I Knew That!

Aside from the appeal of acquiring arcane knowledge, I get a kick providing little known facts related to everyday things. I truly delight in the light gleaming from people's eyes when they are told a detail they don't know about something they do know.

Take the sticker that gives the expected city and highway mileage shown on new cars. We've all seen them, but did you know it has a name? It's a Monroney Sticker; named for Oklahoma senator, Mike Monroney. He sponsored the 1958 Auto Disclosure Act which initiated the sticker's use. Information required on the sticker has changed over the years, but the name remains the same.

Others include the name of the movie playing at the drive-in during the Flintstone's opening credits, what a tittle is and where the terms upper and lower case relating to letters derive.

My all time favorite is the Wilhelm scream. I'm sure you have all heard it, but few realize this ubiquitous movie/TV sound effect. (I know at least one blog follower who does - a nod to my buddy, Christian.)

Originally used in the 1952 movie, Distant Drums, the scream didn't get it's name until the 1953 film, The Charge at Feather River. Film historians believe this was the third time that sound effect was used.

For decades, film editors used the scream, but it took Star Wars to make it a cult classic. Lucas repeatedly used it throughout the entire series, as did Speilberg in Raiders. For me, true delight rises from the fact that one of my that guys - "you know that guy he played..." has a close connection to the Wilhelm scream.

Sheb Wooley is that guy. This trivia gem has so many facets where do I start? Though a country-western singer, his biggest hit was the novelty pop song The Purple People Eater, which he wrote as well as performed. Sheb acted in many movies among them, High Noon, Giant, The Outlaw Josey Wales and many TV shows including Rawhide with Clint Eastwood.

As if that isn't enough, he wrote the theme song to the TV classic Hee-Haw. Yes, it was he who vocalized the iconic Wilhelm scream. I can't believe more children aren't named Sheb. It works for both boys and girls. As ever - BB


"I said Mr Purple People Eater, what's your line?/He said eating purple people, and it sure is fine/But that's not the reason that I came to land/I wanna get a job in a rock 'n roll band" - The Purple People Eater