The Exodus 1947 carrying Jewish refugees, and its forcible seizure in international waters by the British Navy, did indeed boost public support for a Jewish nation, though Leon Uris’ novel makes major changes to the details
George III, King of both England and Hanover, had three sons who ruled as King of Hanover, but only two of them were Kings of England. (England’s inheritance rules differed from Hanover’s and the English throne passed to George III’s granddaughter Victoria.)
The symbol of Hanover was a white horse on a red field. It appeared on the British royal coat of arms when those monarchs also sat on the Hanoverian throne.
The baking company Snyder’s of Hanover traces its roots to 1909. However, the company’s distinctive sourdough pretzels were developed by a competitor, which Snyder’s bought out in 1963.
In 1981 Tom Snyder, the chain smoking host of Tomorrow often parodied by Dan Aykroyd, had a full episode length interview with Charles Manson; even though this was when most Americans didn’t have VCRs and the show aired very late he got millions more viewers than normal.
Guns ‘n’ Roses included a cover version of Charles Manson’s folk song “Look at Your Game, Girl,” on their 5th album, ***The Spaghetti Incident.
“City of Roses” is the official nickname of Portland, Oregon.
The Matrix used many of the leftover sets and locations from the film Dark City, as well as the same general concept.
In the campy action movie Commando, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a retired US officer with the unlikely name “John Matrix.”
During his bodybuilding and early acting days, Arnold Schwarzenegger occasionally went by the name “Arnold Strong”.
Not to be confused with Arnold STang, who co-starred with him in “Hercules in New York.”
Sir Elton John’s self-inflicted middle name is Hercules.
The slaying of the Nemean Lion is the first of the Twelve Labors of Heracles (Hercules); the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu name for the rear naked choke, “Mata Leão” (“lion killer”), is likely an homage to the story.
Another of the labors was the cleaning of the Augean Stables. Heracles accomplished this by rerouting two rivers to wash out the accumulated three decades’ worth of cattle dung.
“Hobson’s Choice” – originally meaning “no choice at all” – was named for Thomas Hobson, the owner of a London livery stable who told customers to hire the horse nearest the door or none at all. The phrase was used for a 1954 film starring Charles Laughton and a very young Prunella Scales, best known to audiences today as Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers
“Fawlty Towers” was set in the real seaside town of Torquay, Devon on the “English Riviera”. It was also the hometown of Dame Agatha Christie.
Dame Agatha Christie, also known for her Hercule Poirot mysteries, has had her works translated into more than 50 languages. She disappeared for 11 days under suspicious circumstances in 1926, but then reappeared with no apparent ill consequences. Some biographers have suggested she suffered a brief nervous breakdown due to marital difficulties, although critics at the time said it was a mere publicity stunt.
Just four years later, NYSC Justice Joseph Crater disappeared, having been last seen entering a taxi, that day after receiving a phone call and telling his wife he had to go to NYC “to straighten those fellows out”. His mistress, Sally Ritz, disappeared as well, several weeks later. No useful leads were ever found, although neither is likely buried under a football stadium.
Rita Moreno was the first performer to win an Oscar, an Emmy, a Tony and a Grammy. She earned the Tony for her performance in The Ritz, a comic play about a mobster hiding out at a gay bathhouse.
The film version of The Ritz featured F. Murray Abraham, a Syrian-American actor who later won the Oscar for his portrayal of Antonio Salieri in Amadeus and inspired the term coined by Roger Ebert “The F. Murray Abraham Syndrome”, meaning a performer who wins an Oscar yet never becomes A-list or anywhere near.
In Regarding Henry, Harrison Ford’s character is shot and slowly recovers memory and motor abilities. One of the first things he says upon regaining the ability to speak is “Ritz.” The physical therapist thinks he’s talking about the crackers; he’s really talking about the hotel where he had an affair with one of his coworkers (but he doesn’t realize it).