The Anti-'Citizen Kane': How Art Beal Built Nitt Witt Ridge, a House Made of Trash in the Shadow of Hearst Castle

Fifteen miles south of Hearst Castle, home of "Citizen Kane" inspiration William Randolph Hearst, is perhaps a more impressive dwelling: Nitt Witt Ridge, the house that former garbageman Art Beale constructed by hand from cast-off beer cans, shells, and other cast-off materials.Beal, who once had a job hauling refuse from Hearst Castle, began work on Nitt Witt Ridge after his attempt at a normal life passed him by. In the 1050s, his neighbors mocked him as a "nitwit" as they watched him carve out his home with only a shovel and a device he called an "idiot stick."But by the 1970s, he had started to gain recognition as a non-conformist hero. And Nitt Witt Ridge, a monument to his artistic genius, still stands today.This week, we talk about why it's time to make a movie of Art Beal's life. And why only one actor can play him. (Okay, maybe two.)Here are the fascinating videos we mention in this episode:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAp3GPUo3sMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTwg9JFOIuc&t=8s Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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We talk about true stories that we think should be made into TV shows or movies. First we talk about why they belong on-screen -- then we talk about how we'd like to see them on-air: Who should direct, who should write, who should star. We dig up lesser-known people whose stories deserve to be told, forgotten moments in history, and fresh angles on very familiar memories.Your hosts, Tim and Deirdre, are married writers who only recommend stories that we would personally want to see. Join us and follow us at @ShootThisNowPod. Thanks! We love you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.