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Ask Mr. Know-It-All By Gary Lee Clothier
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Q: Who was the voice of Alice in the 1951 Walt Disney classic animated film "Alice in Wonderland"? -- H.U., Shenandoah, Pa.
A: Kathryn Beaumont voiced Alice. Beaumont was born in England in 1938, and she lived in Wales before being discovered by an MGM scout who signed her to a contract. After the signing, she and her family moved to Southern California, where she appeared in several uncredited movie roles before Walt Disney saw her and offered her the role of Alice. Beaumont was 11 years old at the time.
After the release of "Alice in Wonderland" in 1951, Beaumont went on an extensive promotional tour. After that, Disney picked her for the role of Wendy Darling in the studio's next animated feature, "Peter Pan." She continued to work for Disney while she went to college at the University of Southern California. She worked as a teacher for the next 36 years. Beaumont was named a Disney Legend in 1998. The 74-year-old still does occasional voice-over work.
Q: Why does blues singer B.B. King name his guitars Lucille? -- Y.L.F., Ashland, Ore.
A: In 1949, King was performing at a dance hall in Arkansas when two men got into a fight. The brawlers knocked over a kerosene heater, which engulfed the hall in flames, forcing an evacuation. Once outside, King realized he forgot his guitar on stage. He returned to the fiery building to retrieve his instrument, a black Gibson guitar.
Two people died in the fire. The next day, King learned the two men were fighting over a woman named Lucille. He chose that name for every one of his guitars as a reminder of the event and to never do anything as stupid as running into a burning building again.
Q: During the 1920s, there was an exotic dancer and silent film actress named Sally Rand. What can you tell me about her? What about her name? -- L.F., Cape Coral, Fla.
A: Sally Rand was born Helen Gould Beck (though more than one biography claims her birth name was Harriet Helen Gould Beck) in Hickory County, Mo., on April 3, 1904. She became famous for her fan and bubble dances. Cecil B. DeMille suggested her stage name, inspired by a Rand McNally atlas.
Rand's movie career stalled when "talkies" came of age due to her pronounced lisp. She continued to develop her dance routines, which she continued to perform through 1978, a year before her death at age 75. She was married at least four times and had one son.
Q: While traveling a number of years ago, I came across the home of President Calvin Coolidge and his wife, Grace. I can't for the life of me recall where the home was located. I think they bought it after his presidency. -- W.K.L., Irvine, Calif.
A: Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States, held the office from 1923 to 1929. Shortly after his term ended, the Coolidges bought a large house with spacious and private grounds in Northampton, Mass. The name of the estate was "The Beeches." Calvin Coolidge died in 1933; Grace Coolidge died in 1957.
Calvin Coolidge's boyhood home is available to tour in Plymouth, Vt.
Q: Are any nuts (the edible kind) named in the Bible? -- O.P.L., Magnolia, Ark.
A: Almonds and pistachios both enjoy mentions in several passages of the Bible. Genesis 43:11 is the only passage I could find that mentions them both: "So their father, Jacob, finally said to them, 'If it must be, then do this: put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as gifts -- a little balm, a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds." In Ezekiel 31:8, there is reference to a chestnut tree, but not to its fruit.
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© 2011, Gary Clothier DISTRIBUTED BY UNIVERSAL UCLICK
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Arnold Ahlert | ||||||||||||
