Know it all

Angela Lansbury (born 1925) played Elvis Presley’s (1935-1977) mother in the 1961 movie “Blue Hawaii.” Lansbury, at age 35, was only 10 years older than Elvis at the time.

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Elvis Presley stayed at the Coco Palms Resort on Kauai while filming “Blue Hawaii.” The final scene of the movie is Elvis’ character getting married by the lagoons at the resort.

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Hurricane Iniki struck the island of Kauai in September 1992. The hurricane devastated the Coco Palms Resort, causing the resort to shut down after 39 years in business. The subject of insurance issues and disputes, the decaying resort is still standing today.

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A storm is classified as a hurricane if it has winds that are more than 73 mph.

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The names of hurricanes are established by the World Meteorological Organization. In order of occurrence, hurricanes are named alphabetically; the first hurricane of the year starts with the letter A, then B, etc. The letters Q, U, X, Y and Z are not used.

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The names of hurricanes are repeated every six years. However, when an extremely destructive hurricane hits, the hurricane’s name is retired and no longer used.

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The most violent weather in the world is in the United States, according to NASA. In one year, on average, the United States experiences 10,000 violent thunderstorms, 5,000 floods and 1,000 tornadoes.

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Rogue waves in the ocean are caused by undersea earthquakes and landslides.

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Surfer Tom Blake (1902-1994) of Wisconsin holds the world record for the longest ride on a surfboard. He rode 4,500 feet on a wave in Waikiki, Hawaii, in 1936.

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In the 1960s, the Beach Boys were the most popular surf band in the country. Their first hit song was “Surfin” in 1961. Can you name the other songs by the Beach Boys that had the word “surf” in their titles? See answer at end.

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Sometimes called the ultimate surfer movie, “The Endless Summer” (1966) is a documentary about surfers searching the world for the perfect wave. The movie was filmed in Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii and California.

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Annette Funicello (born 1942) and Frankie Avalon (born 1939) starred in a series of five beach-themed movies in the 1960s. One of the original Mouseketeers, Annette Funicello never wore a bikini in the movies because she promised Walt Disney (1901-1966) that she would not show her navel in a film.

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In the 1965 movie “How to Stuff a Wild Bikini” (1965), Annette Funicello was filmed from the waist up because she was pregnant.

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The metal spike that a cello rests on is called an endpin.

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Answer: “Surfin’ Safari” (1962), “Surfin’ U.S.A.” (1963), “Surfer Girl” (1963), “Surf’s Up” (1971). The Beach Boys was formed in 1961 by brothers Brian Wilson (born 1942), Dennis Wilson (1944–1983) and Carl Wilson (1946–1998), with Mike Love (born 1941) and Alan Jardine (born 1942). Dennis was the only surfer in the group.

Know It All is by Kerry McArdle. It runs in the weekend edition of the Daily Journal. Questions? Comments? Email knowitall(at)smdailyjournal.com or call 344-5200 ext. 114.