Tag: entertainment

Double Firsts—Answer

Firstly: A. 1938

Secondly: C. Robot


First edition cover of R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) by Karel Čapek.
[Image from Wikipedia]

On February 11, 1938, BBC Television broadcast a 35-minute adaptation of a section of Karel Čapek’s play R.U.R.—thus becoming the first science fiction piece ever aired on television. Although some low-quality still photographs survive, no recordings of the production are known to exist.

R.U.R. (Rossumovi Univerzální Roboti—(English: Rossum’s Universal Robots)) is a 1920 science fiction play by the Czech writer Karel Čapek. It introduced the word ‘robot’ to the English language and popularised science fiction as a genre. R.U.R. quickly gained influence and was translated into thirty languages by 1923. It was a commercial success in Europe and North America during its time.

In 1948, the BBC aired another adaptation, this time the entire play, running for 90 minutes but unfortunately, no audio or visual recordings of this version survive either. Patrick Troughton who played the robot Radius in this latter production played another sci-fi character when he became the Second Doctor in the BBC’s Doctor Who in 1966. 

Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor.
[Image from Wikipedia]

Double Firsts

Firstly, on 11 February in which year did the first science fiction piece ever aired on television make its debut?

A. 1938

B. 1945

C. 1950

Secondly, the play that was adapted for this television programme had, when originally published in 1920, introduced a new word to the English language. What was that word?

A. Cyborg

B. Droid

C. Robot

The answer will be posted later today.

Puss Gets the Boot—Answer

This is a logo, title-card, or title-screen owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for Puss Gets the Boot.
[Image from Wikipedia]

C. Jasper

Puss Gets the Boot is a 1940 American animated short film, the first in the Tom and Jerry series. It is based on the Aesop’s Fable, The Cat and the Mice. It was released to cinemas by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on 10 February 1940.

Jasper, a cat, torments a mouse, leading to a series of misadventures.  The mouse outwits Jasper, framing him for breaking a flowerpot and later dishes, resulting in Jasper being kicked out of the house.  The mouse celebrates his victory, enjoying the spoils of his triumph.

Animated Oscar—Answer

Pinocchio

Pinocchio 1940 Poster
[Image from Wikipedia]

Pinocchio, a classic animated musical fantasy film from 1940 brought to life by Walt Disney Productions. It’s loosely based on Carlo Collodi’s beloved 1883 Italian children’s novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio. This was Disney’s second animated feature film after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).

Pinocchio made history as the first animated feature to win a competitive Academy Award! It won two awards: Best Original Score, Best Music, and Best Original Song for When You Wish Upon a Star.