# Origin of "Dooon't You Belieeeeve It!"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-dooont-you-belieeeeve-it/315703>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 5, 2005, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-dooont-you-belieeeeve-it/315703 "2005-08-05T11:49:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2005, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-dooont-you-belieeeeve-it/315703/1 "2005-08-05T11:49:08Z")

</div>

OK - another cartoon catchphrase-based post.

It featured on a few Tom & Jerry cartoons, usually after something (e.g. that radioactive white mouse) had blown up the entire earth or something. Tom would say, in a booming, doom-laden voice: “Dooooon’t you belieeeeeve it”.

A poster on [this forum](http://forum.bcdb.com/forum/_C1/_F41/Name_of_Tom_and_Jerry_episode_P41026/) suggests that it may have been something to do with a Ripley’s Believe It Or Not film from the 1930’s. Can anyone here corroborate or refute that?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-dooont-you-belieeeeve-it/315703/2 "2005-08-06T21:22:29Z")

</div>

While not even close to definitive, [this message board thread](http://forum.bcdb.com/forum/_C17/_F5/Quote_from_2_Tom_and_Jerry_cartoons_P6924/) seems to offer a reasonable explanation:

> [@](#):
>
> The only lead I’ve come across so far (and I think it’s probably a false one) is that in 1943 John Nesbitt made a short (in his series Passing Parade) called “DON’T YOU BELIEVE IT!” about various urban myths - if he delivered the words in that sonorous fashion this could be a contender, the timing is right - but I’ve heard extracts from his radio show along the same lines and his delivery wasn’t that melodramatic.

A bit later than your 1930s source, but plausible nevetheless.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-dooont-you-belieeeeve-it/315703/3 "2005-08-06T22:00:44Z")

</div>

I’ve got a few episodes of \*Don’t You Believe It[/] around somewhere.

It is _definitely_ the source, the way it’s read is unmistakabe. _“Dooon’t Youu Beelieve It!”_.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2005, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-dooont-you-belieeeeve-it/315703/4 "2005-08-06T22:05:24Z")

</div>

So, how does it compare to _Mythbusters_? 😃