No. "A patron whispered to me, 'You have a disappointments room.'" – WHAT LIES BELOW starring Ema Horvath, Trey Tucker and Mena Suvari – Releasing December 4th, HUNTER HUNTER – In Select Theaters, VOD and Digital December 18th, Spell starring Omari Hardwick, Loretta Devine and John Beasley, Filmmaker Working on Record Number of Films during Lockdown, ARROW Announces Sick Filth for November to Keep Halloween Alive, “SLEEPAWAY SLASHER” New Horror Film Detaills, Book Review: Control: MKUltra, Chemtrails, and the Conspiracy to Suppress the Masses | Nick Redfern, Book Review: Swan Song – Author Jevron McCrory, Book Review: Cover-Ups & Secrets: The Complete Guide to Government Conspiracies, Manipulations & Deceptions | Author Nick Redfern, Book Review: Shifting Fears – Author Eric A. 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But then there’s the pesky little details of the external deadbolt and floor drain which quickly dissolve that warm notion. Do “disappointment rooms” or their equivalents still exist today? So while I don’t feel the need to expand upon the obvious, I do feel I should point out the lesser known legalities that existed at the time. Laurie Poirier, a librarian, bought the old colonial before she met her future husband, Jeffrey Dumas. Unfortunately, yes. Care for the disabled during the period of Ruth’s life fell into one of two categories: neglect or outright abuse. As the real owner, Laurie Dumas, shared the story of her home's strange room with her coworkers at the library, a patron overheard and offered an explanation for the peculiar attic room. Your email address will not be published. Judge Carpenter being the obvious real-life inspiration for the film’s insidious villain Judge Blacker, played by Gerald McRaney (‘Longmire’, ‘Jericho’). Today the room has been converted into a memorial for Ruth Carpenter and Laurie Dumas had started a nonprofit organization in her name which brings toys, puzzles and other comforts to disabled children in West Warwick schools. Yes, but as you can see below, the front wall of the real room looks more like a doll house than a dungeon, and is made of wood, not bricks. Do “disappointment rooms” or their equivalents still exist today?Unfortunately, yes. In case you're still curious, the HGTV If Walls Could Talk "Disappointments Room" episode should help to expand your knowledge of the true story. See instructions, Starring Kate Beckinsale, Lucas Till, Mel Raido, Duncan Joiner |. They were found in average homes, not always associated with the wealthy. A Very Special and Scary Starsky & Hutch Halloween Episode, Top 10 tips to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse. On the side of the gravestone was a daughter’s name, Ruth (1895 – 1900), “Daughter of Job S. & Frances E. Carpenter.” “We felt that we had found the occupant of our sad little room,” says Laurie. Wasted 2 hours watching. "The attic was just this big, dusty old storage place," says Laurie. In 2013, a disabled 25-year-old Texas woman was found locked in a cage in the back room of a home. Fact and fiction may often walk hand in hand, but in the case of ‘The Disappointments Room’, the film remains just a step behind the morbid reality of Laurie Dumas’ story and its implications. What is a disappointments room? For the movie, the judge's name was changed to Judge Blacker (Gerald McRaney) and his wife is referred to as Mrs. Blacker (Jennifer Leigh Mann). After looking through a cemetery database at the library, Laurie Dumas found the location of the plot in Woodland Cemetery where Judge Carpenter (the real Judge Blacker) and his family were buried. Many poor families also isolated their disabled family members. "So they hid them away in rooms up on their third floor, which was just unbelievable." While the film takes place on the haunting and picturesque grounds of Greensboro’s Adamsleigh Mansion, the actual home was a much more demure classic Rhode Island colonial built in 1857. “Ruthie has become just part of the household,” says Laurie. The real couple are never mentioned as having any children. The term itself was regional,however the existence and practice of these rooms is anything but.. One famous and well documented case is that of Rosemary Kennedy. “The Disappointments Room” is a retelling of that true story. "I think he might of had a very sick little girl," concludes Laurie. For the movie, the judge’s name was changed to Judge Blacker (Gerald McRaney) and his wife is referred to as Mrs. Blacker (Jennifer Leigh Mann). Conventionally known as ‘Ugly Laws’ they allowed for the fining or incarceration of those with disabilities who were present in public places or settings. A disappointment room being a purpose built room to hide or isolate a child or family member with disfigurement or disabilities that made them unfit for socialization. Actually, he was going to put a little light up on the doorway that would light up when he was recording.”. In truth, we’ll never know what afflicted Ruth or how she met her end and that in itself might be the real tragedy of her story; because no child deserves to be forgotten. In fact, the real owners did not report anything at all paranormal going on inside of the Rhode Island home.
It wasn’t until the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 when protection of rights and a standard of treatment was finally legally adopted in the United States. The larger home seen in the movie is the real-life Adamsleigh Mansion located in Greensboro, North Carolina. Granted she was a Kennedy, so she got a cottage not a room – but the principle remains the same. Not only did many of these individuals suffer direct emotional and physical abuse in institutions, their special needs were never met, and they were denied dignity, choice, and were given little respect. In fact, the real owners did not report anything at all paranormal going on inside of the Rhode Island home. Feature Article, Starring the talented and lovely Kate Beckinsale (‘Underworld’, ‘The Widow’), 2016’s ‘The Disappointments Room’ followed a young couple and their son as they unraveled the ultimately horrifying secrets of a hidden room in the attic of their new home. THE DISAPPOINTMENTS ROOM – New poster and Trailer! “I think he might of had a very sick little girl,” concludes Laurie. Blind and in a semi-fetal position, she was covered in dried fecal matter. An example of these Ugly Laws comes from Chicago, which reads in part: “Any person who is diseased, maimed, mutilated or in any way deformed, so as to be an unsightly or disgusting object, or an improper person to be allowed in or on the streets, highways, thoroughfares, or public places in the city, shall not therein or thereon expose himself to public view, under penalty of a fine of $1 for each offense (Chicago City Code 1881)”.