FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Big Bands in Big Musicals
Quiz about Big Bands in Big Musicals

Big Bands in Big Musicals Trivia Quiz


Big band music was extremely popular in the 30s and 40s as were musical motion pictures. How much do you know about these films which brought the two together?

A multiple-choice quiz by FatherSteve. Estimated time: 5 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Movie Trivia
  6. »
  7. Movie Mixture
  8. »
  9. Musicals Mixture

Author
FatherSteve
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
363,776
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
855
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 72 (5/10), Guest 108 (7/10), Guest 108 (6/10).
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. "High Society" (1956) involved a sort of love quadrangle between a socialite (Grace Kelly), a jazz singer who is her former husband (Bing Crosby), a rather uninteresting fiancé (John Lund) and a reporter for a scandal magazine (Frank Sinatra). The songs are by Cole Porter; the arrangements by Conrad Salinger and Nelson Riddle. Whose band was featured? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Several big bands of the 30s and 40s appeared in numerous musicals, much to the delight of the American public. Whose band appeared in "That's Right You're Wrong" (1939), "You'll Find Out" (1940), "My Favorite Spy" (1942), "Stage Door Canteen" (1943), "Thousands Cheer" (1943), "Around the World" (1943), "Swing Fever" (1943) and "Carolina Blues" (1944)? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The 1958 comedy movie "Some Like It Hot" with Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe involved an all-girl band called Sweet Sue and her Society Syncopators. A 1939 movie of the same name starred Bob Hope and singer-actress Shirley Ross. This earlier film co-starred which band leader and included his band? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. A dancer (Eleanor Powell) gets a job aboard a cruise ship bound for Puerto Rico. She is duped by a Nazi agent who convinces her that she is working undercover for Uncle Sam. This film also stars Red Skelton, Bert Lahr and Virginia O'Brien. The music is provided by Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra, who feature a young and unknown singer named Frank Sinatra. Can you name this picture? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Bio pics (biographical movies) about big band leaders were popular in the 40s and 50s. Which of the following bio pics was made after the death of the featured band leader (or band leaders)? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. This bandleader was born in Spain, raised in Cuba and led an orchestra in the United States which appeared in "You Were Never Lovelier" (1942), "Bathing Beauty" (1944), "Week-End at the Waldorf" (1945), "A Date with Judy" (1948), "On an Island with You" (1948) and "Neptune's Daughter" (1949). What was his name? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. In "Hit The Ice", two private eyes get mixed up with bank robbers and kidnappers at a mountain resort with hilarious results. The music is provided by Johnny Long and his Orchestra. What popular comedy team starred in this 1943 film? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. This bandleader and his orchestra appeared in "Strictly in the Groove" (1942), "Honeymoon Lodge" (1943), "Hi Good Lookin'" (1944) and "Take It Big" (1944). He married Harriet Hilliard, his band's singer, and changed careers by starring in a radio programme and television series based on raising their two sons, David and Eric (Ricky). Who was this multi-talented entertainer? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Singer-dancer Vicky Lane (Betty Grable) must choose between two suitors -- singer-dancer Dan Christy (John Payne) and singer-dancer Victor Price (Cesar Romero). Harry James and his Orchestra provide the music; a mountain resort provides the background. The film co-stars Carmen Miranda, Edward Everett Horton and Jackie Gleason. Can you name this 1942 movie? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. All of the music in this movie, including "White Christmas", was written by Irving Berlin. The film starred Bing Crosby as a crooner and Fred Astaire as a dancer in a story about a country inn which opened only for holidays. They vie for the love of a lady: Linda Mason, played by Marjorie Reynolds). The hotel's big band was actually the Bob Crosby Orchestra. Can you name this musical? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Most Recent Scores
Mar 25 2024 : Guest 72: 5/10
Mar 25 2024 : Guest 108: 7/10
Mar 18 2024 : Guest 108: 6/10
Mar 16 2024 : Dagny1: 8/10
Mar 08 2024 : pughmv: 9/10
Mar 05 2024 : Guest 175: 3/10
Feb 29 2024 : Guest 73: 8/10
Feb 06 2024 : Guest 174: 6/10
Jan 30 2024 : Guest 90: 5/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. "High Society" (1956) involved a sort of love quadrangle between a socialite (Grace Kelly), a jazz singer who is her former husband (Bing Crosby), a rather uninteresting fiancé (John Lund) and a reporter for a scandal magazine (Frank Sinatra). The songs are by Cole Porter; the arrangements by Conrad Salinger and Nelson Riddle. Whose band was featured?

Answer: Louis Armstrong and his band

Louis Armstrong begins and ends the film, and sings a duet with Bing Crosby in the middle to "Now You Has Jazz". "High Society" was a remake of "The Philadelphia Story" (1940). It was Grace Kelly's only musical and her last film role before becoming Princess Grace of Monaco.
2. Several big bands of the 30s and 40s appeared in numerous musicals, much to the delight of the American public. Whose band appeared in "That's Right You're Wrong" (1939), "You'll Find Out" (1940), "My Favorite Spy" (1942), "Stage Door Canteen" (1943), "Thousands Cheer" (1943), "Around the World" (1943), "Swing Fever" (1943) and "Carolina Blues" (1944)?

Answer: Kay Kyser

Kyser and his band had recorded hits with "Strip Polka", "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" and "Three Little Fishes". He retired from public life in 1950, became a Christian Science practitioner, and went to work for the First Church of Christ Scientist in Boston.
3. The 1958 comedy movie "Some Like It Hot" with Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe involved an all-girl band called Sweet Sue and her Society Syncopators. A 1939 movie of the same name starred Bob Hope and singer-actress Shirley Ross. This earlier film co-starred which band leader and included his band?

Answer: Gene Krupa

Gene Krupa both composed and performed two of the songs in this movie: "Blue Ribbon Fantasy" and "Wire Brush Stomp". Krupa appeared in many other Hollywood films of this era, e.g. "Ball of Fire" (1941), "George White's Scandals" (1945), "Beat The Band" (1947), "Glamour Girl" (1948) and "Make Believe Ballroom" (1949).
4. A dancer (Eleanor Powell) gets a job aboard a cruise ship bound for Puerto Rico. She is duped by a Nazi agent who convinces her that she is working undercover for Uncle Sam. This film also stars Red Skelton, Bert Lahr and Virginia O'Brien. The music is provided by Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra, who feature a young and unknown singer named Frank Sinatra. Can you name this picture?

Answer: Ship Ahoy (1942)

Frank Sinatra, then a singer with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, is uncredited in this film. The movie includes Tommy Dorsey's big-band version of "Hawaiian War Chant" which was one of his bigger hits.
5. Bio pics (biographical movies) about big band leaders were popular in the 40s and 50s. Which of the following bio pics was made after the death of the featured band leader (or band leaders)?

Answer: The Glenn Miller Story (1954)

"The Glenn Miller Story" follows the life of Glenn Miller including his early career, the failure of the first band he organized and his wildly successful second attempt to form a band. Glenn Miller died during World War II when his plane was lost somewhere over the English Channel.

He was portrayed in the movie by James Stewart. The role of the Glenn Miller Orchestra was played by The Airmen of Note, a band made up of members of the United States Air Force.
6. This bandleader was born in Spain, raised in Cuba and led an orchestra in the United States which appeared in "You Were Never Lovelier" (1942), "Bathing Beauty" (1944), "Week-End at the Waldorf" (1945), "A Date with Judy" (1948), "On an Island with You" (1948) and "Neptune's Daughter" (1949). What was his name?

Answer: Xavier Cugat

Cugat was named Francesc d'Asís Xavier Cugat Mingall de Bru i Deulofeu at birth. He was famously married five times. His last two wives were singer Abbe Lane and actress Charo ("cuchi-cuchi").
7. In "Hit The Ice", two private eyes get mixed up with bank robbers and kidnappers at a mountain resort with hilarious results. The music is provided by Johnny Long and his Orchestra. What popular comedy team starred in this 1943 film?

Answer: Bud Abbott & Lou Costello

Many Abbott and Costello films included musical numbers, especially by The Andrews Sisters, with whom they were friends. Their comedy routines were interspersed with music in such films as "Ride 'Em Cowboy", "Buck Privates" "In the Navy" and even "Hold That Ghost".
8. This bandleader and his orchestra appeared in "Strictly in the Groove" (1942), "Honeymoon Lodge" (1943), "Hi Good Lookin'" (1944) and "Take It Big" (1944). He married Harriet Hilliard, his band's singer, and changed careers by starring in a radio programme and television series based on raising their two sons, David and Eric (Ricky). Who was this multi-talented entertainer?

Answer: Ozzie Nelson

"The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" ran 435 episodes on television between 1952 and 1966. Ozzie Nelson wrote, produced and directed most of these. The show, however dated, continues to appear in syndication, mostly on nostalgia channels.
9. Singer-dancer Vicky Lane (Betty Grable) must choose between two suitors -- singer-dancer Dan Christy (John Payne) and singer-dancer Victor Price (Cesar Romero). Harry James and his Orchestra provide the music; a mountain resort provides the background. The film co-stars Carmen Miranda, Edward Everett Horton and Jackie Gleason. Can you name this 1942 movie?

Answer: Springtime in the Rockies

This "Springtime in the Rockies" is easily confused, when searching the Internet, with a 1937 musical Western of the same name. This other "Springtime in the Rockies" starred Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette and Polly Rowles.
10. All of the music in this movie, including "White Christmas", was written by Irving Berlin. The film starred Bing Crosby as a crooner and Fred Astaire as a dancer in a story about a country inn which opened only for holidays. They vie for the love of a lady: Linda Mason, played by Marjorie Reynolds). The hotel's big band was actually the Bob Crosby Orchestra. Can you name this musical?

Answer: Holiday Inn (1942)

The producers anticipated that "Be Careful, It's My Heart" would be the hit song of this movie. Instead, "White Christmas" was the favourite, so much so that it was featured in the 1954 musical "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Vera-Ellen, and Rosemary Clooney.
Source: Author FatherSteve

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor skunkee before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
Related Quizzes
This quiz is part of series Movie Miscellany:

These quizzes are all about the movies but are remarkably diverse in terms of specific aspects of filmdom.

  1. Movie Night Easier
  2. Big Bands in Big Musicals Average
  3. Shot on Location Average
  4. Boris Karloff Movies Average
  5. Cinema Set in Hawaii Easier
  6. All in a Day's Work Average
  7. Not Themselves Muppets Average
  8. Candy in the Movies Average

3/28/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us