Q: I am curious about Anderson Cooper, son of Gloria Vanderbilt, and his two half-brothers born to Vanderbilt and conductor Leopold Stokowski. Is Cooper in touch with them? What has become of the brothers? — O.C., Naples, Fla.
A: Anderson Cooper is a journalist, author and television personality. His older half-brothers are Leopold Stanislaus “Stan” Stokowski and Christopher Stokowski. Stan is married and has a family. Little is known about Christopher. According to some sources, he is estranged from his family and has been for many years. Cooper has a policy of keeping his personal life to himself; he does a good job of this, although he appears to be close to his mother. Cooper had an older brother, Carter Vanderbilt Cooper, who committed suicide in 1988, at the age of 23.
Q: In the Van Nuys High School yearbook, a photo of Natalie Wood appears next to a picture of a person named Nita Wood. Is Nita related to Natalie? — B.W., Manhattan Beach, Calif.
A: No. Natalie Wood entered the world as Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko on July 20, 1938. Her parents were immigrants from Russia who moved to San Francisco, Calif., and later changed the family name to Gurdin. Natalie had an older half-sister, Olga Viriapaeff, and a younger sister, Svetlana Zakharenko — also known as the actress Lana Wood. Natalie also had two daughters, Natasha Gregson, from her marriage to British producer Richard Gregson, and Courtney Wagner, from her marriage to actor Robert Wagner. Natalie Wood accidentally drowned on Nov. 29, 1981. She was only 43 years old.
Q: During the 1960s, I remember a movie called “The World’s Second Best Secret Agent.” Was it a spoof? Who starred in it? Is it available on DVD? — T.E., Paris, Ill.
A: Originally called “Licensed to Kill,” the movie was retitled “The Second Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World.” Released in 1965, it starred Tom Adams as Charles Vine. The film, one of many to parody the James Bond craze, can be found on VHS and DVD.
Q: How many times has game-show host Chuck Woolery been married? To whom? — V.C., Hurlock, Md.
A: Chuck Woolery has been married four times. His first wife was Margaret Hayes. His second wife was actress Jo Ann Pflug. His third wife was Teri Nelson, granddaughter of the famous TV couple Ozzie and Harriet. His fourth and current wife is Kim Barnes.
Q: “A Thousand Country Roads” is an epilogue to the book and movie “The Bridges of Madison County.” Robert James Waller wrote it. I am interested in obtaining a copy of this epilogue. Can you help me? — A.C., Centreville, Md.
A: “A Thousand Country Roads” is available at Amazon.com. If you do not have computer access, you can most likely order it from a local bookstore. Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, is the publisher. The company’s mailing address is 3 Center Plaza, Boston, MA 02108; the phone number is (800) 759-0190.
Q: Can you please tell me the name of the Native American man in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”? — No initials, Oklahoma City, Okla.
A: Will Sampson, a member of the Native American Muscogee tribe, part of the Creek Nation, portrayed Chief Bromden in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” By some reports, he was 6-feet-5 and by others, 6-feet-7. Sampson died in 1987, at the age of 53.
Send your questions to Mr. Know-It-All at AskMrKIA@gmail.com or c/o United Feature Syndicate, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016.