Was the ‘No Trespassing’ Sign at Frat House All Greek to Him?

Social life is taken very seriously at USC. So I don’t want you to get the wrong impression when I tell you that a fire that engulfed the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house the other day was started by a transient trying to stay warm on the first floor.

True, the suspect was spending the night because the house was vacant -- the frat had lost its charter because of several violations.

But let’s get one thing straight: The transient was definitely not a member of the house, nor even a pledge.

Mollusks of the Old West: An item here about an insurance “clams” sign reminded David Mikkelson of a sign he snapped at Paramount Ranch awhile back (see photo). Said Mikkelson: “Presumably someone noticed the error, and that’s why the sign is now stored indoors rather on the exterior of one of the Western set buildings.”

Dry cleaning for neurotics?: On a windy day, Eileen Gelon of Beverly Hills noticed that a business temporarily seemed to be billing itself as an aid to mental health, which I don’t think is a bad approach (see photo).

Mystery solved: As for the sign at the Japanese subway that appeared in Wednesday’s column (see photo), Richard Lorentz wrote: “My wife, Miki, informs me it is meant to be taken literally. Keep in mind the crowded subway stations with huge masses of people slowly moving toward the exits. Nobody wants to be stuck behind somebody puffing a cigarette and having the smoke constantly wafting into your face since it would be difficult to get out of its path.

“And yes, finding a quiet place to stand (or sit) to smoke is considered quite acceptable as other moving pedestrians would soon walk out of the cloud of smoke.”

That’s Hollywood! Adrienne Omansky, who teaches an acting class for seniors, has received some odd calls from casting directors, ranging from requests for folks to play corpses to an opening for a man kissing a cow. The other day she got another unusual request: for an actor with a missing big toe.

“The casting director needed someone right away,” said Omansky, whose city-sponsored class is free (information: [323] 931-1026).

As it happened, Omansky did know someone, but he wasn’t available. The casting director wasn’t put off. “He asked me if I would call UCLA [Medical Center] and see if I could get a name,” Omansky said. “ ‘You have connections,’ he said. He was 100% serious.”

miscelLAny: Columnist David Allen of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reports these dueling features were paired at a La Verne theater: “The Upside of Anger” and “Miss Congeniality 2.”

Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LATimes, Ext. 77083; by fax at (213) 237-4712; by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A. 90012; and by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com.