Or I'm just too stupid to know that "H" comes after "G." Carry on. Englebert IS there.

Are you telling me that 50 Cent isn't his real name? I'm just shocked!

I guess 'God Bless Marion Michael Morrison' wouldn't look as macho on a bumper sticker.

Oooh! Oooh! I know this one! Call on me!
Gordon Mills was the manager of both Arnold George Dorsey and Thomas Jones Woodward (NOT on the list), who changed his stage name to Tom Jones and got an extra publicity boost from the literary reference. The agent looked for another 'historical' stage name, and found that the composer of the opera Hänsel und Gretel had died in 1921 and was no longer using that name.

Personal note: my Xth grade class had a field trip to see that particular opera (Kulture for Kids, you know) just when the second Humperdinck had his first hit record. Uncontrollable giggling ensued from an all-grade-school matinee audience.

Oh, Mills also turned Raymond Edward O'Sullivan to Gilbert O'Sullivan (ALSO not on the lit), in obvious reference to those Mikado guys.


Some of these name changes surprise even me (a long time namechange buff) but all the ones I already knew are correct. I notice the list also includes some rather minor name changes (So Jay Leno is really James; who cares?) and actresses who use their married names (Jenna Elfman nee Butala). And did ya notice that the real last name of both Sid Vicious and Kid Rock is "Ritchie"?

But there are some things I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND. Where the hell did William Frederick Dempsey George Sutherland come up with "Keifer"?!? And Susan Alexandra Weaver get "Sigourney"?!? And William Royce Scaggs find "Boz"?!? And Edward Ernest Reinhold Jr. get "Judge"?!?!?

Sigourney Weaver says she got "Sigourney" from The Great Gatsby -- my copy is missing, alas, but there's a point where, I think it's Jordan, tells Nick to write to her in care of her aunt, and that's the aunt's name.

Cary Grant uses his own name in the film "His Girl Friday," when his character says, "Why, the last man to say that to me was Archie Leach, just before he cut his throat." Heh.

Me, if I went famous, I'd use the name Cassandra Leigh. That was Jane Austen's sister.

Wow, I didn't think Desi Arnaz (in his vintage prime) could get any sexier until I saw his real name.

This reminds me of a story from my growing-up years. My brother was friends with a kid by the name of TyeRi. This was the mid-80s and they were all very into rap and ran around composing and reciting their rhymes all the time. TyeRi wanted a better rapper name, and so beginning in about 6th grade he started going by the name "Supreme". He went by that name at school and most of his friends, and even some teachers, ended up calling him that.

One day my brother called his house. He must have called at a sensitive family moment, because when his mother answered, she sounded highly irritated. My brother said "Hi, can i speak to Supreme, please?" His mother responded in full dismissive-sarcastic mode, "Ain't no Supreme here. All we got is TyeRi."

I love how you can always count on your family to take you down a notch.

Oh, and JanetLand, I love that scene in His Girl Friday (what a great film, Howard Hawks was a genius), because I always feel I'm enjoying a little in-joke with Cary Grant.

I thought it was Mae West who helped rename Grant, no?

JOAN FUCKIN' LARKIN!!!

imdb says: "Paramount Studios named him Cary Grant while he began his film career, because the similarity of the name to Gary Cooper, their biggest male star, (C.G. being an inversion of G.C.) and possibly because Clark Gable had the same initials."

I think he's amazing. He's one of the most compelling people to watch on screen, and his biography - childhood especially - is really unusual. He was abandoned as a young child, found ways to manipulate the class system and blend in with street urchins as well as public-school rich boys,eventually joined the circus and became an acrobat and juggler (which I think you can see in his physical comedy on film). Fascinating person.

I was going to say that they don't make 'em like that any more, but it's never fair to say that about people from the Golden Age of cinema. They also don't make scripts like that any more, nor do they have studio systems like that any more. The whole package was really responsible for the greatness of that era. And more modern ways of making movies and stars have some things going for them, too.

Plus, Cary Grant was HAWT.

They missed Fiona Apple, née Fiona Apple Maggart. Her sister, Amber Tallulah Maggart, sings as Maude Maggart (go figure), and her half-brother uses Garett Maggart.

Oh, and Michael Keaton (included) always cracks me up when I remember his real name.

The kissing scene in Notorious with Ingrid Bergman is the BIGGEST turn-on.

I think if this were 50 years ago, Renee Zellweger would be forced to change her name.