Was one of the most beloved Christmas-season films a flop when it was first released?

With the ninth birthday of the column now in our rear-view mirror, it’s time to look ahead to Halloween.  I’m always on the lookout for any kind of funny costumes for trick-or-treating, so if you hear of any, send the information my way.

Meanwhile, as you prepare for the annual extortion of candy by kids dressed as any manner of ghosts and hobgoblins, amuse yourselves with the trivia that follows.  I think you’ll enjoy it.

I hope you do, anyway.

Did you know …

… anti-German sentiment was high in the United States during World War I?  Let me give you an example:  several foods with German-sounding names were renamed during the war.  Sauerkraut, for instance, became “liberty cabbage.”  Hamburgers became “salisbury steaks” or “liberty steaks.”  Even the disease German measles was renamed as “liberty measles.”  (Considering the sentiment, I probably wouldn’t have renamed the disease.)

… Chicken McNuggets™ come in four shapes?  According to McDonald’s, the popular food item has the shapes of a boot, a ball, a bow tie, and a bell.  (From the list of things you were dying to know about.)

… one of the most-loved Christmas-season movies was a flop when it was first released?  The classic film It’s a Wonderful Life was released in 1946, but at first it wasn’t such a wonderful film.  In fact, it did so poorly at the box office that director Frank Capra (1897-1991) found himself more than half a million dollars in the hole.  That left him to scramble to find the financing for his next film, State of the Union.  It’s a Wonderful Life did not earn enough money to break even until several years after its release, even though it did receive five Academy Award™ nominations, including Best Picture.  Additional trivia note:  The copyright on the film expired in 1974 and It’s a Wonderful Life is now in the public domain, which is primarily why it has become a Christmas classic – it can be broadcast without licensing or royalty fees.  (And every time it’s shown, an angel gets its wings.)

… a child’s challenge caused a town to revise its laws?  The town of Severance, Colorado, about 60 miles north of Denver, had an ordinance on the books that made snowball fights illegal.  The law was a part of a larger ordinance that make it illegal to “throw or shoot any stone or any other missile upon or at any person, animal, building, tree or other public or private property.”  But Dane Best (born 2009), at the time a nine-year-old kid who liked throwing snowballs, said the law was silly and took it upon himself to challenge it.  He and his classmates visited the town hall on a field trip in 2018 and challenged the mayor on it … and won.    (Way to go, Dane!)

… the world’s first known earthquake detector was in China?  Invented by astronomer Zhang Heng (78 AD-139 AD), the device – which looked like four dragons holding marbles in their mouths – was able to detect earthquakes up to 370 miles away.  If a dragon dropped a marble, it meant an earthquake had happened; the direction in which the dragon was facing told which way the earthquake had taken place.  (While the gizmos have improved, the original is a real piece of art.)

… there are no female characters in Treasure Island?  Written in 1881 by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), the classic book about pirates and treasure was initially written for his stepson, Lloyd Osbourne (1868-1947).  Osbourne said he wanted a story from his stepfather about “a map, a treasure, a mutiny and a derelict ship,” and specifically instructed that there be no women in the story.  Additional trivia note:  The original title of the book was The Sea Cook:  A Story for Boys. (Shiver me timbers!)

… the toothbrush as we know it was invented in 1498?  It was created in China and was made from animal bone and bamboo, and had pig hair for bristles.  The bristles were very stiff and it was probably not comfortable to use.  The “modern” toothbrush was invented in 1780 by William Addis (1734-1808), who crafted a brush that could be mass-produced.  (And didn’t require giving pigs a haircut.)

… Dr. Seuss enjoyed challenges from his publishers?  We all know how Theodor Geisel (1904-1991), known to us all as “Dr. Seuss,” wrote Green Eggs and Ham on a dare from publisher Bennett Cerf (1898-1971) to use 50 different words or less.  Another challenge led to Dr. Seuss’ best-known work, The Cat in the Hat.  His publisher challenged him to write a book using only words on a first-grade vocabulary list.  The list provided had 348 words on it; Dr. Seuss wrote his classic using only 236 of them.

… horses like music?  Not very surprising, I know, but this part is:  they are very selective in their musical taste.  Rock music tends to make them agitated, while calm or cheerful instrumental music is far more preferred.  (Funny, that’s how it works for me, too.)

… two popular Disney movies were re-titled before their release?  The 2010 film Tangled was originally titled Rapunzel, and 2013’s Frozen was first called Snow Queen.  The movies were renamed because Disney executives said films with feminine titles under-performed at the box office.  (The revised titles did make more sense, though.)

… bottlenose dolphins have an incredible memory?  Researchers say that a bottlenose dolphin can recognize the whistle of one of its friends even after the two had been separated for more than 20 years.  (Well, what else does a dolphin have to remember?)

… a definition exists for what constitutes a “boulder”?  The term is only used to apply to a stone with a diameter of more than ten inches.  (Your tax dollars at work, folks.)

Now … you know!