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Quiz about A Man Named Leslie
Quiz about A Man Named Leslie

A Man Named Leslie Trivia Quiz


Leslie Nielsen, that is. Come see how much you know about this celebrated Canadian-born actor whose career spanned more than 60 years.

A multiple-choice quiz by Jakeroo. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
Jakeroo
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
332,360
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
903
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Leslie Nielsen was born in a Canadian city named in honour of Queen Victoria. Prior to 1882, this area was called "Pile-o-Bones", due to the fact that aboriginal peoples historically stacked bison skeletons along what is now known as the Wascana Watershed. Can you name this prairie city where Leslie was born? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. In the same geographical location as Leslie Nielsen's birthplace, his father trained at a facility that has been in operation since 1885. What is this organization which has since become a national "icon"? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. In 1949, Leslie Nielsen earned a degree at Toronto's Academy of Radio Arts, founded by what other famous Canadian actor who later starred in the TV Series "Bonanza"? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. In 1956, Leslie Nielsen co-starred with Anne Francis in a science fiction film that has since become a cult movie in the genre. What movie, that also starred "Robby the Robot", was this? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Leslie Nielsen was not always a comedic actor. In 1959 he auditioned for (but didn't get) a role in what epic movie based on the Roman civilisation and directed by William Wyler? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. "I am serious and don't call me Shirley" is probably the most famous movie line ever said by Leslie Nielsen. What 1980 "disaster" movie was this line from? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. In the movie "The Naked Gun", Frank Drebin's character was based on what television series (which he also starred in)? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Leslie Nielsen appeared in a Canadian TV series that starred Paul Gross, a half-wolf named "Diefenbaker" and a cop from Chicago. One nickname for Canada is "the great white north". Can you guess what the name of the TV series was? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Had you *heard* what affliction Leslie Nielsen suffered from since his early teens? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. In 1996, Leslie Nielsen purchased the rights to a play which revolved around an American lawyer, who has been called "the attorney for the damned". Previously played by Henry Fonda, which man is this? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Leslie Nielsen was born in a Canadian city named in honour of Queen Victoria. Prior to 1882, this area was called "Pile-o-Bones", due to the fact that aboriginal peoples historically stacked bison skeletons along what is now known as the Wascana Watershed. Can you name this prairie city where Leslie was born?

Answer: Regina

Regina is the only prairie city on the list of choices and is the capital of the province of Saskatchewan. The city was named by Princess Louise, in honour of her mother "Victoria Regina". The Cree peoples believed that living bison would never leave a place where the "spirit" of the dead ones remained and thus piled up bones as "insurance" that hunting would remain forever bountiful.
2. In the same geographical location as Leslie Nielsen's birthplace, his father trained at a facility that has been in operation since 1885. What is this organization which has since become a national "icon"?

Answer: Royal Canadian Mounted Police Academy

Leslie's father was a Mountie. The RCMP Academy has always been located in Regina Saskatchewan.

The Canadian Police Dog Service Training Centre can be found in Innisfail Alberta. It is world-renowned for its high standards, as only 17% of dogs deemed eligible for training actually graduate.

The "Snowbirds" (whose official name is the Canadian Forces Air Demonstration Team) honours the 431 Bomber Squadron of WW2, along with all those who have served.

The Canadian National Railway was formed between 1918 and 1923 and was privatised in 1995.
3. In 1949, Leslie Nielsen earned a degree at Toronto's Academy of Radio Arts, founded by what other famous Canadian actor who later starred in the TV Series "Bonanza"?

Answer: Lorne Greene

Lorne Greene had an extensive background in radio before he ever became an actor and was a popular CBC broadcaster who was dubbed "The Voice of Doom" (partly because of his deep resonant timbre, but mostly because it was HIS voice that reported the events of WW2 to the Canadian public). Leslie Nielson never forgot his initial training and Lorne Greene was asked to be the first guest star on the TV series "Police Squad".
4. In 1956, Leslie Nielsen co-starred with Anne Francis in a science fiction film that has since become a cult movie in the genre. What movie, that also starred "Robby the Robot", was this?

Answer: Forbidden Planet

Nielsen, with characteristic humility, said this about the movie: "Supposedly a science fiction version of Shakespeare's The Tempest, it was all about the id, or something like that. Who knows? The Trekkies today regard it as the forerunner of Star Trek. I just had to wear a tight uniform and make eyes at Anne Francis."

"Lost in Space" (the movie) wasn't made until 1998. "The Blob" (1958) starred Steve McQueen in a movie he probably would have liked to have forgotten. The robot in the original "The Day The Earth Stood Still" (1951) was named "Gort".
5. Leslie Nielsen was not always a comedic actor. In 1959 he auditioned for (but didn't get) a role in what epic movie based on the Roman civilisation and directed by William Wyler?

Answer: Ben-Hur

Leslie auditioned for the role of Messala but Stephen Boyd got the part. Ben-Hur was a vehicle (no pun intended) for Charleton Heston. Coincidentally, Charleton's and Leslie's television debuts occured together in an episode of the show "Studio One" in 1948.
6. "I am serious and don't call me Shirley" is probably the most famous movie line ever said by Leslie Nielsen. What 1980 "disaster" movie was this line from?

Answer: Airplane!

Leslie Nielsen DID appear in "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972) as the captain, and while he was acknowledged for his dramatic acting in that movie, he didn't utter any particularly memorable lines. "Airplane!" was a film that parodied all the disaster movies that preceded it. If you haven't seen it, you should, because it spawned most of the spoof movies of the last 35 years, including the "Scary Movie" series (which, incidentally, Leslie Nielsen had cameo appearances in).
7. In the movie "The Naked Gun", Frank Drebin's character was based on what television series (which he also starred in)?

Answer: Police Squad

"Police Squad" ran for only 6 episodes in 1982, yet Leslie was still nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series. In those six episodes, 6 guest stars were "killed off": Lorne Greene, Georg Stanford Brown, Robert Goulet, William Shatner, Florence Henderson and William Conrad. John Belushi was the possible 7th, but it was never aired.

Quote from episode 5 (After walking in unannounced to Dutch's office)
Dutch Gunderson: "Who are you and how did you get in here?"
Frank Drebin: "I'm a locksmith. And ... I'm a locksmith."
8. Leslie Nielsen appeared in a Canadian TV series that starred Paul Gross, a half-wolf named "Diefenbaker" and a cop from Chicago. One nickname for Canada is "the great white north". Can you guess what the name of the TV series was?

Answer: Due South

All of the wrong answers starred John Candy.

"Due South" ran for four and one-half years (1994-1999). It was a comedy drama which had a sub-plot of the stereotypical differences between American and Canadian culture. If not for the popularity of the series in Canada and the U.K. it would have been cancelled in its second season, due to CBS constantly changing the time slot and refusing to pick up additional episodes. Too bad, because if you're a woman, there was nothing "yummier" than Paul Gross in a Mountie uniform :). Leslie Nielsen, along with the inimitable Gordon Pinsent as a "ghost", played recurring roles in this series. Thankfully, the show is now in reruns as well as a boxed set. If you're not familiar with this program, I highly recommend the episode "All the Queen's Horses" and in particular the song "Ride Forever" where Nielsen sings.
9. Had you *heard* what affliction Leslie Nielsen suffered from since his early teens?

Answer: deafness

Even though he played Mr. Magoo, there was nothing wrong with his eyesight. Leslie wore hearing aids since about 1980, due to progressive deafness caused by a childhood illness. Despite that he joined the RCAF at the age of 17, trained as a gunner and then went on to radio broadcasting and later, of course, acting.

He eventually became President of the International Better Hearing Institute. I find it quite remarkable that many never knew about his disability, including several movie/tv producers.
10. In 1996, Leslie Nielsen purchased the rights to a play which revolved around an American lawyer, who has been called "the attorney for the damned". Previously played by Henry Fonda, which man is this?

Answer: Clarence Darrow

After spending 30 years in serious drama, then another three decades as a comedic actor, Leslie Nielsen returned to the serious side with "Clarence Darrow: A One-Man Play". According to all reviews from 1996 onwards, Leslie WAS Darrow "reborn" (with no sign of "Drebin" anywhere to be found). He toured Canada, the U.K. and the U.S. with this performance, to critical acclaim.
Source: Author Jakeroo

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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