Each day in the late 1940s, thousands of sick people visited the residential Long Beach home of Roy Beebe, a self-styled "scientist" whose homemade "cosmic ray" machine was said to cure all of mankind's ills.Beebe's "cosmic ray" laboratory and

The Spruce Goose! Howard Hughes in Long Beach 1947

Oct 31st, 2023 41m 51s

With a wingspan as wide as a football field, the Spruce Goose was the largest plane ever built. The craft—designed by eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes and made out of wood—was intended for use in WWII, but the plane wasn't finished until a

Minerva's Mailbag! 1920s Letters from Young Women in Long Beach

Oct 3rd, 2023 47m 9s

In 1923, the Long Beach Press began an advice column—Minerva's Mailbag, later changed to Tell It to Mary—geared toward the young women of Long Beach.What problems were vexing the teen girls and emerging adult women of Long Beach? Join us for a

The Babbitt Murders of 1924! Part Two

Sep 19th, 2023 53m 39s

It's money, murder, and madness in old timey Long Beach as our case goes to trial! Join us for the final installment of this tale of greed, guns, drugs, ice cream, oil scams, Charlie Chaplin, and Ponzi schemes among the upper class in Long Bea

The Babbitt Murders of 1924! Part One

Sep 5th, 2023 47m 25s

Did a prominent Long Beach businessman get away with killing his wife and his business partner? Probably! Join us for a tale of greed, guns, drugs, ice cream, and con games as we deep-dive into a case of murder most foul among the elite busin

Elvis in Long Beach 1956!

Aug 22nd, 2023 39m 16s

In June 1956, just days after his infamous hip-thrusting performance on the Milton Berle Show, young rocker Elvis Presley came to Long Beach to play the Municipal Auditorium and a near-riot broke out. What did Long Beach teens and grown-ups th

Tiger Girl Murder! Part Two

Mar 13th, 2021 30m 13s

On July 12, 1922, two young women spent the day in a Long Beach speakeasy, drinking and commiserating about their unfaithful husbands. That evening, on a remote road in Los Angeles, one of those women would beat a romantic rival to death with

Tiger Girl Murder! Part One

Mar 10th, 2021 27m 39s

The Pike Mummy!: The Unbelievable Tale of the Dead Body in the Fun House

Jan 6th, 2021 21m 21s

In 1976, a film crew for The Six Million Dollar Man was prepping for a shoot in the Laff-in-the-Dark fun house at the Pike in Long Beach when they discovered that a wax dummy hanging from a noose was actually the real human body of an embalmed

The Wrigley Ocean Marathon!: 1927's Brutal Swimming Race From Catalina to the California Mainland

Oct 6th, 2020 21m 36s

1927’s Wrigley Ocean Marathon was an epic and brutal swimming race from the island of Catalina to the mainland of California, a feat never before recorded. Many of the world’s most famous swimmers came to Long Beach to train and compete for th

Babe Ruth Gets Arrested in Long Beach!, Part Two

Sep 1st, 2020 15m 48s

In 1927, legendary baseballer Babe Ruth was arrested before his scheduled appearance at the State Theater, a vaudeville house in Long Beach, California.In this two-part episode, we take a deep dive into the Sultan of Swat's epic visit to Long B

Babe Ruth Gets Arrested in Long Beach!, Part One

Aug 13th, 2020 14m 56s

Flagpole Sitter!: The Daredevil Clown Who Tried to Put Long Beach in the Record Books

Jun 18th, 2020 17m 31s

In the summer of 1948, a tightrope-walking clown named Ozzie Osborne climbed up the center pole of the Sky Ride attraction at the Pike in Long Beach, California. Sitting 200 feet in the air, Ozzie faced all manner of danger—from night bats to

Minnie the Whale, Part One: The Absolutely True Tale of the Whale Skeleton Who Came to Town

Jun 16th, 2020 16m 1s

In May 1897, two teenage boys saw a 63-foot fin whale foundering off the shore near Long Beach, California. With the help of some local donkeys, the boys were able to pull the massive whale on shore. This is the story of that whale and how it