Man About Town Trivia Quiz

Answer: Noel Coward

Time magazine once described him as having "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise". Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, actor, and director. Born on 16 December 1899, he began his career as a child actor and made his first professional stage appearance at the age of 11. He went to be a star in the 1920s and 1930s, both in London's West End and on Broadway in New York before becoming one of the most successful and versatile British entertainers of the 20th century. Coward wrote over 50 plays, including "Private Lives", "Blithe Spirit", and "Hay Fever", as well as numerous songs, musicals, and films. His works are known for their wit, sophistication, and elegance, often set in high society and exploring the complexities of human relationships. He was also known for his flamboyant lifestyle and his distinctive fashion sense, which included tailored suits, silk cravats, and cigarette holders.

In addition to his theatrical work, Coward was also a prolific songwriter composing hits such as "Mad Dogs and Englishmen", "The Party's Over Now", and "I'll See You Again". The song "Men about Town" appeared in his 1936 show with Gertrude Lawrence, "Tonight at 8.30". Coward came to epitomise the debonair Englishman. He was also a respected director and was awarded a knighthood in 1969 for his contributions to the arts. He died at his Jamaican estate "Firefly" on 26 March 1973.

Answer: Aly Khan

Prince Ali Salman Aga Khan, more commonly known as Aly Khan, was known for his charm, good looks and was a prominent figure in high society, often being photographed with celebrities, politicians, and members of royalty. Aly Khan was born on 13 June 1911 in Turin, Italy, the eldest son of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan, the 48th Ismaili Imam, and his wife, Cleope Teresa Magliano. He was educated at Le Rosey in Switzerland and at the University of Oxford. He was also a diplomat and served as Pakistan's representative to the United Nations from 1958 to 1960 where he was involved in several international initiatives and played a significant role in promoting peace and development in various parts of the world.

Khan was also famous for his romantic relationships. He had a highly publicized and tumultuous relationship with Hollywood actress Rita Hayworth, who he met in Cannes, France, in 1948. Their relationship was controversial, as Aly Khan was a Muslim and a member of the Ismaili community, and Rita Hayworth was a Catholic who had been married and divorced several times. Despite the challenges, they married in 1949. However, their marriage was short-lived, and they separated in 1951, amidst rumors of infidelity and Aly Khan's busy social schedule. They officially divorced in 1953, but their relationship remained a topic of interest in the media and popular culture for years to come. Aly Khan died on May 12, 1960, in Suresnes, France, at the age of 48 as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident that occurred on May 8, 1960.

Answer: Hugh Hefner

Hugh Hefner was an American businessman, magazine publisher, and cultural icon best known as the founder of Playboy magazine in 1953 which went on to become one of the most successful and influential men's magazines of all time. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 9, 1926, and began his career in the publishing industry as a copywriter for Esquire magazine.

Hefner's vision for Playboy was to create a lifestyle brand that celebrated sexual freedom and the "Playboy lifestyle," which he defined as a combination of luxury, hedonism, and sophistication. A self styled bon vivant, Hefner himself became a cultural icon, known for his lavish lifestyle. He was often seen wearing a silk smoking jacket and surrounded by beautiful women who he called his "Playmates." at his famous Playboy Mansion. His personal life was often the subject of media scrutiny and fascination.

Hefner was married three times and had four children. Although Hefner was often criticized for his objectification of women and for creating a culture that glorified promiscuity, he was also a prominent advocate for civil rights and free speech. He supported a number of progressive causes and was a vocal critic of censorship and government regulation of the media. Hugh Hefner passed away on September 27, 2017, at the age of 91 at his home, the Playboy Mansion, in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles.

Answer: George Best

George Best is considered to be football's first truly authentic superstar pin-up. His dark good looks, a dedication to fashion and a reputation as a playboy combined with exceptional skills on the pitch put him centre stage in the media and public eye. He was born on May 22, 1946, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He began his professional career as a teenager with Manchester United in 1963 and also played for the Northern Ireland national team. He was named European Footballer of the Year in 1968 and is still considered to be one of the greatest footballers of all time. He was adored by fans for his flashy style and flamboyant personality, often being often seen at high-end social events. In 1971, he was a judge at the Miss World competition, which was held in London. During the pageant, Best became romantically involved with Miss World herself, Marjorie Wallace, who represented the United States which caused the media of the day to go into an absolute tizzy. Although the relationship was short lived, it helped to cement his status as a man-about-town, cultural icon and a symbol of the glamorous and decadent lifestyle of the 1960s and 1970s.

Unfortunately, his drinking and his party lifestyle began to affect his performance on the field and he eventually retired from professional football in 1984 at the relatively young age of 27. He continued to struggle with alcoholism and other personal demons throughout his life. George Best passed away on November 25, 2005, in London, England of multiple organ failure at the age of 59. Perhaps his life can best be summed up in his own words. "I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered."

Answer: Beau Brummell

To call someone a "Beau Brummell" is to imply that they are a typical or extreme dandy. Beau Brummell was the epitome of a man-about-town. He was born George Bryan Brummell in London on 07 June 1778 and was educated at Eton College, where he became friends with the Prince Regent, future King George IV. Brummell's good looks, charming personality, and impeccable taste in clothing quickly made him a popular figure among London's elite. He became known for his dandyism and his innovative fashion sense and his influence on fashion and style in Regency England was significant. He introduced a new style of dress that emphasized simplicity and elegance, with dark colors, clean lines, and understated accessories. He was known for his perfectly tailored suits, his white shirts, and his neckties, which were tied in a distinctive knot that came to be known as the "Brummell knot." In addition to his sense of style, Brummell was also famous for his wit and charm. He was a master of conversation and could hold his own with anyone, from royalty to commoners. His social skills and ability to navigate the complex social hierarchies of the time made him an influential figure in Regency society.

Unfortunately, despite his popularity, Brummell's fortunes declined in the 1810s after his falling out with the Prince Regent. His ultimate downfall was, however, his debts and he was eventually forced to flee, with the help of his powerful friends, to France to avoid his creditors and a debtor's prison.. He died penniless and with symptoms of insanity in an asylum in Caen on 30 March 1840. However ignominious his final years were, Beau Brummell left a lasting impression on men's fashion and a statue immortalising him can be found in London's Jermyn Street, the traditional home of men's quality wear in London.

Answer: Omar Sharif

Omar Sharif was the Egyptian actor who gained international fame for his roles in films such as "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Doctor Zhivago". He was also known for his good looks, charm, and sophisticated style, which made him a favorite of Hollywood and European elites. Sharif was born on April 10, 1932, in Alexandria, Egypt as Michel Dimitri Chalhoub, the son of a wealthy Egyptian family of Syrian-Lebanese descent. He grew up in a multilingual environment, speaking Arabic, French, English, and Italian fluently and earned a degree in mathematics and physics from Cairo University. After completing his studies, Sharif worked briefly as a translator and as a salesman for his father's lumber business before turning his attention to acting. Omar Sharif was also an accomplished contract bridge player, after learning how to play the game while filming "Lawrence of Arabia" in Jordan. He often competed in high-stakes tournaments and games with other celebrities and top players and wrote a book about it, called "Omar Sharif Talks Bridge".

Omar Sharif was married twice during his lifetime. His first marriage was to an Egyptian actress named Faten Hamama, and he then married French artist Geneviève Laporte, and they remained together until Laporte's death from cancer in 1994. Apart from his marriages, Sharif was also known to have had several high-profile relationships with actresses and socialites, including Ingrid Bergman and Barbra Streisand. He passed away on July 10, 2015 at the age of 83 in a hospital in Cairo, Egypt, where he had been receiving treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

Answer: Giacomo Casanova

Giacomo Casanova was the Venetian socialite whose flamboyant personality, charm, wit and good looks made him a favorite of the aristocracy and the upper classes of the time. He had a reputation as a ladies' man and he became known for his numerous affairs and seductions. He wrote extensively about his sexual exploits in his memoirs, "Histoire de ma vie" (The Story of My Life), which remains one of the most vivid and fascinating accounts of 18th-century European life, and which continues to be studied and read to this day. Casanova was born in Venice, Italy on 02 April 1725. As a young man, Casanova studied law and briefly worked as a clerk in Venice. However, he soon grew bored with the routine and began to seek adventure and excitement. He traveled extensively throughout Europe, working as a gambler, a spy, and a personal assistant to various nobles and dignitaries. He was often seen at high-end social events and was known to be a regular at some of the most exclusive clubs, salons, and gambling houses in the capitals of Europe.

However, despite his reputation as a libertine and a socialite, Casanova was also a serious thinker and a prolific writer. He wrote on a variety of subjects, including history, philosophy, mathematics, and music, and he corresponded with many of the leading intellectuals of his time. He was also a skilled musician and a patron of the arts and he counted many famous writers, musicians, and artists among his friends and acquaintances. Casanova spent his later years as a librarian and a writer at the Dux Chateau of Count Waldstein in Bohemia in what is now the Czech Republic where he died on 04 June 1798 .

Answer: Imran Khan

Imran Ahmed Khan is the former cricketing all-rounder who became a national hero in his cricket-mad country when he led Pakistan to its first victory in the ICC World Cricket Cup in 1992. Apart from his status as a national cricket hero, he was also known for his good looks and charismatic personality, with a reputation as a playboy and socialite. Khan's love life was the subject of intense media scrutiny, with many tabloids and newspapers speculating about his relationships and romantic interests. His first marriage, in 1995, to the British socialite, Jemima Goldsmith, made headlines around the world, not least because of her Jewish background in the staunchly Muslim Pakistan. The marriage produced two sons, but ultimately ended in divorce in 2004. In 2015 he had a short lived marriage to Reham Khan, a journalist and television presenter, which ended after 10 months, again amid intense media speculation. In 2018, he married for a third time to Bushra Maneka, a spiritual healer.

After retiring from cricket in 1992, Imran Khan turned his attention to politics and founded the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in 1996, with the vision of creating a corruption-free and prosperous Pakistan. He unsuccessfully contested several elections before winning a seat in parliament in 2002. He went on to become the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan on 18 August 2018. On 10 April 2022, he became the first Prime Minister to be removed from office through a no-confidence motion.

Answer: Oleg Cassini

Oleg Cassini was the designer responsible for many of the iconic outfits worn by Jacqueline Kennedy. He was instrumental in creating the classic, elegant style that became known as "The Jackie Look". After he was appointed in 1961 by Jackie Kennedy as her exclusive couturier, he became known as the "Secretary of Style to the White House" and helped to define the fashion of the early 1960s which had a significant impact on American style. The pink suit worn by Mrs Kennedy on the day of President Kennedy's assassination was a Cassini design.

However, this son of an Italian mother and aristocratic Russian father who was born on April 11 1913 in Paris was as well known for his turbulent and varied love life as he was for his designs.The second of his three wives was actress Gene Tierney and their tumultuous relationship provided for much fodder for the gossip columnists and media of the day. Cassini began designing costumes for Hollywood while also working as a couturier for such stars as Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe. He became known for his collaboration with Grace Kelly when she was an actress in Hollywood. They became close friends and, after she married Prince Rainier in 1956, they remained friends and Cassini continued to design for her throughout her time as Princess of Monaco. He passed away in New York City on March 17 2006 at the age of 92.

Answer: Porfirio Rubirosa

Porfirio Rubirosa, who was born on January 22, 1909, in San Francisco de Macoris in the Dominican Republic, was the quintessential playboy and epitomised the suavity and luxurious lifestyle of a man about town. He started his career as a soldier in the Dominican army and later became a diplomat, serving as an ambassador to several European countries, including France and Germany. Besides his diplomatic work, Rubirosa was also a skilled polo player and race car driver, competing in numerous events throughout his career. However, it was for his playboy lifestyle and numerous romantic relationship and alleged involvement with several high-profile women including, amongst others, Ava Gardner and Zsa Zsa Gabor, that he is probably best known and remembered. In addition to his famous liaisons, he married five times. Two of his wives just happened to be among the richest women in the world. Doris Duke, the heiress to the Duke fortune was wife number three and Barbara Hutton, the "poor little rich girl" who was the Woolworth heiress was wife number four.

Rubirosa's death in a car accident on 05 July 1965 at the age of 56 after he crashed his silver Ferrari 250 GT cabriolet into a tree in the Bois de Boulogne following an all-night celebration at a Parisian nightclub in honor of winning a polo tournament, only added to his legendary status. Despite his controversial links to the dictator, Rafael Trujillo, he has remained a cultural icon in the years since, appearing in films, books and even a line of clothing.