Twisted Tales with Heidi Wong

Episode: The Underground City That Inspired a Horror Film

Date: March 9, 2026
Host: Heidi Wong
Theme: Reality is the real horror—uncovering the true, disturbing stories lurking beneath sensational urban legends and blockbuster horror movies.

Episode Overview

Heidi Wong dives into two shadowy true stories from the 1930s—one about a supposed civilization of "Lizard People" and their hidden treasure beneath Los Angeles, and another about a secretive plot by powerful businessmen to overthrow the U.S. government. Heidi then explores how these tales, blending conspiracy, paranoia, and hidden powers, influenced the 2008 horror film "Midnight Meat Train," starring Bradley Cooper, which centers on monsters beneath New York City.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Lizard People and the Underground City

[05:02 – 12:08]

• George Shufelt’s Gold Quest:
  In 1933, mining engineer George Shufelt moved to Los Angeles, armed with a homemade "doodle bug"—a device meant to detect gold and jewels underground.

  • Shufelt and friends followed an old sheepskin map (purportedly 100 years old) suggesting vast treasure buried under L.A.
  • The group received a 50/50 profit-sharing permit from the city, desperate in the Great Depression, and began digging beneath the Central Library and surrounding areas.

• The Lizard People Legend:

  • Pressed for results, Shufelt spun a new tale—he claimed to have evidence of an ancient labyrinth, “packed with stones, metals, tablets, jewels, and precious metals” constructed by “the Lizard People.”
  • Allegedly told to Shufelt by “Chief Greenleaf,” the story held that these tunnels were created 5,000 years ago by a technologically advanced Native American tribe to survive after a devastating meteor shower.
  • The tunnels, shaped like a giant lizard, extended from downtown LA north to Dodgers Stadium and west to Santa Monica Bay, complete with offshoots for ventilation.

  "These lizard tunnels are still down there, full of wells and secrets that we may never discover."
  — Heidi Wong (11:51)

• Outcome:
  The dig reached 250 feet, well short of the 1,000 needed according to Shufelt, and uncovered only regular old tunnels. The city ended the project in March 1934. Shufelt insisted the treasure and city existed until his death, but the story faded—no subsequent expeditions have been attempted.

Notable Quote:

"George explained that this gold was buried by a Native American tribe called the Lizard People. They were called this because they built tunnels in the shape of a giant lizard."
— Heidi Wong (07:06)

2. Shadowy Plot to Overthrow America: The Business Plot

[13:08 – 18:58]

• Butler and the Coup Attempt:

  • At the same time, on the East Coast, General Smedley Darlington Butler—a decorated Marine—was approached by banker Gerald C. Macguire and millionaire Robert Sterling Clark in 1933.
  • The plot: Use Butler’s reputation to raise a private army of veterans and take over the government, making FDR “a president without any real power.”

• Big Names, Big Money:

  • Backed by the likes of J.P. Morgan, Goodyear Tire, Anaconda Copper, Bethlehem Steel, and Remington Arms. Clark claimed he was ready to spend half his $30 million fortune (“about $800 million today”) for the plan.
  • Butler played along to unearth details, working with journalist Paul French.

  "After talking with Gerald Maguire and Robert Clark, he went straight to Paul French, a journalist…This kind of scoop was a journalist's dream."
  — Heidi Wong (15:48)

• Exposing the Conspiracy:

  • Butler bravely testified in Congress (Nov 20, 1934), detailing the attempted coup, but was mocked in the media (“a gigantic hoax”—The New York Times).
  • Congress confirmed the plot’s existence, but no one was prosecuted. The story was quietly filed away, and Maguire died suddenly—as the tale faded, the idea of “powerful unseen forces” endured.

  "Smedley's story was true, but nothing came of it. But this idea of something big lurking in the shadows never really left the American consciousness."
  — Heidi Wong (17:34)

3. True Events, Urban Legends, and Horror: "Midnight Meat Train"

[21:40 – 27:23]

• Movie Plot Synopsis:
  "Midnight Meat Train" (2008) follows photographer Leon Kaufman, whose obsession with gritty city life leads him into the path of a butcher named Mahogany, who kills subway passengers to feed a race of subterranean creatures—the City Fathers.

  • Leon’s pursuit starts with him capturing a woman being assaulted, then following the suspect (Mahogany) and unraveling the conspiracy.
  • The subway system masks a horrifying secret: monstrous entities who must be fed nightly, their existence covered up by humans “doing their dirty work.”

  "Mahogany has slaughtered dozens of passengers and hung their bodies on meat hooks…In the final bloody showdown… Leon kills Mahogany. But it's not a victory."
  — Heidi Wong (24:12)

• Influence of True Stories:

  • The tale intertwines elements of both the Lizard People urban legend and the Business Plot’s themes of conspiracy and hidden power.
  • Barker's original story reimagines the 'people under the city' as literal monsters. The movie and legend both critique the notion of powerful entities—be they mythical or corporate—exerting control from the shadows.

  "Whether they're in an underground tunnel or a penthouse of a snake skyscraper, there are powerful things out there hiding just out of sight, and if you're not careful, they'll consume you without a second thought."
  — Heidi Wong (26:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Conspiracy and Urban Legend:

  "Some stories say creatures live in carefully crafted tunnels below the earth, hoarding history's most important secrets. Others say the real monsters aren't underground at all. They're actually above us, looking down from skyscrapers, making their fortunes from our downfall."
  — Heidi Wong (01:23)

• On the Nature of Power:

  "Both of the stories I shared with you today are about power beneath the surface."
  — Heidi Wong (18:51)

• On the Appeal of Dark Truths:

  "Reality is the real horror."
  — Heidi Wong (show description)

Important Timestamps

• [05:02] — The story of George Shufelt and the Lizard People begins
• [13:08] — Smedley Butler and the Business Plot coup attempt
• [21:40] — Overview and analysis of "Midnight Meat Train"
• [26:35] — Reflection on how these urban legends and true stories blend into horror fiction

Takeaways

• True tales of subterranean cities and government conspiracies echo in horror fiction, making urban legends feel all the more real.
• "Midnight Meat Train" channels genuine historical paranoia, reinforcing the idea that horror is often rooted in our reality—the shadowy, unchecked power structures, whether ancient or contemporary, beneath our feet or above our heads.
• The real monsters may not be in supernatural tunnels but in boardrooms and behind closed doors.

Stay curious—and remember Heidi’s warning:

"There's no reason to fear the dark unless you try to hide from it." (27:15)

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