# Identify these characters' stories **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 29, 2005, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156 "2005-08-29T21:03:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156/1 "2005-08-29T21:03:45Z")
Here are some secondary characters from stores–movies, TV, books, etc. Tell what the story was and give a brief description of the character. 1. Will Scarlett 2. Ensign Harding 3. Chuck Clayton 4. Zelmo Zayle 5. Roscoe W. Chandler 6. Lieutenant Dan 7. Philby 8. Melvin Cowznofksy 9. Judge Bradley Stevens 10. Valerie Todd Spofford ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156/2 "2005-08-29T21:24:19Z")
1. Will Scarlet was a merry man in the Robin Hood stories 2. Ensign Harding was an officer on the Caine (in the book “The Caine Mutiny”). He was the one who got the messboys to confess they had eaten the strawberries, and let Willie know just before he was reassigned stateside. 3. Lieutenant Dan was Forrest Gump’s commander in Vietnam in “Forrest Gump”. He lost both of his legs in Vietnam, and after the war, joined Forrest in running a shrimpboat. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156/3 "2005-08-29T21:34:01Z")
Melvin Cowznofski was a recurring name in the early years of Mad magazine. It was one of the names given to the gap-toothed lad who eventually became known as Alfred E. Neuman, but was also applied to various one-shot characters. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156/4 "2005-08-29T21:44:55Z")
Judge Bradley Stevens Married Joan, and often used her wacky hijinks to illustrate a point he made in court. Zelmo Zale was one of the enlisted men on M_A_S\*H who wasn’t Radar or Klinger. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156/5 "2005-08-29T22:51:30Z")
All the ones I knew are gone. So I’ll add: 1. Bill Tanner 2. Norman Kent 3. ‘J’ 4. John Benton 5. Detective Sergeant Tarrant ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156/6 "2005-09-01T01:16:10Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > All the ones I knew are gone. So I’ll add: > > 1. Bill Tanner > 2. Norman Kent > 3. ‘J’ > 4. John Benton > 5. Detective Sergeant Tarrant Sorry, Pete, I don’t know any of those. Tanner sounded like the family name for Bob Saget’s series _Full House._ 3. Chuck Clayton was the black kid in the Archie comics; coach Clayton’s son, boyfriend of black girl Nancy Johnson, and a budding cafrtoonist. 5. Roscoe W. Chandler (Louis Sorin) was the straight man for Groucho and Chico in _Animal Crackers_ (“Abie, the Fishman!”) 7. Philby (Alan Young) was Rod Taylor’s friend in _Time Machine_ (1960). 10. Valerie Todd Spofford was the woman who ran the dance school in _Ellen Tebbitts_ and _Otis Spofford,_ books by Beverly Cleary. Here are more: 1. Animal (not a Muppet!) 2. Floyd Lawson 3. Windy (a movie character) 4. Kimbro 5. Mr. Cogswell 6. Icepick 7. Professor Potter 8. Inspector Luger 9. Inspector Fix 10. Stinky ---
**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156/7 "2005-09-01T02:13:00Z")
1. Bill Tanner is chief of staff to M head of the British Secret Service in the Ian Fleming James Bond books 2. John Benton is Sgt Benton of UNIT, often assisting Doctor WHO in his adventures. ---
**Author:** ![Idlewild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8491ac/32.png) [@Idlewild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idlewild)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156/8 "2005-09-01T02:25:52Z")
Norman Kent was one of the Saint’s partners in crime, a particularly able and brave man who gave his life for his country and to protect his friends. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156/9 "2005-09-01T02:33:00Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > 1. Floyd Lawson The barber played by Howard McNear on _The Andy Griffith Show_. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156/10 "2005-09-01T03:00:43Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > 1. Inspector Luger A recurring character on “Barney Miller”, played by James Gregory. I think (It’s been a while since I’ve seen the show) he was in Internal Affairs, and was used every once in a while to annoy the precinct. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156/11 "2005-09-01T03:05:56Z")
> [@Governor Quinn](#): > > A recurring character on “Barney Miller”, played by James Gregory. I think (It’s been a while since I’ve seen the show) he was in Internal Affairs, and was used every once in a while to annoy the precinct. Scratch out the “Internal Affairs” part- I seem to have confused whim with Scanlon. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156/12 "2005-09-01T03:10:38Z")
> [@Governor Quinn](#): > > Scratch out the “Internal Affairs” part- I seem to have confused whim with Scanlon. Not “whim”, “him”. (This is getting to be a rather embarrasing series of posts.) Is “Stinky” Joe Besser’s childish character from the “Abbott & Costello” TV program, or is there another? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156/13 "2005-09-01T06:32:32Z")
**Icepick** is a shady underworld character, a friend of Magnum’s buddy Rick. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156/14 "2005-09-01T06:39:15Z")
**Inspector Fix** followed Phileas Fogg around the World, in the mistaken belief that Fogg was a criminal. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156/15 "2005-09-01T07:21:31Z")
> [@Governor Quinn](#): > > Not “whim”, “him”. > > (This is getting to be a rather embarrasing series of posts.) > > Is “Stinky” Joe Besser’s childish character from the “Abbott & Costello” TV program, or is there another? That’s the one. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156/16 "2005-09-01T07:26:01Z")
> [@Governor Quinn](#): > > Scratch out the “Internal Affairs” part- I seem to have confused whim with Scanlon. Lugar was the harmless character who came in to bend everyone’s ear. Scanlon always assumed someone in the 12th Precinct wasn’t doing his job right–he was always looking for something to find fault with. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156/17 "2005-09-01T12:23:31Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > 1. Animal (not a Muppet!) **Animal** was a newspaper photographer on “Lou Grant.” ---
**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:** [September 1, 2005, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156/18 "2005-09-01T12:39:33Z")
15.) Detective Tarrant: was one of the nonexsistent characters in Anthony Schaeffer’s play (and later movie) **Sleuth**. Milo Tindle says he’s going to show up, but he doesn’t before the end. He is, I think, supposed to be a real character, but he doesn’t show up onstage or onscreen. Nevertheless, the Playbill gave a name for the actor and even a fake biography. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156/19 "2005-09-01T12:54:00Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Here are more: > 5. Mr. Cogswell > > 1. Professor Potter Mr. Cogswell ran Cogswell Cogs in “The Jetsons.” He was Mr. Spacely’s bitter rival. (George Jetson worked for Spacely Sprockets.) Professor Potter was an eccentric inventor in the “Superman” comics. His inventions usually went awry, with unintended consequences. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2005, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156/20 "2005-09-01T13:07:36Z")
Oh! **dougie\_monty** , Gabby Hayes played Hopalong Cassidy’s sidekick, Windy. Is that who you’re going for? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-characters-stories/319156.md?page=2)