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The “War of the Worlds” Mass Panic That Never Really Happened
On October 30, 1938, from the Mercury Theater in New York City, Orson Welles broadcasted a “modernized” radio play of H.G. Wells’ (no relation) 1898 novel “War of the Worlds.” For the last three
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Was the Character of Sherlock Holmes Based on a Real Person?
Sue T. asks: My sister told me Sherlock Holmes was based on a real person. Is this true? In 1887, Doyle published the novel “A Study in Scarlet.” It was the first work to
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The King and Queen on “Coming to America” Did the Voices for the King and Queen on the Lion King
The Lion King is one of those movies you just have to watch; it’s basically Hamlet with lions instead of pretentious English actors, which as an Englishman, I’m fairly certain scientifically makes The Lion
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The Actress Who Played Elaine on Seinfeld is the Daughter of a Billionaire
Today I Found Out that the father of Julia Louis-Dreyfus is a billionaire. Seinfeld would have been a lot different with another actress playing Elaine, and that’s what would have happened if Julia Louis-Dreyfus
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That Time the Inventor of Whac-A-Mole Accidentally Blew Up His Warehouse
It was lunch time on a muggy late September day in 2013 when an explosion shook downtown Orlando, Florida. A warehouse on west Jefferson street was the casualty. Police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks
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In the Original Story, Pinocchio killed Jiminy Cricket, Got His Feet Burnt Off, and was Hanged and Left for Dead
You probably already knew that Disney has a habit of taking dark, twisted children’s fairy tales and turning them into sickeningly sweet happily-ever-afters. Take Sleeping Beauty for example: it’s based on a story where
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The Historical Innacuracies in 300
Despite the awesomeness that is the 300 film (and the sequel)- the epic battles, the amazing directing, the incredible cinematography by Zack Snyder, and all the impressive special effects- our mission in this site
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73 Year Old Frank Sinatra Was Originally Offered The Leading Role in Die Hard
Today I Found Out that Frank Sinatra was originally offered the main role in the movie that would become Die Hard. This 1940s singer might not be the man who comes to mind when
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The Teenage Girl Who Bawled Out John Lennon
In 1967, the Beatles filmed their only made-for-TV movie. It was called “Magical Mystery Tour“. The film itself is an interesting, checkered, odd little movie directed and edited by the Beatles themselves. It was,
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When the Beatles Met Muhammad Ali
It was February 18, 1964. The Beatles had arrived in America just 11 days earlier and had taken the nation by storm. They already had the number one record on the charts and several
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The Most Dangerous Profession: The Human Cannonball
Whenever there is a list released of the world’s most dangerous jobs, tree loggers, steelworkers, electrical power-line installers, and fisherman usually are the professions that populate the list. But none of those things are
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From Dream to 3-D Reality: The Fascinating Origin of Pixar
Before a story about toys, before monsters went corporate, before anyone went searching for Nemo, and before twenty seven Academy Awards, Pixar was a high-end computer hardware company whose clients included the government and
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The Origin of the Hokey Pokey
Karla asks: Where did the “Hokey Pokey” come from? There’s no one definitive answer to where the Hokey Pokey (or Hokey Cokey) ultimately derives from. Even the modern history of it is somewhat convoluted.
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The Actress Who Died on Stage While Portraying Her Theatrical Death
Several artists have died on stage while conducting live performances; however, one case is highly unique and probably the most ironic at the same time. The incident involved actress Edith Webster. Webster was a
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“Little Buddy”- The Life of Bob “Gilligan” Denver
Robert Osbourne David Denver was born in new Rochelle, New York, on January 9, 1935 (that is exactly one day after the birth of Elvis Presley.) Just as his “distinguished-sounding” real name seems a
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Paul McCartney’s First Steady Girlfriend
Dorothy “Dot” Rhone, a quiet girl from Liverpool, England, was abused by her heavy drinker father. She also had a very emotionally distant mother. She grew up terribly shy, introverted and withdrawn and didn’t
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John Lennon and The Making of His Last Album
When John Lennon and Yoko Ono stepped into New York’s “The Hit Factory” on August 7, 1980, it was quite the occasion. John was returning to the music-making game after a five year absence.
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Who Was Sadie Hawkins and Why Does She Have a Dance Named After Her?
Becky asks: Why is there a dance called “Sadie Hawkins”? Was this a real person? Sadie Hawkin’s renown, which evolved into an American folk-holiday in some places, doesn’t really originate from a dance, but
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