.
144
00:10:42,893 --> 00:10:45,563
You did this, and you will
suffer the consequences.
145
00:10:45,604 --> 00:10:47,364
I didn't do it.
146
00:10:51,068 --> 00:10:52,318
Robert did it.
147
00:10:54,696 --> 00:10:57,276
Tell me, Eugene,
how did the doll do this?
148
00:10:57,324 --> 00:10:58,704
Hmm?
149
00:10:58,742 --> 00:11:00,662
I can't keep help
around this home
150
00:11:00,702 --> 00:11:02,752
for all the things
you swear that Robert did.
151
00:11:02,788 --> 00:11:05,578
Locking doors, making
noises in dark rooms,
152
00:11:05,624 --> 00:11:07,084
scaring the housekeepers.
153
00:11:07,125 --> 00:11:09,705
Now, I will not allow
my son to make excuses.
154
00:11:09,753 --> 00:11:11,763
Robert is a doll.
155
00:11:11,797 --> 00:11:13,377
It isn't real.
156
00:11:16,635 --> 00:11:17,795
Yes, he is.
157
00:11:18,887 --> 00:11:20,557
Robert is real.
158
00:11:22,933 --> 00:11:24,433
[sigh]
159
00:11:24,476 --> 00:11:27,436
And he doesn't like it
when you scold me.
160
00:11:33,151 --> 00:11:34,191
[laugh track]
161
00:11:34,236 --> 00:11:35,566
Hi, Bergy!
162
00:11:35,612 --> 00:11:37,202
I'll give you two minutes
to get dressed.
163
00:11:37,239 --> 00:11:38,659
Remember, we're doing
a show tonight.
164
00:11:39,741 --> 00:11:41,621
[laugh track]
165
00:11:41,660 --> 00:11:44,120
On Thanksgiving Day in 1950,
166
00:11:44,162 --> 00:11:46,122
one of the biggest
acts in vaudeville
167
00:11:46,164 --> 00:11:48,134
made its television debut.
168
00:11:48,166 --> 00:11:49,576
Where's Charlie?
169
00:11:49,626 --> 00:11:51,916
We want to see
Charlie McCarthy!
170
00:11:51,962 --> 00:11:53,172
Yeah, where is he?
171
00:11:53,213 --> 00:11:54,843
Broadcast across the country,
172
00:11:54,881 --> 00:11:56,631
Edgar Bergen
introduced viewers
173
00:11:56,675 --> 00:11:59,505
to his alter ego
Charlie McCarthy.
174
00:11:59,553 --> 00:12:01,513
Why, you old rascal, you.
175
00:12:01,555 --> 00:12:03,715
You just know
all the gossip, don't you?
176
00:12:03,765 --> 00:12:05,265
No, no, no, no.
177
00:12:05,308 --> 00:12:07,688
You keep on interrupting
me, young man,
178
00:12:07,727 --> 00:12:10,017
and I may not
finish this story.
179
00:12:10,063 --> 00:12:12,983
Well, that's the best news
we've had so far.
180
00:12:13,024 --> 00:12:14,444
There was no doubt
181
00:12:14,484 --> 00:12:16,034
that Charlie
had the upper hand.
182
00:12:16,069 --> 00:12:18,409
That's what made them
so popular.
183
00:12:18,447 --> 00:12:20,317
But if you think about it,
184
00:12:20,365 --> 00:12:24,535
ventriloquism can also be
a little bit unsettling.
185
00:12:24,578 --> 00:12:26,408
[applause]
186
00:12:26,455 --> 00:12:29,365
Audiences in 19th century
Europe and America
187
00:12:29,416 --> 00:12:32,036
were entertained
but also unnerved
188
00:12:32,085 --> 00:12:34,295
by how a ventriloquist
could give life
189
00:12:34,337 --> 00:12:36,007
to an inanimate object.
190
00:12:39,759 --> 00:12:42,799
So it wasn't surprising
that, for centuries,
191
00:12:42,846 --> 00:12:45,636
they were suspected of
meddling with dark forces.
192
00:12:45,682 --> 00:12:48,442
Some were even
persecuted as witches.
193
00:12:51,188 --> 00:12:52,648
Others were thought to be
194
00:12:52,689 --> 00:12:54,609
channeling the voices
of the dead.
195
00:12:56,193 --> 00:12:58,243
And the bond
between man and doll
196
00:12:58,278 --> 00:13:00,198
was certainly uncanny.
197
00:13:08,914 --> 00:13:11,754
Yeah, well, I hope
you won't embarrass me
198
00:13:11,791 --> 00:13:13,591
like you did in Las Vegas.
199
00:13:13,627 --> 00:13:15,167
What about Las Vegas?
200
00:13:15,212 --> 00:13:17,092
I thought I gave a very
moving performance.
201
00:13:17,130 --> 00:13:19,090
Yes, it was moving,
all right.
202
00:13:19,132 --> 00:13:20,592
Especially your lips.
203
00:13:20,634 --> 00:13:21,974
Oh, no.
204
00:13:22,010 --> 00:13:23,890
Edgar and Charlie went on
205
00:13:23,929 --> 00:13:26,809
to become the most popular
ventriloquist act in America.
206
00:13:26,848 --> 00:13:29,888
Sort of makes you want to give
up show business, doesn't it?
207
00:13:29,935 --> 00:13:32,265
It wasn't
until many years later
208
00:13:32,312 --> 00:13:34,152
that Edgar's daughter
provided
209
00:13:34,189 --> 00:13:37,439
disturbing details
from her childhood--
210
00:13:37,484 --> 00:13:39,494
stories of how Edgar seemed
211
00:13:39,528 --> 00:13:42,318
to treat Charlie
as her real sibling.
212
00:13:45,617 --> 00:13:48,697
How Charlie was given
a bedroom in the family home,
213
00:13:48,745 --> 00:13:51,665
a room that was
larger than her own.
214
00:13:55,293 --> 00:13:58,593
And how,
when Edgar died in 1978,
215
00:13:58,630 --> 00:14:00,550
he left her nothing
216
00:14:00,590 --> 00:14:03,680
and $10,000
for the care of Charlie.
217
00:14:06,846 --> 00:14:09,216
For what it's worth,
that bizarre relationship
218
00:14:09,266 --> 00:14:11,136
did nothing
to keep Edgar's daughter
219
00:14:11,184 --> 00:14:14,154
from pursuing her own
career in entertainment.
220
00:14:14,187 --> 00:14:16,057
His daughter is none other
221
00:14:16,106 --> 00:14:19,146
than film and television
actress Candice Bergen.
222
00:14:19,192 --> 00:14:20,362
[applause]
223
00:14:20,402 --> 00:14:22,282
Isn't she beautiful?
224
00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:24,490
Well,
thank you, Charlie.
225
00:14:24,531 --> 00:14:27,411
Just my luck
she has to be my sister.
226
00:14:34,666 --> 00:14:36,626
MINNIE: I must say,
It's a nice surprise
227
00:14:36,668 --> 00:14:38,798
to have a visit
from you, Aunt Bridget.
228
00:14:38,837 --> 00:14:40,757
Um, if we'd known
you were coming,
229
00:14:40,797 --> 00:14:42,717
I could have had
a bedroom prepared.
230
00:14:42,757 --> 00:14:45,257
And Thomas is always pleased
to see his favorite aunt,
231
00:14:45,302 --> 00:14:46,512
as am I.
232
00:14:46,553 --> 00:14:47,853
You've always had a talent
233
00:14:47,887 --> 00:14:49,257
for artificial
politeness, dear.
234
00:14:49,306 --> 00:14:52,016
I never had the stamina
for it myself.
235
00:14:52,058 --> 00:14:54,808
You know full well
why it is I am here.
236
00:14:54,853 --> 00:14:56,863
When I sent that doll,
237
00:14:56,896 --> 00:14:59,936
I hoped it would
become a companion to Gene
238
00:14:59,983 --> 00:15:02,193
until he can find
a real friend.
239
00:15:02,235 --> 00:15:03,605
But it is clear
240
00:15:03,653 --> 00:15:05,363
that his relationship
with that doll
241
00:15:05,405 --> 00:15:07,905
is keeping him from this,
from maturing properly.
242
00:15:09,576 --> 00:15:12,496
Corinthians tells us,
"When I was a child,
243
00:15:12,537 --> 00:15:14,867
"I spake as a child,
I understood as a child,
244
00:15:14,914 --> 00:15:16,504
"I thought as a child.
245
00:15:16,541 --> 00:15:20,381
But when I became a man,
I put away childish things."
246
00:15:20,420 --> 00:15:26,300
Gene is 8 years old.
He still is just a child.
247
00:15:26,343 --> 00:15:31,473
That doll has had an unhealthy
effect on Thomas' son,
248
00:15:31,514 --> 00:15:34,234
and you have simply
allowed it to occur.
249
00:15:34,267 --> 00:15:36,307
These new beliefs
of the suffragette
250
00:15:36,353 --> 00:15:39,813
and their aversion
to disciplining a child
251
00:15:39,856 --> 00:15:41,976
are of no help to Gene,
252
00:15:42,025 --> 00:15:44,235
not to mention
no help to yourself
253
00:15:44,277 --> 00:15:45,897
as a wife to your husband.
254
00:15:45,945 --> 00:15:47,315
It is a wife's duty
255
00:15:47,364 --> 00:15:49,284
to take care
of her husband's affairs
256
00:15:49,324 --> 00:15:51,244
and raise his children
to prepare
257
00:15:51,284 --> 00:15:53,244
for their proper
stations in life.
258
00:15:53,286 --> 00:15:55,326
Don't you agree, Thomas?
259
00:15:58,458 --> 00:15:59,668
All I wrote is that I believe
260
00:15:59,709 --> 00:16:01,249
it's time
to put an end to this.
261
00:16:03,672 --> 00:16:05,672
Since you both
262
00:16:05,715 --> 00:16:10,005
seem to have planned this
conversation in full advance,
263
00:16:10,053 --> 00:16:12,393
what is it
you would have me do?
264
00:16:13,807 --> 00:16:18,307
Tear the doll apart,
thread from thread,
265
00:16:18,353 --> 00:16:21,483
so Gene will never
have use of it again.
266
00:16:25,568 --> 00:16:29,608
I-- I won't
267
00:16:29,656 --> 00:16:31,776
destroy something
268
00:16:31,825 --> 00:16:35,325
that my child loves
with all his heart.
269
00:16:35,370 --> 00:16:36,790
Very well, then.
270
00:16:38,289 --> 00:16:39,579
We'll lock it away.
271
00:16:42,335 --> 00:16:44,245
-GENE: Stop!
-MINNIE: Honey, he'll be fine.
272
00:16:44,295 --> 00:16:47,465
No! No, stop!
I'm scared of the dark!
273
00:16:47,507 --> 00:16:50,217
No! Stop!
274
00:16:50,260 --> 00:16:52,140
Daddy, please stop!
275
00:16:52,178 --> 00:16:53,888
No, stop!
276
00:16:53,930 --> 00:16:55,310
What are you doing?
277
00:16:55,348 --> 00:16:57,728
No! Stop! Stop!
278
00:16:57,767 --> 00:17:00,347
Daddy, please stop! Stop!
279
00:17:00,395 --> 00:17:01,595
Stop!
280
00:17:01,646 --> 00:17:03,226
Stop, please!
281
00:17:17,829 --> 00:17:19,539
[creak]
282
00:17:25,003 --> 00:17:26,463
Good morning, Aunt Bridget.
283
00:17:29,591 --> 00:17:30,801
Aunt Bridget?
284
00:17:33,636 --> 00:17:34,716
[gasp]
285
00:17:41,519 --> 00:17:42,479
Uhh!
286
00:18:12,509 --> 00:18:14,259
[sobbing]
287
00:18:19,808 --> 00:18:23,058
When does a doll
gain its power over us?
288
00:18:31,319 --> 00:18:33,609
What detail
makes it come alive?
289
00:18:37,700 --> 00:18:39,910
Frances Glessner Lee
was obsessed
290
00:18:39,953 --> 00:18:42,623
with breathing life
into the dolls she created--
291
00:18:44,207 --> 00:18:46,497
that is,
until she killed them.
292
00:18:51,422 --> 00:18:53,262
A fatal fall.
293
00:18:53,299 --> 00:18:56,339
Body discovered
by her husband.
294
00:18:56,386 --> 00:19:01,016
Unfortunate accident
or something else?
295
00:19:01,057 --> 00:19:03,387
An unhappy housewife,
296
00:19:03,434 --> 00:19:05,274
-a gas oven.
-[gas hissing]
297
00:19:05,311 --> 00:19:07,111
But why bake a cake
298
00:19:07,146 --> 00:19:10,186
if you're planning
to take your own life?
299
00:19:10,233 --> 00:19:12,113
Two bodies,
300
00:19:12,151 --> 00:19:14,401
blood-soaked sheets.
301
00:19:14,445 --> 00:19:18,195
Murder-suicide
or double murder?
302
00:19:20,201 --> 00:19:22,121
Lee was a wealthy heiress
303
00:19:22,161 --> 00:19:24,041
who turned
her passion for dolls
304
00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:26,080
into an unlikely mission--
305
00:19:26,124 --> 00:19:31,004
Teaching the art and science
of forensic investigation.
306
00:19:31,045 --> 00:19:32,705
In the 1940s,
307
00:19:32,755 --> 00:19:35,505
she created 18
meticulously detailed
308
00:19:35,550 --> 00:19:38,300
miniature crime scenes,
309
00:19:38,344 --> 00:19:42,314
each based on an actual case.
310
00:19:42,348 --> 00:19:47,268
She called them the nutshell
studies of unexplained death.
311
00:19:47,312 --> 00:19:49,062
Lee used her money
312
00:19:49,105 --> 00:19:51,475
to establish the Department
of Legal Medicine
313
00:19:51,524 --> 00:19:54,404
at Harvard University,
where she also taught.
314
00:19:59,574 --> 00:20:00,994
Because it was difficult
315
00:20:01,034 --> 00:20:03,204
to get students
to a fresh crime scene,
316
00:20:03,244 --> 00:20:05,124
Lee used her dolls
317
00:20:05,163 --> 00:20:06,833
to teach budding
homicide investigators
318
00:20:06,873 --> 00:20:08,713
the importance of assessing
319
00:20:08,750 --> 00:20:11,420
even the most seemingly
insignificant details--
320
00:20:13,212 --> 00:20:15,472
clothing...
321
00:20:15,506 --> 00:20:17,466
body position...
322
00:20:19,969 --> 00:20:21,429
cause of death.
323
00:20:22,889 --> 00:20:24,849
She crafted every clue
324
00:20:24,891 --> 00:20:26,481
with rigorous precision.
325
00:20:28,853 --> 00:20:30,523
She even took great care
326
00:20:30,563 --> 00:20:32,523
to paint the faces
in flesh tones
327
00:20:32,565 --> 00:20:35,315
that indicated how much time
had elapsed since death.
328
00:20:39,030 --> 00:20:41,280
Decades after
she created them,
329
00:20:41,324 --> 00:20:44,744
Lee's dolls are still
being used for training.
330
00:20:44,786 --> 00:20:46,446
They're still asking us
331
00:20:46,496 --> 00:20:49,706
to solve the mysteries
of death.
332
00:20:53,878 --> 00:20:57,088
The reported cause of death
for Thomas Otto's aunt
333
00:20:57,131 --> 00:20:59,011
is that she suffered
a stroke.
334
00:21:03,262 --> 00:21:06,892
But not everyone believed
that explanation.
335
00:21:06,933 --> 00:21:09,023
I'm going
to ask you something,
336
00:21:09,060 --> 00:21:10,480
and I need you to be honest.
337
00:21:12,355 --> 00:21:14,315
I won't be angry.
338
00:21:15,733 --> 00:21:17,943
I just need
to know the truth.
339
00:21:23,491 --> 00:21:26,451
How did Robert
get out of his box?
340
00:21:37,964 --> 00:21:40,264
He made me promise
not to tell.
341
00:21:46,305 --> 00:21:49,425
He is strong
when you're not looking.
342
00:21:57,483 --> 00:21:59,493
Since locking Robert
in the attic
343
00:21:59,527 --> 00:22:00,987
resulted in violence,
344
00:22:01,029 --> 00:22:02,819
Minnie Otto
did the only thing
345
00:22:02,864 --> 00:22:05,164
she could do
to protect her son.
346
00:22:05,199 --> 00:22:06,779
She sent him away.
347
00:22:09,328 --> 00:22:11,208
He would spend the next
years of his life
348
00:22:11,247 --> 00:22:12,867
in the Hargrove Institute,
349
00:22:12,915 --> 00:22:15,165
a boarding school
for troubled children.
350
00:22:17,420 --> 00:22:19,300
I love you.
You know that?
351
00:22:26,429 --> 00:22:27,679
[sniffle]
352
00:22:27,722 --> 00:22:29,562
I love you so very much.
353
00:22:29,599 --> 00:22:30,889
[car trunk closes]
354
00:22:39,442 --> 00:22:40,862
Come on.
355
00:22:46,449 --> 00:22:48,659
For Minnie,
there was no question
356
00:22:48,701 --> 00:22:51,501
that losing Gene
was all Robert's fault.
357
00:22:53,289 --> 00:22:54,329
[car door closes]
358
00:22:54,373 --> 00:22:56,253
The way she saw it,
359
00:22:56,292 --> 00:22:58,422
a doll had taken
her son from her.
360
00:23:03,508 --> 00:23:05,548
But what if you
never had to worry
361
00:23:05,593 --> 00:23:07,553
about losing your child?
362
00:23:09,847 --> 00:23:12,387
A reborn is
a hyper-realistic doll
363
00:23:12,433 --> 00:23:14,643
that's coveted
and cared for by adults,
364
00:23:14,685 --> 00:23:15,975
usually women.
365
00:23:17,814 --> 00:23:21,324
A typical reborn
is just a few days old,
366
00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:23,779
no more than
a couple of months.
367
00:23:23,820 --> 00:23:27,530
They look and feel
just like real babies.
368
00:23:31,035 --> 00:23:32,785
Many women
have more than one.
369
00:23:35,706 --> 00:23:37,786
Reborns aren't
massed produced.
370
00:23:37,834 --> 00:23:40,344
Each one is custom made
by a doll maker
371
00:23:40,378 --> 00:23:42,298
who's just as passionate
about the baby
372
00:23:42,338 --> 00:23:45,418
as the woman who will
one day become its mother.
373
00:23:45,466 --> 00:23:46,876
[beep]
374
00:23:49,637 --> 00:23:53,677
Many reborn artists order
readily available body parts
375
00:23:53,724 --> 00:23:56,024
that they enhance
to create the realism
376
00:23:56,060 --> 00:23:57,810
their customers
are looking for.
377
00:24:00,148 --> 00:24:01,938
[beep beep]
378
00:24:08,948 --> 00:24:12,158
The metamorphosis involves
a painstaking process.
379
00:24:12,201 --> 00:24:13,831
Every vein, freckle,
rash, and scratch
380
00:24:13,870 --> 00:24:17,370
is a cue that inspires
381
00:24:17,415 --> 00:24:19,575
feelings of maternal
connection.
382
00:24:24,755 --> 00:24:27,295
The bond these women
have with their reborns
383
00:24:27,341 --> 00:24:28,931
is real to them.
384
00:24:28,968 --> 00:24:30,758
[woman singing lullaby]
385
00:24:30,803 --> 00:24:34,473
And some women want that
bond to begin at birth.
386
00:24:36,642 --> 00:24:38,312
WOMAN: Oh, my gosh.
387
00:24:39,478 --> 00:24:41,018
Oh, that's so cool.
388
00:24:41,063 --> 00:24:42,773
I want to get closer.
389
00:24:42,815 --> 00:24:43,895
[chatter]
390
00:24:45,026 --> 00:24:47,396
He's so cool! [chuckling]
391
00:24:49,322 --> 00:24:51,952
There's clearly something
more at stake here
392
00:24:51,991 --> 00:24:53,781
than doll collecting.
393
00:24:53,826 --> 00:24:55,996
These babies give
the women who care for them
394
00:24:56,037 --> 00:24:58,957
something they're missing
in their lives.
395
00:24:58,998 --> 00:25:01,828
And that's fine,
396
00:25:01,876 --> 00:25:05,796
as long as you don't let your
emotions get out of hand.
397
00:25:07,590 --> 00:25:09,720
[sobbing]
398
00:25:09,759 --> 00:25:11,429
[wailing]
399
00:25:46,128 --> 00:25:49,338
As a young man,
Gene trained as an artist--
400
00:25:49,382 --> 00:25:51,262
a painter, in fact--
401
00:25:51,300 --> 00:25:53,220
and he traveled
all over Europe.
402
00:26:00,351 --> 00:26:04,231
His father Thomas
died in 1917,
403
00:26:04,272 --> 00:26:07,282
leaving Minnie
alone with Robert...
404
00:26:10,027 --> 00:26:13,567
who was waiting, they say,
for Gene's return.
405
00:26:19,912 --> 00:26:20,872
Mother?
406
00:26:22,039 --> 00:26:23,539
Mother.
407
00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:38,930
Mother.
408
00:26:56,240 --> 00:27:01,580
It is so good to have you
back in this home, Gene.
409
00:27:04,165 --> 00:27:07,585
Mrs. Minnie Otto,
this is Anne.
410
00:27:07,626 --> 00:27:09,456
Another Mrs. Otto.
411
00:27:13,507 --> 00:27:16,427
We, uh,
were married in Europe.
412
00:27:18,554 --> 00:27:21,394
Hello, Mrs. Otto.
413
00:27:21,432 --> 00:27:23,932
I've looked so forward
to meeting you.
414
00:27:31,567 --> 00:27:33,317
"Minnie" is fine.
415
00:27:34,945 --> 00:27:38,735
Well, I am going
to unpack the car.
416
00:27:38,783 --> 00:27:41,543
We have so much to discuss.
417
00:28:00,971 --> 00:28:03,181
Don't ever
move into this house.
418
00:28:03,224 --> 00:28:05,814
You did not know any better
than to come here,
419
00:28:05,851 --> 00:28:08,231
but don't ever move here,
420
00:28:08,270 --> 00:28:10,820
not while he is here.
421
00:28:13,692 --> 00:28:15,112
Have I offended you?
422
00:28:15,152 --> 00:28:18,612
No, no. I--
423
00:28:18,656 --> 00:28:20,826
I have offended Robert.
424
00:28:20,866 --> 00:28:23,866
Did-- Did Gene tell you
about Robert?
425
00:28:25,204 --> 00:28:28,174
The doll he had as a boy?
426
00:28:28,207 --> 00:28:29,747
The-- The little sailor?
427
00:28:29,792 --> 00:28:32,802
He hates me-- Robert.
428
00:28:32,837 --> 00:28:34,877
But he will
hate you even more
429
00:28:34,922 --> 00:28:37,722
because you have taken
Gene from him.
430
00:28:39,635 --> 00:28:41,135
You think I'm insane.
431
00:28:41,178 --> 00:28:43,388
I thought I was once,
432
00:28:43,431 --> 00:28:45,771
the first time
I saw him move.
433
00:28:45,808 --> 00:28:49,728
And now he follows me
across the floors, the walls,
434
00:28:49,770 --> 00:28:52,360
room to room,
glaring, always glaring.
435
00:28:52,398 --> 00:28:54,068
Maybe we should find Gene.
436
00:28:54,108 --> 00:28:57,648
Listen, Robert hates me,
but he couldn't get rid of me.
437
00:28:57,695 --> 00:29:00,655
I was the reason
Gene might return,
438
00:29:00,698 --> 00:29:03,198
but he doesn't need me
anymore.
439
00:29:03,242 --> 00:29:08,042
When I die, never move
into this house.
440
00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:11,380
Never let my son
see that doll.
441
00:29:11,417 --> 00:29:13,337
If you do, it will take him.
442
00:29:13,377 --> 00:29:15,167
Swear it.
443
00:29:16,714 --> 00:29:20,384
Listen to me.
Now that Gene is back,
444
00:29:20,426 --> 00:29:23,006
Robert doesn't need
either of us.
445
00:29:26,682 --> 00:29:30,102
The years spent alone
in that house on Eaton Street
446
00:29:30,144 --> 00:29:32,314
were not easy on Minnie Otto.
447
00:29:42,156 --> 00:29:44,946
Many believe it was
Robert's constant presence
448
00:29:44,992 --> 00:29:47,082
that drove Gene's
mother to madness
449
00:29:47,119 --> 00:29:49,539
and ultimately to her grave.
450
00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:56,960
In spite
of Minnie's warnings,
451
00:29:57,004 --> 00:30:01,014
Anne agreed to move in
with Gene and Robert.
452
00:30:04,970 --> 00:30:09,270
This is my General,
General Washington.
453
00:30:09,308 --> 00:30:11,438
Who are you gonna set up?
454
00:31:06,365 --> 00:31:07,735
[gasp] Aah!
455
00:31:07,783 --> 00:31:09,873
-[knife clatters]
-[chains clink]
456
00:31:09,910 --> 00:31:11,450
Gene?
457
00:31:13,038 --> 00:31:15,208
Gene, help me!
458
00:31:15,249 --> 00:31:17,209
[footsteps]
459
00:31:17,251 --> 00:31:18,341
Ohh!
460
00:31:20,629 --> 00:31:22,879
[footsteps]
461
00:31:25,634 --> 00:31:26,804
[rattling]
462
00:31:36,729 --> 00:31:38,899
[retreating footsteps]
463
00:31:52,202 --> 00:31:54,252
[panting]
464
00:32:11,972 --> 00:32:13,892
If you love a doll deeply,
465
00:32:13,932 --> 00:32:18,982
the question is,
can it love you back?
466
00:32:25,527 --> 00:32:29,987
Anatoly Moskvin
would say that it can.
467
00:32:30,032 --> 00:32:34,082
Moskvin, a man fluent
in 13 languages,
468
00:32:34,119 --> 00:32:37,919
was a historian
of Russian cemeteries.
469
00:32:37,956 --> 00:32:41,036
He spent his days and nights
exploring graveyards.
470
00:32:43,837 --> 00:32:46,417
His interests
were both professional
471
00:32:46,465 --> 00:32:48,215
and strangely personal.
472
00:32:50,427 --> 00:32:52,677
At home,
Anatoly collected dolls.
473
00:32:54,973 --> 00:32:56,773
Small porcelain ones.
474
00:32:56,809 --> 00:33:00,269
And, in 2011, as police
would soon discover,
475
00:33:00,312 --> 00:33:02,732
26 life-sized dolls.
476
00:33:04,942 --> 00:33:07,492
He dressed them,
477
00:33:07,528 --> 00:33:09,448
read to them,
478
00:33:09,488 --> 00:33:11,528
had tea with them,
479
00:33:11,573 --> 00:33:14,583
and placed music boxes
inside their hollow chests.
480
00:33:16,578 --> 00:33:19,418
His dolls, you see,
were something more.
481
00:33:22,835 --> 00:33:26,335
For ten years,
Anatoly stole corpses.
482
00:33:28,841 --> 00:33:31,051
He dug them up
from the mud and clay...
483
00:33:32,511 --> 00:33:35,641
and took them home.
484
00:33:35,681 --> 00:33:39,181
They became his companions,
his friends.
485
00:33:48,026 --> 00:33:50,026
When he was eventually
apprehended,
486
00:33:50,070 --> 00:33:52,240
Moskvin was asked by a judge
487
00:33:52,281 --> 00:33:56,201
to explain what he'd
done and why.
488
00:33:56,243 --> 00:33:58,203
Anatoly is said
to have replied,
489
00:33:58,245 --> 00:34:01,285
"You abandoned
your girls in the cold,
490
00:34:01,331 --> 00:34:05,091
and I brought them home
and warmed them up."
491
00:34:05,127 --> 00:34:07,457
He was certain, you see,
492
00:34:07,504 --> 00:34:10,724
that someday his dolls
would come back to life
493
00:34:10,758 --> 00:34:12,338
and be his friends.
494
00:36:15,757 --> 00:36:16,757
[gasp]
495
00:36:20,304 --> 00:36:22,314
I managed to convince Robert
496
00:36:22,347 --> 00:36:25,017
to forgive you for
last night's indiscretion.
497
00:36:26,894 --> 00:36:29,104
Now sit.
498
00:36:51,293 --> 00:36:55,013
Robert spent the next several
decades in the Otto home.
499
00:36:59,217 --> 00:37:01,887
Over the years,
neighbors would claim
500
00:37:01,929 --> 00:37:04,259
to see Robert looking
out the window.
501
00:37:05,849 --> 00:37:08,389
He gained a reputation,
502
00:37:08,435 --> 00:37:10,725
one that outlived Gene.
503
00:37:16,526 --> 00:37:19,066
WOMAN: Hey, guys. Really
excited to be here today.
504
00:37:19,112 --> 00:37:22,122
I'm standing in front of
the Robert the Doll house.
505
00:37:22,157 --> 00:37:24,117
And up the top there,
506
00:37:24,159 --> 00:37:25,869
that, you can see
the little attic.
507
00:37:25,911 --> 00:37:27,871
That's where they kept Robert.
508
00:37:27,913 --> 00:37:29,873
The attic is where
509
00:37:29,915 --> 00:37:32,825
the next owners of the Otto
house encountered Robert.
510
00:37:32,876 --> 00:37:36,876
They too, it seems, were
haunted by his presence.
511
00:37:36,922 --> 00:37:39,802
They chose
to send Robert away,
512
00:37:39,841 --> 00:37:42,891
donating him
to a museum in Key West.
513
00:37:45,847 --> 00:37:48,847
I'm looking
for Robert the Doll.
514
00:37:48,892 --> 00:37:51,902
The haunted urban legend
of Robert the Doll
515
00:37:51,937 --> 00:37:53,647
lies in this museum.
516
00:37:55,273 --> 00:37:56,483
People come here
517
00:37:56,525 --> 00:37:58,435
on a kind of pilgrimage.
518
00:37:58,485 --> 00:37:59,735
They love to write letters
519
00:37:59,778 --> 00:38:01,658
and take pictures of Robert.
520
00:38:01,697 --> 00:38:04,197
And if you go, you may
want to do the same.
521
00:38:04,241 --> 00:38:07,541
But before you do, there's
something you should know.
522
00:38:07,577 --> 00:38:10,867
I'm standing in the East
Martello Museum,
523
00:38:10,914 --> 00:38:14,134
and right out of frame
is Robert the Doll,
524
00:38:14,167 --> 00:38:16,877
but you can't photograph him
without asking permission,
525
00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:20,010
so I'm gonna try
and give it a shot here.
526
00:38:20,048 --> 00:38:22,178
Just get me asking permission.
527
00:38:22,217 --> 00:38:27,007
Can we please take your photo,
Robert the Doll?
528
00:38:29,683 --> 00:38:32,603
They say if you don't
get his permission,
529
00:38:32,644 --> 00:38:37,024
Robert will get angry
and do bad things to you.
530
00:38:58,962 --> 00:39:01,882
Robert remains
in the museum to this day,
531
00:39:01,923 --> 00:39:06,093
not nailed into a crate
but behind glass.
532
00:39:07,763 --> 00:39:10,393
He continues to haunt us.
533
00:39:10,432 --> 00:39:14,022
It's his story that
gives him that power.
534
00:39:14,061 --> 00:39:17,861
It's believing in him
that keeps him alive.
535
00:39:17,898 --> 00:39:19,648
[child giggling]
35985
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.
Afrikaans
Akan
Albanian
Amharic
Arabic
Armenian
Azerbaijani
Basque
Belarusian
Bemba
Bengali
Bihari
Bosnian
Breton
Bulgarian
Cambodian
Catalan
Cebuano
Cherokee
Chichewa
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Corsican
Croatian
Czech
Danish
English
Esperanto
Estonian
Faroese
Finnish
Frisian
Galician
Georgian
German
Greek
Guarani
Haitian Creole
Hausa
Hawaiian
Hebrew
Hmong
Hungarian
Icelandic
Indonesian
Irish
Italian
Japanese
Kazakh
Kinyarwanda
Kirundi
Kongo
Korean
Krio (Sierra Leone)
Kurdish
Kyrgyz
Laothian
Latin
Latvian
Lithuanian
Luganda
Luo
Luxembourgish
Macedonian
Malagasy
Malay
Maltese
Maori
Mauritian Creole
Moldavian
Mongolian
Myanmar (Burmese)
Montenegrin
Nepali
Norwegian
Pashto
Persian
Polish
Portuguese (Brazil)
Quechua
Romanian
Romansh
Russian
Samoan
Scots Gaelic
Serbian
Sesotho
Setswana
Seychellois Creole
Shona
Sindhi
Sinhalese
Slovak
Slovenian
Somali
Spanish (Latin American)
Swedish
Tajik
Thai
Tigrinya
Tonga
Turkish
Turkmen
Ukrainian
Uzbek
Vietnamese
Welsh
Wolof