Numbers in Names

Numbers in Names

     Numbers, numbers! What would our world be without numbers? It's quite obvious that there would be no mathematicians or school math teachers. Sciences, like chemistry, physics, biology, couldn't exist for long without them. And the economic world of banks and stores couldn't operate very well either. So for good or evil, numbers are a necessity to the smooth functioning of many areas of life.
     But did you ever think what would happen to literature, book and movie titles if there were no numbers? Charles Dickens could not have written A Tale of Two Cities without the number "2". Nathaniel Hawthorne could not have written The House of Seven Gables without a "7". Who could imagine Charlton Heston starring in a movie titled "Some Commandments", when everybody knows that there are ten commandments?
     It's mind boggling, to say the least, to contemplate the chaos that would be rampant in our non-math world if there were no numbers. So with that thought in mind, WTM takes great pleasure in presenting to you a modest collection of facts and trivia about the importance of numbers in naming such diverse things as books, short stories, movies, songs, musical groups, and yes, even household cleaning products, to name but a few categories. Mind you, it is not meant to be a complete list, rather an open-ended list, never finished. In fact, we invite you, the reader, to submit your ideas to us. If it is a good one, we will add it to this page.
     So without further ado, let's begin with some interesting and famous, or not-so-famous, book titles.

Books
Short Stories & Fairy Tales
Movies
Song Titles & Artists
Television Programs
Personal and Household Products
Miscellaneous

Books

A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens
The House of Seven Gables, by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Three Musketeers, by Alexander Dumas
Two Years Before the Mast, by Richard Henry Dana, Jr.
Around the World in Eighty Days, by Jules Verne
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne
Five Weeks in a Balloon, by Jules Verne
Eight Cousins, by Louisa May Alcott
Catch-22, by Joseph Heller
1984, by George Orwell
Cheaper By the Dozen, by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth (1950 movie also)
Romance of Three Kingdoms, by Luo Guanzhong (circa 1300-1400). Japan
A Book of Five Rings (Go Rin No Sho), by Miyamoto Musashi (c. 1600). Japan
WE SEVEN, a book about the first American astronauts (M. Scott Carpenter, L. Gordon Cooper, Jr., John H. Glenn, Jr., Virgil L. Grissom, Walter M. Schirra, Fr., Alan B. Shepard, Jr., and Donald K. Slayton) 1962.
Moon and Sixpence, by W. Somerset Maugham
Seventeen, by Booth Tarkington
The Zero Game, by Brad Meltzer (2003)
The First Counsel, by Brad Meltzer
The Second Chair: A Novel, by John T. Lescroart
Seven Thousand in Israel, by S. Fowler Wright, (1931)
Four Days War, by S. Fowler Wright (1936)
Three Witnesses, by Sydney Fowler, (1935)
Four Callers in Razor Street, by Sydney Fowler, (1946)
The Postman Always Rings Twice, by James M. Cain (1934, filmed in 1946 and 1981)
Three of a Kind, by James M. Cain (1943)

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Short Stories & Fairy Tales

Goldilocks and The Three Bears
The Three Little Pigs
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
The Three Wishes
The King of England and His Three Sons
Three Feathers
The Twelve Dancing Princesses
The Twelve Months, A Slavic Cinderella Variant
Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves
Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs

After Twenty Years, by O. Henry
The Fifth Wheel, by O. Henry
The Fourth in Salvador, by O. Henry
The Third Ingredient, by O. Heny
The Baker's Dozen, by Saki
The Seven Cream Jugs, by Saki
The Seven Pullet, by Saki
The Eleventh Commandment, by T. S. Arthur
An Error in the Fourth Dimension, by Rudyard Kipling
The Gate of a Hundred Sorrows, by Rudyard Kipling
The Five Orange Pips, by Arthur Conan Doyle
Five Weeks in a Balloon, by Jules Verne
Four Beasts in One, by Edgar Allan Poe
The Thousand-and-Second Tale of Sheherazade, by Edgar Allan Poe
Four Horses and a Sailor, by Jack London
Four Men in a Cave, by Stephen Crane
The Four Reformers, by Robert Louis Stevenson
Four Years, by William Butler Yeats
How the Two Ivans Quarrelled, by Nikolai Vasilievi Gogol
The Inn of the Two Witches, by Joseph Conrad
The Man With Two Left Feet, by P. G. Wodehouse
Marjorie's Three Gifts, by Louisa May Alcott
My Twenty-five Days, by Guy De Maupassant
The One Thousand Dozen, by Jack London
The Seven Poor Travellers, by Charles Dickens

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Movies

It Happened One Night, with Clark Gable & Claudette Colbert (1934)
Miracle on 34th Street, with Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn (1947)
Winchester '73, with James Stewart (1950)
Tea for Two, with Doris Day & Gordon McCrea (1950) [also a song]
Stalag 17, with William Holden (1952)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, with Howard Keel, Jane Powell (1954)
The Ten Commandments, with Charlton Heston (1956)
The Seven Year Itch, with Marilyn Munroe & Tom Ewell (1955)
Seven Samurai - Shichinin no samurai, (1954). Japan
The Magnificent Seven, with Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen and James Coburn. (1960)
101 Dalmatians, (Walt Disney, 1961; later 1996)
102 Dalmations, (2000)
Fahrenheit 451, w/Oskar Werner (1966). [book by Ray Bradbury (1953)]
Seven Days in May, w/Burt Lancaster (1964)
BUtterfield 8, with Elizabeth Taylor (1960)
Oceran's 11, with George Clooney (c 1960)
The Dirty Dozen, with Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Telly Savalas (1967)
Anne of the Thousand Days, with Richard Burton, Irene Papas & Geneviève Bujold (1969)
99 Women, w/ Mercedes McCambridge (1969)
10, with Bo Derek, Dudley Moore (1979)
APOLLO 13, w/Tom Hanks (1995)
Three Men and a Baby, with Tom Selleck (1988)
Three Wishes, Patrick Swayze, (1995)
Twelve Monkeys, with Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt (1995)
The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers, (2002)
The 13th Warrior, (1999)
187, (1997)
2 Days in the Valley, (1996)
20 Dates, (1998)
200 Cigarettes, (1999)
The 24 Hour Woman, (1999)
28 Days, (2000)
3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain, (1998)
3 Strikes, (2000)
54, (1998)
8 Heads in a Duffel Bag, (1997)
Eight Men Out, (re Chicago White Sox scandal) (1988)
8 1/2 Women, (1999)
8MM, (1999)
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension, (1984)
Eight Days a Week, (1997)
Air Force One, (1997)
Apocalypse III: Tribulation, (1999)
The Big One, (1997)
Blues Brother 2000, (1998)
Born on the Fourth of July, (1989)
Buffalo '66, (1998)
Cheaper by the Dozen, (1950)
Cleopatra's Second Husband, (1998)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind, (1977)
Dancer, Texas Pop. 81, (1998)
Edge of Seventeen, (1998)
The Fifth Element, (1997)
First Kid, (1996)
First Knight, (1995)
First Love, Last Rites, (1997)
First Strike, (1996)
First Wives Club, (1996)
The Five Senses, (1999)
Five Wives, Three Secretaries and Me, (1998)
Four Days in September, (1997)
Free Willy 3: The Rescue, (1997)
Girl 6, (1996)
Godzilla 2000, (2000)
Gone in 60 Seconds, (2000)
Grease 2, (1982)
Halloween: H2O, (1998)
Home Alone 3, (1997)
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco, (1996)
Jurassic Park III, (2001)
The Legend of 1900, (1998)
Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, (1998)
The Million Dollar Hotel, (2000)
The Mirror Has Two Faces, (1996)
Murder at 1600, (1997)
Nine Months, (1995)
The Nineth Gate, (1999)
One Man's Hero, (1998)
One Night Stand, (1997)
One Tough Cop, (1998)
One True Thing, (1998)
Pi, (1998)
Paragraph 175, (1999)
Seven , (1995)
Seven Girlfriends, (1999)
Seven Years in Tibet, (1997)
Seventh Heaven, (1998)
Six Days, Seven Nights, (1998)
Six Degrees of Separation, (1993)
Six Ways to Sunday, (1997)
The Sixth Happiness, (1999)
The Sixth Man, (1997)
The Sixth Sense, (1999)
Six-String Samurai, (1998)
The Third Man, (1949)
The Third Miracle, (1999)
Third World Cop, (1999)
Thirteen, (1997)
The Thirteenth Floor, (1999)
A Thousand Acres, (1997)
Three Kings, (1999)
Three Seasons, (1999)
Three to Tango, (1999)
Time Code 2000, (2000)
To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday, (1996)
Twelfth Night, (1996)
Twelve Monkeys, (1995)
Two Girls and a Guy, (1997)
Two If By Sea, (1996)
Two Much, (1996)
U-571, (2000)
The Whole Nine Yards, (2000)
Zero Effect, (1998)
Zone 39, (1997)
13 Days, (2001)
Nine Months, with Hugh Grant (1995)
Two Weeks Notice, with Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock (2003)
50 First Dates, w/ Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore (2004)
13 Going On 30, w/ Jennifer Garner
3 Days of Rain, w/ Peter Falk
61*, directed by Billy Crystal
One Hour Photo, w/ Robin Williams (2002)
10.5, earthquake theme (2003)
The Whole Ten Yards, w/ Matthew Perry (2004)
One, Two, Three, w/ James Cagney (1961)
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

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Song Titles & Artists

Cardinal numbers

The Love for 3 Oranges, Op. 33, by Sergei Prokofiev
Tea for Two, by Doris Day & Gordon McCrea (1950)
Sixteen Tons, by Tennessee Ernie Ford (Written in 1947 by Merle Travis)
26 Miles, by the 4 Preps
Sixty Minute Man, by Billy Ward & His Dominoes (1951)
One Little Candle, by Perry Como (1952)
Three Coins in the Fountain, by Four Aces (1954) (M)
Seventeen, by Boyd Bennett and his Rockets (1955)
16 Candles, by The Crests (1959)
The Three Bells, by The Browns (1959)
Only Sixteen, by Sam Cooke (1959)
When I'm Sixty-four, by The Beatles
Two of Us, by The Beatles
Eight Days a Week, by The Beatles
Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five, by Paul McCartney
Do That to Me 1 More Time, by the Captain and Tennille
Sweet 16, by B.B. King
Sweet Little 16, by Chuck Berry
3 Strange Days, (don't know who),
16 Changes, by John O'Connor and the Deacons (there are 16 chord changes in the main form),
2 Headed Man, by Lonnie Brooks,
1 More Shot, by Lonnie Brooks,
Gimme 3 Steps, by Lynyrd Skynyrd,
99 Years Old, by Julius Daniels,
40 Acres and a Mule, by Phil Wiggins and John Cephas
2000 Lightyears From Home, by The Rolling Stones
I Found A Million Dollar Baby In A Five And Ten Cent Store , (1931)
Ordinal numbers

Twelfth of Never, by Johnny Mathis (1957)
The Third Man Theme, (1947), by Guy Lombardo (1950)
Positively 4th Street, by Bob Dylan (1965)
19th Nervous Breakdown, by The Rolling Stones
Other types

Pennsylvania 6-5000, (1938); Glenn Miller Orchestra (1941)
Jenny 867-5309, by Tommy Tutone
Route 66, by Nat "King" Cole
Highway 61, by Bob Dylan,
Highway 61 Revisited, by Johnny Winter
Chevy 409, by The Beach Boys (1962)
404, by Ram Jam (another car song)
Love Potion No. 9, by The Searchers (1960's)
Blue Yodel #9, by Jimmie Rogers
1812 Overture, by Tchaikovsky
One After 909, by The Beatles
Funk 49, by James Gang,
Heartaches By The Number, by Guy Mitchell (1959)
In the Year 2525, by Zager and Evans

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Television Programs

My Thee Sons, with Fred MacMurray (1960-72)
Eight Is Enough, (1977-?)
77 Sunset Strip, with Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. (1958-64)
Hawaii Five-O, Jack Lord (1968-80)
The Six Million Dollar Man, with Lee Majors (1973-78)
Badge 714, with Jack Webb (aka Dragnet, 1952-59)
Car 54, Where Are You?, (1961-63)
Route 66, with Martin Milner and George Maharis (1960-64)
Colt-45, western (1950's)
Nine Lives of Elfego Baca, (1957-59)
Surfside 6
I Led Three Lives, about spy, Herbert Philbrick (starring Richard Carlson) (1953-56)
Playhouse 90, (1956-61)
Adam 12, police drama
26 Men, (1957-59)
Three's Company, with John Ritter (1977-84)
60 Minutes, CBS (1968-?)
60 Minutes II, CBS (1999-?)
48 Hours Investigates, (1988-?)
20/20 ABC News Magazine show. (1978-?)
The 700 Club, with Pat Robertson (1966-?)
Twenty One, (1956-58)
The $64 Question, (on radio) (really named Take It or Leave It)
The $64,000 Question, (1955-68)
The $64,000 Challenge
The $10,000 Pyramid
30 Seconds to Fame, (2002)
Rescue 9-1-1, (1989)
One Life to Live, (1968)
Level 9, (2000-?)
Rescue 77, (1999-?)
Special Unit 2, (2001-?)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, (1993-?)
3rd Rock From the Sun, (1996-?)
8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, (2002-?)
First Years, (2001-?)
Half and Half, (2002-?)
My Two Dads, (1987-?)
Mystery Science Theater 3000, (1988-?)
One on One, (2001-?)
10-8, (2003)
100 Centre Street, (2001-?)
21 Jump Street, (1987-?)
24, (2001)
7 Days, (1998-?)
7th Heaven, (1996-?)
Beverly Hills, 90210, (1990-?)
First Monday, (2002-?)
First Wave, (1999-?)
First Years, (2001-?)
Friday the 13th: The Series, (n.d.)
Jake 2.0, (2003-?)
The Magnificent Seven, (1998-99)
One Tree Hill, (2003-?)
Party of Five, (1994-?)
Ryan Caulfield Year One, (1999, two episodes)
Six Feet Under, (2001-?)
Third Watch, (1999-?)
Total Recall 2070, (1999-?)
Big Brother 2, (2002) (sequels 3, 4)
Temptation Island 2, (2001)
Popstars 2, (2001) (sequel & 3)
Second Chance: America's Most Talented Senior, (n.d.)
Stargate SG-1, (1997, from movie)
Room 222, (September 17, 1969 - January 11, 1974)

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Personal and Household Products

Formula 409, household cleanser
2000 Flushes, toilet bowl cleanser
Clorox II, laundry cleanser
Lever 2000, personal body soap
VO5, shampoo
Vicks Formula 44, non-prescription medicine

1-a-Day Vitamins

V8, vegetable juice drink
7Up, famous soft drink
Thousand Island Salad Dressing, often made by Kraft Foods.
various breakfast cereals: Basic 4 (General Mills), Fiber One (General Mills), 100% Bran (Kraft, Post), and 100% Natural Granola Oats & Honey (Quaker).

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Miscellaneous

7-Eleven, nation-wide chain of convenience marts
6-Twelve Convenience Marts
Woolworth's 5- and 10-cent Stores; also here
Phillips 66, petroleum company
Twenty21, a restaurant in Philadelphia, PA
One-twenty Clothing, a clothing business in South Africa
Six Flags, amusement parks
Seven Falls, a tourist attraction in Colorado, USA
The Chicago Seven, famous group of political protesters at 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago
Seventh Day Adventists, religious group
The Seven Sisters, star constellation, a.k.a. the Pleiades

9 Chickwood Lane, newspaper comic strip
University sports conferences: Big Ten, Pac-10, Atlantic 10, and the Big 12, (formerly known as the Big 8).

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