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Women of the Year : 1951-1960 Quiz

Since 1951, the Harvard Hasty Pudding Prize is given annually by Harvard theatrical students to the woman they believe to have made a lasting impact on entertainment. I'll describe the winner, and you name her! Sources: www.imdb.com and "Empire" magazine

A multiple-choice quiz by Lazellia. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
Lazellia

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
231,016

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
807

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The very first "Woman of the Year" award was given to this English actress in 1951. She lived from 1898 to 1952, when she lost her battle to liver cancer. This lady was a regular in London and Broadway musicals, and her film career spanned from 1929 to 1950.
Who was she? Hint

Margaret Booth

Gertrude Lawrence

Lillian Biron

Colleen Clifford

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Question 2 of 10

2. 1952 : This actress, born in 1922, was probably most famous for her television roles, though she was well known in cinema too. She died in 2005, after a long battle with lung cancer, most likely caused by her heavy smoking. She had also suffered with breast cancer earlier in her life. Who was she? Hint

Barbara Bel Geddes

Frances Rafferty

Lorraine Miller

Coleen Gray

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Question 3 of 10

3. 1953 : This lady is one of the few non-actresses to be given the award. She was one of the first-ladies of the United States for a number of years. Her maiden name was Doud. Who was she? Hint

Elizabeth Truman

Mamie Eisenhower

Jacqueline Kennedy

Anna Roosevelt

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Question 4 of 10

4. 1954 : This actress, born in 1898, lived until she was 94, when she died of natural causes. She starred in a number of films and television programmes throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, and received great praise for her role in "About Mrs Leslie" (1954). Who was she? Hint

Ellen Corby

Marjie Millar

Eilene Janssen

Shirley Booth

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Question 5 of 10

5. 1955 : This former beauty contest winner was well known for her acting work, particularly in musicals. She continued to work late in life, not giving up even when she was well into her 70s. She had never been trained to dance before she was picked to star in a popular music, at aged 19, but learned quickly, and soon became known for her dance work. Who was she? Hint

Jean Hagen

Debbie Reynolds

Leslie Caron

Nina Foch

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Question 6 of 10

6. 1956 : This actress, who worked in both film and television, passed away in her 52nd year from pancreatic cancer. She started her career at a very young age, as her somewhat pushy mother started her daughter's modelling career at the tender age of 6. The mother outlived both her only child and her only grandchild - who was born to this actress during her second of three marriages. Who was she? Hint

Penny Singleton

Peggy Ann Garner

Anne Baxter

Mae Marsh

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Question 7 of 10

7. 1957 : This very beautiful lady was a prolific actress, with over 70 film and television appearances to her name. Born in 1931 into a Polish-American family, she grew up with the surname 'Piekarski', and started her career as a dancer and magician's assistant. Her daughter, Blanche, is also an actress, and can be currently seen regularly on television and cinema screens. Who was she? Hint

Ina Balin

Carolyn Jones

Carroll Baker

Georgina Hale

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Question 8 of 10

8. 1958 : This very famous lady was born in 1907, and died in 2003 of natural causes. She was known as the First Lady of Cinema, and was voted the #1 woman in the AFI's "50 Greatest Movie Legends" poll. She was the first person to ever receive four Oscars for acting. Who was she?

Answer: ( Two words, or just surname)

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Question 9 of 10

9. The 1959 winner was another very prolific actress, with nearly 70 credits to her name in film and television. This lady was born in 1930. She was well known for her tendency to play emotionally or mentally disturbed women. At the age of 9, she attended the premier of "Gone With The Wind" (1939) with her mother, and jumped into Laurence Olivier's limo, and sat in his lap, claiming she had a crush on him. Who was she? Hint

Sarah Marshall

Margaret Leighton

Joanne Woodward

Joan Collins

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Question 10 of 10

10. 1960 : This singer and actress was born in 1932, and was still acting in the new millennium. She was married three times and had two children with her second husband. She has starred in a large number of television shows and films, including an appearance as a guest star on an episode of "Sex and the City" (1998). She found fame and recognition mostly from her role in "West Side Story" on Broadway. Who was she? Hint

Carol Lawrence

Hermione Baddeley

Natalie Wood

June Allyson

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: Gertrude Lawrence

Gertrude Lawrence was only in a small number of films, but she was well known for her stage performances too. She played a wide variety of characters, including Catherine The Great in "Great Catherine" (1948). The award tends to go mostly to actresses, but apparently takes stage work into account, as well as film and television.

Answer: Barbara Bel Geddes

Barbara Bel Geddes is probably most recognisable as Miss Ellie, her famous "Dallas" (1978) character. She also guest starred on a number of other television shows, including "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1959). She also had a number of film roles, including her turn as Midge in "Vertigo" (1958).

3. 1953 : This lady is one of the few non-actresses to be given the award. She was one of the first-ladies of the United States for a number of years. Her maiden name was Doud. Who was she?

Answer: Mamie Eisenhower

Mamie Eisenhower, wife of US president Dwight Eisenhower, lived from 1896 to 1979, when she died from a stroke. Mamie was known for her trademark hair, and for her popularity among the male population in her youth. Although the award usually goes to actresses, in this occasion it went to Mamie for her outstanding contribution to entertainment.

Answer: Shirley Booth

Shirley Booth, real name Thelma Marjorie Ford, is one of an elite group of actors and actresses who won both a Tony and an Oscar for portraying the same character on the stage and the screen, putting her among the likes of Yul Brenner, Rex Harrison, and Anne Bancroft. Once again, she contributed much to theatre, film, and television over the span of her career, which is what led to her being chosen as 1954's "Woman of the Year".

Answer: Debbie Reynolds

Debbie Reynolds was taught to dance when she was selected by Gene Kelly to star in "Singin' In The Rain" (1952). Her first husband left her for Elizabeth Taylor, and her second husband was responsible for losing them a large amount of money. It was with her third husband, Eddie Fisher, that Debbie had her two children, one of whom was Carrie Fisher of "Star Wars" (1977) fame.

Answer: Peggy Ann Garner

Peggy was a very popular actress when she was young, but her career started to fizzle out as she got older, although she did keep working, with many guest appearances on television programmes. Peggy was a very beautiful woman, and sadly died at the relatively young age of 52, from cancer of the pancreas. She married and divorced three times, but only had one child, who died in 1995.

Answer: Carroll Baker

Carroll Baker was the 1957 recipient of the award, and continued to work well into her 70s. Her daughter, Blanche Baker, is also a popular actress in current television. She was married three times, and is currently still married to her third husband, Donald Burton - another popular television actor.

Answer: Katharine Hepburn

Katharine Hepburn (sometimes credited as KathErine) is one of the most well-known figures in cinema history. She is frequently awarded high positions in official polls of most famous/influential movie stars, and her efforts in the entertainment industry make it only fitting that she should have achieved the Hasty Pudding prize.

Answer: Joanne Woodward

Joanne Woodward is married to Paul Newman, whom she has three children with, including actress Melissa Newman. She was the first actress to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the year after she received her "Woman of the Year" award.

Answer: Carol Lawrence

Despite Carol's portrayal of Maria in "West Side Story" being met with such excitement on Broadway, she was beaten to the film role by Natalie Wood, even though Natalie had to have her voice dubbed. Carol is an accomplished singer, actress, and dancer, which shows that her contributions to the entertainment world were varied, and showing that she probably deserved the award.
Thanks must go to:
The Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com)
The Third Empire (Almost) Annual Movie Miscellany - from Empire Magazine
for the information in this quiz.

Source: Author Lazellia

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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