Was John Wayne originally offered the leading role in “Gunsmoke”?

And a Happy and Prosperous New Year to you!!!

What do you know … I get to eat a bit of crow to start the year. It turns out I have, once again, made an error in a previous column.

An astute reader wrote in and told me that I was incorrect about the “G” on the helmets of the Green Bay Packers. It does, indeed, stand for “Green Bay,” not for “Greatness” as I had indicated. Whether the Packers are actually great or not, I leave to others to decide, as I am really not much of a football fan.

I do appreciate it when readers let me know of the goofs in the column. If you find one, let me know at didyouknowcolumn@gmail.com and I’ll correct it.

Now, on to the first trivia of 2022!

Did you know …

… sharks do not like to eat humans? Most sharks are rather particular about what they eat, and most of the time, humans are not on their preferred menu. (For some reason, I am not totally comforted by that fact.)

… your dog may have flews? Before you go running out to buy a flew collar, you should know that it’s natural in some dogs. The flews are the loose, hanging parts of the upper lips of certain breeds of dogs such as bloodhounds. (My dog has flews …)

… three national leaders in World War I were related to each other? British King George V (1865-1936), Russian Tsar Nicholas II (1868-1918) and German Kaiser Wilhelm II (1859-1941) were all first cousins. Their common ancestor was their grandmother, Queen Victoria of England (1819-1901). Additional trivia note: Despite the family relations, George and Nicholas were on one side in the war, and Wilhelm was on the other. And when Nicholas was imprisoned by the Bolsheviks following the 1918 Russian Revolution, George was unwilling – for political reasons – to provide a safe haven for him. As a result, the Bolsheviks executed Nicholas and his family. (Victoria would not have been amused.)

… you could be a sufferer of athazagoraphobia? Well, it’s possible, anyway. Athazagoraphobia is the fear of forgetting someone or something, and it also applies to the fear of being forgotten. (How could I forget? How do you pronounce that, anyway? I forgot.)

… an annual marathon has “water stops” that make it worth running? The Marathon du Medoc, which happens each September in the wine country of France, has stations along the route where runners can enjoy oysters, foie gras, steak, wine, cheese and even ice cream before going on with their run. Many of the runners even wear silly costumes for the race. (Book me for the next one! I’ll skip the running and just enjoy the water stops.)

… an iconic television role may have been offered to a popular movie cowboy actor? In 1954, when the popular radio western drama, “Gunsmoke” was being prepared to be brought to television, the producers initially considered offering the lead role of Marshal Matt Dillon to movie star John Wayne (1907-1979), but Wayne did not want to be tied to a television series. He recommended, instead, actor James Arness (1923-2011), who won the role and played Dillon for 20 years on the series and later in five made-for-TV movies. Other sources dispute Wayne being offered the role, but all sources agree Wayne championed Arness to get the part. Wayne did, however, film an introduction for the pilot episode, in which he said he wished he were playing the role. Additional trivia note: One actor not considered for the Dillon role was the man who voiced him for nine years in the radio series, William Conrad (1920-1994). Though all sources agree that Conrad was an excellent actor, the producers felt his physical appearance – he was a rather stocky fellow with a dark mustache – was not the image they had in mind for Matt Dillon.

… some people had ingenious ways to avoid Prohibition? Between 1920 and 1933, when alcoholic beverages were against the law, solid blocks of grape concentrate were sold with the stated intention of allowing people to make grape juice. But the concentrate also had this warning on it: “After dissolving the brick in a gallon of water, do not place the liquid in a jug away in the cupboard for 20 days, because then it would turn into wine.” (Guess what people did?)

… a technology executive once bought a car for a secretary? In the early 1980s, a secretary at Apple Computers was late for work, and company founder Steve Jobs (1955-2011) wanted to know why. The secretary, a single mother, explained that her car would not start. At the end of the day, Jobs tossed the secretary a set of keys to a brand new Jaguar, saying, “Here. Don’t be late any more.”

… jellyfish do not have brains? (Spineless, brainless little jellyfish!)

… no wild tigers exist in Africa? All of the world’s wild tigers are found in Asia. (If you want lions, you go to Africa.)

… avocados are not vegetables? They are technically a single-seeded berry, making them fruit. (So that means guacamole is fruit salad!)

… the nation of Chile did not legalize divorce until 2004? It was the last country in the Western Hemisphere to do so.

… Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup™ is vegan? So are Ritz Crackers™, Oreos™, and DumDums™.

… women blink nearly twice as much as men? (And they do it so well!)

… catgut does not come from cats? Used to make strings for tennis rackets and musical instruments, catgut actually comes from the intestines of sheep. (I suppose calling it “sheepgut” wasn’t a strong selling point.)

… if you spent a dollar a second, you would need 31.7 years to spend a billion dollars? (Not if you work for the government!)

Now … you know!

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