The son Gable never knew
Q: Whatever happened to actor Clark Gable's only child, a son? Did he go into the movie business? What year was he born?
J.S., Gadsden, Ala.
A: Actually, Clark Gable had two children, a daughter and a son. His daughter, Judy Lewis, entered the world on Nov. 6, 1935; her mother is Loretta Young. Lewis went into acting, became a producer, and later a psychotherapist. Young and Gable never married. Clark Gable did have a son, John Clark Gable, with his fifth wife, Kay Williams, whom he married in 1955. On March 20, 1961, she gave birth to John Clark, four months after her husband suffered a fatal heart attack. Born a celebrity, John Clark grew up in the shadow of his famous father. He has been described as a ruggedly handsome man. He did some minor TV work and appeared in his first film, "Bad Jim" (1990), in which he received favorable reviews. But he has done little acting since.
Q: Are there any living survivors of the sinking of the RMS Titanic?
V.N.D., Orlando, Fla.
A: Millvina Dean, 97, the last remaining survivor of the disaster, passed away on May 31, 2009. On April 15, 1912, the day of the disaster, Millvina was barely 2 months old. Her parents were emigrating from England to the United States, where her father had hoped to open a store in Wichita, Kan. Millvina, her mother and brother survived, but her father was lost. A month after arriving in America, her mother decided to return to England. In October 2007, Millvina became the last living Titanic survivor following the death of 96-year-old Barbara West Dainton.
Q: Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corp., says his cars bear his name, yet he spells his name ending in "da" and his cars "ta." I'm curious about this.
J.R.F., Kerrville, Texas
A: Here's a mini-history lesson on Toyota Motor Corp. In 1924, Sakichi Toyoda, a prolific experimenter, invented an automatic loom, and Toyoda Loom Works soon followed. In 1930, Sakichi's son, Kiichiro, began researching small gasoline-powered engines; seven years later, he established an automobile department within his father's company. At first, the automobiles were named Toyoda; but they were later changed to Toyota because it was deemed a luckier name. Akio Toyoda is the 11th president and the sixth Toyoda to run the company.
Q: What is the term for a camp protected by a circle of wagons?
F.S., Dodge Center, Minn.
A: Laager, which is pronounced LAH-guhr.
Q: How many canonized saints are there in the Catholic Church? When did the Church start honoring saints?
P.M., e-mail
A: No one knows exactly how many saints there are; every source I checked claims the number is more than 10,000. By the year 100, Christians who died for their faith were being honored.
Q: Actor Harrison Ford has a scar on his chin. At first, I thought it was invented to complement his rugged he-man persona for his Indiana Jones role, but I later noticed it in other films. I assume it's real. How did he get it?
M.D.E., Merrill, Wis.
A: His scar is explained in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989). A young Indy, played by River Phoenix, hits himself in the chin with his whip, creating a scar. In real life, Ford said he was putting on his seat belt while driving, which caused an accident.
Q: Have you ever heard of pancake dogs? I overheard some people in a coffee shop talking about one; apparently, someone they both know got one, and they were remarking how cute it was. Maybe I misheard the name.
B.K., Atlanta, Ga.
A: I think they may have been talking about a Potcake dog, officially known as the Royal Bahamian Potcake. The dogs are indigenous to several Caribbean islands, namely the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. The dogs have a smooth, short coat, a long snout and floppy ears. Colors include black, white, yellow and brown. They are laid-back, intelligent and good with children and other dogs and cats, and they weigh 40 to 50 pounds. The name derived from potcake — the thick, congealed food that remains in the bottom of a pot of peas and rice after several reheatings — which was fed to the stray dogs of the islands. In time, the dogs came to be known as Potcakes.
Q: I don't get much chance to watch NASCAR anymore. I saw a few laps of one race in which a driver named Montoya was leading. Is this the same Montoya who won the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year?
C.R., Columbia, Mo.
A: It is. Juan Pablo Montoya, who entered the world in Bogota, Colombia, on Sept. 20, 1975, won the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year in 2000. He also took home the 1999 CART Rookie of the Year and 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Rookie of the Year.
Q: What was Johnny Depp's film debut? When was he born?
B.U., Plainview, Texas
A: Born June 9, 1963, in Owensboro, Ky., John Christopher Depp made his film debut in "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (1984).
Q: My father was proud to have served aboard the USS Barrier during World War II. Whatever happened to the ship?
G.H., Ames, Iowa
A: A large-class minesweeper commissioned in May 1944, USS Barrier (AM-150) performed convoy escort and minesweeping duties in the Aleutian Islands. In July 1945, she was decommissioned and simultaneously transferred to the Soviet Navy. The Soviets probably scrapped her in 1956.
Q: Has the U.S. Mint changed the back of the Lincoln penny? I just saw one, and it has a shield instead of the Lincoln Memorial.
J.K., Andover, Mass.
A: Yes, it has been changed. Introduced in 1909, the Lincoln Cent featured a pair of wheat ears on the reverse. In 1959, the Lincoln Memorial replaced the wheat. Officially launched on Feb. 11, 2010, the new Union Shield Cent is now the permanent replacement.
Q: I'm looking at a photo of a sign that reads "Sheriff Hutton." From the position of the sign, it appears to be taken in a country where you drive on the opposite side of the road. Can you shed any light on what this picture is about?
C.F., Stockton, Calif.
A: Sheriff Hutton is a village in North Yorkshire, England. Long before the Romans conquered England, the area was inhabited. In the 1100s, the village received the name Sheriff Hutton. The Sheriff prefix comes from Bertram de Bulmer, the sheriff of York in 1115. Hutton comes from Old English "hoh," meaning a piece of land, and "tun," a farmstead.
Q: I saw a picture of a beautiful actress Victoria Sellers. Is she related to comedian Peter Sellers?
A.V.E., Jacksonville, Fla.
A: Married four times, Peter Sellers had a daughter, Victoria, with second wife Britt Ekland; the child was born on Jan. 20, 1965. Yes, she is beautiful; in April 1986, she posed for Playboy magazine.
Send your questions to Mr. Know-It-All at AskMrKIA@gmail.com or c/o United Feature Syndicate, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016.