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60 1940s Entertainment Trivia Questions, Answers, and Fun Facts

How much do you know about 1940s Entertainment? This category is for trivia questions and answers related to 1940s Entertainment (Entertainment). Each one is filled with fun facts and interesting information.
Related Questions & Answers:   The 1980s    1940s Movies (Movies by Year)  
1 From which state was Miss America in 1945?
Answer: New York

In 1945, Miss New York, Bess Myerson became the first Jewish woman and the first woman from New York to win the Miss America pageant. The pageant directors tried to get her to change her last name to make it sound less Jewish, but she refused.
    Your options: [ New York ] [ New Mexico ] [ New Jersey ] [ New Hampshire ]
  From Quiz: Fun in the 1940s
2 In terms of fashion, what is a popover?
Answer: dress

Claire McCardell designed the popover, a type of wrap-around dress, in 1942. It was versatile and could be used for entertaining, parties, and as a swimsuit coverup.
  From Quiz: Fun in the 1940s
3 Still on the subject of performers who lost their lives in the service of their country, an English actor who starred with Gable and Leigh in 'Gone with the Wind' was killed in a plane crash. Who was he?
Answer: Leslie Howard

Howard was more than just a famous actor. He was a patriot who, on completion of 'Gone with the Wind' returned to the UK in order do his bit for the war effort. He directed and starred in films such as ' First of the Few', and made many anti-Nazi broadcasts. He was believed to be involved in secret work, and in 1943 was on a BOAC commercial flight from Portugal to England when the plane was shot down by eight Junkers 88s over the Bay of Biscay. Everyone on board died, and there have been many theories about why it was targeted. No-one knows, but it has been claimed that Goebbels ordered the attack.
  From Quiz: Fun in the Forties
4 In 1941, a new comic began with a character whose best friend was Jughead. What was the name of the title character?
Answer: Archie

The "Archie" gang first appeared in "Pep Comics" in 1941; by 1942, they had their own comics: "Archie Comics," eventually shortened to "Archie."

Archie Andrews was a student at Riverdale High School. His best friend is Forsythe Pendleton "Jughead" Jones III. Jughead is a non-conformist and extremely clever and creative. Archie has two female friends who he goes back and forth between as to who he wants to be with. Veronica Lodge is one of the most beautiful girls at Rivendale but also a bit vain. Her best friend, Betty Cooper, is intelligent, funny, clever, and more of a tomboy than Veronica.
  From Quiz: Fun in the 1940s
5 Which Arthur Miller play starring Lee J. Cobb as Willy Loman won the 1949 Tony Award for Broadway's best play?
Answer: Death of a Salesman

Cobb made over 30 films, including most notably, "On the Waterfront", "12 Angry Men", and "The Exorcist." He also had lead roles in six major Broadway dramas, including the title role of "King Lear", along with Stacey Keach and Rene Auberjonois in 1968, in a 72-performance run which was Broadway's longest-running drama up to that time. His performance in "On the Waterfront" earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1954.
    Your options: [ Death of a Salesman ] [ The Fourposter ] [ Bus Stop ] [ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ]
  From Quiz: Entertaining the Rest of the Forties
6 Sometimes it's fun to visit different places. In 1943 someone from Asteroid 325 visited other planets, including Earth. Who was this traveler?
Answer: The Little Prince

"The Little Prince" (aka "Le Petit Prince") was written in 1943 by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It follows the adventures of a prince of a small planet. In fact, he is the only inhabitant aside from a girl in a rose flower. He becomes lonely and leaves the planet and visits other planets. The novella became very popular and was the second highest-selling book aside from The Bible.
  From Quiz: Fun in the 1940s
7 The 1947 Pulitzer Prize went to Robert Penn Warren's novel whose protagonist was a governor patterned on former Louisiana Governor Huey Long. What was the name of the novel?
Answer: All the King's Men

Rated at number 36 on the list of greatest novels of the Twentieth Century by Modern Library, "All the King's Men" was made into two Hollywood films of the same name, the first in 1949 and the second in 2006. The 1946 film won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor (Broderick Crawford), and Best Supporting Actress (Mercedes McCambridge).
  From Quiz: Entertaining the Rest of the Forties
8 In 1941, El Rancho Vegas, a casino hotel, opened. This was soon followed by others. What is the name of the part of the highway where one could find all these casinos?
Answer: The Strip

The Strip was filled with places for gamblers to win and lose big money. Mobster, Bugsy Siegel, and others opened one of the most famous casinos - The Flamingo. Siegel was murdered a year later, but mobsters continued to grow Las Vegas.
  From Quiz: Fun in the 1940s
9 In 1940, Disney released "Pinocchio" with a little cricket who acted as Pinocchio's conscience. What was the cricket's name?
Answer: Jiminy

Pinocchio was a puppet who wanted to be a real boy. Since he was made of wood, he did not have a conscience to tell him right from wrong. The Blue Fairy makes Jiminy Pinocchio's conscience. Jiminy explains to Pinocchio what a conscience is and tells him to "give a little whistle, and always let your conscience be your guide."
  From Quiz: Fun in the 1940s
10 No doubt they listened to the radio. "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?" was the introduction to one of the top-rated daytime radio shows in 1948. Frank Readick, Jr., voiced this question on what radio drama?
Answer: "The Shadow"

"The Shadow" premiered on CBS in 1930. Orson Welles voiced the title character in 1937 and 1938. The program left the air in 1954.
  From Quiz: Finding Entertainment in 19-Forty-Eight
11 Sylvester wasn't thrilled about meeting this bird in 1942. Sure he would love to eat the little yellow bird, but he's hard to eat. What was his name?
Answer: Tweety

Tweety is a Warner Brothers' cartoon yellow canary owned by Grandma. He first appeared in "A Tale of Two Kitties," a "Merry Melodies" cartoon. In the beginning, Tweety was more aggressive and mean to Sylvester. He has been toned down since then.
  From Quiz: Fun in the 1940s
12 Sticking with sports for one more question, the Upper Midwest dominated college and pro football in the Forties. Which two teams were the NFL and college football champions in both 1940 and 1941?
Answer: NFL's Chicago Bears and college football's Minnesota Golden Gophers

The Bears would win four NFL championships in the Forties, but their 73-0 victory over the Washington Redskins in 1940 was probably their highlight of the decade. Minnesota was one of three colleges to win two or more national titles in the Forties. The others were Army, featuring Heisman Trophy winners Doc Blanchard ("Mr. Inside") and Glenn Davis ("Mr. Outside") in 1944 and 1945, and Notre Dame, which won four titles: in 1943, 1946, 1947, and 1949.
    Your options: [ NFL's Chicago Bears and college football's Minnesota Golden Gophers ] [ NFL's Green Bay Packers and college football's Oklahoma Sooners ] [ NFL's Philadelphia Eagles and college football's Texas Longhorns ] [ NFL's Miami Dolphins and college football's Notre Dame Fighting Irish ]
  From Quiz: Entertaining the Rest of the Forties
13 The 1940s weren't actually only about the war. Life went on afterwards and the entertainment industry kept on entertaining. A film made in 1946 featured both real people and cartoon characters, and starred James Baskett. What is its name?
Answer: Song of the South

The film is a re-telling of Joel Chandler Harris' 'Brer Rabbit' stories. It is set on a southern plantation during the days of slavery, and though it paints a somewhat idealised portrait of life there, the sequences that feature interaction between real human beings and cartoon animals are still enchanting. James Baskett stars as Uncle Remus, and who could forget seeing him singing 'Zippity Doo Dah' with the cartoon bluebirds? Hattie McDaniel (who played 'Mammy' in 'Gone with the Wind') also featured as Aunt Tempy.
  From Quiz: Fun in the Forties
14 In 1945, a young English actress famed for her beautiful eyes starred in a film called 'National Velvet'. Who was she?
Answer: Elizabeth Taylor

The story concerns a young girl called Velvet Brown, who is encouraged to train her horse, Pie, to enter the Grand National. It's based on a story by Enid Bagnold.
  From Quiz: Fun in the Forties
15 In 1942, Irving Berlin wrote a song for the movie, "Holiday Inn." The song became the title of another movie. What was this song?
Answer: White Christmas

"White Christmas" won the Oscar for best original song at the 15th Academy Awards. Bing Crosby made the best-known recording, but many people have recorded it since. In fact, it's the most recorded Christmas song of all time.
  From Quiz: Fun in the 1940s
16 Which children's board game was introduced in 1943 by Milton Bradley and was inspired by the ancient Indian board game that inspired the expression, "back to square one"?
Answer: Chutes and Ladders

The original version of the game was called "Snakes and Ladders." A game requiring mostly luck with virtually no skill, it also was infused with a moral element, in that the ladders were symbolic of virtues and the snakes of sins. The Indian game board was illustrated with moralistic images. When the game was brought to England and adapted there, the virtues and vices were replaced by English ones.
    Your options: [ Monopoly ] [ Chutes and Ladders ] [ Scrabble ] [ Clue ]
  From Quiz: War Years Entertainment
17 This famous comedy team met in 1945 and began their comic team in 1946. Their names are Dean and Jerry. What are their surnames?
Answer: Martin and Lewis

Dino Paul Crocetti, better known as Dean Martin, was born on June 7, 1917. He was a singer and part of the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr. Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop). His best-known song is probably "That's Amoré"). He died on Christmas day in 1997.

Joseph Levitch, better known as Jerry Lewis, was born on March 16, 1926. Aside from being part of on of the most famous duos ever, he was also well-known for running "The Jerry Lewis Telethon" which raised money for Muscular Dystrophy. He rand the telethon from 1966 to 2010, during the time over 2.5 million dollars was raised.

The two teamed up on July 25, 1946, and broke up on July 25, 1956. Together they worked at night clubs, television and in films. Their first film was "War with the Army" in 1950. After they split they did not speak for twenty years publically, according to Lewis, However, in 1960, they both happened to be performing at Sands Hotel. Lewis saw the end of Martin's act and Martin introduced Lewis after he was done and for fifteen minutes the two did an impromptu act together. In 1976 with the help of Frank Sinatra the two reconciled.
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  From Quiz: Fun in the 1940s
18 One of the great features of television when I was a child was the number of cowboy shows available. My favourite concerned a man whose white horse was called 'Silver', and whose faithful Indian companion called him 'Kemo Sabe'. What was his name?
Answer: The Lone Ranger

'The Lone Ranger' began broadcasting in 1949, and starred Clayton Moore as the Masked Hero, and Jay Silverheels as his friend Tonto - Tonto's horse was called Scout.

Heigh Ho, Silver! Awaaaay!
  From Quiz: Fun in the Forties
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