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Believe It or Not (Second Series) #3

Name: Believe It or Not (Second Series) #3
Released: 1931
Duration: 7 min

Representation Score

2.5/10

Limited

1931

TV-G

Runtime

7 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

This Vitaphone documentary functions as a travelogue of American curiosities, prioritizing wonder over narrative depth. It relies on an episodic structure that presents biological and historical anomalies as spectacles for viewer engagement. While the film includes a significant historical subject in a Black matriarch and former slave, it does so through a voyeuristic lens. The subjects are presented as objects of interest rather than individuals with ability to act. Ultimately, the work reinforces traditional social, religious, and familial structures of 1931. It serves more as a historical artifact of early sound-era curiosity media than a tool for meaningful representation.

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Category Breakdown

Does Believe It or Not (Second Series) #3 have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or narratives. It focuses solely on biological oddities and historical longevity.

How does Believe It or Not (Second Series) #3 portray gender?

Limited

Women are depicted in traditional familial roles, such as a centenarian mother and daughter. The film emphasizes established domestic structures rather than exploring women's independence.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Believe It or Not (Second Series) #3?

Fair

A 128-year-old former slave provides significant racial visibility. However, the individual is portrayed as a curiosity, limiting the depth of the representation.

How does Believe It or Not (Second Series) #3 represent religion and culture?

Minimal

The content celebrates traditional American institutions, including a hay-based church and family cemetery plots. It lacks any secular or systemic critique.

Does Believe It or Not (Second Series) #3 include disability representation?

Limited

Physical anomalies, like a four-legged duck, are central to the film. These subjects are treated as spectacles rather than individuals with lived experiences.

Present on Screen

Includes a significant historical figure in a Black matriarch and former slave.
Provides visibility into diverse American landscapes and local histories.

Limited or Absent

Subjects are often treated as spectacles or curiosities rather than individuals with ability to act.
The film reinforces traditional gender and religious hierarchies without challenging them.
Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-traditional narratives.

Official Synopsis

This entry in the series criss-crosses America to find various curiosities. Among them are a church in Nebraska made of bales of hay; a duck with four legs that lives with its owner in Flint, Michigan; a 128-year-old former slave who lives in Holly Springs, Mississippi, with her 100-year-old daughter; and, in a cemetery in Mayfield, Kentucky, a family plot wherein the deceased members are memorialized with life-size statues, including the patriarch's horse and other family pets. Vitaphone No. 1304.

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