Entertainment in 1950s Britain Quiz

Answer: Song

This song was written by Lionel Bart, Mike Pratt and Tommy Steele and it was Tommy who released it as a single in 1957, backed by his group called the Steelmen. Tommy's real surname was Hicks and his break came by playing at the 2i's Coffee Bar in London's Soho.

Among his other hits are 'Rock with the Caveman' (1956) and 'Little White Bull' (1959). Tommy also had a successful film career, extending into the 1970s.

Answer: Song

Harry Webb became Cliff Richard in 1958 and went on to become one of Britain's most successful singers, changing his style over the years to continue his career. 'Move It' was written by Ian Samwell, and became Cliff's first hit reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart in 1958.

His career has been so long lasting, Cliff has had hit songs in every decade from the 1950s until the 2020s.

Answer: Song

Anthony Donegan, better known as Lonnie Donegan, recorded his version of 'Cumberland Gap' in 1957 and it was his first record to reach number one on the UK Singles Chart. His first release was 'Rock Island Line' in 1955.

Lonnie was the first well known British skiffle player, having changed direction from his first love of jazz. He even made some impact in the USA and many British bands, including The Beatles, cite Donegan as an inspiration as they were starting out as young musicians.

Answer: Film

Based on the books by Paul Brickhill and Guy Gibson about the World War II raid on the dams of the Ruhr Valley, this 1955 film was a great success. Richard Todd starred as Guy Gibson, one of the pilots who took part in the raid, codenamed 'Operation Chastise'. Michael Redgrave played the role of Barnes Wallis, the engineer who designed the 'bouncing bomb' needed to avoid the German defences and cause maximum damage to the dams.

The film also had a stirring soundtrack with Eric Coates composing 'The Dam Busters March', which is regularly played by military bands well into the twenty-first century.

Answer: Film

This comedy film dates from 1959 and was the creation of the Boulting brothers, Roy and John. It stars Peter Sellers as trades union shop steward named Fred Kite - Sellers won a BAFTA Best Actor award for the role.

The plot involves corrupt management, naive employees and Kite's efforts to protect the workforce. Other stars of the time who appear in the film include Ian Carmichael, Richard Attenborough, Margaret Rutherford and Terry-Thomas.

Answer: Film

This 1950 film starred Jack Warner as police constable George Dixon with the title derived from the coloured lamp which used to hang outside police stations to make them recognisable. Set in west London, the film displays the old fashioned methods of Dixon who is ill equipped to deal with a violent criminal, played by Dirk Bogarde, and pays with his life.

In 1955, the character was miraculously restored to life as the BBC began the long running television series called 'Dixon of Dock Green', still starring Warner who continued in the role until the end of the show in 1976. There were over 400 episodes in total.

Answer: Comic Strip

Created by Reg Smythe, the comic strip featuring Andy Capp first appeared in the Daily Mirror in 1957 and is still being published at the time of writing (2023). Depicting a workshy layabout - the name of Andy Capp is a play on words, denoting 'handicap' - and his long suffering wife Florrie (Flo), the strip shows Andy going to football (soccer) matches, playing darts and generally wasting money.

The character is a caricature, of course, but strikes a chord with the public. There is even a statue of Andy in Hartlepool where he is wearing his trademark cloth cap.

Answer: Comic Strip

'Flook' appeared in the Daily Mail from 1949 until 1984. drawn by Wally Fawkes using the pen name of 'Trog'. The stories revolved around a young boy and his friend Flook, who came from the age of the dinosaurs. Flook was an animal of some description but could magically transform himself into various other shapes.

The comic strip was quite subversive, poking fun at well known people of the time such as politicians and entertainers. The words were provided by different writers including Compton MacKenzie, Barry Took and Barry Norman.

Answer: Comic Strip

Created by Barry Appleby, with input from his wife, 'The Gambols' first appeared in the Daily Express in 1950. The strip depicted a married couple named George and Gaye Gambol and their everyday life - George going to work and Gaye as a (mostly) stay at home housewife. This was a completely different world from that of Andy Capp.

Although the concept sounds dated, the Daily Express continued to publish it until 1999 before The Mail on Sunday picked it up. Roger Mahoney took over creating the strip after both Applebys had died.

Answer: Television

Based, very loosely, on the Walter Scott novel of the same name, the television series 'Ivanhoe' was notable for giving Roger Moore his chance of being a leading man. The show, screened on ITV, lasted only one season from 1958 until 1959. It did manage 39 episodes though.

Aimed primarily at children, Moore played Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe who defended the poor against Prince John, who was taking advantage of the absence of King Richard I. The plot was hardly original. Moore was still trying to make his breakthrough in Hollywood, and returned to America when he was offered a leading role in the 1959 film 'The Miracle' opposite Carroll Baker.

Answer: Television

This is the original ballroom dancing show, not the celebrity version known as 'Strictly Come Dancing'. Beginning in 1949 and continuing until 1998 'Come Dancing' was conceived by Eric Morley, who also established the 'Miss World' competition. The format was a ballroom dance competition between teams from each of the countries making up the United Kingdom.

Among the presenters were Peter West, Angela Rippon and Terry Wogan. Some of the choreography, particularly for big teams of dancers, was impressive.

Answer: Television

Although it began on the radio for one series in 1949, it is the television show broadcast on the ITV channel that most of us will remember. This early talent show was presented by Hughie Green from 1956 until 1978 and allowed the public to vote by posting their choice to the programme. The results were given during the following week's show.

Among the entertainers who got their start on the show are Freddie Starr, Paul Daniels, Pam Ayres and Paper Lace.

Answer: Theatre

Written by Terence Rattigan, 'Separate Tables' was first performed in 1954. Set in Bournemouth, a seaside town on the south coast of England, the play has two parts which are self-contained and set around a year and a half apart. The first play, 'Table by the Window', shows a divorced couple. He has been in prison for beating her and they are tentatively trying to reconcile. The second play, 'Table Number Seven', is about a lonely woman who is being charmed by a man pretending to be an army officer.

The play is meant to be played by the same actors in both the first and second halves, and has been adapted for both cinema and television.

Answer: Theatre

John Osborne's play gave rise to the expression of 'angry young men' to describe him along with other playwrights and authors whose writings gave a more realistic view of life for those in the lower strata of society. 'Look Back in Anger' received its premiere in 1956.

The play shows the lives of Jimmy Porter and his wife Alison. Jimmy comes from a lower class background while Alison's is middle class - her decision to marry him is partly a rebellion against her family. Jimmy's frustrations lead him to belittle Alison verbally and cruelly and her friend arranges for Alison's father to come and collect her. We soon discover that the friend has an ulterior motive.

Many theatre critics of the time were scathing about the play, but it was a trailblazer and is now widely acknowledged as such.

Answer: Theatre

'The Birthday Party' is the first play written by Harold Pinter, who also created 'The Caretaker' (1959) and 'Betrayal' (1978). He began writing it in 1957 and the completed work was first published two years later.

The plot involves a man named Stanley who lives in a seaside boarding house. On his birthday, two men appear and start tormenting Stanley before taking him away the next day. In Pinteresque fashion, there is no explanation of who they are or why they came for Stanley.