Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2023 February 24

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February 24

Vintage game called WHIZ

This was a card game which could be acquired for free around 1907 by sending in a box top from a pound box of 20 Mule Team BORAX along with 4 cents in postage to Pacific Coast Borax Company, Oakland, California. The game would then be sent prepaid to the customer in a flap case with 41 cards and rules for playing. I want to know what the game was about and how it was played. The ad described the game as entertaining, instructive, or educational. Was it like Trivia? The ad said it could be played by the whole family. 50.45.221.216 (talk) 02:16, 24 February 2023 (UTC)

According to its web site, the 20 Mule Team company is now owned by Henkel. That company's web site has a contact form here. They might not be able to help you, but on the other hand they might have access to 20 Mule Team's records from 1907 and be willing to find the answer. --174.89.12.187 (talk) 06:12, 24 February 2023 (UTC)

A thorough Google search failed to find anything about the game, except a lot of Americans saying "gee-whiz!". Alansplodge (talk) 09:47, 24 February 2023 (UTC)

Oscar question! Thanks.

Hello. Traditionally the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film is given to the director, and he is the one who keeps it. The photo below shows legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune holding the statuette, and behind him can be seen the Coppa Volpi, an Italian award he won years earlier. The film that won the Oscar was titled "Rashomon" directed by the famous director Akira Kurosawa. Why was it not he who retained the award? Did he "share" it with Mifune? Or, perhaps, were a couple of copies of the statuette made? Both hypotheses are not very plausible or credible; I believe that Kurosawa "granted" Mifune "permission" to keep the award, just like that, by simple choice. Which is the more plausible hypothesis? Thank you very much. https://www.gettyimages.ch/detail/nachrichtenfoto/japanese-actor-toshiro-mifune-holds-the-oscar-award-he-nachrichtenfoto/514678052?language=it 93.41.97.54 (talk) 15:54, 24 February 2023 (UTC)

Maybe Kurosawa had no more space for all the awards he had won, so he was happy Mifune was willing to keep it for him. The Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film is granted to the submitting country, and I guess this also holds for the Honorary Award for Best Foreign Language Film. During the ceremony in 1952, the on-stage acceptance was by Kenichiro Yoshida from the Japanese overseas office in Los Angeles,^[1] who was appointed Consul General the next month.^[2] The decision on how the statuette is kept is ultimately up to the country receiving it but may have been delegated to Kurosawa.  --Lambiam 17:42, 24 February 2023 (UTC)

The honorary award was not nominated by the Japanese film industry. It was voted on by the Academy Board of Governers. See this Academy_Award_for_Best_International_Feature_Film#History for further details. MarnetteD|Talk 18:04, 24 February 2023 (UTC)

I used "granted to" in the same sense as in "the Academy Award for Best Picture is granted to the producers".  --Lambiam 07:40, 25 February 2023 (UTC)

I understood that L. It is just that prior to 1956 countries did not submit a film for consideration. The BoG chose a film at there own discretion. MarnetteD|Talk 19:40, 25 February 2023 (UTC)

Also worth mentioning is the fact that Kurosawa had been presented with only a handful of awards before Rashomon - see List_of_awards_and_honors_bestowed_upon_Akira_Kurosawa#Table for further details. MarnetteD|Talk 18:10, 24 February 2023 (UTC)