People

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUDDY EBSEN

The great actor Buddy Ebsen has turned 94 (4/2/02). He's an amazing guy. Just think ... a dancer who hoofed it up with Shirley Temple; the original Tin Man in the "The Wizard of Oz," until he nearly died from inhaling the aluminum powered makeup initially used in the movie; the longtime star of "The Beverly Hillbillies," forever Jed in our minds; Barnaby Jones (quite a change from Jed); and his unforgettable role as Doc Golightly in 1961's "Breakfast at Tiffany's." During an interview with UPI about his just-published memoirs "The Other Side of Oz" I mentioned to him that I was in awe of his low speaking voice. "It's always been that way," he told me, "and it's darkening with age. And I don't look forward to it getting any darker." A product of a German immigrant family who ran a health spa in southern Illinois, a dancer, saxophone player, actor, collector of folk art, genuinely nice guy ... happy birthday, Buddy. By the way, you might want to check out his official Web site: buddyebsen.com on the Internet. Well doggies!

DANGERFIELD: 'DON'T TREAD ON ME' ... HUH?

There's no doubt that self-deprecating comic Rodney Dangerfield must still be on cloud nine in the wake of being honored, last week, with his own star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. And he deserves to gloat, at least for a while. According to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the honorary "Mayor of Hollywood," longtime local radio personality Johnny Grant, helped unveil the star. Dangerfield's wife Joan also was there, as were many close friends and a ton of fans. The comedian-actor is now 80 and best known for his work in "Caddyshack" and "Back to School" and myriad TV and lounge performances. In spite of suffering a mild heart attack last fall, Dangerfield is again performing, most recently in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand. But, think about it. For Dangerfield, having his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame could prove to be a double-edged sword. Getting the star is one way to pay respect to the man who has made a living complaining that he never gets any. But a star on a sidewalk! Where people TREAD? Where errant dogs and cats amble. There has to be material for a hundred new jokes there. The problem will be learning to walk on Dangerfield's star ... with respect.

IS LOPEZ FALLING IN LOVE WITH FOOD?

Jennifer Lopez is becoming quite a businesswoman. She invested in the re-do of a Hollywood nightclub called the Conga Room then decided to branch into the restaurant business. According to the Los Angeles Daily News, her hopes of opening a new Cuban-themed eatery in Pasadena to cash-in on Oscar-night business didn't pan out when the retrofit of the restaurant fell off schedule. Now comes word that the place, the former Pinot Restaurant and Martini Bar, will be reopened in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, a member of the California Restaurant Association has told the publication that it's one thing to draw in customers with a famous star's name, but it will be the quality of the food that determines if the new customers come back for more.

IN TRIBUTE TO BARRY TOOK

The death of British comedian Barry Took nearly passed unnoticed because of the raft of notable passings in recent days, including that of the Queen Mother. Took was, according to reports in a variety of London dailies, one of England's best-known comedians and comedy writers. He was one of the driving, behind-the-scenes forces of "Monty Python's Flying Circus." He also contributed to the long-running NBC TV series "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In." The News says that he was one of Britain's longest-tenured comedians, with decades on the stage and in the electronic media. He did standup, wrote for others, spent time as a film critic and was even a TV executive at one time. He gained international fame as the producer of a series of award-winning radio programs, including "Round the Horne," The Army Game" and Bootsie and Snudge." The programs brought a smile to Brits during the years after World War Two when rationing and belt tightening was still a part of daily life. Barry Took died of cancer recently in a London nursing home. He was 73.

ALSO LOST IN THE SHUFFLE

The death of CNN's Ed Turner was also nearly lost in the crush of recent news. No, not Ted Turner ... Ed Turner ... who constantly had to remind people that he and the "inventor of CNN" were not related. Ed Turner was there with Ted at the beginning of CNN, back in the days when the journalism world cast a skeptical eye at what some jokingly called the Chicken Noodle Network. He was hired by Ted Turner in 1980 to help lend journalistic credibility to the fledgling operation. He stayed on until 1998, working finally as the network's vice president in charge of news gathering. Ed Turner was truly one of the unsung heroes of modern-day news gathering. Too bad he was so often confused with the other Turner. But, true journalist that he was, he wasn't worried. It was his work and the final product that mattered. Doctors at George Washington University Hospital in the nation's capital report that Turner died of complications due to liver cancer. Ed Turner was only 66.

RAY CHARLES AND THE TALKING SLOT MACHINE

Singer Ray Charles has teamed up with a producer of gaming equipment in the production of the first series of slot machines designed for the visually impaired. Charles's publicist tells us that the 12-time Grammy winner has helped Bally Gaming Systems in the design of the new high-tech machines. The first series of slot machines is "America-themed," featuring audio instructions and Braille instruction pads. Charles, who is now 71, says that he was taught from childhood to be as independent as possible. When he was approached by Bally's he noted that the concept rang a bell and he suddenly realized how disenfranchised many people with visual problems are from many endeavors, including taking part in the ambiance of gaming centers. By the way, the Charles-Bally's project just won an award from the American Foundation for the Blind.

UPI DAILY SURVEY QUESTION NO. 302

Recently we asked for your horror stories concerning speeding tickets. Today we continue in our "automotive" vein with this one: "What have been your experiences dealing with the DMV in your area?" Put DMV in the subject line and send to [email protected] on the Internet.

RESULTS OF QUESTION NO. 297 (TRIVIA)

Last week we asked for your favorite bits of trivia. Here are some of the contributions: RTM chimes in again with the question, "What do zoos consider the most dangerous species?" The answer is PEOPLE. Some have full-length mirrors with the notation, "You're looking at the most dangerous species." Fran reminds us of the name of the dog in the old Nestle commercials ... Farfell. Hey, Fran, who was the ventriloquist? Nigel says that the creator of Don Quixote (Miguel de Cervantes) and William Shakespeare died on the same day (4/21/1616), but most people don't realize it because the countries in which they died (Spain and England, respectively) used different calendars. Sherry R. reminds us about the college that Bullwinkle attended: Whatsamatta U. LouBabe says that the flag flying over the Canadian Parliament Building on that country's two-dollar bill is the American flag! Really? OK, you Canadians, let me hear about this. Peggy must be a super smart lady, her trivia concerns oddities concerning numbers. For example, she tells us that if you ever need to multiply a number by 25, "simply move the decimal point two spaces to the left (Peggy, don't you mean to the right?), then divide by four." My favorite question is: What happened between Oct. 5 and 14 in 1582? I first heard it on KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh one night in the 50s, while listening from Indiana to a show called "Partyline," hosted by a husband and wife (Ed and Wendy King). It was their nightly Party Pretzel. The answer: Nothing. Those were the dates that Pope Gregory eliminated so his newly created (corrected) calendar could jibe with the actual solar date. TOMORROW: Your thoughts on rebuilding the World Trade Center. GBA.