I Love Weird Facts

I have been watching some of the episodes of the first season (1952) of "The Adventures of Superman", starring George Reeves. I've picked up some arcane tidbits about Jimmy Olson, as portrayed by Jack Larson on the show:

1) His middle name is Bartholomew.
2) He is a Chicago White Sox fan.

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MaryJanine · 61-69, F

I watch these, too, on Saturday mornings, followed by Batman (1966-68) and The Greatest American Hero. God, I love that theme song...

But to get back to Jimmy Olson - WHITE SOX FAN?!? As my mom used to say, "I don't watch guys who walk around the bases." Did anybody catch that Cubs/Sox game where that idiot Sox pitcher made the middle innings a merry-go-round by WALKING the bases full and then WALKING in a run...then another...and another...I think it was five before getting anybody out. (As you could probably surmise, I love the Cubs and so did my mom. Still do.)

The thing I like best about the Superman series, though, is the episode where Chuck Connors plays a hayseed farmer with his mule Lilybelle. I love Chuck Connors. My mother met him in person one day when she was working in a municipal election as a election judge in Chicago. He was in town to visit a friend who still lived there, and one of the officials brought him in as a surprise. My mom was the only one out of three ladies who recognized him; she blurted, "You're the Rifleman!"

He grinned at Mom and replied, "That's me, Chuck Connors, in the flesh."

He stayed for a couple of hours, and gave Mom his autograph before he left.She was in heaven. When she came home and told us who she had met, we were like, Yeah, Mom...right..Then she showed us the autograph, and we were convinced. Mom is gone, but we saved that autograph and, many years later, I wrote a piece for a magazine which they published, based on that story. To get back to the baseball reference - Mr. Connors used to play pro ball for the Chicago Cubs! (Mom remembered that, too.)

DrWatson · 70-79, M

@MaryJanine Wow, it's amazing how things all clicked together in that story!

xixgun · M

@MaryJanine Someone who shares my name played for the Dodgers

MaryJanine · 61-69, F

@DrWatsonIsn't it, though? My mother loved John Wayne and all Westerns, and taught us to love them all,too. That's how she recognized Chuck Connors by sight.

MaryJanine · 61-69, F

How long ago was that? Some of those kids they have playing on the team right now look like somebody's fifteen-year-old son. And they're probably older than I think. A couple, three years ago, there was a player on the Pittsburgh Pirates who wore his hair in a long ponytail - and I do mean lonnng - halfway down his back. I thought it was disgusting, not to mention getting in his way. They traded him on the off-season, and I haven't seen him since. Wonder if he retired?