Question: When I was about 6 years old I think I remember a television show where you sent in for a "magic screen" that attached to the screen of the set. You would draw things with a character called Winky Dink(?). No one else in the world remembers seeing this show. Did I dream this or was there such a show?
Answer: "Winky Dink and You" ran on CBS from 1953 until 1957 and was an "interactive" show way back before anyone had invented that word. Viewers sent for a "kit" that included a sheet of plastic, some crayons and a cloth. These would be used to draw a tree for the animated Winky Dink to hide behind, a bridge to help him cross a stream or a German Leopard 2A6 Main Battle Tank to help him crush his enemies. (Just kidding about that last one.)
Jack Barry, later of "The Joker's Wild," was the host of the series. Mae Questel provided the voice of the tank commander — er, Winky Dink.
Question: OK, Inman: The subject is "Wacky Races," the Saturday morning cartoon. The question — who were the participants? This is extraordinarily important!
Answer: Of course, it's important! What cartoon question isn't? We deal in matters of life and death here, mister! "Wacky Races," which ran on CBS from 1968 until 1970, included these participants: Penelope Pitstop (her car was the Compact Pussycat), Rufus Ruffcut (driving the Buzz Wagon), the Ant Hill Mob (driving the Bulletproof Bomb), Professor Pat Pending (who drove the Ring-a-Ding Convert-a-Car), Peter Perfect (driving the Turbo Terrific), the Gruesome Twosome (driving the Creepy Coupe), the Slag Brothers (driving the Bouldermobile), the Red Max (driving the Crimson Haybaler), Luke no-last-name (driving the Arkansas Chugabug), the Sarge and Pvt. Meekly (driving the Army Surplus Special) and villain Dick Dastardly, who drove the Mean Machine, accompanied by his dog, Muttley.
Question: I remember watching a TV show called "The Odd Couple" when I was a kid, but it's not the one with Tony Randall that gets rerun all the time. In fact, I think the odd couple was a couple of black guys. No one else remembers this, so I may be totally off-base. Your help is needed!
Answer: There, there, Little Leaguer. You're remembering "The New Odd Couple," which ran on ABC in 1982-83. This remake featured Ron Glass (who had been Detective Harris on "Barney Miller") as Felix and Demond Wilson (who had been Lamont on "Sanford and Son") as Oscar. It lasted about four months and then went away.
Question: I was wondering if you can help settle this argument between my daughter and I. She said the series "Stargate SG-1" has always been on the Sci-Fi Channel. I told her it was on one of the major channels before it went to Sci-Fi. Who's right?
Answer: Well, it depends on what you consider a "major channel." "Stargate SG-1" began on the premium cable channel Showtime in 1997 and ran there until 2002, when it jumped to the Sci-Fi Channel.
Question: Recently I watched an episode of "The Twilight Zone." It was called "To Serve Man." I swear the man who played Jaws in the James Bond movies was the alien and the narrator was Mike Wallace from "60 Minutes." It sounded like I heard Vincent Price's voice, too. Can any of this be right?
Answer: One out of three is. Guess which one! Richard Kiel, who played Jaws, was indeed the alien in that 1962 episode, which was directed by Richard L. Bare, who went on to become one of the warped minds behind "Green Acres." Wallace and Price were not involved in the episode. Although he did do some dramatic TV early in his career, Wallace was already a well-known TV interviewer by 1962 and wasn't doing fictional stuff anymore. And Price was too big a star to lend just his voice in a fleeting moment to a TV series. He had bigger fish to fry!
Question: My wife and I saw a movie many years ago with James Stewart and Bette Davis. They were an old couple who loved each other very much and each did not want to live if the other one died. Can you tell me the name and if it's on video?
Answer: That's the 1983 TV movie "Right of Way," which also stars Melinda Dillon and John Harkins.
It's not on video or DVD.
Question: Many years ago Red Buttons starred in a TV drama about a man whose wife was dying of a brain tumor. As she was dying, he quoted Shakespeare's words to her: "Trip no further, pretty sweeting; Journey's end in lovers' meeting." Do you know the name of the movie or show? Also, do you know the name of the actress who played his wife and whether she's still living?
Answer: That was an episode of the ABC medical drama "Ben Casey" titled "Journey's End in Lovers' Meeting," that aired in April 1965. Antoinette Bower played Buttons' wife; she did quite a bit of TV in the 1960s but hasn't had a film credit since the mid-1980s. She's 74.
Question: Can you tell me who sings the song that plays in the Propel water ad that features Derek Jeter and John Stamos?
Answer: That's "Family Affair" by Mary J. Blige, from the CD "No More Drama."
Question: One of my favorite movies is "When Harry Met Sally." My niece and I disagree on who sings "It Had to Be You" on the soundtrack. She says it's Harry Connick Jr. and I say it's Frank Sinatra. Can you settle this for us? Is it on a CD?
Answer: You know, it's funny, but people have been saying Harry Connick Jr. sounds like Frank Sinatra since, oh, 1912. Connick sings all the songs in that film. The soundtrack is on CD.
Question: About 10 to 12 years ago I was watching a movie on pay cable. It was about the Kellogg family (of cereal fame) owning a fat farm back in the early 1900s. What is the title of this movie, and is it available on DVD or video?
Answer: That's the 1994 film "The Road to Wellville," with Anthony Hopkins, John Cusack, Bridget Fonda, Matthew Broderick and Dana Carvey.
It's on video and DVD.
Question: Many years ago, I saw a movie on TV. The setting was the Korean War aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer. Kirk Douglas was a naval officer and he had a North Korean prisoner on board. His assignment was to assassinate the North Korean before the boat docked. The North Korean was making his escape, and I did not see the end. How did it end?
Answer: That's the 1963 film "The Hook," which also stars Robert Walker Jr. and Nick Adams. The North Korean is shot while trying to escape, and just after that the Korean War ceasefire is announced. Then the theater lights come up, and everyone goes home.
Question: When I came home from World War II in 1946, I saw a musical picture I thought was great. It was in color and it was about an Irish composer who I think was named Ball. I hope you can give me great peace of mind by telling me the title of this movie and if it is on video or DVD.
Answer: That's the 1944 film "Irish Eyes Are Smiling," with Dick Haymes as Ernest Ball, who wrote the title song, among many others. Also starring were June Haver and Anthony Quinn. The movie's not yet on video or DVD.
Question: I'm looking for the name of a Western movie with Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson. I don't know the year it was released. Martin played a drunk who was a former deputy, and Ricky Nelson played a young gunslinger. Is it on DVD or VHS?
Answer: Well, pardner, sounds a lot like "Rio Bravo," a great 1959 film that also stars John Wayne and Walter Brennan. It's on video and DVD.
Question: I love the music on the commercial for the Lincoln. It has a beautiful blond lady driving and then getting out of her SUV while some men are watching, and then her daughters get out and they go surfing. I'd love to know what the music is and who plays it.
Answer: That's "Sleep Walk" by Santo and Johnny, available on the CD "The Best of Santo and Johnny."