<p>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.</p><br><p>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."</p><br><p>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.</p><br><p>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.)</p><br><p>Here are the fascinating videos we mention in this episode:</p><br><p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAp3GPUo3sM</p><br><p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTwg9JFOIuc&amp;t=8s</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>