Futility Closet - 325-Lateral Thinking Puzzles

Episode Date: December 28, 2020

Here are eight new lateral thinking puzzles -- play along with us as we try to untangle some perplexing situations using yes-or-no questions. Intro: In 1940, the Venezuelan post office was said to deliver love letters at half price. In 1890 Mark Twain composed a holiday message for the New York World. The sources for this week's puzzles are below. In a few places we've included links to further information -- these contain spoilers, so don't click until you've listened to the episode: Puzzle #1 is from Agnes Rogers' 1953 book How Come? A Book of Riddles, sent to us by listener Jon Jerome. Puzzle #2 is from listener Cheryl Jensen, who sent this link. Puzzle #3 is from listener Neil de Carteret and his cat Nala. Puzzle #4 is from listener Ananth Viswanathan. Puzzle #5 is from Dan Lewis' Now I Know e-newsletter. Here are two links. Puzzle #6 is from Greg. Here's a link. Puzzle #7 is from Sharon. Here are two links. Puzzle #8 is from Greg. Here's a link. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [e-mail]. Thanks for listening!

Welcome to the Futility Closet podcast, forgotten stories from the pages of history. Visit us online to sample more than 11,000 quirky curiosities from Hawaiian dollars to Mark Twain's holiday message. This is episode 325. I'm Greg Ross.. I'm Greg Ross. And I'm Sharon Ross. This is another special episode of Lateral Thinking Puzzles, where one of us will describe a strange-sounding situation,

and the other has to try to work out what's going on by asking yes or no questions. Thanks very much to everyone who's been sending in puzzles for us to try. We can always use more, so please keep sending them to podcast at futilitycloset.com. And we'll be back next week with another dose of quirky history and another lateral thinking puzzle. This is another puzzle from the book How Come a Book of Riddles by Agnes Rogers from 1953 that John Jerome had sent to us, and we discussed it in episode 306. This puzzle was very mildly edited by me, and yes, it is another fatal puzzle, but Rogers did warn us that her puzzles tend to be so. William Bly became obsessed with the idea of getting rid of his wife Sophie. One night they went to the movies to see

a horror film. In the scariest part of the picture, when people in the audience were screaming in terror, William stabbed his wife fatally. When the picture was over, he took her out exactly as he had brought her in, and nobody suspected that anything untoward had happened. How come? Is his name significant at first? I thought you were talking about... That's just, that doesn't mean anything. No, yeah. I was all off on this tangent. Like, well, William, what?

No, no. That's just the name he happens to have. Okay. All right. A man takes his wife to the movies, stabs her. Yep. And then, let's just be careful about this, removes her dead body... Yes.

...from the theater... Yes....in view of other people. Yes. Well, actually, I take that back. No, I say no. The last one is a no. Yeah. So he got her out, got her body out of the theater without others seeing it? Yes. I guess you'd say yes. These things matter.

Yeah, they do. Okay. All right. So by stabbing her to death, you just mean what that sounds like. Yes. There's nothing tricky there. Right. And that's what killed her?

Yes. Could he have done this in like an art museum or a play or something? No. Okay. So it's something to do with the movie yes do i need to know the specific movie that they know it's that it's just said to be a horror film but does it need to be a horror film um well in the puzzle setup it's because the audience was screaming in terror so when but it's not like some novelty night where everyone's dressed up as

no it's not like that okay because that everyone's dressed up as... No, it's not like that. Okay. Because that would work almost, arguably. And it would, for this puzzle to work, need to be a movie. But not a horror. I suppose it might even work if it wasn't a horror movie. Well, he could accomplish the actual murder, it seems to me, in other venues. It's getting her out of the theater that's the trick.

No, I don't think he could accomplish this in another venue. Okay. Well, does he carry the body out? No. Does he... How else do you get a body out of a theater? Is anyone else involved in removing the bodies? No.

Just him? Yes. Does he take it out in some vehicle? Yes. Out of a movie theater? Yes. Does he represent her as having died in some other way? No.

Okay. Oh, it's a drive-in movie. It is a drive-in theater. Yes, it's a drive-in movie, and William and Sophie never got out of their car. That's good. That's a good puzzle. This is from listener Cheryl Jensen. After reading his son, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, for a bedtime story,

a father found his boy was now too afraid to go to sleep. The father calmed him by assuring his son such a thing could never happen to him. Why not? He was deaf. No. Oh, well, that would work, wouldn't it? Right? That's actually a good answer. He couldn't be lured by music if he couldn't hear. I didn't even think about that. Or he had a brain condition where he doesn't understand music. No. I think there are some people who like they just don't hear it properly the way other people do. Shoot. Okay. So there's some other reason why this boy would not be entranced by music. No, that's not it. That's not it. Because that's what the pied piper is about right the pied piper plays this tune and all the children follow him if i'm trying to remember the childhood story here

first first he draws out all the rats but then they won't pay him and so then he draws out all the children with the music is that the story of the pied piper i think that's right okay and the father is assuring his son, was the little boy afraid that like a Pied Piper would come and the music would entrance him? That's not what the boy was afraid of. He was afraid of something else. I'll say it doesn't quite matter what he was afraid of. Oh, oh, oh, okay. The point is just that the father is saying this scenario couldn't happen to you. Specifically to this boy. Well, that's what he was talking to his son.

So, yes, but I don't want to tell you too much. Well, it couldn't happen because that kind of thing just doesn't happen in real life. It's like a fairy tale. I mean, it's... No, but here the circumstances... Are different. Made it impossible. They're not on the earth. They're in space. I don't go to your question.'re not on the Earth. They're in space.

I don't go to your question. No. Although the Pied Piper in space, we've got to do one about that. He's a president and his son is protected by the Secret Service, so nobody's going to be able to do anything to him. No. These are all excellent guesses. Okay. Is where they're physically located important?

Yes. Ah, but they're not, they're on the surface of the earth? Yes. Okay. Is it what kind of building that they're in that's important? No. Okay, where they're, like what city or country they're in that's important? Yes.

Okay. Are they in the U.S.? No. Are they in North America? Yes. They're in North America, but not the U.S.? Right. Are they in Mexico?

No. Are they in Canada? Yes. They're in Canada, and this can't happen in Canada for some reason, because it's too cold. There's someplace very, very cold. No. I'm trying to think someplace very, very cold. No. I'm trying to think how much to tell you. Okay.

So do I need to figure out where in Canada they are? I'll tell you they're in Alberta. I don't know anything specifically about Alberta that would lead me to understand this. Does there any kind of geographical features that matter, like mountains or water or anything like that? No. Sorry, Albertans. I don't really know anything about Alberta. You may not know this fact about Alberta, but you can infer it from the Pied Piper.

Hopefully. Well, see, all I know about the Pied Piper is the music thing, and you're telling me the music thing isn't important. You went over it before. I did go over it. There are no rats there. That's right. So they wouldn't hire the Pied piper to draw out the rats.

Oh. The family lives in Alberta, Canada, which is rat-free. I did not know that. And so it had no need to call in a piper and get rid of the pests. Since the 1950s, Alberta has operated a rat control program that has made it one of the few places in the world that is free of Norwegian rats. Oh, my goodness. No rats in Alberta, so they don't need a pied piper. That's actually a

super interesting fact. The kids there are safe. The kids there are safe, right? This puzzle comes from Neil deCarteret and his kitty Nala. I was standing behind someone on an escalator a few days ago. I didn't hear them speak, and their appearance was completely nondescript, but I could tell they were from out of town. How? It sounds like a Sherlock Holmes kind of thing, doesn't it? Okay. On an escalator?

Yes. He was standing behind them? Yes. Does it matter whether the escalator was going up or down? I don't think so. What an odd question. So could this have happened if he was just standing behind them in line somewhere? Like the point is that he couldn't see their face?

No. That's not it? That's not it. He could tell they were from out of town. Yes. Okay. But you're... Okay.

Could he have told this... You're saying he couldn't have told that if they were just... If he were just standing behind them. Couldn't have told that they were out of town. What do you mean if he was just standing behind them? In a line at a bank somewhere. I believe that is true. He couldn't have told it if they were in a bank.

Does this have to do with something they said? No. It's just their appearance. No. He says, I didn't hear them speak? No. It's just their appearance? No. He says, I didn't hear them speak, and their appearance was completely nondescript. Oh, all right. Their behavior? Yes.

So does this have to do with escalator etiquette? Yes. Like where you stand? Yes. I think, I don't even know this for Americans. We stand on the right, I think, and then if you want to walk, there's like a passing lane on the left. Is that right?

Yes. And it's the opposite way. Neil said we were in London and they were standing on the left side of the escalator. Or maybe that's what you said. Yeah. London etiquette is that you stand on the right to leave the left free for people who want to walk. All cities have various different etiquettes on this subject.

Of course, being British, I just muttered under my breath, but didn't ask the person to move. That would be upsetting if it felt backward to you. Yeah, and I guess if he's saying that they have a different etiquette in different cities, then you wouldn't know which way you're supposed to be necessarily. You might think you're doing it right. This is from listener Anant Viswanathan.

There are people who start being wished Merry Christmas at the end of June every year. Who and why? Are these people that are so far away that communications take a long time to get to them? No. No. Are there people who celebrate Christmas in June or July? I'm sure there are, but that's not these people. There are people who start being wished Merry Christmas.

Are these people who work in a particular occupation? Yes. Are they playing something Santa Claus themed or Christmas themed, I mean? No. Are they actors? No I mean, no. Are they, are either actors? No. Oh,

shoot. Like, I don't know. Yeah. You can think of all kinds of film things way in advance, right? So you have to, as part of the script,

start saying Merry Christmas, even though it's months earlier. But they are a particular profession. Yes. Would you say they're broadly in the entertainment industry? No. And you'd say they're on Earth in reasonably accessible places. Are they in a particular country?

No. So it's a particular profession. Would you say they have some particular demographic in common other than their profession? No, I wouldn't. And they're not in a particular location? Are they in some kind of particular location? No, they're not. They're not.

So not even a location like a mall or a hospital or a school kind of location. Any kind of location. And they start being wished Merry Christmas, specifically Merry Christmas, in June. Yes. Well, after June. After June. Oh, well, in July then. I mean, that might be a faint clue that it happens after the end of June.

Okay, and it doesn't matter which hemisphere they're in or... So what profession would start getting wished Merry Christmas? And it's not some kind of Christmas-themed profession. No, I know professions are hard to guess. Well, I'm trying to think how would it relate to being wished Merry Christmas is what I'm stuck on. And you said it's not the entertainment industry broadly. So that's kind of the only profession that I'm sort of linking to the whole thing. If it's not the entertainment industry broadly. So that's kind of the only profession that I'm sort of linking to the whole thing. If it's not, are they in sales somehow?

No. Retail? The people who wish them Merry Christmas are their clients, not just anybody. Okay. Their clients wish them Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas, not like have a good Christmas, like I hope you sell a lot of something over Christmas, but specifically Merry Christmas. No, it could just be general holiday wishes.

I mean, but they're not related to retail, because I can see that also you order things way in advance in retail. No. No. Are these, would you say that any of these people involved sort of work seasonally, tend to work seasonally? No. So they do their job all year round, everybody involved? Yes. Are they expecting something in particular to happen at Christmas that involves their profession or business?

No. The people who are wishing them Merry Christmas so far in advance are doing it because they don't expect. So it's something like that. You have a relationship with someone that you only see possibly once a year. Is it doctors? You go to your annual physical? It's doctors, yes. Are you serious? I've never wished my doctor a Merry Christmas in June or July. Anonth writes, patients often have six-monthly follow-up appointments. So after the end of June, they won't see their physician again, one hopes, until after Christmas. Oh. So you have to say Merry Christmas in July because you won't see them again until January. See, now we need to have, if anybody's a doctor, practicing doctor in the audience, you have to let us know if your patients actually say that to you. That must be confusing.

This puzzle is based on something that I read in Dan Lewis's Now I Know e-newsletter. The flu pandemic from 1918 to 1920 infected as much as 40% of the world's population. It was called the Spanish flu in many countries and is still called that to this day, though it likely didn't originate in Spain, and Spain wasn't disproportionately affected by the virus. Why did it become so widely known as the Spanish flu? Didn't originate in Spain. Okay. So you may have said this. Was it called the Spanish flu worldwide or in one particular? As far as I could tell, mostly in Europe and the U.S. I'm not really sure.

But it wasn't one particular country? No, it was widely called the Spanish flu. So you wouldn't say it was fundamentally a political reason that this happened? I wouldn't say that. Spanish flu. Okay. Didn't originate in Spain. Do I need to know where it did originate?

No, they actually don't know. And you said it wasn't particularly bad there. No, it wasn't originate in Spain. Do I need to know where it did originate? No, they actually don't know. And you said it wasn't particularly bad there. No, it wasn't particularly bad in Spain. Is the time period broadly important? Like, were there other world events that had a bearing on this? Yes. World War I? Yes. That doesn't really help.

I'm trying to remember, what were the years of this? You said it was 18? It was 1918 to 1920. But for your purposes, all you need to know is that it overlapped with World War I. Okay, so do I need to know more particularly what was happening in Spain during World War I? I guess I do. I'm not sure what you mean by your question. Well, that has some bearing on the answer to the puzzle.

The fact that World War I was going on when the Spanish flu or the non-Spanish flu started is important. Did the war have some bearing on the treatment of the illness? No. So that's not it. That's not it. Spain didn't handle the flu differently than other nations.

As far as I know, they did not. And you, okay. Does this, okay. But the fact that it overlaps the war implies, well, I asked you about politics. So might we have called it, you know. Unless I misunderstood asked you about politics. So might we have called it... Unless I misunderstood your question about politics. I mean, war is always political to some extent, but...

But it's not that I need to work out something about Spain's role during the war that would help illuminate this? Maybe. Politically? Maybe not. I guess I'm not sure how you're using the word political that's got a broad definition well i want to ask if the spanish were more susceptible somehow to the illness but you've already said they weren't they weren't as far as i know that's not what it

was was this at the time intended sort of pejoratively as if no i don't believe so okay um so i might have answered your question about political wrong, depending on what you meant by political. Well... If you broaden the definition, I'd probably have to say yes. Yeah, I guess if you broaden anything enough, it becomes political. It becomes political, and anything that's related to war is conceivably political, so... Well, I keep wanting to ask if somehow this is blaming Spain as opposed to someone else. No.

And the answer is no. Right. And that's what I thought you meant by political. Like there was a political reason for wanting to be annoyed at Spain or for being angry at Spain or whatever. And it's not like that. Was this a misapprehension? Do people think it had originated or was particularly bad in Spain somehow? Yes.

Oh, yes. And that relates to the war. Record keeping? Not exactly. Or the origin that other nations somehow discovered that it had come to them from Spain? Not that it was particularly violent there, but that's not it. That's not it. But it was a misapprehension.

Would you say then most people that got this name because people wrongly believed that that's where it had originated? Yeah, they wrongly believed that either it had originated there or it was much worse there than anywhere else. Does that have to do with the news accounts? Yes. And it relates to the war. Censorship? Yes. So Spain was no worse than anywhere else, but the word of it was getting out of Spain. Yes. And how does that relate to the war? And Spain's role in the war, do you happen to know? Spain's role in World War I? Yeah, they were neutral. They were one of the few non-combatants in that part of Europe. So they wouldn't then have been censoring their news exactly so the word just got out that's exactly right since they were one of the few major

countries uh to remain neutral during world war one in the allied and central power countries the censors were suppressing news of the flu to avoid affecting morale or alerting their enemies to the difficulties they were having so the spanish media was free to report on it and they were pretty much the only major european country was. And they did quite a bit, especially after the Spanish king, Alfonso VIII, came down with a really bad case of it. So the other countries were mostly only seeing in-depth reports of the flu from Spain, and the flu became associated with that country. That's terrible, because it's still called the Spanish flu. It's still called the Spanish flu, yeah.

A hundred years later, and they never deserved it. And in Spain, however, the belief was that the virus flu. A hundred years later, they never deserved it. And in Spain, however, the belief was that the virus had come to them from France, which was a total misapprehension too. So the Spanish called it the French flu. They were the only place not to call it the Spanish flu. In 1965, former Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker was vacationing in Barbados when he encountered a strong undertow and was drawn out to sea. Fortunately, a man on the beach spotted this, swam out, and rescued him.

After he was sure he was all right, though, the man did the same thing Diefenbaker had done. Why? The man allowed himself to be caught up in an undertow and dragged out to sea? No. The man was accidentally caught up in an undertow and dragged out to sea? No. The man was accidentally caught up in an undertow and dragged out to sea? No. You said he'd done the same thing Diefenbaker did. That's right. Okay.

Diefenbaker was swimming. Yes. Was caught in an undertow. That's right. And was dragged out to sea. Yes. And this good Samaritan guy did something also that Diefenbaker had done. Yes.

But it wasn't one of those things that I just named. That's right. Well, I mean, if it's something he did in his whole life, that could be a lot of things. Right? Yeah, that's true. Something he did in the context of this puzzle, not like something he did a week ago or did at any time. I guess I'm a little confused here. Ask a question.

The man who saved Diefenbaker. Yes. At some point did something that Diefenbaker had also done. Yes. Became prime minister. Yes. Oh, okay. The rescuer was John Turner, who by an unlikely unlikely coincidence, became Prime Minister of Canada himself in 1984.

Oh, okay. So you got it. We've previously covered birds that were fitted with GPS trackers for research purposes. But the question today is, why is law enforcement interested in outfitting albatrosses with GPS trackers? Specifically albatrosses.itting albatrosses with GPS trackers? Specifically albatrosses. Specifically albatrosses. Okay, so law enforcement would want to know that because it would reveal a crime, right? Yes, hopefully.

And that would mean that the crime somehow influences the behavior of albatrosses, right? Is that true? Presumably, yeah, I suppose. I mean, broadly speaking. Well, I guess I'm asking, is that why they, obviously, why else would they want to do it? I'm not quite sure. Maybe ask the question more specifically. Well, if they're fitting with GPS units, then they're tracking the movements of albatrosses.

Is that true? Okay. And if those change, if those don't change, it doesn't help anybody. Is that true? It doesn't help law enforcement. I mean, they have no reason to do this if they're just watching. Am I wrong? That is an assumption.

Yeah, I'm not quite sure that the way you're phrasing it kind of works out. Okay. Okay. So, but the, is it accurate to say that the movements of the albatrosses could reveal crime? Yes, I would say that. Okay. Does this have to do with the feeding? Are they attracted to a certain, to a food that would somehow reveal?

Broadly speaking, yeah. The evidence of a crime? Maybe, yes. Let's say yes. And I'm sorry, where did you say this? This is in England? Oh, I didn't say where it was. Is it important?

I can tell you it was in the southern Indian Ocean where they tried this out, but that probably doesn't help. Oh, no, maybe that does, though. So it's over water. Yes. Does it reveal the presence of ships or the movements of ships? Yeah. Ships doing illegal things. Yes. Does it reveal the presence of ships or the movements of ships? Yeah. Illegal, ships doing illegal things. Yeah.

I guess because albatrosses alight on ships now and then. I mean, they have to land on something out there. Yeah, that's not it, though. They follow ships? They do sometimes. I mean, is that what they're revealing? If they track the albatrosses, the albatrosses follow the ships, and that shows them where the ships are?

Something like that. The ships are conveying drugs or something? No. Would that help me to know what the crime is, like what the ships are doing? Yes. Yes, and it's like ships that were conveying drugs, albatrosses probably wouldn't notice them any more than any other ships. Okay, so the ships are carrying something that attracts albatrosses. Yeah. Albatry.

Albatry. Is it, wow, but something that's illegal to carry? Not exactly. I wouldn't phrase it like that. Fish? Yeah. Illegal fishing? Yes, that's exactly right. The birds can help find boats that are engaged in illegal fishing

because albatrosses travel over quite large areas and are attracted to all fishing boats. And some marine ecologists attached radar detectors and GPS and data transmission antennas to 169 albatrosses in the southern Indian Ocean. From November 2018 through May 2019, the birds recorded radar signals for 353 boats, which regularly use radar to help navigate and avoid collisions with other boats, but 100 of those boats had their automatic identification system transponders turned off. This system broadcasts a vessel's identity, position, course, and other information and is required by international maritime organization regulations. Usually if a boat

has their system turned off, it's because it's trying to avoid detection. In this case, most likely because the boats were involved in some kind of illegal fishing activities, but they were picked up by the albatrosses flying around them. That's clever because even if the bad guys know that this is going on, there's not a lot they can do to discourage the... That's interesting. Harrison Ford managed to get a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame when he'd had a speaking part in only one film. How did he manage this?

He managed to get a star. Okay, is there some kind of trick here? Like, I don't know. He put like a little sticker of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame or a little blasting star. Okay, is there some kind of trick here? Like, I don't know, he put like a little sticker of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame or a little blasting star. I could do that. I guess anybody can do that. Yeah, you can

get a star on the street if you want. So that's not it. You mean like he had an official star put on for himself? Yes. Even though he'd only had a speaking part in one movie. Yeah. And that couldn't have been Star Wars, because he was in movies before Star Wars, right?

That's right. He was in movies before Star Wars. Did he have a speaking part in movies before Star Wars? Uh, no. So it was for Star Wars. So he just, he got a star for Star Wars because it was such a blockbuster hit? No. No.

I'm answering carefully. Okay, let's try this again. He'd had a blockbuster hit? No. No. I'm answering carefully. Okay, let's try this again. He'd had a speaking part in one movie. Yes. Was it a movie made before Star Wars? Yes. And he got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on the basis of that movie.

No. No. I guess I don't know for sure, but I think it's just awarded generally for career achievement. So he got a... I already forgot what's going on here. He got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame pre-Star Wars. Yes.

So he would have been pretty young. I mean, his career would have been pretty young. I'm trying to think what he was in before Star Wars, and I'm thinking American Graffiti is the only thing that's coming to my mind, which was also a big movie, but I don't remember that he had a very big part. Did he have a speaking part in American Graffiti? Do you know? Does it matter?

No. Does this have anything to do with American Graffiti? He was in American Graffiti, but he didn't speak. Is that correct? No. Was he in American Graffiti? Do I need to worry about American Graffiti? No.

Don't worry about American Graffiti. Does it matter what he was in, what movie he was in before Star Wars? No. I'm answering these questions carefully so you don't hit me later. Uh-oh. Okay, let's start again. Harrison Ford got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Yes. Meaning he was being honored for his movie career. Yes. And this happened before Star Wars came out. Yes. So this was being honored for his movie career. Yes. And this happened before Star Wars came out. Yes. So this was pre-1977. Yes. And he was being honored for his acting career, or he had had a prior career? Acting. Acting career. Okay, so he hadn't done something else that he was being honored for. He was honored for his acting career before he was ever in Star Wars. He was honored for his acting career before he was ever in Star Wars.

Can't answer that. Can't answer that. I thought I'd asked you already. This was pre-1977. Yes. So he couldn't have been in Star Wars yet. I'm confused. Was he filming Star Wars at the time?

No. Okay. And by Star Wars, I'm talking the 1977 movie. I understand. That was like his breakout movie as far as I know, but I don't really know what he was in. I can't really think what he was in before that. And you're saying it... Okay, does this have something to do with Star Wars? No. No. I'm so missing something here. Am I making some kind of assumption? Yes. Did he go back in time?

Is time travel involved in any way? No. Okay. Harrison Ford got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Yes. In a year that was before 1977. That's correct. But then when I say things about Star Wars, I get these confused answers.

You're making an assumption. Am I misremembering what year Star Wars came out in? No. So in 1976, he had a star already on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Yes. Was it significantly before 1976? Yes. Was this for something he did as like a child or something? No.

And it was a star for himself, for acting. Yes. And I'm still making an assumption. I'm still not understanding something correctly. What's the most basic assumption you could make when I say Harrison Ford managed to get a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame? That you're talking about the same Harrison Ford I am. Right.

Oh, there's a different actor named Harrison Ford. Yes. There's another Harrison Ford? Remarkably, yes. Who has nothing to do with Star Wars. There are two actors named Harrison Ford who have stars on the Walk of Fame. One of them is a silent film actor who made only one talkie, Love in High Gear, in 1932. He's no relation to the more familiar modern actor.

Okay, I had no idea. That was really fun. That's just such an unusual name. I know, you'd think. What are the odds? Wow! Futility Closet is supported entirely by our incredible listeners. If you'd like to contribute to our

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