Trivia Quiz?

[phkrause]

19 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Was Spielberg's First Cinematic Effort?

As a preteen in 1957, Spielberg's father got a job with General Electric in Phoenix, Arizona. Steven and his family settled in the comfortable middle-class neighborhood of Arcadia, which straddles the border between the cities of Phoenix and Scottsdale.

The following year, the younger Spielberg joined the Boy Scouts. To fulfill the requirements for a merit badge in photography, he asked his scoutmaster if he could make a motion picture rather than submit proof of his expertise in still photography. Although he was already smitten by the movies, it was a request born of necessity because his father's still camera was broken.

 Of that early experience, Spielberg years later told an interviewer that the scoutmaster gave the go-ahead, ¨and I got an idea to do a Western.¨ The end-result was a nine-minute, 8-millimeter film titled ¨The Last Gunfight.¨ Spielberg got his merit badge and thus embarked on a history-making career in filmmaking.

 

19 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Television Film Led to His Career Making Blockbuster Movies?

The film was Duel, released in 1972. Spielberg patterned it on the old Godzilla movies, replacing the monster with a tanker truck. He had a choice of trucks for the film and decided on a Peterbilt because he felt the front grill and cab resembled a human face. This film is full of imagery. For example, the truck is unusual in that it has multiple license plates mounted on the front, representing places where it had taken the lives of its victims. Duel was so popular as a TV film that additional scenes were added so that it qualified as a full-length movie.

 

19 hours ago, phkrause said:

Why Wasn't He Paid for His Work on Schindler's List?

Of the many blockbuster films made by Spielberg on his own or in collaboration with others, none was closer to his heart than Schindler's List, the story of German industrialist Oskar Schindler who saved an estimated 1,200 Jews from possible extermination in the Nazi death camps.

Raised as an Orthodox Jew, Spielberg wasn't born until more than a year after the end of World War II in Europe. However, like Jews everywhere, his life was forever touched by the Nazi campaign to wipe out the Jews of Europe. Relatives of the Spielberg family from Poland and Ukraine perished in the death camps of Hitler's Nazi regime.

Because of the story's resonance with Spielberg, he flatly refused to accept any payment for his work on the film, arguing that to do so would be to take ¨blood money.¨ He also turned down an opportunity to film at Auschwitz on the grounds that it would be insensitive to the memories of the thousands who died there.

The finished film, an enormous popular and critical success, earned for Spielberg his first Academy Award as Best Director. It was also selected by the Motion Picture Academy as the Best Picture of the Year. 

 

19 hours ago, phkrause said:

What was the nickname director Steven Spielberg gave the mechanical shark in the film Jaws?

The mechanical shark that terrorized audiences in the film Jaws was simply called “Bruce” on set. Named after Spielberg’s lawyer, Bruce Ramer, the mechanical shark was around 25 feet long and weighed around three tons, making him gigantic for a great white shark. Bruce became such a public icon that his name was used several times in various other films and documentaries, including the the great white shark in Finding Nemo.

 

19 hours ago, phkrause said:

In Which Spielberg Movie Were Real Guns Used Instead of Props?

Real weapons were used in the making of War of the Worlds. However, the firing mechanisms had been removed. That wasn’t the only thing that was real. Troops from the National Guard were used to portray the drivers of the military vehicles in the movie.

[phkrause]

19 hours ago, phkrause said:

Which veteran actor was killed while filming the Twilight Zone movie?

Vic Morrow Vincent Price John Candy Brandon Lee

Answer: On July 23, 1982, Vic Morrow and two child actors were killed in an accident involving a helicopter during filming of Twilight Zone: The Movie. Vic Morrow and the children were shooting a scene in which they were supposed to be running from a pursuing helicopter. Special-effects explosions caused the pilot to lose control and crash into the three victims. Spielberg and John Landis were producers for the movie. Landis, along with others, were tried for involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of the actors. None were found guilty.

[phkrause]

Who was the first professional athlete to appear on a Wheaties cereal box?

Jesse Owens Babe Ruth Muhammad Ali Lou Gehrig

[phkrause]

Since 1916, Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest has been held annually at what iconic New York location?

Central Park Times Square Rockefeller Center Coney Island

[phkrause]

23 hours ago, phkrause said:

Who was the first professional athlete to appear on a Wheaties cereal box?

Jesse Owens Babe Ruth Muhammad Ali Lou Gehrig

Answer: Wheaties is well known for featuring prominent athletes on the exterior of the package, and has become a cultural icon in the Unites States. When baseball star Lou Gehrig first appeared on a Wheaties box in 1934, it marked the first time an athlete appeared on the brand’s cereal box. Initially, and for nearly the next twenty years, athletes were depicted on the back of the Wheaties box or on its side panels. It was not until 1958 that an athlete--in this case, Olympic pole vaulter Bob Richards--was placed on the front of the box with the slogan next to him.

[phkrause]

22 hours ago, phkrause said:

Since 1916, Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest has been held annually at what iconic New York location?

Central Park Times Square Rockefeller Center Coney Island

Answer: The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is an annual American hot dog competitive eating competition. The current champion is Joey Chestnut, who captured his 10th Mustard Belt by eating an event-record 72 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes to win the 2017 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. The competition is held each year on Independence Day at the corner of Surf and Stillwell in Coney Island, New York City. The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest has been held at the original location on Coney Island since 1972.

[phkrause]

What pizza chain became the first to deliver pizza to space?

Papa John's Pizza Hut Little Caesars Domino's

[phkrause]

Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie happen to share their names with a cop and a cab driver from what classic film?

Taxi Driver Miracle on 34th Street It's a Wonderful Life The French Connection

[phkrause]

22 hours ago, phkrause said:

What pizza chain became the first to deliver pizza to space?

Papa John's Pizza Hut Little Caesars Domino's

Answer: In 2001, Pizza Hut became the first company in the world to deliver pizza to space. The pizza was sent to the International Space Station (ISS) onboard a resupply rocket. The creation and delivery of the world's first space-consumable pizza was the culmination of nearly a year of collaboration between Pizza Hut and Russian food scientists. The "space" Pizza Hut pizza delivered to the ISS was topped with salami to enhance the pizza's flavor because researchers found that pepperoni did not withstand the 60-day testing process. Before final certification for consumption was given, the vacuum-sealed Pizza Hut pizza had to undergo rigorous stabilized thermal conditions to determine freshness-stay and life span.

[phkrause]

21 hours ago, phkrause said:

Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie happen to share their names with a cop and a cab driver from what classic film?

Taxi Driver Miracle on 34th Street It's a Wonderful Life The French Connection

Answer: The Sesame Street Muppet characters Bert and Ernie share their names with the cop and the taxicab driver in the film "It's A Wonderful Life". It has long been rumored that Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street were named after Bert the policeman and Ernie the cab driver in the film "It's A Wonderful Life". This rumor often resurfaces around Christmas in "trivia" articles, however there has never been any official confirmation of this rumor. On the contrary, most sources from the Henson Company have claimed it to be merely a coincidence.

[phkrause]

Who was the youngest First Lady of the United States?

Melania Trump Jackie Kennedy Hillary Clinton Frances Cleveland

I would guess Jackie Kennedy??

[phkrause]

Quasimodo is a fictional character from which novel?

Invisible Man The Lord of the Rings Lord of the Flies The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

[phkrause]

19 hours ago, phkrause said:

Quasimodo is a fictional character from which novel?

Invisible Man The Lord of the Rings Lord of the Flies The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Answer: Quasimodo is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) by Victor Hugo. Quasimodo was born with a hunchback and feared by the townspeople as a sort of monster, but he finds sanctuary in an unlikely love that is fulfilled only in death. In 2010, a British researcher found evidence suggesting there was a real-life hunchbacked stone carver who worked at Notre Dame during the same period Victor Hugo was writing the novel and they may have even known each other.

[phkrause]

Which of these U.S. states has a postal abbreviation whose letters are not in alphabetical order?

Mississippi Missouri Minnesota Michigan

[phkrause]

On 12/22/2017 at 8:14 PM, phkrause said:

Which of these U.S. states has a postal abbreviation whose letters are not in alphabetical order?

Mississippi Missouri Minnesota Michigan

Answer: The United States Postal Service has assigned a two-letter abbreviation to each of the 50 states. Modern two-letter abbreviated codes for the states and territories originated in October 1963, with the issuance of Publication 59: Abbreviations for Use with ZIP Code, three months after the Post Office introduced ZIP codes. Michigan’s postal abbreviation (MI) is not in alphabetical order. The remaining states of Mississippi (MS), Minnesota (MN), and Missouri (MO) all have two-letter abbreviations that are in alphabetical order.

[phkrause]

Which song was originally written for the Thanksgiving holiday?

"Let it Snow" "Jingle Bells" "Winter Wonderland" "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"

[phkrause]

23 hours ago, phkrause said:

Which song was originally written for the Thanksgiving holiday?

"Let it Snow" "Jingle Bells" "Winter Wonderland" "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"

Answer: "Jingle Bells" is one of the most popular Christmas songs ever written. Except it's not a Christmas song. It was written to celebrate Thanksgiving. In 1850, James Lord Pierpont was hanging out in a tavern in Medford, Massachusetts, when he was inspired by Medford’s famous sleigh races to write a tune called ‘One Horse Open Sleigh” for a children’s Thanksgiving play. Everyone loved it so much that it became incorporated into Christmas. James Lord Pierpont was the uncle of banker John Pierpont Morgan, better known as J.P. Morgan.

[phkrause]

In the film How the Grinch Stole Christmas, what is the Grinch's dog's name?

A. Molly
B. Milo
C. Max
D. Fido

[phkrause]

Which organization tracks Santa's flight on Christmas Eve?

FAA NORAD TSA NSA

[phkrause]

4 Christmas Movie Trivia Questions

It's Christmas Eve, and there's probably no better way to spend it than watching a holiday-themed movie. But before you log into Netflix, try your luck on these questions about some Christmas classics!

What Heartwarming Christmas Classic was deemed Communist propaganda by the FBI?

What Iconic Christmas Movie Was Released in May with No Reference to Its Holiday Theme?

What Disney Christmas Movie Led to Children Calling a Phone Sex Line?

What Christmas Classic Almost Never Made It to Broadcast?

[phkrause]

According to the song, what did my true love give to me on the sixth day of Christmas?

6 Geese A-laying 6 Maids A-milking 6 Swans A-swimming 6 Lords A-leaping

[phkrause]

23 hours ago, phkrause said:

In the film How the Grinch Stole Christmas, what is the Grinch's dog's name?

A. Molly
B. Milo
C. Max
D. Fido

C. Max

The Grinch's dog/reindeer is called Max.

Source: various web sites.

[phkrause]

23 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Heartwarming Christmas Classic was deemed Communist propaganda by the FBI?

It's a Wonderful Life ranks as one of the top holiday movies for its reaffirmation that everyone can make a difference even if they think they never have, as well as for its focus on family and community support, holiday spirit, and easy Christmas symbols such as bells and angels' wings. When it first came out in 1946, though, it made an unusual enemy: the FBI. The film was accused of trying to make the public hate bankers and the upper class (even though, as The Atlantic points out, the good guys are bankers, too), and it was listed as possible Communist propaganda until 1956. It was actually the focus of a hearing at the feared House Un-American Activities Committee, at which a film critic pointed out that it couldn't really be called Communist as it showed how money could be used for both bad and good purposes.

 

23 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Iconic Christmas Movie Was Released in May with No Reference to Its Holiday Theme?

Give Darryl Zanuck, the guy in charge of 20th Century Fox in 1947, credit. He knew Miracle on 34th Street was going to be a hit. In fact, he felt so confident that he released the movie in May, because summer films were the ones that made all the money. So how did he handle the fact that he was releasing a Christmas movie in the warmest time of year? Simple. He didn't tell anyone. The posters and trailers never once referenced Christmas or Santa Claus. Tough to fault the studio though. They made $3 million on a movie that cost them just over 600,000. In fact, we like the idea so much that we might run our next Christmas movie trivia quiz in the summer. 

 

23 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Disney Christmas Movie Led to Children Calling a Phone Sex Line?

If you don't remember the scene in Disney's The Santa Clause that makes reference to a sex line, it's because Disney cut it out after people complained. But not before a lot of families racked up some serious phone bills. In one scene, Tim Allen's ex-wife hands Allen a slip of paper with her new mother-in-law's phone number on it in case he needs to reach her. Allen then jokes, "1-800-SPANK ME? I know that number." That joke about the easy-to-remember phone number caught kids' attention. They started calling the 1-800 number, which in turn instructed them to call the 1-900 number for a very real sex line. There were multiple reported instances of kids racking up several-hundred-dollar phone bills for their parents. One ten-year-old girl even had to go into counseling. The scene was ultimately removed, and Disney attempted to purchase the phone number in order to discontinue it.

 

23 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Christmas Classic Almost Never Made It to Broadcast?

 

23 hours ago, phkrause said:

What Christmas Classic Almost Never Made It to Broadcast?

It's not really Christmas for many until Charlie Brown's Christmas tree makes its pathetic sagging motion under the weight of its one ornament. But amazingly, the Emmy-Award-winning A Charlie Brown Christmas almost never aired. CBS executives originally hated “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and almost didn’t release the special at all.Studio heads didn't like it or its religious theme, the characters were hard to animate, and the plot was just too plodding for many on the corporate side. Still, the station was contractually bound to air something, and onto the TV—and into broadcast history—went the special. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” ended up winning an Emmy, and still airs every year for millions of viewers.

[phkrause]

22 hours ago, phkrause said:

According to the song, what did my true love give to me on the sixth day of Christmas?

6 Geese A-laying 6 Maids A-milking 6 Swans A-swimming 6 Lords A-leaping

Answer: "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is an English Christmas carol that enumerates in the manner of a cumulative song a series of increasingly grand gifts given on each of the twelve days of Christmas. There are twelve verses, each describing a gift given by "my true love" on one of the twelve days of Christmas. On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me... Six Geese A-Laying. The carol was originally published in England in 1780 without music.

[phkrause]

Which department store created "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"?

Sears, Roebuck and Company Montgomery Ward Macy's J. C. Penney