https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/e1488a00-cc7e-4530-afdf-2b75c3f53f76 This film is of the film series called “Stranger than Fiction”. The original title was “Strange as it Seems” and they ran about every two to three weeks from 1934 to 1942. This Universal Pictures film was produced by Joseph O’ Brien and Thomas Mead (:15) with Alois Harvrilla as the narrator. It begins with a triumph over handicap as the woman shown had suffered a stroke at 48 which paralyzed the left half of her body and yet she continued to make impressive embroidery with only one hand (:31). She had spent hours daily learning the craft and one of her completed works is displayed (:54). She was able to hold the thread between her knees (1:04). In the Santa Cruz Mountains, a place known as the ‘Mystery Spot’ the laws of gravity seem to not apply (1:55). A woman is seen attempting to swing a weight from side to side in a seemingly titled house here. Another woman is shown leaning in order to hold her balance (2:05). One of the strangest phenomena about the place was that if one were to climb the side of the wall it gave the sensation of being supported in space (2:09). These strange effects were believed to have been caused by either a buried meteor or a mineral deposit (2:16). Compasses are confused as north becomes west (2:25) and radios were rendered useless. A pair of women show how a ball only moves uphill against gravity (2:30). Illusions with height occur as a pair that are of similar height move back and forth on two slabs of cement, which gives them the appearance of one being taller than the other (2:42). A spring in Pine Gulch Arizona has the unique capabilities of layering everything in stone (3:12). This was due to the high concentrate of calcium carbonate which turned a nearby tree as well as this man’s hat’s into stone (3:38). Next, we move to the Coral Castle in Florida with Ed Leedskalnin (4:12) who used primitive tools to lift 15-ton pieces of coral with ease. His life’s work was to build this city (4:24) which still stands today. A small child was able to move the slab which served as an entryway due to it’s careful balancing (4:44). Inside are half moon sculptures and guests sit around a large table carved in the shape of the Florida peninsula (5:03). Children entertain themselves on a coral merry go round (5:18). Although there was no running water, basins and bathtubs had been installed for modern comforts (5:38). Also in Florida, a student is putting on a regulation Navy diving helmet for class (6:01). Students of marine biology here used the helmets to study the ocean floor as their classmates continuously pumped the helmets allowing them to remain comfortably for up to an hour (6:14). The final segment will take a look at a Philadelphia artist who after using pencil would go over the artwork with the flames of matches (7:31). Per artwork he would use about 1000 to 1500 matches (7:40) and they lay scattered at his feet. A completed work of Benjamin Franklin (7:47) is shown in addition to a slew of caricatures (8:04). The Mystery Spot is a tourist attraction near Santa Cruz, California, opened in 1939 by George Prather. Visitors experience demonstrations that appear to defy gravity, on the short but steep uphill walk and inside a wooden building on the site. The Mystery Spot is a popular tourist attraction, and gained recognition as a roadside "gravity box" or "tilted house".At this roadside attraction, the laws of gravity and physics seem to disappear as balls roll uphill and people lean over past their toes without tumbling over. The Mystery Spot is a gravity hill, tilt-induced visual illusion. The illusion experienced by visitors results from misperceptions of the height and orientation of objects. Coral Castle is an oolite limestone structure created by the Latvian-American eccentric Edward Leedskalnin (1887–1951). It is located in unincorporated territory of Miami-Dade County, Florida. The structure comprises numerous megalithic stones, mostly limestone formed from coral, each weighing several tons. It is currently a privately operated tourist attraction. Coral Castle is noted for legends surrounding its creation that claim it was built single-handedly by Leedskalnin using reverse magnetism or supernatural abilities to move and carve numerous stones, each weighing many tons. Motion picture films don't last forever; many have already been lost or destroyed. We collect, scan and preserve 35mm, 16mm and 8mm movies -- including home movies, industrial films, and other non-fiction. If you have films you'd like to have scanned or donate to Periscope Film, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us via the link below. This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd04muHVdPM Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm) Sat, 13 Jun 2026 13:18:42 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://peertube.dngr.us https://peertube.dngr.us/lazy-static/avatars/41a6fee9-7f57-42d0-a5fc-5db4f1af2e31.png https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/e1488a00-cc7e-4530-afdf-2b75c3f53f76 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://peertube.dngr.us/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.