Wilson Post Blogs

Dear Ken: Regarding the Christmastime movie “Home Alone,” how old now are the kids who played Macaulay Culkin’s siblings?

Well, Culkin, who starred as Kevin McCallister in the 1990 flick (which was the highest-grossing film that year at $477 million), is 31. The youngsters who played his siblings are all the same age: 34. They are: Devin Ratray, an actor-musician, as Buzz; Hillary Wolf, a member of the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Judo Team, as Megan; Angela Goethals, still acting, as Linnie; and Michael C. Maronna, an electrician in film and TV, as Jeff.   

Dear Ken: What else has Ginnifer Goodwin, who plays Mary Margaret Blanchard on the TV series “Once Upon a Time,” done?

Goodwin, 33, who was born in Memphis, Tenn., earned a degree in acting from Boston University and trained with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She was in the TV series “Ed” and “Big Love” and did voices for “Robot Chicken.” Movie wise, she starred in “Win a Date With Tod Hamilton!” and played Johnny Cash’s first wife in “Walk the Line.” And she played Aunt Bea in “Ramona and Beezus” and appeared in “Something Borrowed” and “Birds of America.”

Dear Ken: Where was Roberta Flack, the singer of “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” born?

Flack, 74, was born in Black Mountain, N.C. She won Grammy Record of the Year for that song in 1974 and won the same honor in 1973 for “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” The singer-songwriter is currently working on an album of Beatles’ classics and continues to perform around the world. She founded the Roberta Flack School of Music at the Hyde Leadership Charter School in the Bronx, which provides a music education program to underprivileged students free of charge.

Dear Ken: I just saw for the first time an actress named Gene Tierney in a wonderful murder mystery called “Laura.” Could she still be alive? What are some more of her movies?

Tierney died in 1991 of emphysema at 70. Sadly, because she believed she sounded squeaky on film, she began smoking to help lower her voice and that contributed to her death. For a few more of her classic roles, check out the films “Heaven Can Wait,” “Leave Her to Heaven,” “The Mating Season,” “The Razor’s Edge” and “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.” She made her last appearance in the 1980 miniseries “Scruples.”

by Ken Beck

If you have a trivia question about actors, singers, movies, TV shows or pop culture, e-mail your query to Ken Beck at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dear Ken: I seem to remember that Kirk Russell starred in a western series on TV when he was a boy. Can you help with the title?

That was “The Travels of Jamie McPheeters,” which ran during the 1963-1964 season with Russell as a 12-year-old boy on a wagon train heading West in 1849. Dan O’Herlihy played his father, a scalawag and a doctor. The cast also featured four of the Osmond Brothers as the Kissels (Micah, Leviticus, Deuteronomy and Lamentations). Charles Bronson joined the series in later episodes as wagon master, but the series only made it one season. Russell, 60, was born in Springfield, Mass., and was getting close to making his dream come true of playing major league baseball when an injury ended his career. His dad, Bing Russell, played Deputy Clem Foster in a number of episodes of “Bonanza.”

Dear Ken: Where was Kal Penn of “Harold and Kumar” fame born?

Penn, 34, who plays Kumar to John Cho’s Harold, was born in Montclair, N.J. He recently spent two years as a mid-level staffer in the White House and currently is working on a sitcom set at the United Nations. Next month he and Cho return in “A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas,” as the duo treks through NYC looking for the ideal Christmas tree.

Dear Ken: What happened to child actor Bobby Buntrock, who played the boy in the 1960s sitcom “Hazel”?

Buntrock,  who played Harold Baxter in the comedy, died in an automobile accident in 1974 at the age of 21. As a youth he appeared in the first Rock’em Sock’em Robots toy commercial for the Marx Toy Company in 1964.

Dear Ken: What’s doing with Gina Torres, who played Zoe Washburne on “Firefly”?

Cuban-American Washburne, 42, was just in the TV series “Huge” but presently co-stars on “Suits.” She has also been doing the voice of Airachnid on the cartoon series “Transformers Prime.” And she is in the movie “Mr. Sophistication.” Trained in opera and jazz, she and husband Laurence Fishburne have a young daughter. She says the experience of making Firefly left her incredibly spoiled because the cast and crew worked so well together. “I thought that there would never be another occasion for that, and I have to say, these guys (on “Suits”) are fantastic,” she says.

If you have a trivia question about actors, singers, movies, TV shows or pop culture, e-mail your query to Ken Beck at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dear Ken: My favorite Thanksgiving movie is “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” starring John Candy and Steve Martin. Who was the car rental agent that infuriated Martin? 

John Candy (as Del Griffith) to Steve Martin: “Don’t let me stand in your way, please don’t let me stand in your way. The last thing I want to be remembered as is an annoying blabbermouth . . . You know, nothing grinds my gears worse than some chowder head that doesn’t know when to keep his big trap shut . . . If you catch me running off with my mouth, just give me a poke on the chubbs.” Edie McClurg played the agent.

Dear Ken: What’s the background on Andrew Lincoln, who plays Rick Grimes on “The Walking Dead”?

Born Andrew Clutterbuck in London, Lincoln is the son of a civil engineer father and a South African mother, a nurse. He gained his education at Beechen Cliff School in Bath, England, and then the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Previously, he starred in three British TV series. His wife is the daughter of Jethro Tull musician Ian Anderson. 

Dear Ken: How many episodes were there of “I Love Lucy” and how many times was Lucille Ball married?

“I Love Lucy” ran from 1951 to 1957 for a total of 194 episodes. Ball was wed to Desi Arnaz from 1940 to 1960 and to Gary Morton from 1961 until her death in 1989 of dissecting aortic aneurysm at 77 years of age.

Dear Ken: How old was singer-songwriter Jim Croce when he died?

The Philadelphia native was but 30 when he perished in a plane crash in 1973 in Natchitoches, La. He had No. 1 hits with “Time in a Bottle” and “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.” Among him his other popular songs were “I Got a Name,” “I’ll Have To Say I Love You in a Song” and “Operator.” His widow, Ingrid, has operated Croce’s Restaurant & Jazz Bar in San Diego, Calif., since 1985.

If you have a trivia question about actors, singers, movies, TV shows or pop culture, e-mail your query to Ken Beck at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dear Ken: When did Lana Turner die and what was the cause of her death?

Born Julia Jean Turner in Wallace, Idaho, she was the daughter of John Virgil Madison Turner, a miner from Hohenwald, Tenn. Her mother moved to Los Angeles when Turner, called Judy by her friends, was 10 and she really was discovered in a café on Sunset Boulevard. The blonde star hit her peak in 1940s and ’50s and among her best films were “The Postman Always Rings Twice,” “Johnny Eager,” “Somewhere I’ll Find You.” “The Bad and the Beautiful,” “Peyton Place” and “Imitation of Life.” She made her last movie in 1991’s “Thwarted” and died of throat cancer in 1995 at age 74.

Dear Ken: Didn’t Robert Redford make a movie where he played a small airplane pilot who put on air shows across the country? What was the title and who else was in the movie?

That was 1975’s “The Great Waldo Pepper” with Redford as Pepper, a biplane pilot who missed out on serving in World War I, so he becomes a barnstormer in the early 1930s and then gets a shot at aviation glory playing a pilot in a WWI film. The cast also includes Bo Svenson, Edward Herrman, Susan Sarandon, Geoffrey Lewis and Margot Kidder. 

Dear Ken: Steve Buscemi is amazing in HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” as politician-gangster Nucky Thompson. How old is he and what are some of his other credits?

Buscemi, 53, was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and was a fireman for four years in the early 1980s before he became a professional actor. His movie credits include “Bloodhounds of Broadway,” “Miller’s Crossing,” “Barton Fink,” “Reservoir Dogs,” “Fargo,” “Escape From L.A.,” “Con Air,” “Ghost World” and “Big Fish.” The actor voluntarily returned to his old New York firehouse the day after 9/11 and worked 12-hour shifts for a week, assisting his former company digging through rubble and searching for missing firefighters.

Dear Ken: What can you tell us about Britt Robertson, who plays a young witch in the new TV show “The Secret Circle”?

Robertson, 21, was born in Charlotte, N.C., and grew up in Chester, S.C. She is the oldest of seven children in her family and was home schooled. She got her first break in the TV movie “Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers,” and played Cara Burns in the movie “Dan in Real Life.” She has a recurring role in the TV series “Swingtown” and starred in the TV movie “The Tenth Circle.” Last year she starred in the CW TV series “Life Unexpected“ and the Disney Channel movie “Avalon High.” In 2012 she stars in the film “The First Time.” Robertson drives a Mercedes C300 and has a pet miniature dachshund named Foster.

If you have a trivia question about actors, singers, movies, TV shows or pop culture, e-mail your query to Ken Beck at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dear Ken: What can you tell us about Javier Bardem, who was so terrifying in “No Country for Old Men”?

Bardem, 42, was born in Spain’s Canary Islands and comes from a family with a long line of actors. He began acting at 6 and played rugby for his country’s national team as a teenager. For his villainous role in “No Country for Old Men,” he won the best supporting actor and was the first Spanish actor to cop an Oscar. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for his work in “Before Night Falls” and “Biutiful.” He co-starred last year with Julia Roberts in “Eat Pray Love.” Married to actress Penelope Cruz, they have a son less than a year old. Next up Bardem stars as the new James Bond villain.    

Dear Ken: On a recent episode of “NCIS,” Mike Franks’ right forefinger was shown cut off. What happened? Did the actor lose it in real life?

Actor Muse Watson did not actually lose his finger. I suspect they simply taped it back and shot the scene at a camera angle so as to make it appear like it was gone. The veteran actor, 62, is famed as the fellow with the hook in “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” and is one of many assisting in the restoration of the 1930s art deco Princess Theater in Harriman, Tenn. Watson, a native of Louisiana, has a home in Roane County and got his start at the Oak Ridge Playhouse. Harriman’s Princess Theater is undergoing a major face-lift, via $1.7 million from TVA and a state grant. When completed, the former 900-seat theater will be called the Princess Performing Arts, Education and Conference Center and also be home to Channel 15, a public television channel operated by Roane State Community College and the city.

Dear Ken: Is it true that “The Simpsons” is the longest-running TV series in history?

The animated show is the longest-running scripted TV series, and last month Fox signed everybody back on for two more seasons. Negotiations between the network and the voice actors had been a bitter battle. Cast members had been making a reported $440,000 apiece per episode, and some sources noted that they agreed to a pay cut of approximately 30 percent. Can you say dough? Doh!

Dear Ken: What’s the background on Shelley Conn, who plays the mom on the new sci-fi series “Terra Nova”?

Conn, 34 or 35, was born in London and is of British and Sri Lankan descent and the great niece of 1930s film star Merle Oberon. She played Princess Pondicherry in the movie “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and has worked steadily for the past 10 years in a series of  British TV shows, such as “Down to Earth,” “Casualty,” “Mersey Beat,” “Party Animals,” “Raw,” “Strike Back” and “Marchlands.”

Dear Ken: What is Dick Van Dyke up to these days?

Van Dyke, who was born in West Plains, Mo., and grew up in Danville, Ill., turns 86 in December. Earlier this year he co-starred on the stage with his brother, Jerry, in “The Sunshine Boys,” and he has a singing group, The Vantastix. “I’m always announcing my retirement. I'm still not retired,” says the man with four Emmys, a Grammy and a Tony. He exercises daily, is proud of his four kids: Chris, Barry, Stacy and Carrie Beth. And he has a girlfriend about 45 years less his age. Of his classic “Dick Van Dyke Show,” he says, “It was just a party for five years. There was so much creativity. I never had so much fun.” Earlier this year he released his autobiography, “My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business.” TV Land recently began airing his 1961-1966 TV series at 6 p.m. weekdays as the show celebrates its 50^th anniversary. “During those five years, the happiest ever, we were like otters at play. Carl (Reiner) chose to wrap it while we were on top. Who does that today? And how many 50-year-old shows still get this much attention?” he said. The sitcom revolved around Rob Petrie (Van Dyke), a comedy writer for the fictional “The Alan Brady Show,” and his life at home with wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) and his life at the office with his wacky coworkers Sally (Rose Marie) and Buddy (Morey Amsterdam). Carl Reiner was the creator, head writer and producer for the series.

Dear Ken: Why is Christopher Meloni no longer on “Law & Order: SVU”?

Dear Ken: How old is Gene Wilder, and what happened to the boy who played Charlie Bucket with him in the original “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory”?

Wilder is 78 and retired. “I don’t like show business, I realized,” he said a few years ago. “I like show, but I don’t like the business.” Child actor Peter Ostrum, 53, became a veterinarian and practices in Glenfield, N.Y. Earlier this month Warner Home Video released a limited and numbered “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory 40^th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition” as a three-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo that features a 144-page production book reprint filled with production photos and notes, and archival letters. Sweet premiums include a retro Wonka Bar-shaped tin box with scented pencils and eraser.

Dear Ken: I think I just spotted Garrett Morris in a new TV series, “2 Broke Girls.” Am I right?

Yep. That is Morris, 74, one of the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players of “Saturday Night Live” fame. Born in New Orleans, he was raised by his Baptist preacher grandfather and sang in the church choir. Later he trained at the Juilliard School of Music and turned professional performing with the Harry Belafonte singers. Before his “SNL” days, he was featured in several Broadway musicals. Like baseball, life has been berra berra good to he.

Dear Ken: I remember a fantasy Western with Tony Randall playing all sort of characters. Can you help me find the title?

That is a marvelous gift from Randall from 1964 as he portrayed Dr. Lao, the abominable snowman, Merlin the magician, Apollonius of Tyana, Pan, a giant serpent and Medusa. His co-stars were Barbara Eden, Arthur McConnell and Noah Beery Jr.  

Dear Ken: Please share some background on Shenae Grimes of “90210.”

Grimes, who turns 22 this week, was born in Toronto, Canada, and previously starred in the TV series “Degrassi: The Next Generation.” She did a comedic cameo in “Scream 4.” A huge fan of the original “Beverly Hills 90210,” the actress was in a music video for the band Our Lady Peace in their single, “All You Did Was Save My Life.”

If you have a trivia question about actors, singers, movies, TV shows or pop culture, e-mail your query to Ken Beck at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dear Ken: What year did Jimmy Stewart die and how old was he? How many military flights did he make during WWII?

The kind, soft-spoken Hollywood legend died from a pulmonary embolism at the age of 89 in 1997. A national treasure and one of the top male movie stars of all time, Stewart was a patriot. Drafted into the Army in 1940, he failed to meet weight limits and was rejected. Then he worked out with an MGM trainer to gain weight and enlisted as a private in March 1941 and soon began pilot training with the United States Army Air Corps. Stewart flew 20 missions into Nazi-occupied Europe. After the war, of which experiences he rarely discussed, he continued to serve in the United States Air Force Reserve. One of Stewart’s two sons, Ronald, was killed in action in 1969 at age 24 while serving in the Marine Corps in Vietnam. Stewart’s father, who operated a hardware store, served in the Spanish-American War and WWII. Fans of this ordinary hero would enjoy the Jimmy Stewart Museum in his hometown of Indiana, Pa.  

Dear Ken: I just saw the Brad Pitt movie “Money Ball,” with Robin Wright. Where have I seen this actress before?

You may remember Wright, 45, a native of Dallas, Texas, as Kelly Capwell Conrad on “Santa Barbara” in the 1980s. But she’s made a lot of movies since and starred as Tom Hanks’ girlfriend, Jenny, in “Forrest Gump.” Among her other film credits are “Message in a Bottle,“ “Beowulf,” “Toys,” “The Princess Bride” and “Unbreakable.” She next appears in “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” in December. Once married to Sean Penn, she has two children by her ex.

Dear Ken: What’s Lee Majors of “Big Valley” and “Six Million Dollar Man” fame up to these days?

Majors, 72, who was born Harvey Lee Yeary in Michigan and grew up in Middlesboro, Ky., continues to act. He co-starred in the 2007-2009 TV series “The Game” and has been doing the voice of Gen. Abernathy on the cartoon series “G.I. Joe: Renegades.” He teams with Shirley Jones to play the parents of actor Garret Dillahunt’s Burt character in the Fox sitcom “Raising Hope.” Seen in the summer flick “Jerusalem Countdown,” Majors portrays Tom Barkley in the upcoming “Big Valley” feature film and co-stars in the movie “Love Letters in the Sand.”

Dear Ken: Where is the actress who plays Penny on “The Big Band Theory” from?

Kaley Cuoco, 25, was born in Camarillo, Calif. A topnotch tennis player, she co-starred in the previous TV series, “8 Simple Rules,” “Charmed,” “Monster Allergy” and “6Teen,” and provided the voice of Brandy in “Brandy & Mr. Whiskers.” She will star as Stacy Peterson opposite Rob Lowe next year in the Lifetime TV movie “The Drew Peterson Story.”  

If you have a trivia question about actors, singers, movies, TV shows or pop culture, e-mail your query to Ken Beck at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dear Ken: What is Clint Eastwood’s next project? Is he through with acting?

Eastwood, 81, seems to be satisfied with simply directing these days and hasn’t acted since his 2008 film “Gran Torino.” His next project as director is “J. Edgar” which opens in November with Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role. Other cast members include Josh Lucas, Naomi Watts, Armi Hammer, Judi Dench, Lea Thompson and Dermot Mulroney.

Dear Ken: Is Jean Stapleton, who starred as Archie Bunker’s wife, Edith, on “All in the Family,” still living?

Yes. Born Jeanne Murray in New York City, Stapleton, 88, lives in Manhattan and is retired. The three-time Emmy Award winner and her late husband have two children. Stapleton worked on Broadway and was in such movies as “Up the Down Staircase,” “Klute,” “The Buddy System” and “Michael” and played FDR’s wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, in the TV movie “Eleanor, First Lady of the World.” Stapleton was a guest on numerous TV shows from the 1950s through the 1990s and co-starred with Whoopi Goldberg in the 1990 TV series “Bagdad Café.”

Dear Ken: When did Steve McQueen die and what were some of his best films?

McQueen, nicknamed “the King of Cool,” died way too young at age 50 in 1980 of cancer. He had mesothelioma lung cancer and died from a heart attack after surgery to remove the malignant tumors. He leapt to fame as bounty hunter Josh Randall in the 1958-1961 TV series “Wanted: Dead or Alive.” As for his flicks, check him out in “The Blob,” “Hell Is for Heroes,” “The Magnificent Seven,” “The Great Escape,” “The Thomas Crown Affair,” “Bullitt,” “The Sand Pebbles,” “The Getaway” and “The Cincinnati Kid.”

Dear Ken: How many movies did Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster make together?

Six. Those include “I Walk Alone,” “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral,” “The Devil’s Disciple,” “Seven Days in May,” “The List of Adrian Messenger” and “Tough Guys.” They also appeared in the TV movie “Victory at Entebbe.”

Dear Ken: I know I saw the girl who stars as Sara in the movie “Shark Night 3D” in some TV series several years ago. Could you refresh my memory?

That would be Sara Paxton, 23, who I bet you recollect from the 2004-2006 TV series “Darcy’s Wildlife.” Paxton played Darcy. The California girl began making commercials as a child and made her movie debut at 8 in “Liar Liar.” She also co-starred in the TV series “Greetings From Tucson” and had a recurring role in “Summerland.“ And she has provided voices on “SpongeBob SquarePants.” She has the role of Audra Barkley in the film version of the TV series “The Big Valley,” which is set for a 2012 release. Linda Evans had the original role in the 1960s western that featured Barbara Stanwyck as the matriarch.

Dear Ken: Who had the hit “Moonlight Feels Right” in the mid-1970s?

That was Starbuck, a band that formed in Atlanta. The song was released in 1975 but did not become a hit until 1976 and sold three million copies. They toured from 1976 until they broke up in 1980. And may the wind blow some luck in your direction.

If you have a trivia question about actors, singers, movies, TV shows or pop culture, e-mail your query to Ken Beck at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

By KEN BECK

The Wilson Post

GLADEVILLE -- If you’ve ever wanted to star in your own episode of “Lost,” grab your family and head for Gladeville’s Lannom Farms, which may hold a monopoly this fall on Wilson County corn mazes and pumpkin patches.

In reality, Lance and Cathy’s Lannom’s 5-acre corn maze has been created with sorghum in lieu of corn, so the stalks surrounding those who choose to meander here prove sweeter, thicker and greener.

Meanwhile the 5-acre pumpkin patch boasts eight varieties of genuine pumpkins (Fairytale, Aladdin, Magic Lantern, Field Trip, Gladiator, One Too Many, classic Jack-o-lantern and Baby Boo) for picking for décor or, better yet, for pies.

“Our maze is a random labyrinth with many twists and turns,” Cathy said. “Presley (her youngest child) and I went in for 45 minutes, and we cheated and went out through the side because we couldn’t find our way out. At many of the dead ends, you can find several of Lannom Farms’ fall friends (two dozen scarecrows).”

Dear Ken: What project is Kevin Costner working on next?
Costner, 56, will star as “Devil” Anse Hatfield in the History Channel miniseries “The Hatfields & McCoys: An American Vendetta.” Also appearing will be Bill Paxton as Randall McCoy. The miniseries will cover several generations of the rivalry between two families, one in Kentucky and the other in West Virginia. “Everyone knows the legend of the Hatfields-McCoy feud, but few know the true story of what occurred to make the two families become mortal enemies,” Costner told journalists earlier this year. It is set to air in 2012, the 150th anniversary of the bitter and deadly feud. Most recently, Costner has been filming “Man of Steel,” a 2013 release about Superman with Henry Cavill in the title role and Costner as the superhero’s Earth father, Jonathan Kent.

Dear Ken: What can you tell us about Frieda Pinto, who stars in “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”?
Pinto, 26, was born in Bombay, India, and her father is a banker and her mother a high school principal. Her last name means “chick” or “little bird” in Portuguese. Pinto earned a degree in English lit from St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai and anchored a travel show which aired in Asian-Pacific markets. She made TV commercials and also was a model for two years before she auditioned and won the female lead of Latika in 2008’s “Slumdog Millionaire.” She also starred in “You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger” and next appears in the 3D-action film “Immortals.“ In prepping to play the primatologist in “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” she said, “Like most people I only knew what I’d been taught in school about chimps, and that’s not enough. So I watched a ton of videos about Jane Goodall, who I’d love to meet. All her research was fascinating and so useful, especially in how she studied human behavior in comparison to chimp behavior.”

Dear Ken: What has happened to Rick Moranis? He was in comedies all over the place back in the 1990s?
Moranis, 58, a native of Toronto, Canada, was fabulously funny in such flick as “Ghostbusters,” “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,” “Spaceballs,” “Little Giants,” “Big Bully” and other projects. He is also especially memorable as Bob of the fictional Great White North hosts Bob and Doug McKenzie that appeared on SCTV in the early 1980s. The funny guy basically retired from acting in 1997, six years after his wife died of liver cancer. Of his change from movie star to a widowed stay-at-home dad, he told a British newspaper in 2006: “For the first couple of years I was able to make it work, doing 1½ pictures a year for three months with no problem, But I started to really miss them. It got to the point where I was doing a lot of pictures with kids, really nice kids, but not my kids. So, I was like, ‘You know what? I’m tired of talking to my kids from a hotel room. I’m going home.’ So I turned down the next pictures that came along and the break just got longer and longer. . . . I didn’t miss the work, I didn’t miss the travel, I didn’t miss the people. I didn’t miss any of it.” At this point it appears that he will not appear in “Ghostbusters III,” which will reunite Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Sigourney Weaver and others from the original spooky comedy.

Dear Ken: Where are bluegrass music stars Dailey & Vincent from? How long have they been performing together?
Jamie Dailey hails from tiny Gainesboro, Tenn., while Darrin Vincent is from Kirksville, Mo. The two met at the International Bluegrass Music Association awards show in Louisville, Ky., in 2002, joined forces in 2007 and released their debut album, “Dailey & Vincent,” on Rounder Records in early 2008. 

Dear Ken: Who was the voice of Jonny Quest from the original cartoon series of the 1960s?
Tim Matheson, who went on to become a leading man in TV and film, was the voice of boy adventurer Quest. The actor, 63, most recently appeared in “Burn Notice” and played Sen. John Hoynes on “The West Wing.” Among his movie credits are “Animal House,” “Fletch” and “Magnum Force.” 
 
If you have a trivia question about actors, singers, movies, TV shows or pop culture, e-mail your query to Ken Beck at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dear Ken: I’ve heard they are remaking the movie “Footloose.” Who is in the new cast? Will Kevin Bacon appear?
The new “Footloose” opens Oct. 14 and stars Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Dennis Quaid and Andie MacDowell. Filmed around Atlanta, it will be set in the fictional town of Beaumont, Tenn. Some of the original songs will be kept in the update, including “Let’s Hear It for the Boy.” Bacon is not in the new version.

Dear Ken: Tell us something about Olivia Wilde, who plays Ella in the movie “Cowboys & Aliens.”
Born Olivia Jane Cockburn in New York, Wilde, 27, co-starred in the TV series “The O.C.” as Alex Kelly and in “House M.D.” as Dr. Remy “Thirteen” Hadley. The Irish-American actress starred in the 2010 film “Tron: Legacy” and will be in five movies before this year is up, including “The Change-Up,” “In Time” and “Butter.” She married Italian-American documentary filmmaker Tao Ruspoli, who is also an Italian prince, on a school bus in 2003 but filed for divorce earlier this year. Her mixed breed male dog, Paco, was a mascot for Old Navy in 2006, and Wilde recently tweeted that Paco is her new boyfriend.

Dear Ken: Whatever happened to J. Fred Muggs, the chimpanzee who saved the “Today Show” from going under back in the 1950s?
Muggs, 59, to the best of my knowledge is alive and well and happy in his retirement in Tampa Bay, Fla., with his girlfriend Phoebe B. Beebe. Dave Garroway, host of “Today” back in the day, reportedly hated the simian that brought home the bacon for NBC, helping the network earn millions of dollars. The chimp really was top banana.

Dear Ken: How many other children does Ryan O’Neal have besides daughter Tatum?
O’Neal, 70, has three other children: Griffin, Patrick and Redmond. The latter, 26, was also the son of Farrah Fawcett. Ryan has been in remission from leukemia since 2006. He plays the recurring character of Max Keenan on the TV series “Bones.”

If you have a trivia question about actors, singers, movies, TV shows or pop culture, e-mail your query to Ken Beck at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dear Ken: Who were the stars in “The Big Chill?” I seem to remember that most of them were relatively unknown when they made the picture but most of them did pretty well for themselves.
Your 1983 flick indeed had a stellar cast. Those on their way up the Hollywood list included Glenn Close, Kevin Kline, William Hurt, JoBeth Williams, Tom Berenger and Jeff Goldblum. The plot involved seven old college friends, now in their 30s, coming together again for the funeral of another of their college-day pals. The irony lies in the fact that dead friend was played by none other than Kevin Costner, who appears briefly as a corpse, and he probably has had the biggest career of the lot.

Dear Ken: How old is Joan Collins of TV‘s “Dynasty” fame? How many times has she been married?
The London native is 78 and is married to hubby No. 5. Her sister, writer Jackie Collins, is 73. In Joan’s next movie, “Dogs in Pocketbooks,” she plays a high-powered Hollywood agent. Her troubled client will be portrayed by Lydia Hearst Shaw.

Dear Ken: Did TV legend Andy Griffith ever make any western movies?
Griffith, 85, starred in “The Second Time Around,” “Hearts of the West” and “Rustlers’ Rhapsody.” Only the latter was a true western, and all were comedies.

Dear Ken: What is singer Patti Page, famous for “The Tennessee Waltz” and “How Much Is That Doggy in the Window,” doing these days? Does she still perform?
Page, 83, who was born in Claremore, Okla., has sold approximately 100 million records. She has not yet retired as she keeps on singing and singing. Her birth name was Clara Ann Fowler, while her nickname is “The Singing Rage.”

Dear Ken: I just saw the movie “Cowboys and Aliens” Where have I seen the cowboy who played Wes Claiborne before?
That was Buck Taylor, famed as gunsmith Newly O’Brien on “Gunsmoke.” His pop was character actor great Dub Taylor.

If you have a trivia question about actors, singers, movies, TV shows or pop culture, e-mail your query to Ken Beck at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Dear Ken: What can you tell me about Robert Mitchum? Where was he born and how many movies did he make? How tall was he and how many children did he have?

Screen legend Mitchum, who was magnificent in film noir, was born in Bridgeport, Conn. His father died before he was 2, and the youngster was in and out of schools due to discipline problems. As a teen he rode the rails around the country, working odd jobs and even spent time on a chain gang in Georgia. In 1936, he went to California to see his sister and found a job with Lockheed Aircraft. Then in 1942 a director hired him to play the villain in a couple of Hopalong Cassidy westerns, and the 6-foot-1 Mitchum began to make a name for himself. He made more than 120 movies including “The Story of G.I. Joe,” “Out of the Past,” “Night of the Hunter,” “Thunder Road,” “Cape Fear,” “El Dorado” and “Ryan’s Daughter.”  The actor, who died in 1997 at 79 from emphysema and lung cancer, had two sons and a daughter. His ashes were scattered at sea from a yacht the family borrowed from his long-time friend, Fess Parker.

Dear Ken: Is country singer Tompall Glaser of Tompall Glaser & the Glaser Brothers still living? What was the trio’s biggest hit?
Nashville outlaw singer Tompall will be 78 on Sept. 3. He and his brothers, Jim and Chuck, hailed from Spalding, Neb., and had their biggest hit with “Lovin’ Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again),” which went to No. 2 on the country charts in 1981. They were the Country Music Association’s vocal group of the year in 1970.

Dear Ken: What has happened to Connie Stevens of “Hawaiian Eye”? What other TV shows and movies was she in?
Born Concetta Rosalie Ann Ingoglia in Brooklyn, N.Y., the singer-actress, who just turned 73, has taken a new turn in recent years. In 2007, she co-wrote and directed her first move, “Saving Grace B. Jones.” She is now in pre-production on her second film, “Prairie Bones,” a western. Stevens was in the movies “Rock-a-Bye Baby,” “Susan Slade,” “Palm Springs Weekend” and “Grease 2” and next works in “The Summer of Shoulders and Noses.” She starred in her own TV series, “Wendy and Me,” in the mid-1960s and has been a guest on lots of TV westerns and such shows as “Baywatch,” “Eight Simple Rules” and “Murder, She Wrote.” She has two actress daughters, Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher, from her short marriage to singer Eddie Fisher.

Dear Ken: Where is Elizabeth Banks, who plays Avery Jessup on “30 Rock,” from?
Banks, 37, was born in Pittsfield, Mass., and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania. Her film credits include “Spider-Man,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Seabiscuit,” “The Baxter,” “Slither,” “The 40 Year Old Virgin,” “Meet Bill” and “W.” She has three or four films coming out next year and recently signed to star in the romantic comedy “What To Expect When You’re Expecting.”

If you have a trivia question about actors, singers, movies, TV shows or pop culture, e-mail your query to Ken Beck at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dear Ken: Actor Peter Falk of “Columbo” fame died recently? What were some of the movies that he made? How many episodes did he make of “Columbo”?
Falk, who died June 23 at 83, made more than 40 films from 1959 to 2008. Twice he was nominated for Oscars, and he earned five Emmy Awards. Among his movie credits are “Murder, Inc.,” “Pocketful of Miracles,” “Robin and the Seven Hoods,” “The Great Race,” “Anzio,” “The Brink’s Job,” “The Cheap Detective,” “The In-Laws,” “The Princess Bride” and “The Thing About My Folks.” He made 69 “Columbo” TV movies. Just one more thing, he was a master of his craft.

Dear Ken: I see where there is now a “Smurfs” movie. Who did the voice of Smurfette in the Saturday morning TV series and who does her voice in the movie? 
Lucille Bliss, 95, supplied the voice of Smurfette for the TV series. Among dozens of other characters, she was the voice of Crusader Rabbit, the star of the first made-for-television cartoon. Katy Perry voices Smurfette in the new movie.

Dear Ken: Whatever happened to Johnny Crawford, who played Chuck Connors’ son on “The Rifleman”?
Crawford, 65, who was one of the original Mouseketeers on Walt Disney’s “The Mickey Mouse Club,” has been the vocalist and band leader of the Johnny Crawford Orchestra since 1992. His group performs vintage dance music and released its first album, “Sweepin’ the Clouds Away,” in 2008. He has said of his working with Connors, who played his TV dad, “Well, it was a great childhood, and he was bigger-than-life, a wonderful guy, very intelligent and a big influence on me, and a great supporter, too. He was always interested in what I was doing and ready to give me advice or help me and he would call me out of the blue, and I really miss him. He left us in ’92, and it’s still a shock to me to think that he’s not around because he had so much energy and loved life and loved people, and he was ‘The Rifleman.‘ He was that and a lot more.”

Dear Ken: When and where were Eskimo Pies were created?
The U.S.A.’s first chocolate-covered ice cream bar was concocted by Christian K. Nelson at his home lab in Onawa, Iowa, in 1920. The inspiration came one day while he worked at a confectionary shop, and a boy came in wanting ice cream, but then changed his mind and purchased a chocolate bar. Nelson asked him why he didn’t just buy one of each.
The youth answered, “Sure I know. I want ’em both, but I only got a nickel.” That caused Nelson to work on a formula would allow melted chocolate to stick to frozen ice cream. Once he did that he sold his “I-Scream Bars” at a local picnic and discovered he had a hit. He went into a partnership with a chocolate maker, Russell Stover, in 1921, and they changed the name to Eskimo Pie. A year later Eskimo Pies were selling like cold cakes to the tune of a million a day. Stover soon sold his share of the company and then created Russell Stover Candies.

If you have a trivia question about actors, singers, movies, TV shows or pop culture, e-mail your query to Ken Beck at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

By KEN BECK, The Wilson Post On Aug. 6, 2009, three weeks shy of his 36th birthday, Lebanon’s Chris Price was gliding down Interstate 75 South with six other members of the Nashville Steel Horsemen bike club.

Dear Ken: In the 1940s there was an Indian child actor named Sabu, who starred in “The Jungle Book” and “The Thief of Baghdad.” Is he still living? 

Sabu was the son of an Indian mahout or elephant driver, so he proved a natural to star in a 1937 British film “Elephant Boy.” He made about 20 films, including “Black Narcissus,“ between 1937 and 1964. He became an American citizen in 1944 and joined the U.S. Army Air Force, where he served as a tail gunner during several dozen missions in the Pacific. He died young in 1963 of a heart attack at age 39.

Dear Ken: I remember a 1970s Saturday morning TV show called “Secrets of Isis” that starred Joanna Cameron. What happened to her?

Cameron, 59, a native of Aspen, Colo., was discovered by Bob Hope. In the 1965-1977 TV series, she played a high school teacher who possessed an enchanted amulet which allowed her to morph into an Egyptian-themed superhero. She used her speed, strength, gift of flying and telekinesis to take down villains. After leaving show biz in 1980, she worked in home health care for about 10 years and then did marketing for hotels.