Will a biography of Carl Allen, a.k.a. Carlos Allende, ever be written? I doubt it. In the events of his life there’s not much of interest. Mystery shrouds his one great achievement—the creation of a myth that’s spawned at least one novel, at least two purportedly non-fiction books and two … [Read more...]
“The Philadelphia Experiment” – The Book, the Movie
“It’s a good Grade B movie,” a friend of mine told me several years ago when I admitted I’d never seen the 1984 film “The Philadelphia Experiment.” Accordingly, I rented a video and sat down in front of the TV. I had two questions on my mind as I watched: first, would the film make any … [Read more...]
The Philadelphia Experiment – “Almost As If She Vanished”
One of the more curious items in the Gray Barker Collection is a letter, on NASA stationery, addressed to “Dr. Karl Merditt Allenstein, 1316 Leishmann Strasse, New Kensington, PA.” The letter is dated August 6, 1975, and is obviously a response to an inquiry. It’s also obvious that the said … [Read more...]
The Philadelphia Experiment – “Carlos Allende Speaks”
When did Carl Allen begin to grasp that he was no longer an invisible, insignificant drifter but an exotic mystery man, earnestly sought after by “those who ponder the elusive disks” (Gray Barker’s phrase), himself as elusive as any of them? That Hispanicized Carlos Allende had become a hero of … [Read more...]
The Philadelphia Experiment – Finding Carlos Allende
He wasn’t lost, at least initially. Except perhaps in a figurative sense. The files in the Barker Collection contain a letter from one Austin N. Stanton of the Varo Mfg. Co, Garland, Texas, addressed to Carl M. Allen at RFD #1, Box 223, New Kensington, Pennsylvania. The letter, dated 5 August … [Read more...]
