OK, here is some trivia that is a bit different.  See how many you can get.

1.  What Puerto Rican actress is one of a select group that has won an Oscar, a Grammy, a Tony, and an Emmy?
Belle du Jour - Rita Moreno

2.  What famous actor said to Mel Brooks “With kikes like you on the loose, who needs Hitler?”
loki 13 - Zero Mostel

3.  What actress won 2 oscars for singing the theme songs to 2 different 1980's Hollywood musicals?
Known more as a singer then an actress, she did star in the first movie she won the Oscar for.
RTynanDDS - Irene Cara - Fame and Flashdance (What A Feeling)

4.  While co-hosting the Logie Award (Australian version of the Emmy), what actress commented "It's the ugliest award I have ever seen!"
mooster - Joan Rivers

5.  What actor caused some controversy when he stated "I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history."
loki 13 - Morgan Freeman

6.  What popular pianist frequently commented during the Folk Music craze of the 60's that he in fact played an "88 string Guitar"?
He also holds a PhD in Mathamatics
RobertK - Tom Lehrer

7.  Who wrote a Doctoral disertation that was titled An Integration of the Visual Media via Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids Into the Elementary School Curriculum as a Teaching Aid and Vehicle to Achieve Increased Learning?
bookmistress4ever - Bill Cosby

8.  What commedian stared in two westerns, one as a gun slinger, and the other as a Rabbi?
Gaylon - Gene Wilder, The Waco Kid in Blazing Saddles, and Rabbi Avram Belinski in The Frisco Kid

9.  What super-hero broke into the headquarters for the Fantastic Four, in order to audition for a job?
The character was a flop on TV, but 25 years later had a hit movie
RobertK - Spider-Man

10.  What Oscar winning actor has provided a voice for the same character for 2 movies and a broadway play of the same name?
He is more famous as a Producer-Director-Writer
RTynanDDS - Mel Brooks

Final question:

This may seem like a mixed-bag collection of trivia, but it is not.  What do the answers of all of the above questions have in common?

RobertK - All of the above were cast members on the TV series The Electric Company

OK, here is some trivia that is a bit different.  See how many you can get.

1.  What Puerto Rican actress is one of a select group that has won an Oscar, a Grammy, a Tony, and an Emmy? Rita Moreno?

i have no idea about any of these. (although the rabbi western one is making me crazy. it's not like a tim conway don knotts kinda thing, is it?????????) but i simply must post on this thread just so it'll cmome up on my refreshes and i'll see the answers as they come in. i'm intrigued.

good quiz!

I think I know the two quotes.

#2...Zero Mostel?

#5...Morgan Freeman?

8. Gene Wilder in Blazing Saddles and The Frisco Kid

i have no idea about any of these. (although the rabbi western one is making me crazy. it's not like a tim conway don knotts kinda thing, is it?????????) but i simply must post on this thread just so it'll cmome up on my refreshes and i'll see the answers as they come in. i'm intrigued.



8. Gene Wilder in Blazing Saddles and The Frisco Kid


There ya go Tia, you got your question answered.  :)

But Don Knotts would have been a good guess.  He did a western solo (The Shakiest Gun In The West, Hot Lead And Cold Feet), as well as with Tim Conway (The Apple Dumpling Gang 1 & 2).  But as much as I love Don Knotts, I would have a hard time picturing him in a role as a gunslinger.

interesting bit about don knotts... did you know sam peckinpah was interested in working with him? i would love love love to have seen don knotts in a serious role, i'm convinced he's a man history will treat kindly.

i think it's a great tragedy that the don knotts/sam peckinpah movie was never made, it might have been a breakout role right up there with jerry lewis' brilliant work with martin scorsese in "king of comedy".

oh, well. things that never were. :(

interesting bit about don knotts... did you know sam peckinpah was interested in working with him? i would love love love to have seen don knotts in a serious role, i'm convinced he's a man history will treat kindly.


Actually, his last major role was a semi-serious one.  Although his last performances were in the area of voice acting, his last "live action" performance was as the TV Repairman in Pleasantville.  And even though the movie had some comedy undertones, both it and the part were largely serious roles.

Breaking the mold to go from Comedy and Drama has always been hard.  Jim Carey and Adam Sandler still have a hard time whenever they try it.  And tragically, Lou Costello was only able to have one serious role (in an episode of Wagon Train) before he died.  He had been trying for years to break into drama, but nobody would ever take him seriously.

Actually, his last major role was a semi-serious one.  Although his last performances were in the area of voice acting, his last "live action" performance was as the TV Repairman in Pleasantville.  And even though the movie had some comedy undertones, both it and the part were largely serious roles.

Breaking the mold to go from Comedy and Drama has always been hard.  Jim Carey and Adam Sandler still have a hard time whenever they try it.  And tragically, Lou Costello was only able to have one serious role (in an episode of Wagon Train) before he died.  He had been trying for years to break into drama, but nobody would ever take him seriously.
huh. i'll have to check out pleasantville, then. i think it might have been the dvd commentary for "hot lead and cold feet" (and yes, i agree with everyone who just read that that if you're listening to the dvd commentary for "hot lead and cold feet," you are in desperate need of an outpatient 12-step program  :-[ but there it is) where they mentioned that sam peckinpah had put out feelers to don knotts about doing a movie with him. just seeing his grizzled look in the later years in westerns and his whole approach to acting, and knowing what i know of peckinpah's movies, i think it would have been quite amazing.

Breaking the mold to go from Comedy and Drama has always been hard.  Jim Carey and Adam Sandler still have a hard time whenever they try it.  And tragically, Lou Costello was only able to have one serious role (in an episode of Wagon Train) before he died.  He had been trying for years to break into drama, but nobody would ever take him seriously.


I remember that!  He did a real good job of it, too.

Hi there  :)


#4 is Joan Rivers  ::)

Taking a stab at #3 - Olivia Newton-John for 'Xanadu' and 'Singing in the Rain'

Taking a stab at #3 - Olivia Newton-John for 'Xanadu' and 'Singing in the Rain'


Good guess, but wrong.  Believe it or not, ONJ has not even been nominated for an Oscar, let alone win one.  And as popular as the song "Xanadu" was, it was not even nominated for a Grammy.  The only awards it was even nominated for were Razzie awards.

3. Barbra Streisand?

6. Liberace?

7. Bill Cosby?

Final answer - Did they all have parts in Cannonball Run movies?  ;D

#3 Cher?

#3 Cher?


Cher won an Oscar for acting (1987, Best Actress for Moonstruck).  But she has not even been nominated for any of her songs.

Great quiz!

#9 - Spider-man

My guess for the Final question is that they all appeared on The Electric Company.

My guess for the Final question is that they all appeared on The Electric Company.


Yep, that they all were.  Every person who was the answer of a question was also a cast member of The Electric Company

1.  Rita Moreno was one the the regular adult cast members.

2.  Zero Mostel was the voice of The Spell Binder in The Adventures Of Letterman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK3fW1tv8Sw

4.  Joan Rivers was the narrator for Letterman.

5.  Morgan Freeman was a regular cast member, mostly rememberd as the character "Easy Reader"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u8MY7PjSXU

7.  Bill Cosby was a semi-regular cast member in the early years, but his clips were repeated during the entire run of the show.

8.  Gene Wilder was the voice of Letterman.

9.  Spider-Man was a live-action bit on the show. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otzUXTIqaG8

3. Irene Cara ("Fame" and "Flashdance")

3. Irene Cara ("Fame" and "Flashdance")


Yep, Irene was a member of the Short Circus.  And here is a clip when she was on the show (she is in the backup singer on the far right).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwEcr8Yk3jo

And how about Morgan's bad-assed fro?  8)

#10. Richard Dreyfuss

#6. ... probably wrong... but I believe he was a teacher .... Billy Joel?

These should make it obvious who the last 2 are.  But here are some "Video Clues" as to who the final 2 people are:

6.  What popular pianist frequently commented during the Folk Music craze of the 60's that he in fact played an "88 string Guitar"?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVC9TayQIh8

10.  What Oscar winning actor has provided a voice for the same character for 2 movies and a broadway play of the same name?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwsh42fev-4

I ask that if anybody watches these videos, they do not read the comments to find the answer.  The answers should be fairly obvious simply by listening to the clips.  Both clips are animated, and the performer's voices are very distinct.

10. Mel Brooks

10. Mel Brooks


Yep, Mel really has a distinctive voice.  And he is so tallented in so many things, it was really hard to come up with a clue that did not totally give him away.

With as many fans of the last remaining artist on this board, I am very surprised that the video has not given it away yet.  We have even talked about his songs on the show in the past in the 70's board.

was no. 6 by chance Billy Joel ?

was no. 6 by chance Billy Joel ?


Nope, sorry.  And if you listen to the video clue I posted above, it does not even sound like Billy Joel.  :D

Thanks for clue!  I think I know #6.  Is it Tom Lehrer?

Thanks for clue!  I think I know #6.  Is it Tom Lehrer?


Yep, that's who it is.  Tom wrote what are probably the most memorable songs from The Electric Company.  "Silent E" is the one I listed previously.  And here are a few others:

L-Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-jEMrBBDv8

SN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNhL9zwXeNY

OU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ_x2Jj0C-s

And he wrote another 15 or so songs that were performed by the rest of the cast.

Thanks for getting that last question, and thanks to everybody that participated.  8)