Ask Mr. Know It All

January 29, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

By Gary Clothier

Q. I watch reruns of “The Rifleman.” What happened to Chuck Connors, Johnny Crawford and Paul Fix?

J.M.F., Reading, Pa.

A. John Ernest “Johnny” Crawford (born 1946) has been active in the entertainment business since he was a youngster. He gained national fame as an original Mouseketeer. At age 12, he was chosen to play the role of Mark McCain, son of rancher Lucas McCain, in the popular TV Western series “The Rifleman,” which aired from 1958 to 1963.

A few years after “The Rifleman” ended, Crawford’s acting career was interrupted by a stint in the U.S. Army. He is now the frontman for the Johnny Crawford Orchestra, whose first album was released in 2008.

Chuck Connors, who played Lucas McCain, died in 1992 at age 71. Paul Fix, who played Marshal Micah Torrance, died in 1983 at age 82.

DID YOU KNOW?

Audrey Hepburn was considered for the main role in the film “Cleopatra” (1963), but the part went to Elizabeth Taylor.

Q. When I finish school and land my first job, I plan to become a member of the environmental group Greenpeace. When was the organization founded? What was its first mission? How was the name Greenpeace created?

F.N.A., Bend, Ore.

A. I turned to Greenpeace for answers to your questions. Here are some excerpts from that search.

In 1971, a small team of activists set sail from Vancouver, British Columbia, in an old fishing boat. Their mission: to protest underground nuclear testing by the U.S. military at Amchitka, a tiny volcanic island off western Alaska.

On the way to Amchitka, founding member Ben Metcalfe called CBC Radio and made a statement: “We call our ship the Greenpeace because that’s the best name we can think of to join the two great issues of our times, the survival of our environment and the peace of the world.” It is said that Greenpeace has 2.8 million supporters registered in 40 countries worldwide.

Q. I’ve heard you can overdose on vitamins. What is the name for this condition?

V.N., Fort Worth, Texas

A. The word is “hypervitaminosis.” In dictionary parlance, “it’s an abnormal state resulting from excessive intake of one or more vitamins.” Two vitamins commonly implicated in hypervitaminosis are A and D, both of which are stored in the body rather than excreted.

Q. Many years ago I was visiting the Mount Rainier region of Washington state. I signed up for a hike that included a guide. One of the many things he talked about was the potential for a mudflow if and when the volcano erupts again. This mudflow has a name, but I cannot remember what it is. Can you tell me?

G.H., Fort Smith, Ark.

A. It’s called a “lahar.” I turned to the U.S. Geological Survey for assistance on this. Lahar is an Indonesian term describing a mixture of water from melted snow and ice or rainfall, along with mud, rocks and other volcanic material. The slurry has the texture of wet cement. A small lahar might measure a few feet in width and depth and travel slowly, while a large lahar might measure several yards in width and depth and travel faster than a human can run.

DID YOU KNOW?

Cher was considered for the role of Morticia in the 1991 movie “The Addams Family,” but the part went to Anjelica Huston.

Q. A friend showed me a list of old-time cowboy movie stars. On the list was James Best. I recently finished reading a Western novel by James Best. Was the movie star also a writer?

F.T.N., Bangor, Maine

A. James Best the actor also lists accomplishments of being an artist and director. He was born in 1926 as Jules Guy, and is probably best known for his role as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in the popular TV series “The Dukes of Hazzard.” According to publicity material, he claims to have appeared in more than 600 TV shows and appeared in more than 80 films.

James D. Best the author has written at least six books, including the Steve Dancy Western novels: “The Shopkeeper,” “Leadville” and “Murder at Thumb Butte.” I couldn’t agree with you more about the series. I enjoyed them immensely.

Send your questions to Mr. Know-It-All at AskMrKIA@gmail.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.