Sizz or Fizz on this Quiz?

Answer: 2 2 1 1

Apart from the spaghetti westerns (which made him a star), it was his role as Harry Callahan that solidified his status as one of the most popular actors in the world.

He would reprise that role in four more movies: "Magnum Force" (1973), "The Enforcer" (1976), "Sudden Impact" (1983), and "The Dead Pool" (1988).

If one were to review Eastwood's career, both as actor and director, it can be said with reasonable certainty that he has definitely "made our day".

Answer: The Seven Samurai

"Shichinin no Samurai" was originally filmed in black and white, giving it a timeless quality along the lines of the classic, Casablanca. Kurosawa (March 23, 1910 - September 6, 1998), had a wide ranging influence on subsequent films. For example, Seven Samurai was remade into the western "The Magnificent Seven" while Yojimbo was the inspiration for "A Fistful of Dollars". Seven Samurai, along with Rashomon (1950), introduced a young Toshiro Mifune (1920 - 1997) to Western audiences, sword and all.

The late John Belushi did an excellent samurai imitation of Mifune in comedy sketches on the original Saturday Night Live television show.

Answer: Darryl Sittler

That memorable event occurred on February 7, 1976 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. Sittler potted 6 goals and 4 assists in a 11-4 rout of a good Boston Bruins team. Bruin's goaltender, Dave Reese, would never play another game in the NHL after that.

The most that the others had in any game was 8 points. Gretzky (twice), in the 1983-84 season, Lemieux (twice), in 1988-89, and Richard (once), in 1944-45.

During his most prolific seasons with the Leafs, Sittler was flanked by Errol Thompson, left wing, and Lanny MacDonald, right wing.

Answer: black velvet

According to contemporary accounts, the prisoner was treated fairly well. He died in 1703, his true identity forever unknown except to the king and a few others. Some claimed that he was buried under the alias M. de Marchiel, while others say it was a M. Eustache Dauger, a valet to a French plotter.

James Whale directed an excellent 1939 movie based on the Dumas novel, starring Louis Hayward and Joan Bennett.

Answer: Endeavour Morse

Mr. Dexter, a Cambridge graduate in Classics, taught Greek and Latin before accepting a position with the Oxford University Examination Board. A former champion of cryptic crossword puzzle championships, Dexter wrote his first book, "Last Bus to Woodstock", featuring Morse and his sidekick, Sgt. Lewis. All told, he wrote thirteen "Inspector Morse" novels, the last being "The Remorseful Day" in 1999.

The television series, starring John Thaw (1942-2002) and Kevin Whately, became hugely successful. Reginald Hill created Dalziel, R.D. Wingfeld created (Jack) Frost, and Ruth Rendell created Inspector Wexford.

An early ongoing mystery posed to the readers by Mr. Dexter was the question of Morse's first name which was only known by the initial "E". Dexter revealed the Inspector's Christian name in his twelfth novel - "Death is now my Neighbour". It is probably due to Colin Dexter's background in Cryptology and the Classic languages why his novels are all first class mystery stories. Set in and around Oxford, England, his novels incorporate fictional characters richly defined, real locations using actual names, and pertinent passages from a wide variety of (past) poets, essayists, dramatists, philosophers, and novelists.

I highly recommend his novels and short stories collections. My personal favourites: "The Wench is Dead" and "The Way through the Woods", both of which won Gold Dagger awards for Best Crime Fiction (awarded by The Crime Writers Assn. of Great Britain) in 1989 and 1992 respectively.

This trivia question is dedicated to Messrs. John Thaw and Kevin Whately.

Answer: the Sumatran tiger

Only five tiger subspecies are still in existence, as of this writing: Sumatran (~600), Siberian (~900), Bengal (~4500), Indochinese (~1600), and the South China tiger (~70).

The last Bali tiger was killed in 1937.
The Caspian tiger was believed to have become extinct some time in the 1950's.
The Javan tiger was last seen in 1972.

No photos of a live Bali tiger are known to exist, while there is only one known photo taken of a live Javan tiger.

A sixth subspecies of tiger, the Malayan tiger, has recently being added to the number. They currently number about 800.

This trivia question is dedicated to Hobbes, Calvin's friend.

Answer: 29 ft. 2.50 ins.

From 1935 to 1968, the world long jump record went from 26 ft. 8.25 ins. to 27 ft. 4.75 ins, an increase of 8.5 ins. Beamon's jump eclipsed the previous mark by an incredible 21.75 ins! His world record would stand for another 23 years before being broken by (American) Mike Powell with a jump of 29 ft. 4.375 ins., an increase of 1.875 ins., at the world championships in Tokyo.

Ironically, after Mexico City, Bob Beamon was never able to jump higher than 27 ft. during the rest of his career.

Answer: Prince Valiant

Harold Rudolf "Hal" Foster was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on August 16, 1892. In 1910, he became a staff artist for the Hudson's Bay Co. and drew women's underwear (!) for their mail order catalogue. Prince Valiant first saw the light of day on February 13, 1937. In addition, Foster also illustrated what is considered the definitive Tarzan comic strip, on January 7, 1929. His style of illustration would influence the likes of Burne Hogarth, Gil Kane, Joe Kubert, and (Big) John Buscema among others. Foster's last strip appeared on February 10, 1980. Hal Foster died on July 25, 1982. (Arthur and Merlin were in the strip, but Prince Valiant was the main character).

This trivia question is dedicated to my father, himself a talented portrait artist, who considers Mr. Foster among the best illustrators he has ever seen.

Answer: Alice, Lorina, and Edith Liddell

Alice Liddell was born in the Rectory of Christchurch, Oxford University, Oxford, England, on May 4, 1852. On many boat outings up to Godstow or down to Nuneham, Carroll would relate the adventures of a girl named Alice who went down a rabbit hole. Often, the boat crew would consist of Carroll, Alice, her older sister Lorina, her younger sister Edith, and his friend Reverend Robinson Duckworth. Due to repeated requests by Alice, Carroll wrote down and presented the original story to her on November 26, 1864 as a Christmas present. It was entitled "Alice's Adventures Underground", and was written and illustrated in his own hand. He later expanded the story, renaming it "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", and brought in John Tenniel, a professional, to do the precise illustrations for the book. The finished product was published in 1865 and was subsequently followed by "Through the Looking Glass and what Alice found there", in 1871.

In 1886, a facsimile of the original manuscript given to Alice, was published. Carroll died in 1899. In later years, due to financial difficulties, Alice sold the manuscript at auction at Sotheby's. Purchased by American Interests, it was eventually presented and returned to "The British People" in gratitude of their "Courage against Hitler and Nazism". It now permanently resides in the British Library.

Alice Hargreaves (nee Liddell) died quietly at her home in Kent, England on November 15, 1934, at the age of 82.

This trivia question is dedicated to my two wonderful children, Rebecca Jane, 7, and Benjamin Michael, 3.

Answer: Maria Falconetti

(Renee) Maria Falconetti was born in Sermano, Corsica on July 21, 1892. Carl Theodor Dreyer directed her in the silent classic "La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc" in 1928. This would turn out to be the one and only film she ever made. She moved from France to Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1944 to escape Nazi persecution, and died there on December 12, 1946 at the age of 54.
As for Pauline Kael's view: She's 100% correct.

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(Thank you for playing my first quiz creation.)