Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities: "Frankly"

Date: December 18, 2025
Host: Aaron Mahnke
Podcast: Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities (iHeartPodcasts & Grim & Mild)

Episode Overview

This bite-sized storytelling episode from Aaron Mahnke explores two fascinating tales hidden in history’s cracks:

1. The surprising near-casting of Frank Sinatra as the original Die Hard hero.
2. The chilling winter folklore of Frau Perchta, a dual-natured spirit that haunts the dark months of European winter.

Mahnke’s signature approach blends the unbelievable with the unsettling, offering fresh perspective on well-known (and obscure) cultural curiosities.

Tale 1: Frank Sinatra and Die Hard – The Action Hero Who Wasn’t

Timestamps: 01:17–05:49

Key Discussion Points

• Frank Sinatra’s Film Ambitions:

  • By the late 1960s, Sinatra was eager to break out of his typecast roles as singers, mobsters, or criminals and show dramatic range.
  • In 1968, he starred in The Detective, playing “Joe Leland,” a jaded NYPD detective in a film that was “much more realistic than most films and even discussed some at the time taboo subjects.”
  • The Detective achieved critical and commercial success.

• The Unlikely Die Hard Prequel:

  • The sequel novel to The Detective—Roderick Thorp’s Nothing Lasts Forever—was set to become a film in 1987.
  • The plot foreshadowed what would become Die Hard, with Leland (now older and visiting his daughter’s LA office) caught in a brutal hostage situation.
  • Due to contractual obligations, producers had to offer the sequel’s lead role to Sinatra, despite his age (72).

• Sinatra’s Decline and Hollywood’s Scramble:

  • “[Sinatra] looked back over to the waiting producers and told them that this was probably a little more than he could handle at this point in his life. So he declined the role.” (Aaron Mahnke, 04:08)
  • The part was shopped to every major action star of the era—Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Gibson, Reynolds—all turned it down.
  • Script changes included making the protagonist’s wife (instead of daughter) the hostage, injecting more humor, and changing the detective’s name from Joe Leland to John McClane.

• A New Action Hero is Born:

  • Bruce Willis, then known more for TV, was cast.
  • Die Hard (1988) became a smash hit.
  • “A film that should have starred Frank Sinatra, but instead starred Bruce Willis. Die Hard.” (Aaron Mahnke, 05:46)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Sinatra’s Acting Range:
  “Sinatra tended to play characters that were kind of already in his DNA… but could he play a character on the other side of the law? His new film, The Detective, would give him that chance.” (Aaron Mahnke, 01:54)

• On the Producers’ Silent Relief:
  “I can imagine the producers jumping for joy as soon as Sinatra left their office.“ (Aaron Mahnke, 04:26)

• On the Film’s Legacy:
  “When it was released in 1988, the film became an instant hit and is considered today to be one of the greatest action movies of all time…” (Aaron Mahnke, 05:38)

Tale 2: Frau Perchta – The Winter’s Dark Matron

Timestamps: 06:58–12:11

Key Discussion Points

• The Ghostly Side of Winter:

  • Mahnke reflects on the emotions of the season—“the winter months are a time of joy, of celebration… Christmas, New Year’s, winter revels, Yuletide carols and warm fires” (Aaron Mahnke, 07:18)—but also a time associated with ghost stories and fear.
  • Introduces Krampus as a well-known German Christmas figure, but notes he’s “just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Christmas boogeymen.”

• Frau Perchta’s Fearsome Lore:

  • An old crone from Central European folklore obsessed with household cleanliness and seasonal weaving.
  • If displeased, she “will come in with a pair of scissors, slit your belly open and fill it with rocks. She also disembowels lazy children upon occasion as well.” (Aaron Mahnke, 08:23)
  • Ritual offerings include dumplings, porridge with herring, or an egg left on the roof.
  • She is said to fly through the air on the winter solstice, accompanied by a spectral caravan.

• Origins and Transformation:

  • Perchta is a product of syncretism, originally linked to the Norse goddess Frigga, and acted as a goddess of in-between spaces and weaving.
  • With Christianity’s spread, she was relegated from deity to folk terror, shifting her haunting to January 6 ‘Perchtentag’.

• Dualities and Modern Reverence:

  • Perchta embodies both punishment and wisdom: “She is a creepy old woman who may punish you for disobedience, but she is also wise and elderly. She leads a train of ghosts through the sky… but she also guides those spirits that are lost to a final resting place.” (Aaron Mahnke, 10:44)
  • Despite demonization, she remains central to Alpine festivals, where locals still dress as Perchta and pay her homage.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Winter’s Cultural Duality:
  “After all, we only light a cozy fire in order to stave off the biting bitter cold and many cultural traditions associate the cold with ghost stories just as much as jolly elves.” (Aaron Mahnke, 07:34)

• On Perchta’s Odd Tribute:
  “Other regions say that you must leave an egg on your roof as a tribute. Why on the roof? Well, some say that Frau Perchta flies through the air on the darkest night of the year.” (Aaron Mahnke, 08:56)

• On Perchta’s Resilience:
  “Some figures from folklore stand the test of time, and some survive by adapting to a strange new world. So as the nights get colder this month, keep an eye on the dark sky above and maybe keep an egg on your roof.” (Aaron Mahnke, 11:55)

Takeaways

• Die Hard’s cinematic legacy could have looked very different if Sinatra had accepted the call, providing an alternate universe where an aging music legend redefined the action blockbuster.
• The strange, sometimes frightening traditions of winter folklore, personified by Perchta, reveal how ancient gods can survive and morph in response to new times and beliefs—sometimes guiding us, sometimes haunting us, but always staying curious.

Key Segments & Timestamps

• [01:17] Sinatra and the making of Die Hard
• [05:49] Tale conclusion and sponsor break
• [06:58] The lore and tradition of Frau Perchta
• [12:11] Episode wrap-up and sponsor

For More

Visit curiositiespodcast.com for info and links, or follow Aaron Mahnke’s storytelling adventures elsewhere on Lore and Grim & Mild podcasts.

Tone:
Warm, mischievous, and delightfully eerie—Mahnke’s storytelling combines historical detail, playful speculation, and a touch of the macabre.

Notable Quote to Close:
"Some figures from folklore stand the test of time, and some survive by adapting to a strange new world." (Aaron Mahnke, 11:50)