Ask Mr. Know It All
Q. Who was the voice of adult Kevin Arnold on “The Wonder Years”?
S.P., Salisbury, Md.
A. Daniel Stern voiced adult Kevin on “The Wonder Years.” The sitcom, which aired from 1988 to 1993, starred Fred Savage as Kevin, with Stern providing narration. Stern is well known for his roles in “City Slickers” (1991) with Billy Crystal, and as the robber Marv in “Home Alone” (1990) and “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” (1992).
Q. When was the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile introduced to the public?
K.N., Clearwater, Fla.
A. Carl Mayer, the nephew of lunch meat mogul Oscar Mayer, came up with the advertising gimmick in 1936. The first Wienermobile rolled out the front door of General Body Co.’s factory in Chicago that July.
There are eight active Wienermobiles traveling the country today.
Q. Where is Blackpool in Ireland? I know there is one in England, but I can’t locate the Irish namesake.
L.R., Waynesboro, Va.
A. I don’t know of any such place in Ireland, but I suspect you might be referring to Dublin. “Dublin” is Gaelic for “black pool.” The city got its name for the black-colored waters of the Liffey River.
Q. Where was the movie “On Golden Pond” filmed? Is there such a place?
K.I.B., Hempstead, N.Y.
A. Golden Pond exists only in our imaginations. The 1981 movie was filmed at Squam Lake, New Hampshire’s second largest lake, near the town of Holderness. Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda and Katharine Hepburn starred in the film.
Q. In the movie “The Caine Mutiny,” what was Capt. Queeg’s first name? Did he hold the rank of a captain?
T.S.S., Osceola, Tenn.
A. Humphrey Bogart played the role of Lt. Cmdr. Philip Francis Queeg, the ship’s captain. The 1954 film also starred Jose Ferrer, Van Johnson, Fred MacMurray, E.G. Marshall and Lee Marvin.
Q. The school color for Harvard is crimson. Is there a story behind this one-color selection?
H.L., Brick, N.J.
A. Yes, and an old one. During a rowing regatta in 1858, Charles W. Eliot and Benjamin W. Crowninshield provided crimson scarves to their teammates so spectators could easily identify Harvard’s crew team from others.
Harvard undergraduates held an unofficial vote on May 6, 1875, to decide the university’s color -- magenta or crimson. Crimson won by a wide margin. The school’s newspaper, The Harvard Magenta, changed its name to the Harvard Crimson by the next edition. Officially, however, Harvard’s color was not voted on and approved by the school officials until 1910.
Q. How many ways can you make change for a dollar?
P.H., Stowe, Vt.
A. There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
Q. I came across a book written by Gypsy Rose Lee. Is this the same person as the famous striptease performer?
O.B.L., Emporia, Kan.
A. The famous burlesque dancer wrote the mysteries “The G-String Murders” and “Mother Finds a Body.” Critics call the books entertaining and enjoyable, but not great.
Lee also wrote her autobiography, “Gypsy: A Memoir,” in 1957. It was made into a stage play written by Arthur Laurents, Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim. In 1962, a film version was made, starring Rosalind Russell, Natalie Wood and Karl Malden.
Q. Do you have an idea who was “the Unknown Comic” on “The Gong Show”?
W.B., Ontario
A. Murray Langston, who was a regular on “The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour,” played the Unknown Comic. Langston was born in 1945 in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. He occasionally does stand-up comedy shows in Las Vegas, and he is active in charitable work.
Send questions to Mr. Know-It-All at AskMrKIA@gmail.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
2013 Gary Clothier