Some Interesting Stuff

A little bit ago, I spotted this on Twitter.

I thought it was interesting enough to share.

John Wayne Cast & Crew Mugs

Above, actor Jim Davis with his John Wayne coffee mugs. From the Jim Davis Memorial Page.

Here's some movie trivia.

For those who worked with John Wayne on his movies (cast and crew), when production ended, they were given custom-made coffee mugs as a thank-you memento for their work from Duke.

According to the John Wayne Cast & Crew Mugs Database:

Welcome to the John Wayne Mugs website. Many of Duke’s fans are not aware of his fondness for custom made coffee mugs. Beginning with Flying Leathernecks 1951 and through The Shootist 1976,  John Wayne had custom mugs made which he gave to the cast and crew of each movie. These beautiful heavy mugs featured an image on the front commemorating the movie and was personalized on the back to it’s recipient from Duke. Through the years, they were produced by several companies. The earliest mugs were actually hand painted by Bob Williams an artist renown for the designs he created. While each movie’s mug is unique, just about all of them feature a distinguishing genuine gold painted handle. For those fortunate enough to be given one, as you can imagine, they are treasured as the works of art they are and especially because they came from Duke. They have become extremely valuable to collectors as there were so few made and they mean so much to those they were given to. Years back, Red Adair’s (Hell fighters) granddaughter, at her late grandfather’s auction, was asked if Red’s mug would be available. She replied “No, not at any price”.                 

Some "McLintock!" Trivia

Some John Wayne/McLintock! trivia for you on a Sunday afternoon.

From IMDb:

John Wayne insisted that the role of the weak, insipid Governor be called "Cuthbert H. Humphrey", with the intention that he be seen as a parody of liberal Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey, whom Wayne intensely disliked.

Above, former Vice President and Senator Hubert H. Humphrey.

Above, Robert Lowery as Gov. Cuthbert H. Humphrey in McLintock!

Fort Wingate Ordnance Storage Bunkers

Above, ordnance storage bunkers of Fort Wingate Army Depot. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During our usual morning "breakfast club" group gathering at Denny's down at the Flying J, the conversation drifted to the subject of nearby Fort Wingate Army Depot.

I mentioned that I am currently trying to contact the "powers that be" of the Fort for a possible plaque dedication and clamp-out there next year.

Above, the main entrance sign to Fort Wingate Army Depot. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the guys used to work at Fort Wingate and he told us of some interesting factoids of it. One, which still occasionally takes place, are missile launches. These generally involve missile tests from a launch site at the Fort to White Sands.

The other was amazing in a different way. The Fort was a storage facility of military ordnance. The ordnance were stored in bunkers (some are concrete and some earthen). He said that almost all ordnance in Viet Nam came from Fort Wingate. Many of them can be seen from Interstate 40 and old Route 66.

Above, ordnance storage bunkers as seen from old Route 66. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

But what got everyone's attention was the number of ordnance storage bunkers at Fort Wingate Army Deport. He said there's 800 of them. Eyebrows were raised at that number. A couple of us (including me) said that even just 100 bunkers would be impressive, but 800?!

In the meantime, I have made contact with a New Mexico historical society and the local congressman about the plaque project.

Beatles Trivia: Olivia Harrison

Above, George and Olivia Harrison circa 1978.

Since today is Sunday, which the KLOS-FM show, "Breakfast With The Beatles" is broadcast in L.A., a little Beatles trivia.

Above, Olivia Trinidad Arias
during her Hawthorne High days.

From the Beatles By Day blog:

George Harrison married Olivia Trinidad Arias on September 2nd 1978. 

Olivia was born on May 18, 1948 in Mexico City, Mexico. At the age of 3 her parents moved to California, where she attended Hawthorne High School in Southern California.

I also attended Hawthorne High School and graduated in 1972. I didn't get there until 1968, three years after Olivia Harrison graduated in 1965.

Olivia was Harrison's second wife. He married Pattie Boyd in 1966 and they divorced in 1977. There is an article on Pattie Boyd on her life with Harrison and Eric Clapton. To read it go here.

Above, Hawthorne High School today. Photo by Aramnd Vaquer.

The Meaning Behind Uncle Jesse's Name On Full House

Above, Elvis's twin brother's cenotaph at Graceland. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in the late 1980s, like many others, we watched Full House on television.

One of the characters, Uncle Jesse (played by John Stamos), was portrayed as an Elvis Presley fan (in a slighly subtle way).

A little bit of trivia on the Uncle Jesse character was posted by Popsugar.com.

Their article reads, in part:

I recently visited Graceland — the former home of Elvis Presley in Memphis, Tennessee — and Stamos was the narrator for part of the tour (you put on a pair of headphones to learn about each room as you walk through the house). He briefly brings up Full House, and mentions the sweet and slightly heartbreaking way his character pays tribute to Elvis in every single episode, without the audience even realizing it. While Elvis was (and still is) incredibly famous, many people may not know that he had a twin brother. Elvis' parents, Gladys and Vernon, had no idea they were expecting twins, and when their first son was stillborn, they were heartbroken at having lost the only child they thought they would ever have. But just over 30 minutes later, they got the surprise of their life when Elvis made his debut. And what did they name their firstborn son? Jesse. 

Stamos confirmed that his character was named after Elvis' twin brother. It was a way to subtly show his love for his favorite musician, and also to pay tribute to the life Jesse never got to live. At Graceland, Elvis is buried next to his parents and a cenotaph in honor of Jesse.

To read more, go here. 

"Ten Things You Didn't Know About Japan"

Above, the Godzilla statue in Hibiya. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Everyone enjoys trivia. Well, almost everyone.

If you are in the first category, you'll enjoy reading an article of "Ten Things You Didn't Know About Japan" from Travel At 60.

They begin with:

Japan is one of the world's powerhouses for technology, but it's also has a culture that's firmy steeped in history and tradition. A unique culture with interesting customs has developed in the island nation – here are a few facts that surprised us, and will hopefully pique your interest, too.

Kaiju fans will find number 6 of interest.

To read more, go here. 

Kaiju Trivia: Date Masamune In "Gamera 2"

Above, the statue of Date Masamune as shown in Gamera 2.

It had been a while since I've watched Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1996), so I put it in the machine today. It is my favorite of the Shusuke Kaneko Gamera trilogy.

There is a scene in Sendai, Japan in which the Legion flower pod bursts into bloom, causing debris to cascade down on pedestrians in the street. Right after that, in a shot what just about almost disappears in a blink of an eye, news reporters are standing in front of statue on a pedestal.

Above, the statue of Date Masamune during my 2006 visit. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I hadn't noticed it in the movie before, but I visited that statue in 2006 when I visited Sendai. The statue is of Date Masamune, the feudal ruler of the Sendai region. The statue is located on a hilltop where Sendai Castle once stood.

Just a little trivia for y'all!

The Queen Is About To Set A Record

Above, a screen capture of a scene from "A Ghost For Scotland Yard."

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is about to set a record for a British monarch. 

According to People.com:

She is about to break the record for the longest-reigning British monarch in history, and for Queen Elizabeth, it's all about consistency.  

The woman who came to the throne as a mother of two at age 25 in 1952 keeps her life just so in a routine that has remained amazingly unchanged through the 63 years that she has served as sovereign. 

The following year after she came to the throne, she was featured in an Adventures of Superman episode.

Sharp eyes will spot her image on a newspaper at a newsstand in the episode, "A Ghost For Scotland Yard."

To read more, go here.