The case of the missing gold

Gary Clothier

Question: I was born in 1937, the year the United States Bullion Depository opened at Fort Knox. I was in my 30s when I heard that the gold was gone because politicians spent it. Has the gold ever been returned?

N.E.W., Rising Fawn, Ga.

Answer: The rumor of the missing gold was nothing more than just that, a rumor. As a matter of fact, on Sept. 23, 1974, Director of the United States Mint Mary Brooks took members of Congress and the media on a tour of the vaults to prove the gold was still there. That was the only time a tour of the facility was ever conducted.

Besides gold, the Bullion Depository has also protected the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Articles of Confederation, Lincoln's Gettysburg address, three volumes of the Gutenberg Bible, Lincoln's second inaugural address, the Magna Carta and the crown, sword, scepter, orb and cape of St. Stephen, King of Hungary.

Question: Fifty years ago, I was barely a teenager and was working as a caddy at the local country club. My goal that summer was to buy a pair of Foster Grant sunglasses. Well, I got the glasses and loved them. I have owned many other pairs of Foster Grants over the years, but I still have my original ones in a safe place. Who is/was Foster Grant?

C.F.H., Fresno, Calif.

Answer: In 1919, Sam Foster and Bill Grant formed a company to make hair accessories in Leominster, Mass. As hairstyles changed, business started to fade, so they tried their hand at making a pair of plastic sunglasses. (At the time, sunglasses were not popular.)

In 1929, the company began manufacturing the tinted glasses and selling them at an F.W. Woolworth store on the famous Boardwalk in Atlantic City, N.J. The glasses became popular with sun worshippers, and the style spread quickly. Before long, movie stars were wearing them to help disguise their identity. In 1965, the company found its slogan: "Who's behind those Foster Grants?"

Question: Who is the lovely young English lady in the Orbit Gum commercial?

T.K.B., Peoria, Ill.

Answer: Until 2010, the star of the commercial was London-born Vanessa Lynn Branch. You may remember her from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films. In 2010, she was replaced by the current Orbit Gum girl, actress Farris Patton. Patton has appeared in more than a dozen TV shows and movies.

Question: Ever since Katie Couric's daytime talk show "Katie" has been on the air, she's worn the same ring on her right ring finger. There must be a story behind it. Could you let us know?

F.N., Chattanooga, Tenn.

Answer: A diamond ring on a woman's right hand is a symbol of female independence and freedom. A woman buys it herself to showcase her independence. I talked to a local jeweler who tells me the craze started in 2004 thanks to stars like Britney Spears, Halle Berry and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Couric wears a Chanel sparkler on her right hand.

Question: My husband and I have been watching reruns of the TV series "The Virginian." What can you tell us about the actors who played Judge Garth and Betsy Garth?

B. & D.C., Lavaca, Ark.

Answer: "The Virginian" was an incredibly popular Western airing from 1962-1971. The 90-minute show was set at the Shiloh Ranch in Wyoming Territory during the 1890s.

Lee J. Cobb played the part of Judge Henry Garth in the first four seasons of the show. Cobb was born Leo Jacoby on Dec. 8, 1911, in New York City. He was a skilled violinist and harmonica player. He had an amazing acting career, both on screen and stage, appearing in "12 Angry Men," "On the Waterfront" and "The Exorcist." He died of a heart attack on Feb. 11, 1976.

The role of Judge Garth's daughter, Betsy, was played by Roberta Shore (nee Roberta Jymme Schourop), who was born April 7, 1943, in Monterey Park, Calif. At age 10, Shore began singing county-western songs in public with Tex Williams, who invited her to join his weekly TV show. She changed her stage name to Jymme Shore and joined "The Pinky Lee Show," the No. 1-rated children's television program, in 1954. Disney Studios hired her, but said her name was confusing, so she changed it back to Roberta. Shore appeared in several Disney films and later recorded with Lawrence Welk. She appeared on numerous TV shows as well as in several films. Later in life, she and her third husband, actor Ron Frederickson, moved to Salt Lake City, and little has been heard of her since.

Question: Can you tell me some of the successful people who suffered from dyslexia?

L.R., Angleton, Texas

Answer: Much to my surprise, it's a long list. Here are a select few from various categories:

Actors and Entertainers: Orlando Bloom, Tom Cruise, Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Jay Leno, Keanu Reeves, Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Smothers, Vince Vaughn, Henry Winkler and Loretta Young.

Artists, Designers: Leonardo da Vinci, Ansel Adams, Tommy Hilfiger, Pablo Picasso, Auguste Rodin and Andy Warhol.

Military Heroes: Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson and George Patton.

Musicians and Vocalists: Harry Belafonte, Cher and John Lennon.

Question: What can you tell me about the feud between Frank Sinatra and Peter Lawford?

P.B., Mason City, Iowa

Answer: Sinatra and Lawford had two feuds going, but not at the same time. The first fight was about a woman, the second about politics.

At one time, Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner were married. After the couple separated, Lawford and Gardner began to date, which didn't make Sinatra happy.

The second feud occurred when Lawford could not get his brother-in-law, President John F. Kennedy, to stay at Sinatra's house when he visited the West Coast. That feud lasted until Lawford's death in December 1984, at age 61.

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

Question: Why is being "sent up the river" going to prison?

M.B., Cherryville, N.C.

Answer: The phrase became popular around 1890 in New York City, and referred to Sing Sing Prison, which is about 30 miles north of the city on the Hudson River. In a few years' time, the phrase meant being sent to any prison.

Question: Is actor Rod Taylor still alive? How many times has he been married? Is he the father of Felicia Taylor of CNN?

B.C., Woburn, Mass.

Answer: Rodney Sturt Taylor was born Jan. 11, 1930 in Sydney, where he took up acting and appeared in film and television roles. He moved to Hollywood in 1954. He appeared in more 50 films during his career, including "The Birds," "The Train Robbers" and "Inglourious Basterds."

He has been married to third wife Carol Kikumura since 1980, though they dated in the 1960s. Taylor and his second wife, model Mary Hilem (married 1963-1969), had a daughter, Felicia Taylor, a CNN financial reporter, in 1964. His first wife was model Peggy Williams (married 1951-1954). He now lives in New York City.

Question: In which year was the Cabbage Patch doll invented? Who invented them?

E.B., Rutland, Vt.

Answer: The year was 1977. Xavier Roberts, a 21-year-old art student, was trying to pay his way through school. He had a hit with the "Little People" doll. He started the Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland, Ga., where people could "adopt" a doll. The original dolls were made by hand and had soft faces. In 1982, he changed the name to Cabbage Patch Kids. In 1983, Coleco began selling the dolls. By 1999, 95 million dolls had been sold.

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