Fedora the Explorer

Summary

Episode Overview

Title: Fedora the Explorer
Podcast: Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities
Date: January 15, 2026
Host: Aaron Mahnke
In this episode, Aaron Mahnke explores two fascinating stories: the forgotten cinematic roots of Indiana Jones and the legacy of a British physician who inspired the modern Olympic Games. Through bite-sized historical storytelling, Mahnke uncovers the hidden connections and curiosities that linger just beneath the surface of popular culture and world-shaping events.

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Segment 1: The Real Roots of Indiana Jones (00:40–05:07)

Main Discussion Points

• The Appeal of Adventure Stories

  • Mahnke reflects on why adventure stories—especially treasure hunts—are so universally beloved, referencing classics like National Treasure and The Goonies (00:40–01:07).
  • Sets up a familiar adventure movie trope: a charming, rugged hero thwarting villains in search of an ancient treasure, often accompanied by betrayal and iconic puzzle-solving scenes (01:23–02:55).

• Iconic Imagery and Influences

  • Paints a vivid picture of the adventure hero archetype, epitomized by “his chiseled good looks, that stubble on his chin, his tan pants, leather jacket and trademark fedora hat” (03:00).
  • Nostalgically compares the classic style of old adventure films to the spectacle of modern CGI-laden blockbusters (03:24–03:41).

• 'Secret of the Incas'—The Unsung Precursor

  • Reveals a twist: the film most responsible for shaping Indiana Jones wasn’t what many expect, but rather 1954’s Secret of the Incas starring Charlton Heston (03:41–03:51).
  • “And all those scenes that I described for you are straight from that movie.” (03:51)
  • Notes differences (character names, setting, prop choices) but emphasizes that the essence is the same (03:56–04:08).

• Acknowledging Cinematic Homage

  • Shares how “many of the crew watched Secret of the Incas multiple times for inspiration” while developing Raiders of the Lost Ark (04:09).
  • Costume designer Deborah Nadulman Landis explicitly drew upon Heston’s look for Indiana Jones (04:09–04:30).
  • Mahnke urges listeners: “Don’t call it a rip-off though. Think of it more as an homage, a callback to an adventure film from three decades earlier that inspired a bunch of people so deeply that they had to make their own.” (04:32)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “It’s Indiana Jones through and through nonetheless.” (03:56; Mahnke)
• “Frankly, I’m glad they did. I don’t think my childhood or Hollywood itself would have been filled with such joy and fun without Indiana Jones—the fictional embodiment of curiosity.” (04:41–04:46; Mahnke)

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Segment 2: The Father of the Modern Olympics (05:07–09:40)

Main Discussion Points

• Introduction to William Penny Brooks

  • Presents Brooks as a compassionate physician from Much Wenlock, England, deeply committed to the well-being of the rural poor (05:07–05:44).
  • Brooks made healthcare accessible and pushed for public health improvements (05:41–05:44).

• Championing Education and Fitness

  • In 1841, founded the Agricultural Reading Society for free learning—establishing a lending library and classes on diverse topics (05:44–06:31).
  • His vision extended to physical fitness, culminating in the creation of the Wenlock Olympics in 1850—open to all ages and social classes, with events ranging from sprinting to rifle shooting (06:31–07:03).

• Radical Inclusivity in Victorian England

  • Stresses the revolutionary idea of inclusivity at the Games at a time when Britain’s class system sharply divided "the haves and the have-nots" (07:03).

• Connection to Pierre de Coubertin and the Global Olympics

  • Brooks’s correspondence with fitness advocates led to contact with Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who visited in 1890 and was inspired by what he saw (07:34–07:36).
  • De Coubertin would later credit Brooks with demonstrating “that the Olympic ideal can live again in the modern world” (07:36).
  • The Wenlock Games directly inspired the creation of the International Olympic Committee and the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 (07:36–08:47).

• Brooks’s Legacy and Later Recognition

  • Tragically, Brooks died just months before the inaugural modern Olympics—a dream realized, but just out of reach (08:47).
  • He remains honored in his hometown, and by Olympic historians worldwide: “The Olympic Games would not be alive today if it hadn’t been for Dr. William Penny Brooks.” (08:47 and 09:19)
  • The Wenlock Olympian Society persists, and Brooks received public tributes during the 100th Olympic anniversary in 1996 (09:19–09:30).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Brooks believed that physical fitness and structured learning should be available to all.” (05:41)
• “The Games… a radical concept for Victorian England, whose caste system rigidly separated the haves and the have-nots.” (07:03)
• “De Coubertin made sure to give Brooks his due, posthumously telling the world that the Olympic Games would not be alive today if it hadn’t been for Dr. William Penny Brooks.” (09:19)

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Memorable Moments and Quotes

• Adventure Film Nostalgia:
  “Sure, he’s got a revolver tucked into his belt, but that’s not getting used all the time. No, he prefers to punch his way through trouble and use his ingenuity instead.” (03:09; Mahnke)

• On Homage, Not Theft:
  “Don’t call it a rip-off though. Think of it more as an homage.” (04:32)

• On Brooks’ Enduring Vision:
  “His belief that physical fitness and free learning should belong to everyone lived on in every stadium and at each podium.” (09:30)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:40: Introduction to adventure movie tropes and the setup for Indiana Jones’s real inspiration.
• 03:41: Reveal of Secret of the Incas as the Indiana Jones precursor.
• 04:30–04:41: Discussion on paying homage versus copying in Hollywood.
• 05:07: Transition to the story of William Penny Brooks.
• 06:31: Founding of the Wenlock Olympics and their radical inclusivity.
• 07:36: Baron Pierre de Coubertin’s visit and subsequent inspiration.
• 08:47: Brooks’s death and posthumous recognition.
• 09:19: De Coubertin’s tribute and Brooks’s continuing legacy.

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Tone & Style

Aaron Mahnke maintains his signature tone of curiosity, warmth, and wonder, blending historical insight with pop culture awareness. The narrative is peppered with a sense of nostalgia, reverence for forgotten visionaries, and a twist of lightheartedness—inviting listeners on a journey through history’s surprising intersections.

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Conclusion

This episode expertly twines pop culture and global history, showing how cinematic icons and world-changing institutions often have curious, lesser-known origins. Mahnke’s storytelling reveals the hidden roots of Indiana Jones in a 1950s adventure film and highlights Dr. William Penny Brooks’s fundamental yet underappreciated role in shaping the modern Olympic Games—a true celebration of curiosity itself.

Transcript

[iHeart Podcast Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

[Erin Menke]

Welcome to Erin Menke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of iHeartRadio and Grim and mild.

[Aaron Mahnke]

Our world is full of the unexplainable. And if history is an open book, all of these amazing tales are right there on display, just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities.

[Narrator]

I think it's fair to say that just about everyone loves a good adventure story.

[Erin Menke]

The risks, the thrills, and the satisfying.

[Narrator]

Conclusions are always the perfect recipe for a good time. And few adventure formats are as powerful. Is a good old fashioned treasure hunt movie. Maybe you're a fan of the national.

[Erin Menke]

Treasure films and their deep dive into the mysteries of the early days of the United States.

[Narrator]

Perhaps you grew up on Goonies and their amazing journey through an underground passageway.

[Erin Menke]

Full of traps and clues and devilishly difficult puzzles. The list could go on and on, and most of us would probably nod and smile as we remember each amazing film. But it's hard to beat the icon, isn't it?

[Narrator]

So unless you're driving or using a dangerous tool right now, I want you.

[Erin Menke]

To close your eyes and imagine a certain world and cast of characters with me. It's a story set in a once glorious land that has become lost to time, taking far too many secrets and treasures with it. It's exotic and beautiful and full of danger. At the center of the story is our adventurer, a man who has left his day job behind for a while in order to find an item of particular importance.

[Narrator]

There's the now obligatory female companion and love interest.

[Erin Menke]

Naturally, there's also a bad guy, because what adventure movie would be complete without one, right? And then, of course, there's the treasure. An object of immense beauty, crafted of gold by ancient artisans. It has monetary value for sure, but that's not what our adventurer sees in it. No, it has priceless cultural value. And that's the true prize. This object doesn't belong in the hands of some rich evildoer. No, it belongs in a museum or some other place where it can be appreciated for what it truly is. In one memorable scene in this movie, our handsome rugged adventurer is inside an ancient structure, a temple or a tomb of some kind, and has just taken possession of his prize when his assistant betrays him and takes it away.

[Narrator]

You know what I'm talking about, right?

[Erin Menke]

Because betrayal is another one of those key ingredients to a great adventure movie. And our hero has to work hard to get that treasure back. And of course, who could forget the scene where our hero is inside that chamber all by himself and has to use a beam of light to pinpoint the exact location of the treasure. It's tense and brilliant in its simplicity.

[Narrator]

I love it. And at the end of the day, we just love the hero, right?

[Erin Menke]

His chiseled good looks, that stubble on his chin, his tan pants, leather jacket and trademark fedora hat. Sure, he's got a revolver tucked into his belt, but that's not getting used all the time. No, he prefers to punch his way through trouble and use his ingenuity instead. Of course, adventure films have moved on since then, all those years ago. Today they're so full of massive CGI components and big explosions.

[Narrator]

They usually involve billionaire bad guys or.

[Erin Menke]

Riddles wrapped in art history symbolism. But there's no beating a classic, is there? That old adventure story starring our beloved hero called the Secret of the Incas. Wait, was that not what you were expecting?

[Narrator]

It's a real movie starring a real.

[Erin Menke]

Hunk of a Hollywood a lister. Charlton Heston pulled on that leather jacket and fedora for the Secret of the Incas way back in 1954.

[Narrator]

And all those scenes that I described for you are straight from that movie.

[Erin Menke]

Of course. His character is called Harry, not Henry. He doesn't carry a whip, there are no Nazis and it's set in Machu Picchu instead of Egypt. But it's Indiana Jones through and through nonetheless.

[Narrator]

Why?

[Erin Menke]

Because when Raiders of the Lost Ark was in pre production, many of the crew watched Secret of the Incas multiple times for inspiration. Legendary Hollywood costume designer Deborah Nadulman Landis, who created Indiana Jones trademark outfit, drew inspiration from that film. And even more elements found themselves into the writing and the filming decisions.

[Narrator]

Don't call it a rip off though.

[Erin Menke]

Think of it more as an homage, a callback to an adventure film from three decades earlier that inspired a bunch of people so deeply that they had to make their own.

[Narrator]

And frankly, I'm glad they did. I don't think my childhood or Hollywood.

[Erin Menke]

Itself would have been filled with such joy and fun without Indiana Jones. The fictional embodiment of curiosity.

[Narrator]

William Penny Brooks was a small town boy with a big vision. Born in the town of Much Wenlock, a small town in Shropshire, England, his father was a well regarded local physician. As William grew up, he was inspired to follow the same path.

[Erin Menke]

And so when he came of age.

[Narrator]

He left home to study medicine in London before leaving the country with his brother John to further their studies at the University of Padua. He was in Paris in 1830 when he learned that his father had died. And so returned home for good the next year. Taking over his father's medical practice, Brooks.

[Erin Menke]

Provided affordable care to the rural poor.

[Narrator]

Often treating patients free of charge. He was also a fierce advocate for common sense modern medical standards like clean drinking water, better conditions for factory work, workers, and vaccinations. His bedside manner and willingness to travel long distances earned him deep respect among farmers, laborers, and the emerging industrial workforce. A fierce advocate for the well being of the poor, Brooks believed that physical fitness and structured learning should be available to all. In 1841, he founded the Agricultural Reading Society. Convinced that having access to free learning would help lift people out of poverty. He wrote to numerous wealthy individuals for funding, and his pursuit was rewarded richly in donations of books and enough money to keep the society running. It provided the community with a lending library and offered classes in arts, botany, and music training, among many others. To further his passion for physical fitness for all, he founded a sporting competition inspired by the ancient Olympic Games. The first Wenlock Olympics were held in 1850 and featured numerous sports like running, jumping, throwing, wrestling, cycling, gymnastics and rifle shooting. The Games also included pageantry, with a parade of competitors and organizers, complete with bands and flag bearers, which would march through town to the event spaces. They were open to people of all ages and social classes, a radical concept for Victorian England, whose caste system rigidly separated the haves and the have nots. Over the coming years, the Wenlock Games expanded and grew in popularity with competitors coming from all over England to compete. And as it grew, Brooks started corresponding with other fitness reformers across Europe, inviting athletes from all over to attend. Although numbers remained modest, the idea of an international competition was seeded, and it.

[Erin Menke]

Was through these letters that Brooks first.

[Narrator]

Came upon Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who arrived to experience the Games in 1890. The Baron was deeply impressed by the event, as well as by Brooks himself. In subsequent years, the Frenchman would write of him, Mr. Brooks has shown that the Olympic ideal can live again in the modern world. Following the Games, the men met to feverishly discuss the role of sporting in nation building and the need for a universal, periodic competition to inspire the masses to take up physical fitness. In the following years, they would correspond regularly. In 1894, de Coubertin formed the International Olympic Committee for the purpose of planning and executing the very first modern Olympic Games, which were to be held in 1896 and were largely patterned after Wenlock's Games. Athletes would come from all over the world to compete. Tragically, though, Brooks would not live to see his dream made real. He passed away in December of 1895 peacefully in his home mere months before the very first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece, where the ancient Games had been held in the past. Brooks was buried in the churchyard at Holy Trinity in Much Wenlock, where he had spent his life dedicated to the betterment of all. The Wenlock Olympian Society that he founded still operates today, organizing the Wenlock Olympic Games. De Coubertin made sure to give Brooks his due, posthumously telling the world that the Olympic Games would not be alive today if it hadn't been for Dr. William Penny Brooks. He was further memorialized in 1996 for the 100th anniversary of the modern Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Although Brooks died just months before the inaugural Games, his belief that physical fitness and free learning should belong to everyone lived on in every stadium and at each podium. The Wenlock Games continue to this day and the International Olympic Flame still burns, an enduring testament to the power of a small town dream that helped shaped our history.

[Aaron Mahnke]

I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts or learn more about the show by visiting curiositiespodcast.com the show was created by me, Aaron Mankey in partnership with How Stuff Works. I make another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series and television show and you can learn all about it [e-mail] and until next time, stay curious.

[iHeart Podcast Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.