No need to cry over changes in 'Cry-Baby'

Question: One of my favorite movies is John Waters' "Cry-Baby." I have rented the movie and have seen it on TV. There are some slight differences in the two versions. Why?

W.Z., Rochester, N.Y.

Answer: "Cry-Baby" is an homage and spoof of the 1950s teen-rock melodramas. The 1990 film features many well-known actors, including Johnny Depp, Amy Locane, Iggy Pop, Traci Lords, Ricki Lake, Patty Hearst and Willem Defoe, just to name a few. As for slight variations in the movie, I am told it's not unusual for scenes to be shot more than once, one time for the big screen and another for the little screen. The change could be due to length or content.

Question: I recall Elvis Presley studied karate. Was he good?

M.L.G., Newton, Mass.

Answer: Presley received his first-degree black belt on March 21, 1960. He received honorary advancement through the years, which culminated in an honorary eighth-degree black belt in 1974. Presley trained and taught in regular classes with other students in Memphis, Tenn.

Question: What was the artist El Greco's real name?

F.J., Chico, Calif.

Answer: El Greco was born Domenikos Theotokopoulos. El Greco, which means "the Greek" in Spanish, was born in present-day Crete in 1541 and died in Toledo, Spain, in 1614.

Question: Even though Holland is famous for its windmills, I know they did not originate there. I forget where. Help.

L.B.L., Rolla, Mo.

Answer: Windmills originated in Persia (Iran) about 1,300 years ago.

Question: When someone gets angry it can be said "it raised his hackles." What the heck are hackles?

H.H., Burlington, Vt.

Answer: Hackles are the feathers on the neck of a rooster or hen or the hair on a dog's neck. When provoked, the feathers or fur stand up to make the animal appear larger.

Question: Was there a Hesperus in which Henry Wadsworth Longfellow based his poem, "Wreck of the Hesperus"?

M.N.S., Chandler, Ariz.

Answer: There is disagreement on the exact details. In 1839, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) was inspired to write his poem after hearing of a schooner wreck on the reef of Norman's Woe off Gloucester, Mass. According to reports, the body of a 45-year-old woman lashed to a spar washed ashore. In the poem, Longfellow changed the woman to the captain's little girl. Some say the Hesperus was docked at Boston's Long Wharf at the time of a hurricane, causing the destruction of the ship and 20 others. Another source says that it was the ship the Favorite that wrecked on the Norman's Woe rocks with all hands lost.

Question: I've heard of the artist Grandma Moses. What was her real name? Was she really a grandma?

O.Z., Crawfordville, Fla.

Answer: Folk artist Anna Mary Robertson Moses (1860-1961) didn't start painting until she was in her 70s. She became famous for her American primitives. She had four children, 11 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.

Send your questions to Mr. Know-It-All at AskMrKIA@gmail.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.