Ask American Profile 5/25/2008

Q What breed was the dog that played in Old Yeller? I think it was a Black Mouth Cur.
—Morgan McKinney, Roxboro, N.C.

You are correct. Old Yeller, in the classic 1957 Disney movie of the same name, was indeed a Black Mouth Cur, a rugged hunting dog whose breed originated in the South. For the movie, which starred Chuck (The Rifleman) Connors and Tommy Kirk, Yeller was trained and coached by renowned Hollywood animal trainers Frank and Rudd Weatherwax, whose other canine clients included the various Lassies used on television and in the movies.

Q Did actor Tony Curtis ever serve on a submarine during World War II?
—Jack Halferty, Sutherlin, Ore.

Curtis, born Bernard Schwartz in New York, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II on a submarine tender, a craft that services and supplies submarines. One of his shipmates was another Hollywood star-to-be, Larry (F-Troop) Storch. Fun facts: Curtis, 82, the father of actress Jamie Leigh Curtis, is one of the figures on the cover of the Beatles’ classic Sgt. Peppers’ Lonely Hearts Club Band album and was the voice of dashing Stoney Curtis in The Flintstones TV series.

Q Please tell me if I dreamed this, or was there actually a short-lived soap opera called Rituals?
—Chad Sexton, Knoxville, Tenn.

You’re not dreaming. Rituals was a syndicated 1984 TV soap that never quite found its groove, partly because actors came and went out of roles several times during its single year of production. One main character was played by three different actresses, including Francine York, comedienne Jo Ann Pflug and Tina Louise, better known as Ginger from Gilligan’s Island.

Q Now that Katherine Heigl has a film career—27 Dresses and Knocked Up—will she continue her role as Izzy Stevens on TV’s Grey’s Anatomy?
—Arnold Craig, Bucyrus, Ohio

Heigl, who made her TV debut as a child in a Cheerios commercial, has no intention of leaving the hit ABC series, even as her film career continues to grow. Working on a new movie called The Ugly Truth, she recently told reporters, “It’s my every intention to stay a part of Grey’s Anatomy. It’s been an amazing experience for me and I’m really grateful for what it’s meant to my life and career.”

Upload Your Own Stories, Photos and Videos

Every week, American Profile magazine brings you stories that celebrate the people and places that make America great. Now we want to hear your stories and see your photos, videos and even audio.

 Start Uploading Now!

 

Discuss this Article