What are your favorite little known Hollywood facts and secrets?

nothing groundbreaking, but i remember the Book of Lists had a list of actors who'd passed on roles or been passed over for roles, pretty interesting how some movies might have fared with different stars, might have to go look some of themup

Wilson?

the volleyball Ms. Buns. do try and keep up.

Many people are not aware of who the REAL mastermind and original financier of Hugh Hefner's Playboy empire was.

Their love scenes were among the steamiest in recent cinematic history.

Clearly taken from Heinlein's ball-like juvenile Martian in Red Planet? But, of course, that was Willis....



Don't patronise da Bunny.

Lassie, the character of a female collie, was played onscreen by a male dog. The film studios wanted a larger dog that didn't shed the way female collies do.

This gender misrepresentation caused countless miseries for the dog. He could be heard muttering, "I am not a bitch," in his sleep and as he was forced to respond to, "Cmere, girl."

Years of overcompensation left hundreds of puppies in his wake. Years of expensive therapy did not help. Where were the ASPCA and the American Humane Society? Large contributions made to these organization in Lassie's name leave many unanswered questions.

Such a tragedy Roberta. Poor Lassie must have lived in misery. I hope he didn't take to drugs because of his troubled ego.

Did you hear the rumor that the MGM lion was in fact, an Australian drop bear in a lion costume. It's true! For most of the studio's use of their iconic marquee or at least since 1933, the studio has been using drop bears from a particular Australian mob family (whose story has been depicted recently in the film, Animal Kingdom (2010))

They first used a lion in 1924 but according to Charlie Chaplin's contract with the studio, he could pick one thing a year to deep fry and eat. And that year? He picked Leo.

So to replace that one particular lion, the studio decided to go on the cheap. From 1925 to 1932, the studio went with a cute and spunky up-and-coming actress.... If you guessed Minnie Mouse? You're right! She worked for chunks of cheese and cheap wine at the time before she made it big.

don't threaten da bear.

tsar, I can't speak to the drop bear issue, but I can reveal from a reliable source that Leo (the MGM lion) had a number of mane lifts.

Only in Hollywood.

Carmen Miranda didn't wear underwear and was rumored to stash cocaine in the heels of her shoes.

Bet you didn't see that one comin'

In prepping to play the role of Larry Flint, Woody Harrelson tried to hire his own father to shoot him from ambush so he would really be paralyzed.

And the original Rin Tin Tin was a goil. She was a displaced uh, person from the first world war. Somewhat more wolf like than the later iterations, and a heck of a lot smarter.

Susan Orlean has a recent book out on Rin Tin Tin. I've just read an article, not the book. Interesting, how that all worked out.

My friend David works in the finance department at Paramount studios. He said Helen Hunt was the biggest C U Next Tuesday he ever met.

roger, The original Rin Tin Tin was definitely a war refugee with his sister Nanette. She died. HE became a star. (Did some research on this.)

Yes, the original Rinty was a dark, wolflike dog, smarter than a lot of people I know.

It was the TV show that got me hooked on German shepherds. I had an imaginary German shepherd. He was poifect.

Oops. Off the subject. Sorry. You touched a noive.

Roberta, I had a real German Shepherd that I called Ebony. Named him after Otto Von Bismark. He saved my life once.

We already know that The Ghost and the Darkness were two FEMALE lions. That was a misconception in the movie.

Letty, Green with envy re Ebony. Sigh.

Sorry, but the maneaters of Tsavo were not females. They were male lions--without manes, which means they were young.