Quizology.Online

Tag: entertainment

  • Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into!—Answer

    1. Ulverston, Lancashire*, England
    2. Arthur Stanley Jefferson
    Statue of Stan and Ollie in Ulverston.
    [Image from Wikipedia]

    [*Ulverston was in Lancashire at the time of his birth but is now in Cumbria]

    Stan Laurel, born Arthur Stanley Jefferson, was a pivotal figure in comedy, renowned for his performance and partnership with Oliver Hardy in over 100 films, including shorts, features and cameos. Laurel’s journey into entertainment began in the music hall, where he honed his comedic skills by developing iconic devices such as the bowler hat and nonsensical understatement, all while understudying for Charlie Chaplin in Fred Karno’s London Comedians. His film career kicked off in 1917, with his final appearance in 1951. Laurel and Hardy first collaborated on The Lucky Dog in 1921 and officially became a team by 1927, maintaining their partnership until Hardy’s death in 1957. Their humorous style was famously described by Laurel as

    two minds without a single thought.

    Their 1932 short, The Music Box under Hal Roach’s production, earned them an Academy Award, further solidifying their status as the greatest comedy duo in film history. Laurel, originally a music hall comedian, found success in comedy shorts before transitioning into a director and gag writer role, often headlining most of their productions at Roach Studios. Meanwhile, Norvell Hardy, who later adopted the name Oliver, entered show business after managing a cinema, eventually appearing in over 200 short films before his collaboration with Laurel.

    The duo’s partnership flourished with Roach’s All-Stars, where their chemistry was recognized, leading to their official team-up in 1927. Their comedic formula revolved around two brainless friends, with Laurel as the guileless troublemaker and Hardy as the meticulous man thwarted by misplaced faith in his partner. Their sound films showcased their genius: Laurel’s British accent and Hardy’s Southern tones added depth to their characters, and Laurel’s inventive use of audio gags became a hallmark of their work.

    While Laurel was known for his head-scratching, whimpering cries, and blank stares, Hardy was characterized by his flowery speech, explosive double takes, and sympathetic looks to the camera. As the duo ventured into feature films driven by economic necessity, they gifted us with a string of classics, beginning with Pardon Us in 1931 and continuing through 1940 with thirteen more remarkable films, including the highly acclaimed Sons of the Desert (1933), often regarded as their finest feature-length work. This period solidified their legacy in the annals of film history.

    Theatrical poster for Sons of the Desert.
    [Image from Wikipedia]

    Fittingly, their best-known catchphrase provided the final line of their final film Atoll K (1951)—also known as Robinson Crusoeland (UK) and Utopia (US)—with Ollie telling Stan,,,

    Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into!

    …as Stan whimpers in response.

  • Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into!

    Stan Laurel
    [Image via Wikipedia]

    On 23 February 1965 comedian Stan Laurel, of Laurel and Hardy fame, died in California.

    1. Where was Stan Laurel born?
      • Unity, Saskatchewan, Canada
      • Ulverston, Lancashire, England
      • Uxbridge, Massachusetts, US
    2. What was Laurel’s birth name?
      • Arthur Stanley Jefferson
      • Bernard David Adams
      • Charles Kenneth Washington

    The answers will be posted later today.

  • Twenty-four Hours from …—Answer

    Q1. Tulsa

    Q2. Gene Pitney

    “Oh, I was only twenty four hours from Tulsa 
    Ah, only one day away from your arms 
    I saw a welcoming light 
    And stopped to rest for the night” 

    The song, titled Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa, achieved international stardom for Pitney due to its chart success peaking at number five in the UK and seventeen in the US. Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, the song is featured on Pitney’s fifth album, Blue Gene.

    The lyrics narrate a man’s journey home to his beloved, where he stops at a motel for the night and falls in love with a woman who takes him to a café, ultimately abandoning his return home.

    Read “24 Hours From Tulsa” by Gene Pitney on Genius

  • Twenty-four Hours from …

    Image from Wikipedia

    “Oh, I was only twenty four hours from … 
    Ah, only one day away from your arms 
    I saw a welcoming light 
    And stopped to rest for the night”

    The above lines are taken from a Burt Bacharach and Hal David song that achieved chart success in 1963—a top five hit in the UK and a top twenty hit in the US.

    Q1. What US city was the singer only twenty-four hours away from?

    Q2. Who is the singer, born on 17 February, who achieved the chart success mentioned above?

    The answers will be posted later today.

  • Peter Pan Helping Children Grow Up—Answer

    JM Barrie

    …is the writer who created Peter Pan

    JM Barrie
    [Image from Wikipedia]

    Background

    In April 1929, J. M. Barrie granted the copyright of his Peter Pan works to the hospital, requesting that the income remain undisclosed. This decision allowed the hospital to control the rights and receive royalties from performances, publications, and adaptations of the play and novel. Over the years, numerous performances and adaptations have been produced under the hospital’s license. Additionally, the hospital’s trustees commissioned a sequel, Peter Pan in Scarlet, by Geraldine McCaughrean, which was published in 2006.

    After the copyright expired the hospital was granted a perpetual right to collect royalties by the UK government.

    Further information can be found at Great Ormond Street Hospital’s website.

  • Peter Pan Helping Children Grow Up

    Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park in the City of Westminster in London, Great Britain.
    [Image from Wikipedia]

    On February 14, 1852, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, the first in England to offer inpatient beds for children, opened its doors in London.

    In 1929, a writer generously donated all his rights to Peter Pan to the hospital, and they continue to receive royalties from the work to this day. Can you name the generous writer?

    The answer will be posted later today.

  • Peanuts—Answer


    Last Comic Strip of Peanuts. February 13, 2000.
    PEANUTS © 2005, United Feature Syndicate, Inc.
    [Image from Wikipedia]

    C. 17,897

    The final Peanuts strip, as illustrated here, was published on 13 February 2000, the night after Charles M. Schulz succumbed to a heart attack.

  • Peanuts

    Snoopy World War I Flying Ace on his Sopwith Camel doghouse
    [Image from Wikipedia]

    When the final Peanuts strip ran on 13 February 2000 how many strips had been published in total?

    A. 11,231

    B. 14,564

    C. 17,897

    The answer will be posted later today.

  • 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.