# Famous Names in Movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 21, 2007, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-in-movies/416409 "2007-08-21T19:03:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-in-movies/416409/1 "2007-08-21T19:03:15Z")
Inspired by this thread: [Crapping with crappies behind you, or the new Fish N' Flush tank - Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=433576) , I notice that there are names that were once nondescript chosen for characters in the movies that you couldn’t get away with now. In this thread, it’s mentioned that the name of Lloyd Bridges’ character in the series **sea Hunt** was Mike Nelson, which, of course was the name of the headwriter and later the character in **Mystery Science Theater 3000** In the original **Godzilla** (American adaptation), Raymond Burr’s character is named … Steve Martin. I KNOW there are others. I have a bunch on the tip of my tongue, but can’t quite recall them. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-in-movies/416409/2 "2007-08-21T19:08:33Z")
In David Cronenberg’s **Scanners** , the character played by Patrick McGoohan is called Dr. Ruth. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-in-movies/416409/3 "2007-08-21T19:22:41Z")
In “Day of the Locust,” the main character is called Homer Simpson. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-in-movies/416409/4 "2007-08-21T19:26:49Z")
In the first Superman comic, published in 1938 the name of the murder victim is…Jack Kennedy ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-in-movies/416409/5 "2007-08-21T19:50:18Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] In the first Superman comic, published in 1938 the name of the murder victim is…Jack Kennedy [/QUOTE] Dick Powell’s character in **The Tall Target** is John Kennedy and **Khyber Patrol** features a character named George Kennedy. 1957’s **Rockabilly Baby** features two characters named Fred Rogers and Jimmy Carter. Also, the famous real-life Australian outlaw Ned Kelly has had several films made about him, which usually also mention one of his sisters: Grace. And of course, **Office Space** features a character named Michael Bolton (much to his chagrin) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-in-movies/416409/6 "2007-08-21T20:10:01Z")
There was an episode of the TV western Big Valley that featured a brothel with a madame named Amy Carter. Watching a rerun during the Carter adminstration provoked a lot of giggles. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-in-movies/416409/7 "2007-08-22T01:53:56Z")
In _The Greatest American Hero_ the name of the schoolteacher/superhero was Ralph Hinkley. When John Hinkley put a cap in President Reagan, they quickly looped over Ralph’s last name, having his students call him Mr. H for a while, until new episodes were filmed with him named Ralph Hanley. This went on for a whole season, then they must have realized how silly it was and changed it back. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-in-movies/416409/8 "2007-08-22T11:58:46Z")
I remembered another last night. In Fredric Brown’s Edgar-winning mystery **The Fabulous Clipjoint** , one o the crooks is named “Dutch” Reagan. I’ll bet our future president’s nickname wasn’t well known back then. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-in-movies/416409/9 "2007-08-22T13:05:11Z")
The main character in **Quantum Leap** was Sam Beckett, which is awfully close to Samuel Beckett, the Irish playwright. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2007, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-in-movies/416409/10 "2007-08-22T13:10:39Z")
The _Halloween_ movies feature the badguy Michael Myers. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2007, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/famous-names-in-movies/416409/11 "2007-08-23T12:35:36Z")
[QUOTE=h.sapiens] The main character in **Quantum Leap** was Sam Beckett, which is awfully close to Samuel Beckett, the Irish playwright. [/QUOTE] I think Samuel Beckett came _before_ Sam Beckett