Ask Mr. Know It All

Q. Several friends and I have been debating about who voices Howard Wolowitz’s mother on “The Big Bang Theory.” Two of us believe Simon Helberg (the actor who plays Wolowitz) is doing his mother’s voice, while the others say it is a female cast member. We have a small wager on the outcome. Can you help us?

S.W., Peoria, Ill.

A. Mrs. Wolowitz’s voice on “The Big Bang Theory” is neither Helberg’s nor a female cast member’s. It is the voice of Carol Ann Susi. You can see her as Mrs. Maccabee in the 2011 film “Just Go With It.”

Q. What became of the driver of the limousine when President Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas? I know all the passengers are gone, but I have never heard about the driver. I would appreciate any information.

R.B., Owensboro, Ky.

A. Secret Service agent William Robert Greer was driving the presidential limousine Nov. 22, 1963, when Kennedy was assassinated.

Greer was born in Stewartstown, Ireland, on Sept. 22, 1909, and came to the U.S. in 1929. After working as a chauffeur to wealthy Boston families, he enlisted in the Navy and served in World War II. In 1945, Greer joined the Secret Service, where he became a personal bodyguard to Presidents Truman and Eisenhower. Greer was close to the Kennedy family, and he chauffeured them frequently.

After the shooting, Greer was criticized by some for not moving the car forward soon enough. However, at that time, a senior agent had to give orders before a driver could do anything. In this case, that senior agent was Roy Kellerman, who was sitting to Greer’s right. Kellerman said he gave the order immediately to pull out of line, indicating the president was shot. According to Kellerman, Greer looked back at the president before following orders. The rules have changed since then. Now agents are taught to move away quickly if they think shots have been fired.

Greer retired in 1966 and died in 1985 at age 75.

Q. I would like to know about a movie I saw in the 1970s or ’80s. It was a miniseries called “Chiefs” starring Charlton Heston, Billy Dee Williams and Stephen Collins. It was about three police chiefs, and it spanned 40 years of unsolved disappearances. Can you help me find it?

A. If you have access to a computer, the 1983 miniseries “Chiefs” is available in DVD format from Amazon.com. If not, you can attempt to order it from a store that sells DVDs.

Q. Many years ago, I saw a movie with Jackie Gleason playing the role of a mute, kind-hearted janitor who befriends a young girl. What is the name of the movie? Is it available?

E.W., Conway, S.C.

A. The movie is “Gigot” (1962), and it is available on DVD.

In the film, Gleason plays a janitor, Gigot, who befriends Nicole, the daughter of a prostitute. Not only did Gleason show his considerable acting talents in this movie, he also wrote the story and music for it. I think it is one of his best performances.

Q. Where did the phrase “women and children first” originate?

K.S.Z., Glens Falls, N.Y.

A. On Feb. 26, 1852, HMS Birkenhead sank off the coast of South Africa. The ship carried 480 British troops and 20 women and children. The ship had only one lifeboat. The commander told his troops to “stand fast” and evacuate “women and children first.” Most of the soldiers and sailors died that day, but all of the women and children survived. The ethos became known as the “Birkenhead Drill.”

Q. In the mid-1970s, a lovely young actress named Jenny Agutter had a seemingly brief career in three successive motion pictures: “Logan’s Run,” “China 9, Liberty 37” and “An American Werewolf in London.” Then she disappeared — except for occasional reruns of these films on TV. What happened after that, and what’s she doing today?

L.R., Reading, Pa.

A. Jenny Agutter was born Dec. 20, 1952, in Somerset, England. She began her acting career in the mid-1960s on the BBC. At age 21, Agutter relocated to Hollywood and had roles in the movies you mentioned, along with more than 140 other movies, TV films and TV series. Most recently, she had a small role in “The Avengers.”

In 1990, Agutter married Johan Tham, a Swedish hotel director. They have one son, Jonathan. They live in Cornwall, England. She is active in charity work.

Q. In one of many business courses in college, I recall that the simple yet effective slogan, “It pays to advertise!” is credited to someone as its creator. Who is that someone?

T.L., Lakeside, Fla.

A. Dorothy Leigh Sayers (1893-1957) was a renowned English crime writer, poet, playwright, essayist, translator and humanist as well as an advertising copywriter. She was also a student of classical and modern languages. She is probably best known for her mysteries. Her translation work on “Dante’s Divine Comedy” is heralded.

As an advertiser, Sayers achieved considerable success. For Guinness, she helped create the toucan as part of the Guinness “Zoo” advertisements.

Her most famous advertising line is the one you asked about, “It pays to advertise!” She created the line for S.H. Benson’s, an advertising firm in England.

Q. Can you tell me about Kirsten Vangsness, the woman who plays Penelope Garcia on “Criminal Minds”? She is really perfect in her role.

D.J.C., Hamburg, Pa.

A. Kirsten Simone Vangsness was born July 7, 1972, in Pasadena, Calif. Before her role on “Criminal Minds,” she was involved in theater, winning the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for best emerging comic actress and the Golden Betty Award. She is a writer; her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times Magazine. She claims that before her role as computer specialist in “Criminal Minds,” she never had a computer.

2012 Gary Clothier