Answer: Elvis Presley/Debra Paget/Richard Egan
Who could forget this most Romantic movie/song?
"Love Me Tender" is an American black and white Western about the four brothers, the Renos. It was Elvis Presley's first film and the only time in his entire career that he was not billed as the lead.
Elvis Presley played Clint Reno, the youngest of the four brothers who stayed at home to look after the family farm and his mother, while his three brothers fought for the Confederacy in the American Civil War.
When informed that Vance, the oldest brother played by Richard Egan, has been killed, Clint marries Cathy, Vance's girlfriend played by Debra Paget.
Unfortunately, but not for Vance, they were misinformed and Vance returns home.
From Quiz: The Nostalgic Nifty Fifties
Answer: Jack Benny
Jack Benny had been offered one of the two lead roles in the Neil Simon movie "The Sunshine Boys" (1975) but failing health forced him to pull out of the production. His friend and fellow comedy pioneer George Burns replaced him and went on to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for the role.
From Quiz: 1950s All American Entertainment
Answer: Edward R. Murrow
This news program was the first to use its own footage instead of relying on newreel film. It also introduced the use of producers and non-rehearsed interviews.
From Quiz: Remembering the 50s - TV News in America
Answer: TV network
DuMont, the 'fourth network', was unable to compete with NBC, CBS and ABC and ceased operations in 1956.
From Quiz: Remembering the 50s - Television
Answer: Our Miss Brooks
Richard Crenna, with his high, nasal voice, played a love-struck high school student who had a crush on his teacher, Miss Brooks, played by Eve Arden. He also starred as Luke on "The Real McCoys" but by then he was married to Kate "Sugar Babe" Nolan.
From Quiz: Those Fabulous '50s
Answer: 'Be My Love'
Mario Lanza was the artist.
From Quiz: Fifty Years Ago or More
Answer: baseball cards
Sports are a great source of entertainment for many people and if you want to purchase "collectibles" for baseball, then Topps is your "go to" company. They produced their first baseball sets (red and blue back series) in 1951. Two years later they started inserting jokes/cartoons into Bazooka (which they also owned) gum packages. I personally didn't think too much about the cards back then, as I used them for "noisemakers" clipped onto the spokes of my bicycle tires, but I certainly "rue the day" now!
From Quiz: Entertainment Firsts of the Fifties
Answer: I Love Lucy
"I Love Lucy", a hundred laughs a minute, stars Lucille Ball who plays the part of Lucy, a dippy woman who constantly strives to become a star along with her Bandleader husband, played by Desi Arnaz.
From Quiz: The Nostalgic Nifty Fifties
Answer: From Here to Eternity
James Jones won the National Book Award for "From Here to Eternity." The reference to the book's title is from Kipling's poem "Gentleman-rankers" which ends with the verse: "We're poor little lambs who've lost our way, Baa! Baa! Baa! We're little black sheep who've gone astray, Baa--aa--aa! Gentlemen-rankers out on the spree, damned from here to Eternity, God ha' mercy on such as we, Baa! Yah! Bah!"
From Quiz: 1950s All American Entertainment
Answer: Bridges
On a split screen, viewers of the first installment of "See It Now" could see both the Golden Gate and Brooklyn Bridges, simutaneouly spanning the continent, an astonishing electronic feat for 1951.
From Quiz: Remembering the 50s - TV News in America
Answer: Clouds
The distinctive logo was introduced by CBS in 1951. NBC's 11-feathered peacock was first seen in 1956.
From Quiz: Remembering the 50s - Television
Answer: Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss, born Theodore Geisel, created some of the most famous characters in children's literature including the Cat in the Hat and Horton, the elephant, from the book of the same name.
From Quiz: Those Fabulous '50s
Answer: 'An American In Paris'
From Quiz: Fifty Years Ago or More
Answer: The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
"The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" was the longest running sitcom in U.S. history until it was overtaken by "The Simpsons" in 2004. Teen idol Ricky Nelson went on to have hits such as "Traveling Man", "Hello, Mary Lou" and "Garden Party". With all due respect to Lucy and Desi Arnaz, this program could arguably be considered the first "reality show" on television.
From Quiz: Entertainment Firsts of the Fifties
Answer: Drive-Ins
Who could forget those Friday nights, cruising to the Drive In, with your mother's warning ringing in your ears? Lol. I don't know which of these venues my mother was most worried about. All of them I think! Kudos to Richard Milton Hollingshead Jr who invented these "Passion Pits".
From Quiz: The Nostalgic Nifty Fifties
Answer: Martha Rountree
While Rountree was the original commentator, it was "American Mercury Magazine" editor, Lawrence Spivak who anchored the popular news program for almost thirty years. Spivak was the host from 1947 to 1975, when his last guest was President Gerald R. Ford, the first incumbent President to appear.
From Quiz: Remembering the 50s - TV News in America
Answer: G-E-C
In 1950, NBC filed with the U. S. Patent Office to make the chimes a registered service mark. Their regular use as a network identification ceased in 1971.
From Quiz: Remembering the 50s - Television
Answer: Fabian
Talk about a one-hit wonder, Fabian was a heart throb in the late '50s. He had a short singing career and an even shorter movie career. Problem was he couldn't sing or act. But he sure was cute.
From Quiz: Those Fabulous '50s
Answer: General Douglas MacArthur
General MacArthur wanted to extend the Korean War to China.
From Quiz: Fifty Years Ago or More
Answer: Playboy
Ah yes. Entertainment takes many forms. Marilyn Monroe was the very first centerfold/cover for Hugh Hefner's "Playboy". If asked (in public situations), most men would say that the reason they purchased the magazine was "for the articles". "Sports Illustrated" was launched in 1954, but didn't start publishing swimsuit photoshoots until ten years later.
From Quiz: Entertainment Firsts of the Fifties
Answer: South Pacific
Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning novel "Tales of the South Pacific" by James A. Michener, "South Pacific", is a romantic musical set during WWII.
The film received three Oscar nominations, winning the "Best Sound" Category.
Mitzi Gaynor stars, as a young nurse called Nellie Forbush, who falls in love with a much older, enigmatic Frenchman, played by Rossano Brazzi.
From Quiz: The Nostalgic Nifty Fifties
Answer: Camel Newsreel Theatre
Camel Newsreel Theatre, sponsored by Camel cigarettes, began as a ten minute long Movietone Newsreels show featuring John Cameron Swayze. It later expanded to fifteen minutes and Swayze narrated the news.
From Quiz: Remembering the 50s - TV News in America
Answer: An onscreen image
Early television stations only broadcast in the evening. When not on the air an image was broadcast so that studio technicians as well as home viewers could focus their equipment.
From Quiz: Remembering the 50s - Television
Answer: Steve McQueen
A young Steve McQueen and his friends attempt to save themselves and their little town from a jiggling pile of Jell-O. Why didn't they just run away?
From Quiz: Those Fabulous '50s
Answer: 'The African Queen'
Bogart and Hepburn, what a pair!
From Quiz: Fifty Years Ago or More
Answer: The Fellowship of the Ring
"The Hobbit" (otherwise known as "There and Back Again") was published in 1937 - an amazing seventeen years before the "official" initial book in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy was written. Hardly anyone would deny that Tolkien was the ultimate "first" in the fantasy epic genre.
From Quiz: Entertainment Firsts of the Fifties
Answer: Snoopy
The very first "Peanuts" cartoon strip, written by Charles M. Schulz, was four panels long and showed Charlie Brown walking by two other children, Shermy and Patty. Snoopy was an early character in the strip but he did not appear in the first one.
From Quiz: The Nostalgic Nifty Fifties
Answer: George Balanchine
Balanchine was born Georgi Melitonovitch Balanchivadze in 1904 in St. Petersburg. "The Nutcracker" is an adaptation by Alexandre Dumas of the story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" by E.T.A. Hoffmann, set to the music of Peter Tchaikovsky.
Balanchine's version of what is one of the world's most famous ballets has become such a ritual during the Christmas season that the New York City Ballet has trademarked the name "George Balanchine's The Nutcracker."
From Quiz: 1950s All American Entertainment
Answer: John Cameron Swayze
Swayze is perhaps best remembered as the pitchman for "Timex", the maker of inexpensive watches. After subjecting the waterproof timepiece to a test, such as attaching one to the blade of a motorboat engine, the camera would zoom in to see the second hand moving. Swayze would add: "Takes a licking and keeps on ticking."
From Quiz: Remembering the 50s - TV News in America
Answer: Television City
Before CBS' move, most television shows originated from New York or Chicago. Afterwards, the other networks began moving to the Los Angeles area.
From Quiz: Remembering the 50s - Television
Answer: Oh, Susannah
Gale Storm did star in "My little Margie" which premiered in 1952 but Zasu Pitts wasn't a co-star. By the way, another Gale (Gordon) also began his TV career in 1952 as principal Osgood Conklin on "Our Miss Brooks".
From Quiz: Those Fabulous '50s
Answer: CBS
The 'I Love Lucy' show debuted on October 15, 1951, and the last telecast was September 24, 1961.
From Quiz: Fifty Years Ago or More
Answer: Disneyland
The opening of Disneyland was televised by the ABC network. The hosts of the broadcast were Ronald Reagan, Art Linkletter and Bob Cummings. The estimated TV audience was around 90 million - an incredibly high number given the fact that not everyone in America had television sets in those days. The general admission that year was ONE U.S. dollar per entrant.
From Quiz: Entertainment Firsts of the Fifties
Answer: Hula Hoop
Oh, so much fun was had with the Hula Hoop, a big plastic hoop made of brightly coloured plastic tubing that you twirl around your waist and keep it going by moving your hips. Doubt if the arthritis would allow it today, ouch!
From Quiz: The Nostalgic Nifty Fifties
Answer: Peter Pan
A woman has traditionally played Peter Pan. Others who have taken on the stage role are Sandy Duncan and Olympic gymnast Cathy Rigby.
Mary Martin also created the Broadway characters Nellie Forbush in "South Pacific" and Fraulein Maria in "The Sound of Music." Her son, Larry Hagman, was famous for his portrayal of J.R. Ewing on the hugely popular television program "Dallas."
From Quiz: 1950s All American Entertainment
Answer: Political conventions
NBC paired Chet and David to cover the 1952 and 1956 conventions, and the legendary Huntley-Brinkley Report was born. It began as a 15 minute nightly news program, expanding to 30 minutes in 1963. The Huntley-Brinkley Report was the top rated news program for most of its 14 year run.
From Quiz: Remembering the 50s - TV News in America
Answer: Pittsburgh
WQED in Pittsburg went on the air in 1954, with Chicago's WTTW beginning broadcasts the following year.
From Quiz: Remembering the 50s - Television
Answer: Bud Collyer
Jack Edwards hosted "Queen for a Day", Art Linkletter hosted "House Party" and Jan Murry hosted "Treasure Hunt".
From Quiz: Those Fabulous '50s
Answer: On an island in the Pacific
The United States tested this bomb on Bikini Atoll on May 12, 1951.
From Quiz: Fifty Years Ago or More
Answer: Around the World in 80 Days
This film starred David Niven as Phileas Fogg who, on a bet, travelled around the world using various methods of transportation - but most notably, in a balloon. In the non-English released versions of this movie, Cantinflas was billed as the starring actor. Regardless, with the help of the acting abilities of Shirley MacLaine, this movie made it to number one in 1956.
From Quiz: Entertainment Firsts of the Fifties
