1940s Music Trivia

1. This delightful pop song was first recorded in 1940 by several big bands including the Glenn Miller Orchestra and later that year by Bing Crosby. It references the time when the singer met their lover and "a nightingale sang" - where?

From Quiz Music from "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" - 1940s

Answer: Berkeley Square

Berkeley Square is a park with gardens in the Mayfair area of London. As referred to in the song, there is indeed a Ritz Hotel nearby. Many other recordings of "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" have followed including Nat King Cole's in 1961 and Frank Sinatra's in 1962. In "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," the song is sung by fictional singer Shy Baldwin (voiced by Darius de Haas) at an Army base where he is doing his first show with Midge (Mrs. Maisel).

From Quiz Broadway in the 1940s

Answer: Irving Berlin

"Louisiana Purchase" wasn't about Thomas Jefferson. It had a contemporary plot, being a thinly-veiled satire of the Huey Long regime. Ballet choreography by George Balanchine made up for the lack of memorable songs. The cast featured Broadway veterans Victor Moore and William Gaxton, and also ballerina Vera Zorina. The use of dance wasn't fully integrated with the plot, but was a portent of things to come later in the decade.

From Quiz Music in Film

Answer: Holiday Inn

The song 'White Christmas' was written by Irving Berlin and was featured in the 1942 movie 'Holiday Inn' which featured Bin Crosby, Fred Astaire and Marjorie Reynolds. The song 'White Christmas' was re-released many times by Bing Crosby and is featured in the Guinness book of World Records!

From Quiz Fruity Songs from the Forties

Answer: Apple

The full title of this popular song is "Don't Sit under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else but Me)". In 1942, The Andrews Sisters, accompanied by the Harry James orchestra, sang it in the musical film "Private Buckaroo" about an entertainer who enlists in the army, but who stirs up trouble as a recruit. The Andrews Sisters (Maxene, Patty and Laverne) went on to record the song with labels Brunswick and Capitol. Earlier, also in 1942, "Don't Sit under the Apple Tree" had been recorded on Bluebird by the Glenn Miller Orchestra with vocalists Gordon "Tex" Beneke, Marion Hutton and The Modernaires. The US magazine, "Billboard", listed this song in their charts as a number one hit in 1942. - Kenners158

From Quiz It Was The Best of Musical Times

Answer: Maxine

Singing sisters were big business in 1940s America. As well as The Andrews Sisters there were The Boswell Sisters and The Macguire Sisters, and this trend eventually spread across to the UK and produced The Beverley Sisters and The Kaye Sisters. The Andrews Sisters were probably the best known with songs such as "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" and "Rum and Coca-Cola". They also made 17 films and often performed with other people such as Bing Crosby, Les Paul, Glen Miller and Carmen Miranda.

From Quiz The Late 1940s - Lyrics 'n Things

Answer: Peg O' My Heart

These are all old, old standards. "Peg 'O My Heart" was a #1 song in 1913 for tenor Charles Harrison and was written that year by Alfred Bryan (lyrics) and Fred Fisher (music) for the Broadway musical "Ziegfeld Follies of 1913". It re-appeared out of nowhere in 1947 and was a #1 hit for no less than three artists; an instrumental version for seven weeks by The Harmonicats, a vocal version for six weeks by Buddy Clark and another vocal version for three weeks by The Three Suns. Three other artists had top 10's with their recordings; Art Lund, Ted Weems and Clark Dennis. Altogether astonishing for a 34 year old chestnut! Meanwhile, "The Rose of Tralee" dates back to the 1870's, "My Wild Irish Rose" was written in 1899 by Chauncey Wolcott and "I'm Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover" was a Dixon/Woods collaboration from 1927.

From Quiz Big Band Singers

Answer: Ray Eberle

Tex Beneke also played tenor sax in the orchestra and led the band briefly after Miller's death. Eberle was voted as most popular male vocalist in the Billboard College Surveys of 1940 and 1942.

From Quiz Music from "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" - 1940s

Answer: Irving Berlin

"Annie Get Your Gun" opened on Broadway in 1946 based on a fictionalized account of the life of sharpshooter Annie Oakley in "Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show" and her romance with fellow sharpshooter Frank Butler. The show was a big hit, running for over 1,000 performances, becoming Berlin's biggest box office success, and leading to a movie version in 1950. In "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," fictional singer Shy Baldwin does a wonderful rendition of "They Say It's Wonderful" opening his gig with Midge (Mrs. Maisel) in Las Vegas, as sung by Darius de Haas.

From Quiz Broadway in the 1940s

Answer: Gene Kelly

The multi-talented Gene Kelly (1912-1996) dropped out of law school to become a dance teacher, choreographer and performer. When the Broadway run of "Pal Joey" ended in 1941, Kelly went to Hollywood to star in several major movie musicals - and to choreograph many of his own dance numbers. After volunteering for the Navy in World War Two, he returned to movie musicals but not to performing on Broadway. And he did write a book, with Frank Sinatra and Richard Rodgers. Its title? "I Could Write a Book."

From Quiz Fruity Songs from the Forties

Answer: Blueberry Hill

The song, originally written in 1940, became a number one hit for the Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1940 and was recorded by many different artists of the period. The greatest success was the Fats Domino version in 1956 which has since been ranked number 82 in "Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". It has been said the name "Blueberry Hill", comes from a "makeout-spot" in Taos, NM! - Timnross

From Quiz Mr. Forgetful

Answer: La Vie En Rose

"La Vie En Rose" is one of the most popular songs sung by Edith Piaf. She was one of the greatest international stars ever to come out of France. Her dramatic ballads were her trademark. "La Vie En Rose" was recorded in 1946.

From Quiz It Was The Best of Musical Times

Answer: Paul Whiteman

Paul Whiteman was known as "The King of Jazz", and his orchestra starred in a film of that name. While many dance bands of the era had ten or fifteen members he regularly had around 35 musicians, who, at various times, included such subsequently well known people as Jack Teagarden, Bix Beiderbecke and Joe Venuti. He commissioned Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue", and for his entire career sought out and encouraged up and coming musicians. Bing Crosby sang with him as part of a trio called the Rhythm Boys, and it was his singing with this group that helped launch his solo career. Billie Holiday and Paul Robeson both recorded with him, but the racial segregation of the times meant he never had any black musicians in his orchestra.

From Quiz The Late 1940s - Lyrics 'n Things

Answer: Richard

Richard is presumably asleep in his house and his friends are trying to rouse him. The "song" consists of the friend's mutterings and knocks on the door! It's hard to say what the attraction was to the consumers and listeners that vaulted this to the #1 position for not just one but two different artists; Count Basie and The Three Flames. This innocuous pap would be Basie's only #1 - seems a shame! Even more remarkable was that five other groups managed top 10 hits with it as well! The dark ages of pop music indeed!

From Quiz The Early 40s

Answer: White Christmas

Golly, I hope everyone gets this one! This song, by Bing Crosby, has sold more than 35,000,000 records! It originally hit number one in 1942 and returned to that lofty position in 1945 and 1947 and charted in every year but for one (1951) from 1942 to 1962. Words and music were written by Irving Berlin and was first sung in the movie "Holiday Inn" starring Bing, Fred Astaire and Marjorie Reynolds.

From Quiz Big Band Singers

Answer: Chick Webb

He originally was resistant to hiring her but her style and voice won out as proven when "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" rocketed to #1 for ten weeks in 1938, four months after she joined the band! After Webb's death in 1939, she fronted the band until 1942.

From Quiz Music from "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" - 1940s

Answer: Brigadoon

Lyricist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe had their first major success with "Brigadoon" which ran for over 500 performances on Broadway and over 600 in London. Frank Sinatra had the highest charting single in the US in 1947. Numerous recording, including several by Nat King Cole, have followed. In "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," the song is featured in a Miami performance by the fictional singer Shy Baldwin as sung by Darius de Haas.

From Quiz Put A Quarter In The Jukebox

Answer: The Andrews Sisters

The Andrews Sisters were popular in their day. And even now a lot of their songs are used in movies and TV Shows.

From Quiz Broadway in the 1940s

Answer: "Green Grow the Lilacs"

The plot is simple but engaging. Girl meets cowpoke. Other girl meets ... Persian itinerant peddler? Virtually every song from "Oklahoma!" became a standard: "Oh, What A Beautiful Morning," "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top," (Everything's Up to Date in) "Kansas City," "Many a New Day," "People Will Say We're in Love," "I Cain' Say No" ... and that's just Act One.

From Quiz Music in Film

Answer: Thanks for the Memory

The song was written in 1938 and sung by Shirley Ross and Bob Hope; the song soon became Bob Hope's theme tune for the rest of his career! This was also Bob Hope's first feature film on the silver screen!

From Quiz It Was The Best of Musical Times

Answer: The Ink Spots

The Ink Spots first formed in the mid 1930s, but early record releases were not successful. A change in personnel, and increased exposure and popularity thanks to radio and personal tours, led to them being signed by Decca, and then the hits started to come. Their best known in the United Kingdom is probably "Whispering Grass". Their vocal style and rhythm were a precursor of the doo-wop groups that followed

From Quiz Big Band Singers

Answer: Benny Goodman

Strangely, no male singer ever made his mark singing with Goodman's band.

From Quiz Put A Quarter In The Jukebox

Answer: Incendiary Blonde

The song was also in "Casablanca" and was sung by Dooley Wilson. Betty Hutton was both a singer and an actress. She passed away in 2007.

From Quiz Broadway in the 1940s

Answer: Agnes De Mille

Agnes De Mille (1905-1993) explored "western" motifs in her choreography of "Rodeo" (music by Aaron Copeland), shortly before "Oklahoma!" Though known more for ballet, she choreographed several major Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s.

From Quiz Music in Film

Answer: Crab

The song was sung in the 1940 film 'If I Had my Way which featured Bing Crosby and Gloria Jean. The song was written for the movie.

From Quiz Fruity Songs from the Forties

Answer: Apple

"Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy" was another "Billboard" magazine best seller in 1946. Amazingly, this was recorded three times that year with three different singers and orchestras. June Christy sung it with Stan Kenton & his Orchestra rated as a number one. Dinah Shore sung it accompanied by the Sonny Burke Orchestra also rated as a number one. In the same year, Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians played it with vocalist Don Rodney, which reached number six in the "Billboard" charts. The chorus of this song goes "Shoo fly pie and apple pan dowdy; Makes your eyes light up; Your tummy say "howdy"; Shoo fly pie and apple pan dowdy; I never get enough of that wonderful stuff". Sammy Gallop wrote the words; Guy Woods wrote the music. - Kenners158

From Quiz It Was The Best of Musical Times

Answer: Mario Lanza

Born in America of Italian descent Mario Lanza had a wonderful tenor voice. Toscanini once described him as "the greatest voice of the 20th century". His first singing role was in "The Merry Wives of Windsor" in 1942, but then the war intervened and he appeared only in troop shows until his de-mob in 1945. Between then and 1947 he appeared across America in concerts, and debuted in opera in "Madame Butterfly" at New Orleans Opera House. On 1947 he signed to MGM on a seven year contract. He made some wonderful films for MGM including "The Great Caruso", but unfortunately his love of food led to weight problems which caused disputes with MGM. He died aged 39 of a heart attack, possibly caused by a controversial weight loss programme he had been following.

From Quiz The Early 40s

Answer: Chattanooga Choo Choo

The song was performed by Glenn Miller and appeared in the movie "Sun Valley Serenade". The lyrics were written by Mack Gordon, the music by Harry Warren. An aside - Roy Rogers was attacked by a cougar. The beast nipped at Roy's boots as he defended himself. Dale Evans came along later and saw the beast dead at Roy's feet and his boots were shredded. She said "Pardon me Roy, is that the cat who chewed your new shoes?" Mea culpa.

From Quiz Big Band Singers

Answer: Carmen

In 1941, the singing duties fell to Kenny Gardner (a more contemporary 40's crooner).

From Quiz Music from "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" - 1940s

Answer: I'm Beginning to See the Light

Duke Ellington was born in 1899 and began composing in 1914. He played the piano and was the leader of his jazz orchestra starting in 1923. He began gaining national attention through his appearances at the Cotton Club in Harlem and became one of the most prominent figures in the jazz/swing era. Numerous artists subsequently recorded "I'm Beginning to See the Light" including Peggy Lee, Connie Francis, Frank Sinatra and Bobby Darin.

From Quiz Put A Quarter In The Jukebox

Answer: Spike Jones

A recording was done by Danny Kaye with The Andrews Sisters. A version was also done by Spike Jones that included The Chipmunks and Ray Stevens.

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Last Updated Jun 14 2025 5:49 AM

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