Iowa: Part 2 of a 6 part series

What I learned about Iowa Entertainment:

1. David Copperfield has a house in what Dennis Kucinich lovin’ county?

Jefferson (in Fairfield).

2. Nick Nolte attended primary school in this city?

Ames. Nolte is the honorary “Tom Arnold” of central Iowa.

3. Mason City is the setting for what musical?

The Music Man.

4. Entire town that was on David Letterman in 1989?

Bolan

Bonus: 1980 Letterman also aired a show from the home of Cresco’s Jane Goldworthy.

Since everyone knows that the “home office” that provides the top ten list every night is traditionally said to be in Sioux City, it seems like there's only one person who loves Iowa more than David Letterman. . .

5. The person who loves Iowa more than David Letterman?

Helen Hunt

When she sees a script that has Iowa in it, she starts convulsing with joy and foaming at the mouth. She’s acted in both Miles From Home, which was filmed in Cedar Rapids, and Twister, which was filmed around Ames. She must love Iowa, because I can see no other reason why she would have acted in the film Twister, which hilariously finds a way to pitch “good” tornado chasers against “evil” tornado chasers. Yes. The evil tornado chasers do wear all black and drive a black, ominous looking automobile.

6. What actor, named the second greatest male actor of all time by AFI, died in Davenport in 1986?

Cary Grant

“Is this Iowa?” He asked, noting the beauty of his surroundings and the slow, unrushed pace of life.

“No, it’s heaven,” said Shoeless Joe.

7. What former Iowa footballer played George Papadapolis, Webster’s godfather, on the sitcom Webster?

Alex Karras

Bonus: Alex Karras also was the only tackle to come in second in Heisman Trophy voting. How was I unaware of this? And why doesn't the U of I get this kind of information out there?

Extra Bonus: Maybe this is why. His teammate Randy Duncan said that Karras has “no good memories of Iowa.” Tragic. I’ll never watch Webster with the same innocence again.

8. Birthplaces:

There were a ton of questions about famous Iowans and birthplaces and colleges, so I just quickly compiled a list. It is by no means exhaustive.

Corning—Johnny Carson

Clarinda—Glenn Miller

Sioux City—Jerry Mathers

Winterset—John Wayne

Davenport—Bix Beiderbecke

Ottumwa—Tom Arnold

Dubuque—Kate Mulgrew (Star Trek). Close to my heart because my dad graduated from Wahlert with her. They did one of those “plan a family budget” assignments together. For the section marked “entertainment,” she said, “oohhh, let’s call that vice.” I like that story.

Creston—Marcia Wallace (Bob Newhart’s secretary and voice of Edna Krabappel on the Simpsons). Close to my heart because I saw her perform wonderfully in The Vagina Monologues at Hancher.

Denison—Donna Reed (Jimmy Stewart's Wife in It's a Wonderful Life, Oscar winner and probably most importantly, an anti-nuclear activist, anti-Vietnam activist, and founder of Another Mother for Peace).

9. Colleges Attended—

Gary Cooper—Grinnell

Tom Brokaw—Iowa

Greg Gumbel—Loras

Gene Wilder-- Iowa

Steve Allen—Drake

Tony Danza—University of Dubuque