Who wrote The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883)?
Italian author Carlo Collodi (a.k.a. Carlo Lorenzini) wrote The Adventures of Pinocchio, the popular tale of a puppet who comes to life.
Where are Panama hats made?
Panama hats have always been made in Ecuador, where their manufacture helps to support the economy. They were once distributed through Panama.
What does the Lone Ranger’s title Kemo Sabe really mean?
As used by Tonto on the radio show “The Lone Ranger,” Kemo Sabe was intended to mean “faithful friend.” But in the Apache tongue it means “white shirt.” In Navajo it means “soggy shrub.”
What is the origin of the word hoodlum?
There are several theories for the origin of the word hoodlum. One has to do with a gang of thugs in San Francisco led by a man named Muldoon. A fearful reporter, writing about him in 1877, spelled the name backward, Noodlum, and the compositor mistook the N for an H. A second theory claims … Read more
Who wrote the World War II anthem “Praise the Lord, and Pass the Ammunition”?
The World War II anthem “Praise the Lord, and Pass the Ammunition” was written by Frank Loesser. He was the Broadway composer whose musicals include Guys and Dolls (1950) and The Most Happy Fella (1956).
What was the name of The Shootist (1976)?
Played by John Wayne, The Shootist was John Bernard Brooks. It was John Wayne’s last film.
What was the original meaning of the phrase to Beat the Band?
The American expression to Beat the Band is not more than a century old. It referred to the aim of arriving at a parade site before the band passed.
Was there ever a movie adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World?
There was never a theatrical movie version of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, but there was a 1980 TV movie starring Keir Dullea, Bud Cort, Julie Cobb, and Ron O’Neal.
How many saints does the Catholic Church recognize?
There are about 2,500 saints with feast days, 200 fewer than in the earlier years of the twentieth century. In 1969, the Vatican removed the feast days of over 200 saints from the liturgical calendar because they were of only regional interest or because there were no records of whether the saints had lived. Among … Read more
What kind of an accident cripples Ethan Frome in Edith Wharton’s novel, Ethan Frome (1911)?
Ethan Frome and his beloved, Mattie Silver, drive a sled into a tree in a botched suicide attempt in Edith Wharton’s novel, Ethan Frome.
Who killed Laura Palmer (on “Twin Peaks,” ABC, 1990-91)?
Laura Palmer’s father, Leland Palmer (Roy Wise) killed her, while possessed by an evil spirit named Bob. Laura Palmer was played by Sheryl Lee.
In what movie is this sign posted: “Welcome to Man-drake Falls/Where the Scenery Enthralls/Where No Hardship E’er Befalls/Welcome to Mandrake Falls.”?
Douglas Fairbanks was referring to Adolf Hitler and Charlie Chaplin, who was getting ready to film The Great Dictator (1940), when he said, “This is one of the most fortuitous tricks in the history of civilization, that the greatest living villain in the world and the greatest comedian should look alike”?.
What is Jodie Foster’s real name?
Jodie Foster’s real name is Alicia Christian Foster. She was born in 1962 in the Bronx, New York.
What is the world’s best-selling cookie?
Not surprisingly, the world’s best selling cookie is the unassuming Oreo, made by Nabisco Brands. The first Oreo was sold in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1912. Now, over 6 billion are sold each year, which means that $1 of every American’s $10 in grocery money goes to the cookie.
What were the Seven Wonders of the World and do any of them still exist?
As listed in the second century B.C. by Antipater of Sidon, the Seven Wonders of the World were: 1. The Pyramids of Egypt 2. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon 3. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia 4. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus 5. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus 6. The Colossus of Rhodes 7. The … Read more
How many people directed Casino Royale (1967)?
Five people directed Casino Royale (1967). John Huston, Ken Hughes, Robert Parrish, Joe McGrath, and Val Guest.
What did Marlene Dietrich say about the departed Orson Welles at the end of Touch of Evil (1958)?
Marlene Dietrich said about the departed Orson Welles at the end of Touch of Evil (1958), “He was some kind of man. What does it matter what you say about someone?”
Who wrote the additional songs for Funny Face (1957)?
Roger Edens and Leonard Gershe wrote the additional songs for Funny Face (1957). The other songs were by George and Ira Gershwin.
What was the name of the bartender in Rick’s Cafe Americain in Casablanca?
The name of the bartender in Rick’s Cafe Americain in Casablanca was Sascha (Leonid Kinskey).
What is glass made of?
Glass is generally made of three components: silica, in the form of sand; an alkali flux, such as soda or potash, which promotes fusion; and lime, which stabilizes the mixture. In the process of being heated and then cooled, glass loses its crystalline nature and becomes an amorphous but rigid substance. Like a solid, it … Read more
What does it mean to galvanize steel?
To galvanize steel means that a zinc coating is applied, either by “hot-dipping” the steel in molten zinc or by electroplating it in an electrolytic process. Thus protected against exposure, galvanized iron or steel is less liable to rust.
How did the red-light district get its name?
The red light came from an actual lamp, the red oil-lamp that hung on the last car of a railroad train. These lamps were carried by railroad men to and from trains, and in some cases they were hung outside the brothels the men frequented between shifts.
Who produced the Al Pacino comeback vehicle Sea of Love (1989)?
Longtime associate Martin Bregman produced the Al Pacino comeback vehicle Sea of Love (1989). Martin Bregman also produced the Pacino films Serpico (1973), Dog Day Afternoon (1975 ) and Scarface (1983 ).
Where did stuntman Yakima Canutt get his name?
Born Enos Edward Canutt in the state of Washington in 1895, stuntman Yakima Canutt acquired his stage name during his early days as a rodeo star, when a newspaper caption called him “The Cowboy from Yakima.”
Is there a gluteus minimus along with the gluteus maximus?
Yes. There are three gluteus muscles, the large, fleshy muscles of the buttocks that connect the hipbone (the pelvic girdle) and the thighbone (the femur). The gluteus maximus is the muscle at the surface of the buttocks, below which is the gluteus medius. The gluteus minimus is below that.
What epic features Laocoon?
The Trojan priest Laocoon who was killed by sea serpents is a character in Vergil’s Aeneid (c. 19 B.C.).
Who plays the old man with the long white beard who jumps out of his bed to watch the climactic fight in The Quiet Man (1952)?
Francis Ford (1882-1953), brother of the movie’s director, John Ford, plays the old man with the long white beard in The Quiet Man (1952). The Quiet Man was Francis’s twenty-ninth appearance in a John Ford film.
How many Americans did Jonathan Kozol estimate were illiterate in his book Illiterate America (1985)?
Kozol said that as of 1984, 25 million Americans were functionally illiterate (reading not at all or at less than fifth grade level) and an additional 35 million were marginally illiterate (reading at less than ninth grade level). The total of 60 million represented more than a third of the adult population.
In what movie did “Family Ties” (NBC, 1982-89) star Michael J. Fox play a werewolf?
“Family Ties” (NBC, 1982-89) star Michael J. Fox played a werewolf in the movie Teen Wolf (1985). Jason Bateman, star of “Valerie/The Hogan Family” (NBC, 1986-90; CBS, 1990-91) played the werewolf in the sequel, Teen Wolf Too (1987).
Which vice presidents have been elected president by regular election?
John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Van Buren, Richard M. Nixon, and George Bush, are several vice presidents that have been elected president. This is besides those who first gained the office when their predecessors died or resigned.
What was the first tabloid newspaper?
The first tabloid newspaper was the Illustrated Daily News (now the Daily News). Founded in New York City in 1919, it was the nation’s largest-selling paper by 1925. Current weekday circulation is 781,800; Sunday circulation is 983,000.
What was David Ben-Gurion’s nationality and what was Golda Meir’s?
David Ben-Gurion was born in Poland in 1886. He fled Poland in 1905 and settled in Palestine, becoming the first prime minister of Israel in 1948. Golda Meir was born in Russia in 1898 but was raised in the United States, where her parents moved in 1900. She settled in Palestine in 1921, becoming Israel’s … Read more
What were the real names of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?
Cassidy, the leader of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, was born Robert Leroy Parker in Circleville, Utah, on April 1, 1866. He was one of 10 children. The Sundance Kid was born Harry Longbaugh in 1870 in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.
Did Samuel Goldwyn, famous for his malapropisms, ever say, “It rolls off my back like a duck”?
No, Samuel Goldwyn, famous for his malapropisms, never said, “It rolls off my back like a duck”. Critic George Oppenheimer remembers coming up with this line when he was a Hollywood screenwriter. He won the commissary pool that the writers had going for the best Goldwynism of the day.
When did Chet Huntley and David Brinkley first team up?
Chet Huntley and David Brinkley first teamed up for the 1956 presidential conventions. Their patter led to places as anchormen of the NBC nightly news that fall. Their show was called “The Huntley-Brinkley Report” ( 1956-71).
Who was the tallest U.S. president?
Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) at six feet, four inches was the tallest U.S. president. James Madison (1809-1817) at five feet, four inches was the shortest U.S. president.
Who played the fifty-foot woman in Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman (1958)?
Allison Hayes played the fifty-foot woman in Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman (1958).
When was Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde written?
Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde was written between 1385-90.
What is the formal name for the Shakers?
The official name of the celibate sect the Shakers is the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing. Derived from the Quakers, the “Shaking Quaker” sect was established in America in 1774 by Ann Lee and reached its height, in the 1840s with a membership of 6,000. Shaker refers to the involuntary movements made … Read more
How many spinoffs did “All in the Family” (CBS, 1971-79) have?
The TV series had four spinoffs: “Maude” (CBS, 1972-78); “The Jeffersons” (CBS, 1975-85); “Archie Bunker’s Place” (CBS, 1979-83); and “Gloria” (CBS, 1982-83).
Which tragedy of Euripides was produced first: Iphigenia in Aulis or Iphigenia in Tauris?
Tauris came first, about 414-412 B.C.; Aulis followed about 405 B.C. In terms of the storyline, however, the order is reversed. Aulis tells of Agamemnon’s decision to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia in order to free the Greek fleet from the harbor at Aulis. Tauris tells of Iphigenia after the goddess Artemis snatches her to safety, … Read more
Who was the model for Alice in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865)?
Alice Liddell, daughter of Henry George Liddell, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford was the model for Alice in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Where was the first night baseball game played?
The first baseball game played at night was at Crosley Field in Cincinnati on May 24, 1935. It was a game between the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies. The Reds beat the Phillies, 2-1.
Where is the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is at the National Football Museum in Canton, Ohio.
Who invented the Rubik’s Cube the classic teaser of the 1980s?
The Rubik’s Cube was designed by and named after Erno Rubik. It is made of 27 subcubes that rotate on horizontal and vertical axes. Rubik was a teacher of architecture and design at the School for Commercial Artists in Budapest.
What do the following Variety terms mean?
webs—TV networks pix—movies Indies—independent film distributors b.o.—box office bob`’ biz—making money, doing good business lensing—filming thesping—acting he/ming—directing
How do you spell the name of the inventor of the Derringer?
The inventor of the Derringer was Henry Deringer, Jr., (1786-1868), spelled with one “r”. The Philadelphia gunsmith started making pistols in 1825 and came to specialize in the short-barreled, large-caliber pistol that bears his name. The extra “r” was added to “Derringer” by an imitator making similar pistols, and that became the accepted spelling.
What was Chuckles the Clown’s sign-off line on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (CBS, 1970-77)?
Chuckles the Clown’s sign-off line on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (CBS, 1970-77) was “A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants.” The words were remembered by those mourning Chuckles’s death after he was killed by a rogue elephant. Chuckles was dressed as Peter Peanut at the time.
What was the first movie version of Frankenstein?
A 1910 version of Frankenstein by the Edison Company featuring Charles Ogle as the monster was the first movie version.
What was the time setting of the last episode of “The Waltons” (CBS, 1972-81)?
The last episode of “The Waltons” (CBS, 1972-81) was set on D-Day, June 6, 1944. The series began with a pilot film, “The Homecoming” (CBS, 1971), set during Christmas, 1933.
What was the first coast-to-coast highway in the United States?
The Lincoln Highway was the first coast-to-coast paved road in the United States. Opened in 1913, it ran from New York to California.
What are the books of the Pentateuch?
The books of the Pentateuch are the first five books of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Named from Greek penta (five) and teuchos (book), tradition assigned their authorship to Moses.
What is the difference between a tepee and a wigwam?
The tepee was a conical dwelling made from buffalo hides, supported by poles, and often painted or decorated with beadwork. It was commonly used by Native Americans of the Great Plains. The wigwam was a rounded dwelling made from woven mats or birch bark over a framework of poles. It was widely used in the … Read more
When did the murders of Jack the Ripper occur?
The throat-slashings of six prostitutes in London’s East End occurred between August and early November 1888. The identity of Jack the Ripper was never verified.
What was the first complete English translation of the Bible?
The first complete English translation of the Bible was the Bible of 1380, translated into a Midland dialect by Nicholas of Hereford and others. It is often called the Wyclif Bible, though theologian John Wyclif (c. 1320-84) did not work on it.
What is the official poverty level in America?
For a family of four, the poverty level in America defined by the Office of Management and Budget in 1990 is $12,675. In 1990, the percentage of all races that live below the poverty level was 13.5. Among whites, 10.7 percent lived below the poverty level; among blacks, 31.9 percent did. For persons of Hispanic … Read more
What is the geographic center of the United States?
The center of the 48 contiguous states is in Smith County, Kansas, near the town of Lebanon. The center of the 50 states is in Butte County, South Dakota, west of the town of Castle Rock.
What does Tammuz mean to Jews?
In the Jewish calendar, Tammuz is the name of the month that falls during June and July.
Who said, “There are no second acts in American lives”?
F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “There are no second acts in American lives”.
Who played Santa Claus in the movie Santa Claus (1985)?
David Huddleston played Santa Claus in the movie Santa Claus (1985).
What was the stalag number on the TV series “Hogan’s Heroes” (CBS, 1965-71)?
Stalag 13. The PT boat number on “McHale’s Navy” (ABC 1962-66) was PT 73.
How old is Benjy in Faulkner’s novel The Sound and the Fury (1929)?
The retarded narrator of the first section of the Faulkner’s novel The Sound and the Fury is thirty-three years old. Faulkner asked that Benjy’s stream of consciousness be printed in eight different colors of type to better express the layers of Benjy’s memory. The request was not granted.
Were Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun ever married?
Hitler married Eva Braun on the eve of their joint suicide, which took place on April 30, 1945. They had met in the early 1930s, when she was a saleswoman in the Munich shop of Hitler’s photographer, Heinrich Hoffinan. Braun became Hitler’s lifelong mistress, though she was never allowed to appear in public with him.
What is James Cagney’s sign-off line (as George M. Cohan) in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)?
James Cagney’s sign-off line (as George M. Cohan) in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) was “My mother thanks you. My father thanks you. My sister thanks you. And I thank you.”
What author said of what work, “I have protracted my work til most of those whom I wished to please have sunk into the grave, and success and miscarriage are empty sounds: I therefore dismiss it with frigid tranquility, having little to fear or hope from censure or from praise”?
Dr. Samuel Johnson said it of his dictionary in “Preface to A Dictionary of the English Language” (1747-55).
What was Colette’s real name?
Colette, the French author of the novel Cheri (1920) was named Sidonie Gabrielle Claudine Colette.
When did “The Star-Spangled Banner” become the national anthem for America?
The four-stanza song was adopted as the national anthem by the U.S. Congress in 1931. Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics in 1814, taking the melody from an eighteenth-century drinking song called “To Anacreon in Heaven” by British composer John Stafford Smith. Anacreon was a Greek lyric poet [563-478 B.c.] associated with love and wine.
What is Malcolm X’s Muslim name and is it true he didn’t write his autobiography?
Born Malcolm Little, the black activist (1925-1965) took the name El-Hajj Malik El Shabazz when he joined the Black Muslims. He broke with the Black Muslims in 1964 and formed a rival group, the Organization of Afro-American Unity. The Autobiography of Malcolm X, first published in the year of his death, was ghostwritten by Alex … Read more
What musical work plays during the space ballet in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)?
Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss was the piece that plays during the space ballet in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).
What is the origin of the phrase To Go Scot Free?
In Old English, scot meant a payment, or one’s share of a payment. To go scot free meant escaping that charge.
Which came first, 1984 or Brave New World?
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World was published in 1932, George Orwell’s 1984 in 1949.
Who shoplifts more often, men or women?
For this crime of shoplifting, women outnumber men by four or five to one.
When were the words “Pan Am” removed from the Pan Am Building in New York City?
In 1992, the words “Pan Am” were replaced by “MetLife” on the crown of the Pan Am Building at 200 Park Avenue, New York City. The change marked the final end of Pan American World Airways, which ceased operations in December 1991 but had housed offices in the building. It was also more accurate, since … Read more
Was John Bardeen the only person to win two Nobel Prizes in his or her field?
Yes. John Bardeen (b. 1908) won two Nobel Prizes in physics. In 1956, he and W.B.S. Shockley and W. H. Brattain were awarded the prize for the invention of the transistor. In 1972, he and L. N. Cooper and J. R. Schrieffer were awarded the prize for developing the BCS theory, which uses physics to … Read more
When is the Tulip Festival held in Holland, Michigan?
The annual Tulip Time Festival, featuring Dutch food, entertainment, and parades, has been held during mid-May in this mostly Dutch-American community since 1929. Former Presidents Ford, Reagan, and Bush have all taken part in the festivities.
Which tribe was known to U.S. settlers as the “Cossacks of the Plains”?
The moniker the “Cossacks of the Plains” was given to the Comanche, a Shoshonean-speaking people who lived in western Texas, western Oklahoma, and parts of Kansas and New Mexico. Masters of horsemanship and warfare, the Comanche clashed regularly with U.S. settlers until being forced onto reservations in the 1860s and 1870s.
What military ranks did James Stewart and Clark Gable reach during World War II?
Stewart became an Air Force colonel, Gable an Air Force major during World War II.
What U.S. county has the lowest poverty rate?
Loving, Texas, population 107, has the lowest poverty rate, with a poverty rate of zero in 1989. Ozaukee, Wisconsin (population 72,800), is close behind, with a poverty rate of 2.2 percent.
When was the first laundromat opened?
The first laundromat opened on April 18, 1934. It was the Washateria in Fort Worth, Texas by J. F. Cantrell. It offered four electric washing machines that were rented by the hour.
What classical writer was the first to record the story about the runner who ran from Marathon to Athens, and then died?
The classical writer who was the first to record the story about the runner who ran from Marathon to Athens, and then died was Lucian of Samosata, a writer of satirical essays of the second century A.D. Where he got the story is unknown. He claimed that Philippides (also known as Pheidippides) ran about twenty-five … Read more
Who said, “I’m a bagel on a plate of onion rolls”?
Barbra Streisand said, “I’m a bagel on a plate of onion rolls”, as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl (1968), comparing herself to perfect chorus-line hoofers.
When could you have taken part in the sport of gouging?
The frontier sport of gouging, imported from England, flourished in the Ohio River Valley around 1800. The object was to gouge out the opponent’s eye with a thumbnail. To compete effectively, you would have needed to let your thumbnail grow extra-long.
In an average year, how many Americans are audited by the IRS?
In 1980, the Internal Revenue Service audited 1,528,927 returns, 1.9 percent of all returns submitted. The IRS claimed in 1980 it spends $4.40 for every $1,000 it collects from taxpayers.
What was the first product sold by Sears and Roebuck?
Merchant Richard Sears and watchmaker Alvah C. Roebuck began their collaboration in 1887 by selling mail-order watches advertised in newspapers. In 1889, Sears produced his first catalog of watches and other jewelry. By 1893, when the name Sears, Roebuck & Co. was first used, the business included clothing, furniture, baby carriages, and more. A century … Read more
Who said about Orson Welles, “There but for the grace of God goes God”?
“There but for the grace of God goes God” was supposedly said by Herman Mankiewicz, screenwriter for Citizen Kane (1940). But the apocryphal remark has also been attributed to Winston Churchill and Orson Welles himself.
What is the difference between seraphim and cherubim?
In Christian theology, seraphim are the angels nearest to God; cherubim sit just below them. Seraphim have three pairs of wings; cherubim, one or two pairs. There are nine choirs of angels in all. From highest to lowest, they are: seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominions, virtues, powers, principalities, archangels, and angels.
What is Gehenna and what does it have to do with hellfire?
Gehenna is the Greek form of the Hebrew Ge Hinnom, or “Valley of Hinnom.” This was a valley west and south of Jerusalem where children were sacrificed in flames to the Ammonite god Moloch from the tenth through seventh centuries B.C. In Jewish and Christian thought, it became another name for the place where the … Read more