More TV & Movie Trivia

[tv star collector]

My thanks to Richard Lamparski (author of the Whatever Became Of ...?
series of books) for these little-known facts about the stars ...

Lola Albright, in her role as nighclub singer Edie on TV's Peter Gunn did
her own vocalizing and even recorded several albums.

Gene Autry (the first western star to show up among the top ten money-makers in Hollywood) owned two TV stations, a ten-acre movie and TV
production center, five radio stations, a subscription-TV company, a collection
of vintage autos and locomotives, recording and music-publishing companies,
and the Los Angeles Angels baseball team.

The mother of Tony Dow (Leave It to Beaver) was a Mack Sennett
bathing beauty before working for years as Clara Bow's double.

Billy Gray (who played Bud Anderson on Father Knows Best) was once one of the top motorcycle racers on the West Coast.

Jack Haley (the Tin Woodman in "The Wizard of Oz") had extensive holdings in
real estate, oil, and cattle. Although he never became a major star, he was
much richer than many superstars. When he and his wife hosted parties at
their Beverly Hills home, they invited millionaires and former stars of movies
and vaudeville who lived on small pensions. "They're all welcome," he said,
"because they're all our friends."

The most money Darla Hood (of The Little Rascals comedies) ever made
in her entire career came from her voiceover work in the Chicken-of-the-Sea
commercials. Her parents never gave her a penny of the salary she earned
from the movie shorts.

Noel Neill, who played newspaper reporter Lois Lane in the Superman
movie serials and was the second actress to play the role in TV's Adventures of Superman, was the daughter of a Minneapolis newpaper
editor .. and had actually worked as a reporter (for a brief period). Her
co-star, Jack Larson (who played Jimmy Olsen) had edited his high school
newspaper, acted in movies, and read many Superman comic books.
He is also an accomplished poet and playwright.

Jerry Mathers (star of Leave It to Beaver) made his acting debut at the
age of two and a half on Ed Wynn's television show.

Jay North (Dennis the Menace) was the personal choice of the comic
strip creator Hank Ketcham. He was selected from 500 boys who auditioned
for the part.

Michael O'Shea, best remembered for the TV sitcom It's a Great Life,
is of Irish descent and was in fact born on St. Patrick's Day, 1906. His
father was a blacksmith, and his five uncles were policemen. After his
acting career ended, he became a member of the Ventura County Sheriff's
Office and worked with the FBI as an undercover man infiltrating organized
crime.

Buffalo Bob Smith (of Howdy Doody fame) wed his first-grade classmate
in 1940, and the marriage lasted until his death in 1998.

Before becoming a member of The Three Stooges, Moe Howard had been a
bit player in silent films, performed on a riverboat, and acted in Shakespeare.
His wife's cousin was famed magician Harry Houdini.

[sunshinefizzy]

The most money Darla Hood (of The Little Rascals comedies) ever made
in her entire career came from her voiceover work in the Chicken-of-the-Sea
commercials. Her parents never gave her a penny of the salary she earned
from the movie shorts.

That's frigging horrible!!!

[treky]

yes; that IS horrible about Darla Hood!!!


And, about that stuff about Moe Howard-I'm a BIG 3 stooges fan, but I never knew he also did all that! Wonder why I didn't know!


But, here's some more trivia: Fred McMurrey of "MY 3 SONS" died as one of the richest men in Hollywood, since he also owned some of that show.
Also, a lot of times when they were filming it, they were forced to use a stand-in for him because of his film commitments.

[tv star collector]

Here's some more ...

Comedian Dayton Allen (perhaps best-remembered as the voice of Deputy
Dawg) was a regular on Howdy Doody and The Steve Allen Show.
He was only fifteen years old when he graduated from high school.

Dick Jones (the voice of Pinocchio in the classic Disney film) was an expert
horseback rider at an early age, and western star Hoot Gibson helped the boy
get into the movies. He appeared in several B westerns.

Frank Banks (Lumpy Rutherford on Leave It to Beaver) was born in the
entrance to Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital during an air raid alert.

Alan Sues (of Laugh-In) was married for five years to Phyllis Sues, one
of California's leading designers of women's apparel.

Alan Young (of Mister Ed) joined the Christian Science church at 15,
when he says he was healed of asthma and anemia.

Victor Sen Yung (Bonanza's cook Hop Sing) also appeared as one of
Charlie Chan's sons in several films in that series of motion pictures. He was
working on his second cookbook when he was found dead in November 1980.
He had been heating his small San Fernando Valley bungalow with the kitchen
stove and was asphyxiated by gas fumes. The coroner confirmed his family's
claim that it was accidental.

[tv star collector]

And just a few more ...

Latin-American actress Linda Cristal (of The High Chaparral) was born in
Argentina. Her parents fled to Uruguay after her father, a publisher, became
involved in a political dispute with the ruling party. The family was living in
Mexico City in 1948 when her French mother and Italian father died in what
was considered a suicide pact. Linda believes otherwise. She suspects that
her mother, a diabetic, became comatose from lack of insulin. Her father was
deeply humiliated by his failure to provide for his family in exile. Linda's theory
is that after discovering his wife dead, or dying, he turned on the gas. The
orphaned teenager was about to be taken into a convent when she was
noticed by the son of Mexico's president. He headed the largest film studio in
Mexico and decided to make her a star. In 1958, John Wayne noticed her
leaving an office, introduced himself and informed her that he would like to use her in his next picture. Two years later she was cast in "The Alamo."

Joe De Rita, the last member of The Three Stooges, was married to a
vocational nurse. They had no children. He enjoyed listening to classical
music with his cocker spaniel. Although he and Joe Besser (also once a
Stooge) lived within a few blocks of each other for many years, the two
comics never met.

[AB]

I really enjoy these trivia threads!

[dakert]

tv star collector
You are the first person I ever knew who knew about Richard lamparski and his "Whatever Became Of"? books

[tv star collector]

Originally Posted by dakert

tv star collector
You are the first person I ever knew who knew about Richard lamparski and his "Whatever Became Of"? books

Yeah. I'd like to know whatever became of Richard Lamparski? I have three
of his books and two of his radio programs on audio cassette as well as
excerpts from his 1981 TV special, which I taped. He met some very
interesting people from the early days of motion pictures, radio and television.