[Stated “fact”:  In “Silence of the Lambs”, Hannibal Lector (Anthony Hopkins) never blinks.]   Reality – he blinks at least once during Lector’s conversation with Clarice in his cell.  This “no blink” trait was patterned after the same habit exhibited by Charles Manson who Anthony Hopkins had studied in videotapes.

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0102926/trivia

Anthony Hopkins’ 16 minutes of screen time in “Silence of the Lambs” was the shortest performance ever to win a leading acting Oscar.

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0102926/trivia

[Stated “fact”:  Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood.]  Nope, they were made of plaster.  After the war was over, they were all redeemed for the traditional gold-plated version.  A wooden Oscar statuette – with a movable jaw - was awarded to Edgar Bergen at the 1937 Awards for his creation of Charlie McCarthy.

http://www.oscars.org/aboutacademyawards/awards/index01.html

[Stated “fact”:  Jim Henson first coined the word “Muppet” as a combination of “marionette” and “puppet”.]  Maybe not.  According to other sources including interviews with Mr. Henson and later his daughter, there’s a good chance he just made it up.

http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Marionette_and_Puppet

Kermit’s favorite movie is ‘Raging Bullfrog”.

http://muppets.go.com/main.html

Miss Piggy is a graduate of Mr. Ha’s Martial Arts Dojo and Finishing School.

http://muppets.go.com/main.html

[Stated “fact”: October 4, 1957 is a historic date to be remembered as it is the day both "Leave it to Beaver" and the Russian satellite Sputnik 1 were launched.]  Yep… it’s true…

http://imdb.com/title/tt0050032/episodes#season-1

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/sputnik/

The “Cleavers” (Leave it to Beaver) originally lived at 485 Maple Drive in the Midwestern town of Mayfield.  After a couple of years, they moved to 211 Pine Street.  In its six years on the air, Beaver never did make it to the top 25 list.

http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/L/htmlL/leaveittob/leaveittob.htm

Dudley Do-Right (Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends) is the only Mountie known to have starched his underwear and his socks.  His horse’s name was “Horse”.

http://www.bullwinklestudios.com/characters/dudley.html

http://www.bullwinklestudios.com/characters/horse.html

Mr. Peabody (the dog) built the WABAC machine to give Sherman (his legally adopted boy) exercise and keep him off the furniture.

http://www.bullwinklestudios.com/characters/mr_peabody.html

One more little known Rocky fact: “Rocky is the three-time winner of the Junior Birdmen Trophy for Cross-Country Flying by a Small Mammal Wearing Goggles.”  (I thought this was too important not to mention…)

http://www.bullwinklestudios.com/characters/rocky.html

In Mel Brooks' “Silent Movie”, mime Marcel Marceau is the only person who has a speaking role.   His line – and the only line in the entire movie is “Non!”

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0075222/

One of the sounds a camel makes – a rumbling growl – was one of the noises used to make Chewbacca’s voice in the Star Wars movies.

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-camel.html

[Stated “fact”: In every episode of Seinfeld there is a Superman somewhere.]  Nope – 52 out of the 180 episodes contain no reference to Superman in any way.

http://www.geocities.com/rraattbbooyy/docs/newfaq.html#5.9

The exterior shots of the “Seinfeld” apartment building in New York are actually shots of a building at 757 New Hampshire Ave in Los Angeles – directly across from a Taco Bell.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0098904/trivia

“A Fistful of Dollars” is generally considered as the first of the “spaghetti westerns” (cowboy stories filmed in Italy).  It was filmed in 1964 and starred Clint Eastwood.

http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/f/fistful.html

The Beatles first motion picture was “A Hard Day’s Night”, released in 1964.

http://online.tvguide.com/Movies/database/ShowMovie.asp?MI=29464

The most Oscar wins by a film honors are shared by “Ben-Hur” (1959), “Titanic” (1997) and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003) with each film winning eleven Oscars.

http://www.filmsite.org/oscars2.html#1

Topping the list for most Oscars for an actress (or actor too, for that matter) in a leading role is… of course, Katherine Hepburn with 4 awards.

http://www.filmsite.org/oscars3.html

What movie is the source of the following line, “I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley.”  (Answer below…)

“The Flintstones” was the first full half-hour, single story, made-for-TV animation. 

It was also the first cartoon series to occupy a prime time slot.

http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/F/htmlF/flintstones/flintstones.htm

[Stated “fact”:  The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV were Fred and Wilma Flintstone.]  Well, not quite.  They were the first animated couple to be shown in bed together.  The very first couple were Mary Kay and Johnny Stearns in the “Mary Kay and Johnny” situation comedy show debuting in 1947.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flintstones

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Kay_and_Johnny

http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/marykay.htm

“I am serious…” was spoken by Dr. Rumack (Leslie Nielsen) in “Airplane”, a 1980 spoof of movies about the dangers of commercial airplanes crashing.

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0080339/quotes

Sherwood Schwartz, the creator of “Gilligan’s Island” (a 1964-67 TV show), has said that Gilligan’s first name was Willie.  Apparently it was used in the first episode which was finally aired in 1992.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057751/

[Stated “fact”: The name for Oz in the "Wizard of Oz" was thought up when the creator, Frank Baum, looked at his filing cabinet and saw A-N, and O-Z, hence "Oz."}  Well… maybe.   According to his wife, there’s also a really good possibility that he just made it up.

http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/ozfaq.html#1

In a dramatic moment in which movie, do we hear the following line: “I only have twenty-four hours to live and I ain’t agonna waste it here!”  (Answer below…)

Dorothy’s (in the Wizard of Oz) last name is Gale.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/

The part of Toto (the dog in the Wizard of Oz) was played by Terry (the dog).  Her name was officially changed to “Toto”…

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1206094/bio

At one time, Walt Disney had visualized providing a small 8 acre park for his employees and their families next to the Burbank studios. This idea was the foundation for the concepts and plans for Disneyland.

http://www.justdisney.com/disneyland/history.html

During World War I, Walt Disney joined the Red Cross and spent a year in France driving an ambulance and acting as chauffeur for Red Cross officials.  He was 16 years old.

http://www.justdisney.com/walt_disney/biography/long_bio.html

[Stated “fact”: The original plan for Disneyland included a Lilliputland.]  Hmmm, not that I can find a legitimate “clickable” reference on…

http://www.justdisney.com/disneyland/history.html

The line “I only have….” is from “A Bug’s Life” – 1998, a comment by a fly watching the circus bugs.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120623/quotes

The largest single storage facility in the world for movie and television films is a salt mine in Hutchinson, Kansas.

http://www.undergroundvaults.com/aboutus/hutchinson.cfm

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