Movies/Actors - Songs/Singers of the 1960s Quiz

Answer: Harrison

"The Windmills Of Your Mind", written by Michel Legrand, was a number eight hit on the UK Singles Chart for Noel Harrison in 1969. The actor in the question was Noel's father Rex Harrison and the member of The Beatles was George Harrison.

"The Windmills Of Your Mind" was the only UK chart hit for Noel Harrison who was the son of English actor Rex Harrison and the first of his six wives, Ethel. As well as singing, Noel Harrison was an actor and a member of the British Skiing team at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway and the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

"The Thomas Crown Affair" (1968) starred Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway, Paul Burke and Jack Weston. It involved a bank heist by Thomas Crown (Steve McQueen) which is investigated by Det. Lt. Edward Malone (Paul Burke) and insurance investigator Vicki Anderson (Faye Dunaway).

Question submitted by shipyardbernie

Answer: Cruella De Vil

Disney films released the movie "101 Dalmatians" in 1961 with songs, music, and lyrics provided by Mel Leven while the overall musical score was composed by George Bruns. According to Mel Leven's son William his father actually wrote 3 different versions of the song and it was the third, more bluesy version that Walt Disney liked the best and which ended up in the film.


Question submitted by dekeaun

Answer: Smith

"Easy Rider" came out in 1969, and was one of the first movies to use songs of the time in the movie. The song "The Weight" by The Band wasn't used on the soundtrack album because of licensing issues; a cover version by the band Smith was used instead.

Smith is a band that was formed around the same time the movie was made, based in Los Angeles. They had scored a top five hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969 with a cover of Burt Bacharach's "Baby It's You" which was produced by the singer/songwriter Del Shannon. Smith disbanded in 1971.

The movie "Easy Rider" starred Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper. It was written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern, produced by Peter Fonda and directed by Dennis Hopper. Fonda and Hopper play two bikers traveling through the American south with money made from a cocaine deal. Also in the movie are Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, Toni Basil, Phil Spector and Robert Walker Jr.

Question submitted by JamesFree

Answer: Clint Eastwood

A 1969 film, with a musical score by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, was "Paint Your Wagon". It features a song performed by, amongst other 'non-singing actors', Clint Eastwood.

It was released as a single from the film soundtrack but only just crept into the UK Singles chart for two weeks in 1970. It peaked at number 18.

Question submitted by esspee

Answer: Strangers in the Night

"Strangers in the Night", with English lyrics by Charles Singleton and Eddie Snyder, was a number one hit for Frank Sinatra in mid 1966 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song made number one in The UK, Australia, Germany and many other countries. "Strangers in the Night" was not nominated for an Oscar but did win a Golden Globe. The film "A Man Could Get Killed" was a spy spoof movie - a man is mistaken for a spy. The film also starred Sandra Dee, Anthony Franciosa and Robert Coote.

"Windmills of your Mind" was from "The Thomas Crown Affair" (1968). It won an Oscar, for best song.

"The Look of Love" was from ""Casino Royale" (1967). It was nominated for best song.

"The Shadow of Your Smile" was from "The Sandpiper" (1965). It won the Oscar for best song.

Question submitted by Desimac

Answer: I'm Happy Just To Dance With You

"I'm Happy Just To Dance With You" was featured in the movie "A Hard Day's Night" along with six others from the UK album of the same name. George Harrison was the lead singer on the song, one of the rare Lennon/McCartney songs given to him. All of the songs on the album "A Hard Day's Night" were written by Lennon/McCartney.

The soundtrack from the movie released in America on the United Artists record label had a different format from the UK album and included some instrumental music.

Question submitted by shipyardbernie

Answer: Linda Ronstadt

The song "Different Drum", written by Michael Nesmith (of The Monkees fame), was recorded by The Stone Poneys which consisted of Linda Ronstadt, Bobby Kimmel and Kenny Edwards. The song was released in 1967 and reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

Linda Ronstadt was born in Tucson, Arizona on July 15, 1947. Her music career spanned over five decades and resulted in her receiving multiple awards including 11 Grammys and two awards from the Academy of Country Music. One of her early backup groups consisted of Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner, who later became the group, Eagles. She released her first solo album "Hand Sown...Hand Grown" in 1969.

Linda Ronstadt stopped singing after being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease which was later changed to a diagnosis of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy which affected her ability to control the muscles necessary for singing. Her last recording was a collaborative album, "Adieu False Heart" released in 2006. Her last live appearance was in San Antonio Texas on November 9, 2009

Judy Collins, Carole King and Dionne Warwick were all well known, respected vocalists during the 1960s and beyond.

Question submitted by dekeaunt

Answer: Lee Marvin

The 1969 film, with a musical score by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, features a song performed by, amongst other 'non-singing actors', Lee Marvin.

The track, as bad as it was, was taken from the film soundtrack and released as a single. It became a number one hit for Lee Marvin and spent three weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart in 1970. It did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

Question submitted by esspee

Answer: The Monkees

"Head" was written and produced by Jack Nicholson and Bob Rafelson. The film featured Victor Mature as "The Big Victor" and cameo appearances by Nicholson, Teri Garr, Annette Funicello, Frank Zappa, Sonny Liston, and Ray Nitschke. Also appearing on screen in brief non-speaking parts are Dennis Hopper and film choreographer Toni Basil.

The film's music included contributions by Carole King and Harry Nilsson. The film's most famous song, "Porpoise Song", appeared at the start and finish.

A poor audience response at an August 1968 screening in Los Angeles led the producers to edit the picture from its original 110-minute length. It was not a commercial success. This was in part because "Head" was the opposite of The Monkees comedy/vaudevillian-like sitcom on NBC.

Question submitted by JamesFree

Answer: A Summer Place

"The Theme from A Summer Place" by Percy Faith and his Orchestra, spent nine weeks at number one in 1960. The nine weeks tied with "Hey Jude" by the Beatles in 1969 as the longest time at number one in the 1960s.

The movie "A Summer Place" starred Richard Egan, Dorothy McGuire and Arthur Kennedy. The cast was boosted by young stars Troy Donohue and Sandra Dee. In Australia Sandra Dee received top billing.

"To Sir With Love" Starred Sidney Poitier and Lulu and the song of the same name was the number one song for five weeks in 1967 for Lulu.

"The Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet" was number one for two weeks in 1969 for Henry Mancini and His Orchestra. It was from the Franco Zeffirelli version of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", starring Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting.

"The Ballad of the Green Berets" is a case of the song inspiring the movie. Released in 1968, "The Green Berets" Starred John Wayne, David Jansen, Jim Hutton, Aldo Ray and George Takei. The song spent five weeks at number one in March and April 1966 for SSgt. Barry Sadler.

All chart information relates to the Billboard Hot 100. None of the movies mentioned above did very well at the box office but when released on video tape, "To Sir With Love" was very successful, selling more than a million units.

Question submitted by Desimac