Gary Cooper turned down the role of Rhett Butler in the film, Gone With the Wind, regretting it for the rest of his life.
The Marx Brothers came up with their name during a poker game, 
Julius becoming Groucho, Adolph, Harpo and Herbert, Zeppo.
Marilyn Monroe had a nose job. 
Robert Downey Jr. was once arrested 
after driving naked in his Porche with cocaine, heroine, and a .357 Magnum.
My kinda guy. 
Clark Gable, due to flawed dentures, had bad breath. I have one word for Rhett…Certs. 
Audrey Hepburn’s favorite color was light blue, and white tulips, 
her favorite flower.
Joan Crawford made a porn film. Oh who hasn’t.
Jean Harlow was only 26, when she died of kidney failure in 1937 because her mother, a devout Christian Scientist not believing in doctors, called one too late. 
George Clooney was up for the role of J.D. in the film, Thelma and Louise (1991), losing out to Brad Pitt. 
Johnny Depp always travels with his Jack Sparrow costume from his film, Pirates of the Caribbean, 
in case he encounters kids. Gotta love’em for that.
The very first Lassie, 
who died in 1958, had 8 descendants to carry on his name. Yes, they were all men, with tails.
Paul Newman, a family friend, taught Jake Gyllenhaal 
to drive.
Though Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy were together for 26 years when he died in 1967, at age 67, since still legally married to his wife Louise, thought it incorrect attending the funeral.
Those Connecticut girls. If she were born in Jersey, she would have ridden that casket bareback. 
Child actor, Jackie Coogan, known as Uncle Fester from the Addams Family, was robbed by his parents who wouldn’t give him his rightful money, siring the California Child Actor’s Bill…or the Jackie Coogan Law…protecting a child actor’s earnings until they’re 21. 
When James Cagney tap danced 
down the White House steps as George M. Cohen, in the 1942 film, Yankee Doodle Dandy, it wasn’t in the script…all his idea. That Jimmy. 
Dorothy Stratten, 
Playboy Playmate of the Month for August 1979, after appearing in Director, Peter Bogdanovich’s 1981 film, They All Laughed, in a part he wrote especially for her, was 20 years-old when murdered by her estranged husband, Paul Snider, in a jealous rage when she became involved with her Director 
who then, married her sister.
Actor/Director Albert Brooks’s real name is Albert Einstein.
Gee, wonder why he changed it. 
While on location on the film, The Getaway in 1971 with Steve McQueen, Ali MacGraw, the hottest actress in town after her performance as a dying girl in the film Love Story, begged her husband, 
Paramount Pictures big shot, Bob Evans, to please come be with her knowing, her attraction to McQueen could be fatal. 
Evans never came…they divorced in 1972, the former Mrs. Evans becoming Mrs. McQueen, in 1973.
When a girl calls at 3 a.m., try to remember, it’s her libido on the line. 
Jane Fonda’s net worth is 200 million dollars, upstaged by Julia Robert’s at 250. 
I have $1300 dollars in my savings account.
Think I’ll catch up? 🙂
SB
I love these tidbits of “didja knows”! I had read about a couple of them over the years but all the rest? Who knew?
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There’s a million.
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For sure. You seem to find the most interesting and obscure ones!
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They pop up, like toads in your garden. The Dorthey Stratten one for instance. How creepy he married her sister. He apparently was that nuts about Dorthey and her sister was a near replacement. Of course, who am I to judge.
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Love it! And ewww… that was very creepy. And I’m right along side you, judging…
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Did you ever see the film Star 80? Mariel Hemingway played her and Eric Roberts her sleazy husband. It’s creepy though, how Bob Fosse directed it. Good, but dark…oh so dark.
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No, I did not. Eric Roberts had a sleazy face, didn’t he?
I might have to check for it.
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It’s a very good movie. Mariel Hemingway, I remember, got breast implants to play her, then had them taken out when she finished filming.. Bob Fosse made great films…All That Jazz for one, but they always had a dark element to them.
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That is a level of dedication incomprehensible to me!
And yes, he did.
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That makes two of us.
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Nuts.
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I think she must have just really wanted the role and she was playing a centerfold. Now I’m humming that old J Giles tune…I
was shakin’ in my shoes
Whenever she flashed those baby-blues
Something had a hold on me
When angel passed close by
Those soft and fuzzy sweaters
Too magical to touch
To see her in that negligee
Is really just too much
My blood runs cold
My memory has just been sold
My angel is the centerfold
Angel is the centerfold 🙂
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Now I’ve got the song playing in my head.
And there’s wanting a role and WANTING a role!!
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I guess that would have to true. She was rather good in it since, Dorthy, pushed at Playboy by her husband, was quite shy in nature, so she pulled that off pretty well, I thought.
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I am definitely going to put my radar up should that one come ’round!
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It’s dark. Better off with a comedy.
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Variety is the spice of life.
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Yes, that’s true.
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🙂
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Pookie and I were amazed to find out that Jackie Coogan played Uncle Fester. We knew his parents robbed him, but Uncle Fester? Wow!
I read a biography on Jean Harlow that said her husband injured her kidneys while beating her. He did this often out of frustration because he was married to the most beautiful woman but couldn’t perform due to his privates being the size of a six year old’s.
I have a new appreciation for Johnny Depp.
As for bank accounts, you and I will just have to remember that money doesn’t buy happiness!
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I knew that about Harlow. Some say it was due to a botched abortion, an oxymoron of sorts. Paul Bern was her flaccid, fist swinging husband’s name. She was engaged to actor William Powell, when she died. sigh.
Yeah, you need to look at the whole board where Johnny Depp is concerned. There’s quite a bit of light, interspersed, through those shadows.
Yes, Uncle Fester was that cute little boy once, and yes…money can buy bagels and coffee, Audrey flats and nice blazers, but nope…happiness has a much higher price. I love when you comment. 🙂
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Robert Downey, Jr. — he had quite the run of problems for a few years back then, didn’t he? I remember feeling the ache whenever I read another story of his drug-fueled problems. Good thing he figured out how to clean himself up.
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Good thing.
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I love your series of “Did You Know.” I have always liked Johnny Depp and you confirmed the reason. Jean Harlow was a sad situation. Gotta wonder why she didn’t call Wallace Beerly to beat the crap out of the SOB. Have a super day.
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She was so young and I’m going to guess, despite her success, a little naive. They didn’t nickname her ‘The Baby’ for nothing. Thanks. They’re fun to write, and yes, we’re both Captain Jack fans.
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Yes we are. 😁
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I’m always sticking up for him whenever something snide is said. It’s funny, you;d think I was his lawyer. 🙂
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Hahahaha. I think that would be a great job. Especially on trumpeted up charges.
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I’d be very passionate, that’s for sure. The idea actually scares me John. We’re lucky it will never happen. I could see the press now outside my building driving my doorman crazy. 🙂
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Nothing worse than a crazy doorman for sure.
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Yes, indeed.
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This was most entertaining, but I’m happy you won’t give a pop quiz on the info. I forget extraneous facts very easily.
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If one thing sticks, then it was a success. 🙂
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I always love trivia like this, especially the quirky way you present it. It’s hard to imagine Rhett Butler as anyone but Clark Gable now; he’s so iconic as that role. Hollywood sure has more than its share of myths, legends and scandals.
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How bout Bette Davis as Scarlett. She, among many others, was up for the part, till David O. Selznick found Vivian Leigh.
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Was their real last name Marx?
That’s cool about a law to protect child actors’ earnings.
I had an ancestor who married his wife’s sister after wife died. I never really considered it creepy, but the Quakers disowned him for it. It also happened to be illegal under English common law in Great Britain until the 20th century.
Well, Jane’s looking pretty good with all that dough, isn’t she?
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Yes she is. When she was asked why her marriage to Ted Turner turned, so to speak, she said, it was because she became a femnist. She also has had two hip replacements and breast cancer so even with all that dough, she’s not exempt from life’s challenges…though dough helps make one rise faster.
I love your Quaker story. In Mr. B’s case, it was rather sudden and he really hadn’t been involved with Dorthey all that long before her tragic end. There was something off about it, also the sister was like a not so perfect version, but sadly, trying to be. I’m judging again…more an observation than a judgement to let myself off the hook. We cub reporters are supposed to remain impartial after all. 🙂
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Grasshopper,
Once again your tidbits of obscure facts entertain me over a cup of Joe. I’m most intrigued by Uncle Fester, probably because he was a big part of my childhood. No idea he was kicking ass and creating laws! As for Robert Downy, Jr., is it possible to have a better mug shot? I love his personality, I believe it’s what rose him from the ashes more than once.
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Maybe they did his make-up first. It’s who you know, after all. 🙂
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1,300 bucks will get you to Vegas. But yanno . . that House thing, they eat savings accounts for breakfast. So never mind that.
As for your Did You Know segments, it’s always chock full of “I had no idea!” moments, and this one was no different. In fact, outside of Dorothy Stratten’s tragic tale, I wasn’t down with any of the other stories. No idea, really.
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I hesitated including her, but that ghoul in me came out. We can blame it on Uncle Fester.
One of the things I didn’t add was, Katharine Hepburn the day of the funeral, along with her longtime assistant, Phyllis Wilbourn, went to the funeral parlor, and helped hoist Spencer’s casket into the hearse, then watched it pull away. After the funeral, all their friends, she and Spence’s, came to see her. Like knowing that.
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What a story.
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Yeah. She was such a kid her husband more or less exploited. Fame has its claws.
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