Q. Since you're so good at coming up with old movies, try this one from my dad: He remembers a John Wayne movie in which three men in the desert wind up adopting a baby. How about it, smart guy?
-- B.P., of O'Fallon
A. You give me a challenge I can't refuse.
There, did that ring any bells with your dad? I thought it might, considering the film he's looking for is John Ford's 1948 flick "3 Godfathers."
It stars the Duke, Pedro Armendariz and Harry Carey Jr. as three outlaws on the run after robbing a bank. Then, they run into an even tougher challenge: They meet up with a dying woman in labor, but before she passes on to that great roundup in the sky, she makes them promise to care for her newborn.
Interestingly, it's a remake of the 1916 silent film "The Three Godfathers" and Ford's 1919 silent film "Marked Men," both of which starred Harry Carey. When Carey died of cancer in 1947, Ford vowed to remake the movie in technicolor and cast Carey's son as one of the desperados.
One more interesting note from the Internet Movie Database: If you look closely while Wayne is "greasing" the tyke, the supposed bouncing baby boy is anything but. No wonder Amelia Yelda received no credit for playing Robert William Pedro Hightower.
More good news: The film is available on DVD and VHS for as little as $4.65 at amazon.com. You might also compare it to the 1936 remake of "Three Godfathers" with Walter Brennan and a 2003 Japanese version called "Tokyo Godfathers."
Q. In the Illinois Outdoor News, I found an interesting recipe for Filet of Venison Wellington. The recipe calls for "9 squares of prepared puff pastry dough." I have never heard of puff pastry dough nor have a found it in any cookbooks. Help, I have some venison filets awaiting your answer.
-- R. Schmidt, of Tilden
A. Oh, deer, you're asking someone whose only knowledge of dough is the bread he sticks in the toaster every morning.
But not to worry. A quick trip to Schnucks Thursday found exactly what you need. It's Pepperidge Farm's prepared puff pastry dough. It comes in shells or sheets, and you'll find it in the freezer section. (At Schnucks in Swansea, it was at one end of the ice cream section, but I would imagine most large supermarkets handle it. It's about $4.25.)
If you can't find that, my colleague and gifted cook Suzanne Boyle suggests trying phyllo dough -- the stuff they use for baklava -- which also should be available in the freezer case.
Q. Can you give me any updates on Don Wolff? I know I can watch him on some Internet site, but I'd rather turn on the radio and enjoy him like I used to on KMOX.
-- H.G., of Millstadt
A. After a seven-month absence from the St. Louis airwaves, the Wolff is at the door -- and, in this case, that's good news.
Starting this week, you'll find Wolff sounding better than ever when he brings his "I Love Jazz" show to Classic 99, KWMU (99.1-FM). There, you can enjoy all your favorite music along with interviews and concert information from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m. every Friday night.
Until then, you can hear what the jazz lover has been up to at donwolff.com, including his 30th Internet show, a tribute to Duke Ellington, who would have turned 109 last Tuesday. You also can catch Wolff's first two television shows at HEC-TV; link to them through donwolff.com.
Q. What happened to Cindy Collins and Jim Cox on KEZK?
-- Maggie Conley, of St. Louis, and Sue Newman, of Belleville
A. The economy happened. Apparently budget cutting led to the ouster of Collins, Cox and Mike Parnell from CBS-owned KEZK in mid-February, the same time Paul Harris disappeared from KMOX.
Periodic plea
Please include your name and address on your questions. I will use your initials if you ask, but I need your address to send you a personal reply to questions I've already answered. Otherwise, you'll think that I'm ignoring you, and I'd rather stay on your good side when I can.
Send your questions to Roger Schlueter, Belleville News-Democrat, 120 S. Illinois St., P.O. Box 427, Belleville, IL 62222-0427 or rschlueter@bnd.com
