Strange Hollywood Facts: The Wizard of Oz

One of the most beloved films of all time, The Wizard of Oz has been a family favorite since its release in 1939. Most of us know about the struggles with making this timeless classic. Buddy Ebsen was originally cast as the "Tin Man", but became deathly ill from the lead based makeup and had to be replaced by Jack Haley. Margaret Hamilton, the "Wicked Witch", nearly went up in flames during a shot filmed for the Munchkin sequence when her costume caught on fire. The movie itself went through four directors until Victor Flemming finally finished the filming.

Tidbits of Truth has recently learned that Judy Garland was not the first choice of Louis B. Mayer to play the role of "Dorothy". Mayer, the iron-fisted ruler of MGM Studios was set to have young Broadway actress by the name of Helen Carter debut in the role. Carter arrived in Hollywood in 1938 and began rehearsals right away. Mayer arrived at the second rehearsal to meet his new star and was shocked to learn that Miss Carter was missing her left ear. Seems it had been bitten off during a hunting accident when she was a child. Although she had a beautiful voice, Mayer and the film's producers could not envision a way to make the film using only the right side of Miss Carter's face. Thus Mayer moved to his second choice, Judy Garland.

Helen Carter did remain in Hollywood for two years and made three different pictures using only her right side including "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and "Stagecoach". She then resumed her success on Broadway for a number of years before retiring to Wilmington, NC, with her German born husband, Klaus.

Has the Momo creature returned?

Mrs. Laurie Samuel of Mill Spring, Missouri, sent us this snap shot of a creature she tells us carried off her 70 pound hound dog last fall. Mrs. Samuel goes on to tell us that her husband fired two barrels of buckshot into the backside of the creature that seem to have little effect. Discovering our new website, Mrs. Samuel's requested the T.O.T.'s team to look into the question: Has the Momo creature returned?

Momo is short for the Missouri Monster. Similar in nature to Bigfoot, the creature has been reported in the woods and swamps of Missouri and Louisiana since the 1940's. In 1972, two young boys were playing in there backyard in a small town in Missouri when a Momo appeared. This sighting repeated itself around the area for two full weeks causing a national media frenzy before the creature disappeared once again. A few sightings are reported each year, but Tidbits has learned that the number in southeastern Missouri has more than doubled in the last three years.

Although similar to Bigfoot, the Momo is not a Bigfoot. Momo tracks show only three toes as opposed to Bigfoot's five. Momo's coat is also reported to be thicker and darker and some have even reported a tail. The Momo too is known as a carnivore. The swamps in the area provide plenty of game, but many encounters have been caused by the Momo's hunting of domestic dogs, cats and small farm animals. Another common characteristic listed in nearly every report is the foul stench the Momo carries. Some compare it to rotting flesh, but most say the odor is so unique and disturbing that is causes almost instant nausea.

Soon the T.O.T.'s team was on it's way to St. Louis which is about 150 miles north of Mill Spring. We were soon cruising down Interstate 85 in a rented minivan and a old Dodge Colt that our Producer Brad borrowed from his cousin. Once you exit the freeway at Jackson, it's another 75 miles down highway 34 into the heart of the Missouri swamps and the land many think is home to the Momo.

We pulled into the Samuel home about 4pm to be greeted by Mrs. Samuel and four hound dogs. Our scout, Scooter, wasted little time before diving into the thick brush that the home backs into hoping to find any hints to go on. Norma and I set about interviewing the Samuel's, while Jake and Bran dodged the dogs and unloaded the gear. Brad enjoyed the homemade peanut brittle Mrs. Samuel offered and spent some quality time annoying a parrot they kept in the parlor.

The Samuel's seemed sincere in their story of how they heard the dogs barking and came outside just as the creature struck and killed a dog named "Banjo". Laurie ran for her camera while her husband, Ben, ran for the shotgun. When they returned the creature was heading into the woods. Ben gave chase and fired both barrels into the creature, but lost track when it began to rain. Neither had seen it again, but Ben had found Banjo's body by a pond about three quarters of a mile deep into the wooded swamp.

We were an hour away from sunset when Scooter returned from his look around. He hadn't found anything, but had seen the pond Ben spoke of. We decided to set up base camp next to the pond, and with a lot of complaining from Brad, we begin the hike though the damp Missouri woods.

The thick brush made it seem darker than it really was. It was easy to understand how something could hide here without being seen, and I was grateful Scooter was with us so we could find our way back. The sky broke open when we reached the pond, and the first stars were becoming visable as we rushed to set up base camp. Bran and Scooter set up several perimeter cameras and Jacob rigged microphones in two different areas of the brush. Since the Momo is not known to eat carrion, Norma had brought along a chicken which we placed in a cage just outside the camp. If Momo was here, we were ready.

With all the equipment set up, we decided to work in teams. Bran, Jake and Brad would remain in base camp to watch the monitors and keep an eye on the chicken. Scooter and Norma would make their way around one side of the pond and I would go around the other side. A quick radio check and we were off.

The nearly full moon that night proved to be most valuable. I wanted to keep lights to a minimum, and with all the moonlight I was able to make my way using only my Flir Infrared Camera. Across the pond I could not see Scooter and Norma, and the glow of base camp quickly disappeared into the Missouri wilderness. It was one of those moments when you feel totally alone.

Making my way around the pond proved more difficult than I thought. The ground was swampy and deep with mud. My progress was slow at best. The Flir was working, but all it picked up was an occasional rabbit or bird. When I hooked up with Scooter and Norma, they told the same story. Since we didn't enjoy the thought of wrestling the mud on the return trip, we radioed base camp that we would find another way back through the woods. Base camp responded and said the only excitement they had were some giant mosquitoes that had taken a liking to Brad.

While Norma and I searched the woods for the Momo, Scooter searched for a trail back. Each turn ended in thick swamp mud, and the only big wildlife we saw were three deer who seem to be searching for a trail as much as we were.

Suddenly off to our right we could hear something large moving through the woods. Our Flir cameras were useless in the thick brush and when I fired up my flashlight, whatever was moving simply began moving faster. Quickly we searched to find it's trail and finally did. Much to our surprise and shock, there was no trail. Whatever was out there was making it's own trail without being slowed down by brush or mud. Scooter realized it's path was in the direction of base camp, so we radioed ahead to the team to be on the lookout and then gave chase down the freshly torn trail.

The radio from base camp was going crazy. This strange trailblazer was now near the camp and the chicken was going nuts. As we got closer we began to pick up a disgusting odor. I pulled a handkerchief from my pocket to cover my nose and mouth and continued on. Brad was now reporting the odor and movement in the bushes near the chicken. Against my wishes, Jake and Bran decided to grab a camera and head for the disturbance.

When we arrived a few minutes later the drama was over. Jake had a few scratches from something brushing by him and knocking him down, but Bran's cameras had not gotten a clear picture. The odor in the area was terrible, but the chicken was safe. Brad was sitting calmly at the monitors eating some more brittle. We remained at the camp until sunrise, but the odor faded away and nothing returned.

Did we have an encounter with a Momo? Although my eyes did not clearly see what was in the woods that night, it was something big and strong enough to clear a trail a grown man could not have cleared in two days using a chain saw. A bear? Perhaps, but bears rarely risk encounters with humans. Whatever this was, its aggression was unlike any I have ever seen in a Bigfoot encounter. This creature was truly unique, an we will have to return here soon and make a through search for the Missouri Monster also known as Momo.

For more information about the Momo check out:
http://www.newanimal.org/momo

Bizarre Facts of History: Blackbeard

We're all familiar with the dread pirate Blackbeard who terrorized shipping from the Virgina coast to the southern tip of the Caribbean. A determined Captain with a fiercely loyal crew, it took years for the British Royal Navy to finally hunt him down and trap in in the waters off the Carolina coast. Even then, it was a bitter fight to the end for Blackbeard. Known for tying hemp in his beard and setting it ablaze during a fight, the giant of a man welded a cutlass in one hand a pike in the other as the Royal Marines boarded his badly damaged schooner. The British Captain himself logged that Blackbeard died standing up with more than two dozen deadly wounds to him, and with the pirate legend went the end of piracy in the colonies.

Tidbits of Truth has now discovered a 300 year old document that sheds some new light on the life of Blackbeard. Discovered inside an old Sea Chest stored away in an attic in Wheeling, West Virgina, the T.O.T.'s team was called in to authenticate a ship's supply order signed by none other than Blackbeard himself. Samples of the decaying parchment verify the era of the date written upon it, "20th April 1714".

The few other samples that exist of Blackbeard's signature are in debate. What adds to the validity of this order is the delivery to "Ocracoke Island", which was the well known anchor of the Pirate Captain's ship, the "Queen Anne's Revenge". However, the curious section is a special note where there are seven different colors of Nail Polish to be "delivered directly to the Capt" for "his personal use". Did Blackbeard paint his nails?

Dr. Edward Kirkpatrick, in his book "The Pirate Life" written in 1934, refers to Blackbeard's vanity and fondness for "brightly colored nails". Many pirate experts have dismissed this note as a casual assumption made by Kirkpatrick due to the writers love of Escargot. However, T.O.T. feels that if this supply order is to be taken as one from Blackbeard himself, than the late Dr. Kirkpatrick is owed a few apologies and Blackbeard is owed some more thought by historians.

For more information about Blackbeard check out:
www.nationalgeographic.com/pirates/bbeard

Who was Blind Jimmy Johnson?

The blues legend known as Blind Jimmy Johnson has been debated throughout the music industry since the late 1950's. Some say it is just a legend told in the back bars of Memphis and New Orleans, but still more insist that this thundering guitar master roamed the great blues clubs across America from as early as 1911 to as late as 1998. Are the stories based on one man, or has several great bluesmen's accomplishments been combined into one great legend. Tidbits of Truth was challenged to find out.

We began our investagation in Memphis, a city known as the home of the blues. Here our scout, Scooter, had managed to located a retired blues singer named Nanny Langford living just outside of town. We found Nanny sitting on the porch of her home making a hat out of Lima beans. At first she thought Brad was a Fuller Brush Salesman and wanted to shoot him, but we soon persuaded her that he was harmless and she agreed to answer our questions.

Nanny told us of a time when she was singing with a band led by Mickey Martin. The band had some young future blues greats in it including Big Willie Dixon, Howlin' Wolf, Snooky Pryor and Leonard Nemoy. They used to play at a club on Beale Street called Little Paul's. She told us of a night in the winter of 1940 when an old bluesman came into the club and asked to play for some supper and a few drinks. He smelled of the road, so Little Paul wanted to toss him out, but Big Willie talked him into letting the old man play between sets. Her eyes lit up as she told us how the room can alive the moment he struck the first cord, and how the others joined in for an all night jam. Nanny said he never told them his name, but Big Willie always said it was him. She also gave us what some say is the only known photo of Blind Jimmy.

With a copy of the photo, and not convinced that a hat made of Lima beans was a good idea in August, our team left Nanny and headed into Memphis. Our first stop was the old building where Little Paul's used to sit. It's now a Blockbuster, so we rented a copy of "Spiderman 2" and headed off to town hall to see if anyone else living in Memphis was old enough to have been at Little Paul's in 1940. Along the way Brad bought a Pretzel dipped in honey and entertained us by running from bees for nearly twenty minutes.

With not much to go on except Nanny's story, an old photo and a couple of bee stings, things weren't looking good for this investigation. The crew looked depressed and even a few minutes of finger puppets did little to raise their spirits. Everywhere we went seemed like a dead end. Our last hope was the City's Department of Water, and fate was waiting for us there.

Inside the department of water was Gus Adler, the oldest man in Tenneesse. Gus was there to have his teeth cleaned, so the folks were trying to explain to him he was at town hall, when suddenly he noticed our picture. The years seemed to fall off him as Gus began ranting about "those people" hanging around the front of his store. It turns out the picture was taken in front of Gus' Cigar & Hat Shop on Oak Street around 1940. When I asked him if he knew the folks in the picture he pointed at the man laughing in the middle and said, "That's that Blind Jimmy feller." Gus then took a swing at Jake and grabbed Norma's butt before the Memphis police arrived.

For the next several days we tried to track down anyone who knew Gus in the old days, but they were all either dead or pissed off at him. We heard a lot of other stories about Blind Jimmy. One said he made a pact with the Devil and then tricked him into a free can of Spam. Another told of a time he got Bob Hope so angry that the comic great slapped him. I think my favorite was that of a gentle old man, sitting under a cool shady tree on Beale Street, wearing nothing but some undershorts and playing the blues like he didn't have a care in the world.

There is some evidence to suggest that Blind Jimmy Johnson was paid five dollars to cut a song for Decca Records under the name of Blind Blues Darby, but the contract is signed with an "X". With a photo and two eye witnesses, one with a Lima bean hat, Tidbits of Truth must believe that Blind Jimmy Johnson was indeed a blues legend and not a blues myth. More information about him is still being researched at this time, but your team at T.O.T.'s wanted to share the progress of this case at this point.

Strange Hollywood Facts: Joe Pesci

Joe Pesci, the Brooklyn born actor who gave us lovable roles in films such as "Goodfellas", "Casino" and "My Cousin Vinny", turns out to be quite a quirky guy. According to T.O.T.'s inside sources at Warner Brothers, Pesci got his break on the New York stage at the age of ten in a dance act that included Connie Francis. The source also quotes another member of the act who says that Pesci hid his identity from his fork lift driving Dad by using the stage name "Francis Lollipops". No word yet on what number the trio preformed.

Not just this, but did you know that the talented Oscar winner performed the role of "Vincent Gambini" in "My Cousin Vinny" without using his thumbs? Tidbits of Truths' team has confirmed with a former PA on the set that Pesci made the character choice after nearly choking to death on a Tootsie Roll on location in Ecuador. A SAG spokesman credits the brave choice for the success of the film, and other sources say Pesci plans on not using his knees in his upcoming 2009 release, "Love Ranch", which also stars Dame Helen Mirren.

Is it possible that Mary, Queen of Scotts, is haunting the Prescott Public Library?

Last January we received this frightening question from Dr. Leonard Henson of Prescott College. The picture he sent us was intriguing, and we wasted no time gathering our crack team from T.O.T. and heading out to the original capital of the Arizona Territory. One thing was for certain, if Mary, Queen of Scots, was indeed hanging out in the Prescott Public Library, that would account for a lot of their problems with the Dewey Decimal System.

Six days later we arrived and were greeted by Dr. Henson, Sarah Ferguson, the Librarian, Max Conner, town Sheriff, and two homeless guys. Sarah gave us a detailed tour of the library with its 438 books, told us of her resent encounters with the ghost. She also gave us each some crayons. Dr. Henson told us that Mary had been haunting the library ever since Seth Jackson shot his mule in a fit of rage outside The Palace Saloon in 1913. The Sheriff showed us his gun and demonstrated by shooting one of the homeless guys in the leg. Thus we were off to a great start.

Our Cameraman, Bran, and Soundman, Jake, stayed to setup some cameras and EPT recording devices around the strange staircase where Mary was photographed and inside the Men's Room for giggles. Norma, Brad and I headed over to the town Newspaper to look for past articles about the sightings. There we met with the Editor of The Prescott Valley News, Carl Clark. He was a nice man who offered us candy and showed us his bottlecap collection. We faked our impression and moved along to do some research. It wasn't long before Norma came across twelve different articles published between 1913 and 2006 about the sightings of Mary on the staircase. Ignoring the spelling errors and pee stains, each article told a similar story of how at sunset the figure of Mary would descend down the staircase to the main room and honk like a goose.

Finding all of this difficult to believe, and with Carl trying to show off his new Iron Man Timex, we were headed back to the library. By now it was nearly 5pm, and sunset was just minutes away. We needed to make sure everything was ready, and the homeless guy had received medical attention.

Bran and Jake had everything in place. Our plan was to focus our attention on the staircase and try to catch anything that was moving. Bran and I used Flir hand-held infrared cameras, Jake kept track of sound, Norma watched the computer cameras and Brad ate donuts. Sunset for the night was was 5:37pm, and we were ready to solve the mystery of this haunting.

Several hours past and Brad ran out of donuts. At 8:15pm both Flir cameras went down and Norma began to feels itchy. Around this same time one of the computer cameras began to pickup some strange lights on the staircase. Bran noticed it first and we all went silent, hoping that our other equipment would be as lucky. The light soon turned almost into a mist as it began to make its way down the stairs and into the main room. The smell in the room quickly became that of boiling Christmas Melons. As the mist settled I began to open my mouth in an attempt to communicate when suddenly a loud honking sound filled the air. Much like that of a goose or large duck type bird, we covered our ears and the mist had vanished.

Back in Burbank we were all anxious to see what evidence we had to solve this mystery. Although the Flir cameras and those on most of the computers had failed, we did capture one interesting image that's hard to explain.Jake easily captured the honking sounds and some grumbling which we later determined was Brad's stomach. Aside from that, we only had our own personal experiences to go on.

There is, without a doubt, something strange going on at the Prescott Public Library. In my expert opinion, I feel confident enough in the evidence and in my own experience to say that it is indeed a haunting. Is it Mary, Queen of Scots? This I cannot confirm, but an Animal Audio Expert, Dr. Alan Paine of Pepperdine University, did analyze the loud honking recording we made. His conclusion was that it was in fact a goose, and that the honking did contain a Scottish accent.

Who really is Godzilla?

Godzilla is arguably the most famous monster on the big screen throughout the world. His box office earnings have topped those of mega stars like Tom Hanks, John Wayne, Katherine Hepburn and Pee Wee Herman. Yet very little is known about this ultra private phenom. Thanks to some deep research by yours truly and some former studio executives now willing to talk, Tidbits of Truth offers you a bit of insight into the scaly big fellow.

Godzilla was born Saul Rabinowitz on the north side of the Bronx in a quiet area called Riverdale in 1931. He grew up an only child to Glen and Nadia Rabinowitz who owned a Smoke Shop on 259th Street. Not much is know about young Saul's childhood except a few stories still told in the old neighborhood about a mischievous lad who could burp fireballs and liked to torch the hems on the Rabbi's winter coat.

Saul attended the Herman Schwartz Hebrew Academy in Queens as a teenager. His growing size made riding the subway difficult, and Saul soon took to hitching a ride atop Elliot Hellenberg's cabbage truck each morning to get to class. Not wanting to pass up on a good opportunity, the Rabbi at the Academy quickly formed the schools first football team, "The Fighting Torahs", with Saul as their star player. Although peaceful at heart, Saul lived up to their expectations and, in his senior year, the Academy defeated Upper Long Island in the Championship Game 133 to 0. The city then disbanded the Academy's team due to the number of fatalities suffered during the eight game season.

Saul always had a love for the theater. Every chance he had he would sneak into the city and catch a glimpse of a Broadway show. Shortly after graduation he landed an union gig moving scenery at The Palace Theatre. It was here that the great director, Gus Hindstep, discovered Saul and gave him the part of The Errand Boy in "Soldiers Don't Dance". Uta Hagen was so taken by the young actor that she offered to tudor him in the Method technique.

Saul then spent the next two years studying in the city with fellow students like Marlon Brando and Tony Curtis, until one day a Casting Agent from Japan happen to be dining at Sardi's and saw young Saul crossing the street. Disgusted with the service, he darted out the restaurant and chased down Saul offering him the part of a giant monster. Against the advice of Uta and Tony, Saul took the offer and went to Japan.

The first film took over two months to shoot. Film acting was new to Saul. His poor timing during the stomping scenes made it difficult to find extras, and Saul was horrible at remembering his lines. The location too was quite difficult. Monster Island at the time was not the resort spot it is today, and drunken sailors often wondered onto the set. The Mayor of Tokyo was reluctant to allow the destruction the producers wanted, but some saki and girls soon changed his mind. In the end, everyone felt they had something special.

The film was first released under the title of "Hank", which was Saul's monster name. Critics took no notice and Catholics were bored. Studio heads quickly regrouped, had Saul changed his name to Godzilla (Latin meaning: Sweet Potato), and re-released to film to glowing kudos. Saul Rabinowitz instantly became a hidden past as the studio's PR offices built a whole new background for Godzilla on Monster Island.

From here we all know the story. The film franchise was and is a big hit. Godzilla retired from the films in 1989, and gladly gave his blessings to the young actor Teddy Brehm to take over the role in resent films. Godzilla now lives a quiet life in Boca Raton where he enjoys golf and visits with his old boozing buddy Burt Reynolds. Except for an occasional appearance, like his Emmy nominated guest spot on "Will & Grace", Godzilla seems content relaxing under the Florida sunshine. Like most old actors, he seems happy with his celluloid immortality.