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Quiz about The Spectral Dog Walker 1998
Quiz about The Spectral Dog Walker 1998

The Spectral Dog Walker 1998 Trivia Quiz


I have an odd (but honorable) profession. It is I who tends to the care of the pets of those who have passed on to their great reward. I walked the dogs of many an angel in the 1990s. I'll do the walking - you name the owner who died in 1998, OK?

A multiple-choice quiz by Gatsby722. Estimated time: 9 mins.
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Author
Gatsby722
Time
9 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
240,383
Updated
Jan 26 23
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
605
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Question 1 of 10
1. On September 5, 1998 I was hired by this suddenly late and great fellow's otherworldly guides. A spiritual man in life he was immediately concerned about his beloved Akita named, affectionately, 'Yojimbo' - and I was happy to see to the pure-bred and gentle animal (who was grieving his newly deceased owner soundly). His master had won three Academy Awards and any number of other international accolades for his work in cinema. This could easily explain the dog's name, which had me perplexed at first. Who was Yojimbo's owner? Note: As I left the house I noticed the time on the mantle clock. It read '7'. Magnificent! I was right on schedule... Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. On August 2, 1998 I was called to exercise the dog of an entertainer who had passed away that day, and I remember the sadness I (and all the others, both young and still young at heart) had felt upon the news. Such pleasures, puppets, silly things that talked when spoken to, and never a condescending moment to the youngsters who had grown up paying attention, wide-eyed with all of it! The dog that awaited me, a little Chihuahua not bigger than a large sock, batted its long eyelashes at me as I found her. She was ready to have a short run by the looks of things. "Come along, Chopsticks!" I invited, and the little thing recognized her name immediately and off we went. Whose dog was Chopsticks? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. On October 12, 1998 I got an assignment that I dreaded. Yes, even I whose days are themed with the dying, occasionally become saddened to the core when my job(s) find me. In this case a young man from Wyoming had been beaten most cruelly and left to die hanging from a fence. He'd lingered to life for five days after being discovered there but finally could hang on no longer. In this case it was not the boy's dog but the pet of his mother, Judy, who needed my help. The poor woman had lost so much! Her son was gone, her faith in human nature shattered with him (but I could sense this woman was a fighter through and through). I headed west in a hurry to lend a hand in her time of need. Who was Judy's son? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. One assignment came upon this dog owner's death on July 5, 1998. I remember the atrocious traffic on Michigan Avenue as I neared my destination and was daunted to find an extremely large pooch, a Rottweiler named 'Bear', eagerly awaiting my strolling assistance. He was saddened at the loss of his master, to be sure, but was (to my relief) a lovable big pooch with a deadly good aim as our duties progressed. It would seem he had some Hall of Fame athletic skills, much like his late owner sported as well. Whose dog was Bear? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. March 10, 1998 marked the end of the road for reliable American actor Lloyd Bridges and I was called to help with his Golden Retriever, a fine swimmer named 'Nelson' and a most friendly dog. It would seem that he took after his master, an affable sort and noteworthy family man who had lived 85 productive years. I remembered Mr. Bridges so well (as Nelson and I sought out a fire hydrant) from that absolutely hilarious 1980 movie "Airplane" - just thinking about it got me giggling again. As the doggie relieved himself I was trying to think of Lloyd's character's name in that movie. I was stumped, though. Can you tell me what it was? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. May 28, 1998 called for my somber services once again - this time regarding the end of a man's life that was lived both long and colorfully indeed. I climbed off the plane in a warm (rather pleasant) climate and awaiting me was a friendly stranger escorting a somewhat stern-looking bulldog named Flagstaff (but I liked his conservatively designed collar and, after a pat on the head or two, he seemed an honest and loyal mutt). We marched to the nearest sidewalk where he wanted to go for a good run, so I complied. It seemed Flagstaff liked to run, but he wasn't so successful at it. Whose recently deceased politician/spokesperson's pet was I running with? Tell me and I'll give you a Daisy! Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. My phone rang on November 22, 1998 and, once again, my services were required in Las Vegas. It seemed another one had died too young. My immediate reaction was that a life lived in smoke-filled "joints", embarking on endeavors both engaging but fraught with destructive influences, presenting a brilliance that was no better than relying on chance - well, it was sometimes not meant to last. I went and collected a scruffy little pup. His name was 'Hoyle' and he was a frisky mutt with a heavy heart that night. His master had "cashed in", so to speak. Who was little Hoyle's former owner and friend? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. A messenger arrived at my door in the wee hours of May 28, 1998. The parents of a very noteworthy celebrity were, amongst other things tragic and real, hoping they could hire me. Their son's wife had just lost her life to a gunshot wound and none of it was sensible or fair for any of them. The dog in need of help was named "Bill McNeal" (a name I recognized, having watched my share of TV series and entertainment specials). I agreed to board a plane post haste to Los Angeles. To the house of which celebrated lost soul was I headed? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. How eerie, I thought, that I was reading the newest detective novel when my next assignment found me on February 7, 1998. This time the dog that needed my care upon the death of her owner was a most engaging beagle named, appropriately, 'Anderson'. Her owner, the prolific and always hard-to-put-down author Lawrence Sanders, had passed on to that big precinct in the sky that day at 77. In literally dozens of bestselling novels, Mr. Sanders had created many a character (both law abiding and some a good deal less so). Which of the following is NOT a detective/sleuth created by Lawrence Sanders? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. I remember January 5, 1998 as being very cold where I was, quite snowy! So when the call came with that unexpected news of the death of this fellow I know that my blood flowed even colder for a moment. It was his ex-wife on the phone alerting me to his fatal accident (and, really, I just couldn't believe I was talking to both an Oscar-winning actress AND a woman who had been an idol of mine for decades). I quickly agreed to help and, grief stricken as she was, she managed to tell me the little Italian greyhound puppy in my care would answer to 'Salvatore'. Before I hung up I told the entirely bereft woman: "Believe! He's in a better place now. And know that, throughout all the ups and downs, you two were a good combination...". With that I was on my way. Who had died that sad day?

Answer: (Two Words)

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. On September 5, 1998 I was hired by this suddenly late and great fellow's otherworldly guides. A spiritual man in life he was immediately concerned about his beloved Akita named, affectionately, 'Yojimbo' - and I was happy to see to the pure-bred and gentle animal (who was grieving his newly deceased owner soundly). His master had won three Academy Awards and any number of other international accolades for his work in cinema. This could easily explain the dog's name, which had me perplexed at first. Who was Yojimbo's owner? Note: As I left the house I noticed the time on the mantle clock. It read '7'. Magnificent! I was right on schedule...

Answer: Akira Kurosawa

Acclaimed Japanese director Kurosawa made "Yojimbo" in 1961, a tale much like a classic Japanese 'western' (the elements were the same but, of course, the settings were an ocean and several generations apart). His films were rich in detail, many say heavily Shakespearean, and his influence was entirely staggering on film history overall.

He never won an Oscar as Best Director, oddly enough, but picked up two honorary ones and shared another as part of the team responsible for the Best Foreign Film in 1951 ("Rashomon"). Mr. Kurosawa was born in 1910. Also, the mantle clock was a suggestion to a "Magnificent Seven" ~ an American version of Kurosawa's influential 1954 film "The Seven Samurai".
2. On August 2, 1998 I was called to exercise the dog of an entertainer who had passed away that day, and I remember the sadness I (and all the others, both young and still young at heart) had felt upon the news. Such pleasures, puppets, silly things that talked when spoken to, and never a condescending moment to the youngsters who had grown up paying attention, wide-eyed with all of it! The dog that awaited me, a little Chihuahua not bigger than a large sock, batted its long eyelashes at me as I found her. She was ready to have a short run by the looks of things. "Come along, Chopsticks!" I invited, and the little thing recognized her name immediately and off we went. Whose dog was Chopsticks?

Answer: Shari Lewis (of "The Shari Lewis Show")

The only of these masterful Children's TV show hosts to have a sock puppet with long eyelashes, as I sneakily mentioned, AND to have the most notable of them being named "Lamb Chop" (thus the fictional Chopsticks) should have led you in the right direction. Shari Lewis was born Sonia Phyllis Hurwitz and she and her simply constructed puppet pal debuted on "Captain Kangaroo" in 1957.

In a 40-year career she wrote 60 kids' books and won 12 Emmys while also indulging in a life-long passion for music and dance.

She died of pneumonia, rather unexpectedly, at just 65 years of age.
3. On October 12, 1998 I got an assignment that I dreaded. Yes, even I whose days are themed with the dying, occasionally become saddened to the core when my job(s) find me. In this case a young man from Wyoming had been beaten most cruelly and left to die hanging from a fence. He'd lingered to life for five days after being discovered there but finally could hang on no longer. In this case it was not the boy's dog but the pet of his mother, Judy, who needed my help. The poor woman had lost so much! Her son was gone, her faith in human nature shattered with him (but I could sense this woman was a fighter through and through). I headed west in a hurry to lend a hand in her time of need. Who was Judy's son?

Answer: Matthew Wayne Shepard

Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney had, after one too many beers, lured Matthew (a known homosexual) from a bar in Laramie and finally proceeded to assault him without a hint of mercy. By the time he was found, Shepard suffered a fracture from the back of his head to the front of his right ear and had severe brain stem damage which affected his body's ability to regulate heart rate and other vital signs.

After including the lacerations about all parts of his head it was concluded that his injuries were too severe for doctors to operate.

He was only 21 years old and his brutal homicide sparked a national debate about hate crimes and the punishment for them. Oddly, the state of Wyoming didn't pass a revised Hate Crime bill after this incident. But, in their defense, the legislature didn't accept the two attackers excuse of "mental defect due to homophobia" either.

The murderers are jailed for life, having narrowly escaped the death penalty.
4. One assignment came upon this dog owner's death on July 5, 1998. I remember the atrocious traffic on Michigan Avenue as I neared my destination and was daunted to find an extremely large pooch, a Rottweiler named 'Bear', eagerly awaiting my strolling assistance. He was saddened at the loss of his master, to be sure, but was (to my relief) a lovable big pooch with a deadly good aim as our duties progressed. It would seem he had some Hall of Fame athletic skills, much like his late owner sported as well. Whose dog was Bear?

Answer: Sid Luckman

All of the men mentioned were known for their involvement in sports and all died in '98 (Luckman and Nitschke played football, Kellogg played basketball and Murray was a sporting events announcer). Luckman was the Quarterback for the Chicago Bears from 1939-1950 and his team won 4 NFL Championships during that period of time - notably in 1940 when Sid led the Bears to a record setting 73-0 victory over the Washington Redskins. I suspect THAT wasn't the most exciting football game to watch in history but Mr. Luckman was a splendid player and the only official 'Hall-of-Famer' mentioned.

He was 81 years old upon his death. By the way, Michigan Avenue is the main thoroughfare through downtown Chicago. I thought that might give you a hint, tiny as it was.
5. March 10, 1998 marked the end of the road for reliable American actor Lloyd Bridges and I was called to help with his Golden Retriever, a fine swimmer named 'Nelson' and a most friendly dog. It would seem that he took after his master, an affable sort and noteworthy family man who had lived 85 productive years. I remembered Mr. Bridges so well (as Nelson and I sought out a fire hydrant) from that absolutely hilarious 1980 movie "Airplane" - just thinking about it got me giggling again. As the doggie relieved himself I was trying to think of Lloyd's character's name in that movie. I was stumped, though. Can you tell me what it was?

Answer: McCroskey

Bridges was around the entertainment industry for a long time (remember him in 1952's "High Noon"?) but was likely best known for his time in the 1958 TV series "Sea Hunt", where his surname while in character was, yes, Nelson. His two sons, both fine actors Beau and Jeff, got their acting careers started there with their Dad. Second to that fame I think Lloyd Bridges will always be remembered for his hysterical turn in "Airplane". Who, after all, will ever forget lines such as?:
-[reading newspaper headlines]-
Rex Kramer: Passengers certain to die!
Steve McCroskey: Airline negligent.
Johnny: There's a sale at Penney's!

Priceless indeed!
6. May 28, 1998 called for my somber services once again - this time regarding the end of a man's life that was lived both long and colorfully indeed. I climbed off the plane in a warm (rather pleasant) climate and awaiting me was a friendly stranger escorting a somewhat stern-looking bulldog named Flagstaff (but I liked his conservatively designed collar and, after a pat on the head or two, he seemed an honest and loyal mutt). We marched to the nearest sidewalk where he wanted to go for a good run, so I complied. It seemed Flagstaff liked to run, but he wasn't so successful at it. Whose recently deceased politician/spokesperson's pet was I running with? Tell me and I'll give you a Daisy!

Answer: Barry Goldwater

All the men mentioned did, in fact, pass away in 1998 (Wallace the former Governor of Alabama [and a controversial one at that], Spock who wrote the phenomenally successful "Baby and Child Care" and McMullen a mathematician). Goldwater, no matter how history will paint him, was truly an "honest" politician - perhaps a little TOO honest sometimes.

His much publicized run for the Presidency in 1964 ended in a landslide victory for Lyndon Baines Johnson but Barry is held responsible for the resurgence (and eventual success of Ronald Reagan) of the Conservative Right. Goldwater was a governor of Arizona - thus the imaginary dog's name - and the "daisy" refers to a campaign ad of his that only aired once that pictured a sweet young girl plucking the petals off a daisy only to finish her happy ditty as a nuclear bomb went off in the background. Mr. Goldwater, if nothing else, certainly knew how to get his point across...
7. My phone rang on November 22, 1998 and, once again, my services were required in Las Vegas. It seemed another one had died too young. My immediate reaction was that a life lived in smoke-filled "joints", embarking on endeavors both engaging but fraught with destructive influences, presenting a brilliance that was no better than relying on chance - well, it was sometimes not meant to last. I went and collected a scruffy little pup. His name was 'Hoyle' and he was a frisky mutt with a heavy heart that night. His master had "cashed in", so to speak. Who was little Hoyle's former owner and friend?

Answer: Stu Ungar, gin rummy/poker champion

Mr. Ungar was off to a peculiar start upon his birth in 1954. His father was a NYC bookie and young Stu won his first gin rummy jackpot at the age of 10 (it seemed gambling/ playing odds was truly in his blood). His preoccupation with cards caused him to drop out of high school to pursue this as a vocation and his success was notable, yet bittersweet.

He soon was a reknowned poker player and, at 27, was the youngest winner ever in the World Series of Poker [1980]. Despite a genius-level IQ, his addiction to gambling and drugs finally took its toll and he died when he was 45. I hasten to add, too, that his death wasn't the result of a drug overdose but due to wear and tear on his heart after years of various substance abuse. For those not in the know, Edmond Hoyle wrote a book in the 18th century about the game of "whist" which has since become, after many revisions, a bible of sorts to all rules of card games. "According to Hoyle" is a well bandied about phrase around almost all well-used card tables.
8. A messenger arrived at my door in the wee hours of May 28, 1998. The parents of a very noteworthy celebrity were, amongst other things tragic and real, hoping they could hire me. Their son's wife had just lost her life to a gunshot wound and none of it was sensible or fair for any of them. The dog in need of help was named "Bill McNeal" (a name I recognized, having watched my share of TV series and entertainment specials). I agreed to board a plane post haste to Los Angeles. To the house of which celebrated lost soul was I headed?

Answer: Phil Hartman

The sickest twist to this question is that, true, Brynn Hartman died after a self-inflicted gunshot to her head that night - but did that after shooting her husband Phil to death, too. Her problems were clearly massive and the combination of drugs, alcohol and temperament gone mad painted a pretty awful picture all around (notably for the two children who survived it all). Phil Hartman, famous alumni of "Saturday Night Live" and then on the bright and well-crafted sitcom "NewsRadio" (where he played Bill McNeal), died at the age of just 49.
9. How eerie, I thought, that I was reading the newest detective novel when my next assignment found me on February 7, 1998. This time the dog that needed my care upon the death of her owner was a most engaging beagle named, appropriately, 'Anderson'. Her owner, the prolific and always hard-to-put-down author Lawrence Sanders, had passed on to that big precinct in the sky that day at 77. In literally dozens of bestselling novels, Mr. Sanders had created many a character (both law abiding and some a good deal less so). Which of the following is NOT a detective/sleuth created by Lawrence Sanders?

Answer: Petra Connor

After working diligently as a journalist for 20 years (for the likes of "Mechanics Illustrated" and "Science and Mechanics", etc.) Sanders finally achieved his life-long dream of becoming a novelist with the publication of "The Anderson Tapes" in 1970. In that book we meet Edward Delany who was later found in the numerical "Deadly Sins" series. Joshua Bigg was featured in the similarly numerical "Commandments" books and Archie McNally had his own set of mysteries with his name in the titles.
Petra Connor was created by another popular detective novelist Jonathan Kellerman.
10. I remember January 5, 1998 as being very cold where I was, quite snowy! So when the call came with that unexpected news of the death of this fellow I know that my blood flowed even colder for a moment. It was his ex-wife on the phone alerting me to his fatal accident (and, really, I just couldn't believe I was talking to both an Oscar-winning actress AND a woman who had been an idol of mine for decades). I quickly agreed to help and, grief stricken as she was, she managed to tell me the little Italian greyhound puppy in my care would answer to 'Salvatore'. Before I hung up I told the entirely bereft woman: "Believe! He's in a better place now. And know that, throughout all the ups and downs, you two were a good combination...". With that I was on my way. Who had died that sad day?

Answer: Sonny Bono

Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono was, at first glance, a no-talent schnook riding on the wildly diverse talents of his wife Cher - but, and she's always been quick to say so, he was the motivation, the brains and the wisdom behind "Sonny and Cher". He was a dozen years older than she when they married (and she was just a teenager) but he turned it all into a phenomenon that succeeded in many places.

The marriage failed but she continued on her path to film stardom and a legendary recording career while he eventually drifted into politics, elected into the Senate in 1992.

He was killed in a rather freak skiing accident at Lake Tahoe, California and was only 62 years old at the time. At his memorial, his ex-love and friend (and some would say 'soul mate') Cher delivered a gut-wrenchingly sincere eulogy. Sonny left behind three daughters: Chastity (with Cher), Chesare and Channa (both with third wife Mary). Oh, and Cher had a number 1 hit with "Believe" in 1998 and she and Sonny had a single together called "Perfect Together" some three decades before that - which serves to explain the imaginary telephone conversation mentioned.
Source: Author Gatsby722

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