Split Thread Trivia knowledge solving crimes in fiction

[alfaniner]

Are you talking about real life or fiction?

That was my first thought. I think probably most of detective fiction relies on some trivial matter to solve it. I also read a couple of the Two-Minute Mysteries (not to mention Asimov's Black Widowers and other series) where the solution always came from some bit of trivia.

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Posted By: jimbob

 

[Major Major]

That was my first thought. I think probably most of detective fiction relies on some trivial matter to solve it. I also read a couple of the Two-Minute Mysteries (not to mention Asimov's Black Widowers and other series) where the solution always came from some bit of trivia.

That was what I was thinking of. The roomful of highly skilled and widely informed experts is utterly baffled bu the problem and then Henry the waiter deploys a bit of trivia that solves the problem.

 

[Major Major]

Sherlock Holmes is a good example of a detective who knows a lot of trivia, but I don't remember him ever solving a crime using that, although, it does give him a lot of leads.

I just got done reading every Holmes novel, and the only time I remember Holmes using his knowledge of trivia to solve a case was in his first novel, A Study in Scarlet, but I could be wrong.

I usually am.

The Valley oi Fear has Holmes realizing that a message is a book code and realizing that the book is an almanac.

 

[AmyStrange]

In fiction it happens fairly often, not so much in outright detective stories, but in courtroom dramas that have a crime-solving aspect. The defense lawyer proves the key prosecution witness is lying or even discovers who really committed the crime based on specialized knowledge during testimony.

Two well-known movie examples: My Cousin Vinny, where the key inconsistency in the prosecution's evidence is revealed by specialized automotive knowledge, and Legally Blonde, where it's specialized knowledge about perms.

Okay, those are both comedies, but they were riffing on older tropes. I'm sure Perry Mason did the same kind of thing lots of times.

You're right about My Cousin Vinny, and BTW, I love that movie.

Although, the trivia in that movie didn't solve the crime, it merely helped to exonerate the defendants.

 

[Segnosaur]

In fiction it happens fairly often, not so much in outright detective stories, but in courtroom dramas that have a crime-solving aspect. The defense lawyer proves the key prosecution witness is lying or even discovers who really committed the crime based on specialized knowledge during testimony.

I can think of 2 TV series where investigations relied on Trivia to a large degree:

- Criminal Minds, where one of the FBI agents supposedly had a "photographic memory" and regularly brought random facts to the investigation.

- High Potential, a newer series where a high-IQ single mother gets hired as a consultant by the police. (For example, she was able to identify a suspect by a photo against a brick wall by knowing the average height of bricks.)

 

[acbytesla]

You're right about My Cousin Vinny, and BTW, I love that movie.

Although, the trivia in that movie didn't solve the crime, it merely helped to exonerate the defendants.

You haven't seen it for a while. It definitely did.

 

[Segnosaur]

You're right about My Cousin Vinny, and BTW, I love that movie.

Although, the trivia in that movie didn't solve the crime, it merely helped to exonerate the defendants.

Well, it also helped the sheriff look for the suspects who actually committed the crime.

(The real culprits had been apprehended on unrelated charges, but they were driving a specific make and model of car that the Sheriff was told about. +)

 

[Myriad]

Encyclopedia Brown thwarted many of Bugs Meany's schemes by his knowledge of trivia.

Although, in retrospect, a lot of it wasn't really trivia. More like facts about ordinary life experience that might not have occurred to the kids reading the stories. Like, flash photographs taken indoors in front of a closed window at night will show reflections in the window, not the scene outside. Or, if you have a wristwatch on while tanning it'll leave an untanned band. Or, if you work out and gain a lot of muscle, your old clothes won't fit.

 

[theprestige]

Encyclopedia Brown thwarted many of Bugs Meany's schemes by his knowledge of trivia.

Although, in retrospect, a lot of it wasn't really trivia. More like facts about ordinary life experience that might not have occurred to the kids reading the stories. Like, flash photographs taken indoors in front of a closed window at night will show reflections in the window, not the scene outside. Or, if you have a wristwatch on while tanning it'll leave an untanned band. Or, if you work out and gain a lot of muscle, your old clothes won't fit.

My favorite is paint drops that started round and closely spaced, and then became oval and more spread out.

 

[alfaniner]

Encyclopedia Brown thwarted many of Bugs Meany's schemes by his knowledge of trivia.

Although, in retrospect, a lot of it wasn't really trivia. More like facts about ordinary life experience that might not have occurred to the kids reading the stories. Like, flash photographs taken indoors in front of a closed window at night will show reflections in the window, not the scene outside. Or, if you have a wristwatch on while tanning it'll leave an untanned band. Or, if you work out and gain a lot of muscle, your old clothes won't fit.

I can't believe that didn't come to mind. I was a big fan of the series back in the day.

Just curious, does anyone know of a crime (real or fictional) that was solved by a nerdy knowledge of Star Trek or comic book trivia?

 

[acbytesla]

Anyone remember the Colombo series? He use to often seize upon a peice of trivia to zoom in on the perpetrator. I particularly remember the episode Any Port in a Storm. Below is the gist of it. A classic.

 

[AmyStrange]

Anyone remember the Colombo series? He use to often seize upon a peice of trivia to zoom in on the perpetrator. I particularly remember the episode Any Port in a Storm. Below is the gist of it. A classic.

Oh yeah! He played the quintessential bumbling detective that irritated the truth out of murderers.

It was a twist on the usual "TV detective" drama where you knew who the killer was right from the get-go.

 

[acbytesla]

Oh yeah! He played the quintessential bumbling detective that irritated the truth out of murderers.

It was a twist on the usual "TV detective" drama where you knew who the killer was right from the get-go.

I remembered that particular episode because the great Donald Pleasance played such a pompous ass in it. You might remember him as Blofeld in one ofthe Bond movies.

Colombo was always the detective that people underestimated.

 

[Mojo]

Sherlock Holmes is a good example of a detective who knows a lot of trivia, but I don't remember him ever solving a crime using that, although, it does give him a lot of leads.

I just got done reading every Holmes novel, and the only time I remember Holmes using his knowledge of trivia to solve a case was in his first novel, A Study in Scarlet, but I could be wrong.

I usually am.

In Sherlock Holmes stories the key piece of information is often something that is known to Holmes but not the reader. For example in "The Adventure of the Six Napoleons" the key plot device is the earlier theft of a pearl, which is only revealed along with Holmes's solution.

 

[alfaniner]

Anyone remember the Colombo series? He use to often seize upon a peice of trivia to zoom in on the perpetrator. I particularly remember the episode Any Port in a Storm. Below is the gist of it. A classic.

Wild coincidence -- in the past couple days I've watched movies with both these stars. The Great Race with Falk "("MAAAAAAAXXXX!") and Fantastic Voyage with Pleasance.

 

[acbytesla]

Wild coincidence -- in the past couple days I've watched movies with both these stars. The Great Race with Falk "("MAAAAAAAXXXX!") and Fantastic Voyage with Pleasance.

Classics. Jack Lemon and him were hilarious in The Great Race. I remember seeing it at the theater.
Falk is one of my favorite actors. I remember Pocketful of Miracles starring Glen Ford and Bette Davis. And the absolutely not to be missed The In Laws alongside Alan Arkin. One of the funniest movies ever made.

 

[AmyStrange]

Classics. Jack Lemon and him were hilarious in The Great Race. I remember seeing it at the theater.
Falk is one of my favorite actors. I remember Pocketful of Miracles starring Glen Ford and Bette Davis. And the absolutely not to be missed The In Laws alongside Alan Arkin. One of the funniest movies ever made.

Thank you.

Pocketful of miracles is one of my top ten favorite movies of all time, and the attitude and way Falk talks is simply hilarious.

 

[acbytesla]

Thank you.

Pocketful of miracles is one of my top ten favorite movies of all time, and the attitude and way Falk talks is simply hilarious.

Have you seen the In Laws? If so, "serpentine."

 

[bruto]

For the complete Falk also don't forget Wings of Desire, where he gets to play himself as a movie star who wasn't cut out to be an angel.

 

[novaphile]

For the complete Falk also don't forget Wings of Desire, where he gets to play himself as a movie star who wasn't cut out to be an angel.

I like the way you worded that.

Nicely done.



That movie is near the top of my favourites list.

Edited to add:

That recitation of 'Song of Childhood' in German, from the movie often pops into my head uninvited...

Als das Kind, Kind war...