The Arts of the Night Multiple Choice Quiz | Entertainment by Themes

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1. The first Beatles film, directed by Richard Lester was released in 1964. A black-and-white comedy, it documents the lives of the group during the first wave of Beatlemania. What is this ground-breaking movie, which corresponds to The Beatles' single and album of the same name?

Answer: A Hard Day's Night

"A Hard Day's Night" is considered one of the most influential musical films of the modern era. It's technique of cutting images to the beat of the music was emulated in later decades.
The title of the film is said to have been derived from an utterance by Ringo Starr.
The single "A Hard Day's Night", written by John Lennon, topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic and won a Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Vocal Group.

The album of the same name was the third Beatles studio album and the first to feature all original compositions.

2. The Marx Brothers are amongst the great comedy acts of the twentieth century. The group appeared in various entertainment formats such as vaudeville, on Broadway and in movies. Their comedy often satirized high society and human hypocrisy. Which iconic Marx Brothers movie was a satire on the world of opera?

Answer: A Night at the Opera

"A Night at the Opera" (1935) was a satirical comedy where the Marx brothers helped two singers in love by making the production of "II Trovatore" chaotic. Their films at MGM were aided by Irving Thalberg who insisted on strong scripts and non-comic music such as Harpo on harp solos and Chico on piano solos.
The movie includes the hilarious "Tootsie Frootsie Ice Cream" sketch.

3. In the world of television, Rod Serling is known for thought-provoking drama. What is the title of the early 1970s anthology television show where Serling introduces his macabre/fantasy plots by unveiling paintings on a particular story?

Answer: Night Gallery

"Night Gallery" (1970-73) explored fantasy, macabre and unusual story lines, some of which were adapted from H.P.Lovecraft horror stories. Most of the scripts were written by Serling, and like "The Twilight Zone", his previous television series, he maintained artistic integrity over the production process.

Such high artistic values attracted actors of the calibre of Joan Crawford, Larry Hagman, Diane Keaton, Cesar Romero and Ray Milland to the series.

4. F. Scott Fitzgerald is considered one of the great American writers. Can you identify his last completed novel which explores the relationship between Dick and Nicole Diver?

Answer: Tender is the Night

As mentioned earlier, "Tender is the Night" (1934) was Fitzgerald's last competed novel. The plot explores the complex relationship between the psychologist, Dick Diver and his wife, Nicole. This turbulent relationship in many ways mirrored Fitzgerald's relationship to his wife, Zelda.

The novel's title is taken from John Keats poem "Ode to a Nightingale".

5. The Australian rock band AC/DC are one of the premier groups in rock and roll. After the death of lead singer Bon Scott in 1980, the band recorded the album "Back in Black" as a tribute to him. What was the title of the single released from this album, which is considered a signature song of the group?

Answer: You Shook Me All Night Long

"Back In Black" is the highest selling album of all time by a group. In terms of live performance, AC/DC are amongst the highest grossing rock bands in the world.
"You Shook Me All Night Long" was released in July 1980 as the first single from the album. It has since become a signature song for the band, being played at most concerts.

6. A quiz on the arts of the night would not be complete without including painting. Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch post-impressionist painter noted for his intensity of colors. Which van Gogh painting, mentioned in Don McLean's song "Vincent", depicts the village of Saint-Remy under a swirling blue, grey and yellow sky?

Answer: The Starry Night

Vincent van Gogh(1853-1890) produced many paintings in his short life including landscapes, still life, portraits, wheatfields and sunflowers.
"The Starry Night" was painted in June 1889 and depicts the night sky in vivid hues of blue, grey and yellow. It is now housed in The Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Don McLean wrote the song "Vincent" as a tribute to van Gogh. It was released as a single and reached number one in the UK and number twelve in the USA.

7. One of the longest running programs on television, this late night variety/ comedy show premiered in October 1975 with George Carlin as the guest host. The format of the show consists of comedy sketches performed by a large cast of actors, as well as guest hosts and musicians. Can you identify this iconic weekend television show?

Answer: Saturday Night Live

"Saturday Night Live" has run continuously since 1975 when its original cast included John Belushi, Gilda Rayner, Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase. Over the decades the show has won a multitude of awards and has been praised for its high quality scripts and acts.
Musical guests who have appeared on the show include Paul Simon, Dave Grohl, Rage Against the Machine and George Harrison. The shows has also had its share of controversy such as Sinead O'Connor tearing an image of Pope John Paul II to pieces in 1992.

8. This 1968 nonfiction novel by Norman Mailer documents the 1967 march on the Pentagon. It is written in a creative nonfiction style. What is this ground-breaking work that won the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award?

Answer: The Armies of the Night

Norman Mailer(1923-2007) is considered one of the pioneers of creative non-fiction (also called New Journalism). This style of writing uses the devises of literary fiction with fact-based journalism. "The Armies of the Night" is probably the most successful example of such work.
Mailer had success with his fiction, particularly "The Naked and the Dead".
He was one of the founders of The Village Voice, a weekly arts/politics newspaper.

9. The British rock band Deep Purple had their highest charting single with this song in 1970. Can you identify this 'night' song which peaked at number two on the UK charts?

Answer: Black Night

Deep Purple formed as a band in 1968 and are considered one of the founders of the hard rock sound. Albums such as "Machine Head", "Burn" and "Stormbringer" achieved success on both sides of the Atlantic.

The song "Black Night" has been covered by The Fall, Metallica, Bad Manners and Pat Travers.

10. Which acclaimed 2005 film, detailing the journalist Edward R Murrow's confrontation with Senator Joseph McCarthy, was directed, acted in, and co-written by George Clooney?

Answer: Good Night, and Good Luck

"Good Night, and Good Luck" documents television reporter Edward R Murrow (played by David Strathairn) and producer Fred W Friendly (played by George Clooney) challenge to Senator Joseph McCarthy. They expose his fear-mongering tactics and effectively discredit his legitimacy.
The Film was a critical and commercial success for Clooney, taking in excess of eight times its production cost. The American Film Institute rated the film among the ten best films of 2005.

Source: Author redwaldo

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor kyleisalive before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The Arts of the Night Trivia Quiz

This quiz highlights the use of Night in various forms of the arts, including comedy, literature, television, painting and music. All answers include the word night.

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