Hip, Hip, Hoo-"Ray"-Guys named Ray/Raymond Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Canadian born actor Raymond Burr appeared in over 60 movies. He is, however, better known for his work on two popular TV series. One, of course was "Perry Mason". The other was "Ironside", in which he played paralyzed, wheelchair bound San Francisco Chief of Detectives Robert Ironside. What was the cause of Raymond's alter ego's paralysis?

Answer: a sniper's bullet

Both series enjoyed enormous success. "Perry Mason" ran from 1957-1966.
He won the Emmy for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 1959 and 1961, for his portrayal of the L.A. based defense attorney. "Ironside" enjoyed a run from 1967-1975, and Burr received six similar Emmy nominations. One of his most memorable movie roles came in 1954, when he played the hulking Lars Thorwald, in Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window" with Grace Kelly and (a wheelchair bound) James Stewart. Raymond Burr died on September 12, 1993 and he is memorialized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Interesting fact -- In 1973 he got to play a most unusual role, that of Pope John XXIII in a TV drama called " A Man Named John".

2. American writer, Raymond Chandler specialized in "hard boiled" detective stories. He was born July 23, 1888 in Chicago. Chandler hit it big with his first novel, "The Big Sleep" (1939). In it, he introduced us to one of fiction's more popular private investigators. What was the name of the famous P.I. that Chandler created?

Answer: Phillip Marlowe

Sam Spade was created by Dashiell Hammett. Mickey Spillane brought us the adventures of Mike Hammer, and Robert B. Parker regaled us with the wise-cracking, (no first name ever mentioned) Spenser.
Prior to becoming a writer, Chandler was employed as an executive at an oil company, but lost his job during the Depression. He went on to pen just seven novels. In 1958 his prowess was recognized, when he was elected president of the Mystery Writers of America.
Interesting fact -- Chandler passed away on March 26, 1959 after finishing just four chapters of his final book, "Poodle Springs". At the request of his estate, R. B. Parker agreed to to complete the story, and the book was ultimately published in 1989.

3. American golfer, Raymond Floyd was born September 4, 1942 at Fort Bragg, NC. After graduating from UNC, he turned pro in 1961. Ray won 66 tournaments around the world, with 22 coming on the PGA Tour. He won five major titles, coming in three of the four major tournaments played every year. Which of golf's four most prestigious major titles did he fail to capture?

Answer: The Open Championship (British Open)

Ray's best finish at The Open Championship came in 1978, when he tied for second, two stokes off the pace. He won The Masters in 1976, the U.S. Open in 1986, and twice won the P.G.A. (1969 and 1982). He played on eight Ryder Cup teams and captained the 1989 squad. Ray was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1989.

After a 49 year long career, he announced his retirement at the Augusta National Golf Club, the day before the start of the 2010 Masters. Interesting fact -- After claiming his final PGA tour win at the Doral-Ryder Open in 1992, he went on to grab his first win on the Champions Tour later in the season. By doing so, he became the first man to take home a title on both tours in the same calendar year.

4. Businessman Ray Croc dropped out of his Illinois high school and went on to build an empire of over 30,000 McDonald's burger joints in over 50 countries. He was also named to an exclusive list, "Time Magazine's 100: The Most Important People of the Century". In addition, for a ten year period he owned a major league baseball franchise. Do you know the name of his team?

Answer: San Diego Padres

From 1974 until his death in 1984, Ray owned the San Diego Padres. McDonald's employs more than 1.5 million workers in over 50 countries worldwide. Ray also founded the Ronald McDonald House Foundation, which helps children with cancer and their families who wish to be near their kids as they undergo treatment.
Interesting fact -- During WWII Ray served in the same regiment as another "empire builder", a guy named Walt Disney.

5. American TV and film actor, Ray Liotta was born December 18, 1954. He studied acting at the University of Miami, and has gone on to make over 50 movies. He is probably best known for his portrayal of mob rat, Henry Hill, in "Goodfellas" (1990). In 1989 he appeared in "Field of Dreams" playing a member of the infamous 1919 Chicago White Sox. What character did Ray play?

Answer: "Shoeless" Joe Jackson

"Shoeless" Joe and his teammates came to be known as the "Black Sox" for throwing the World Series to the Cincinatti Reds.
Ray's first movie was "The Lonely Lady" (1983). In addition to his movie work, he also did some TV acting, including appearances in episodes of "Frasier", Family Guy" and "ER". He also starred as "The Chairman of the Board" when he played Francis Albert Sinatra" in the TV movie, "The Rat Pack" (1998). He received a best actor award nomination from the Screen Actor's Guild for that role.
Interesting fact -- Ray was adopted by Alfred and Mary Liotta when he was six months old.

6. American bandleader, Ray Anthony, has been entertaining music lovers for over seven decades. He has written many songs, acted in a few movies, and, oh yeah, he plays a mean trumpet as well. Ray played in the Glen Miller Band in 1940-1941 and started "The Ray Anthony Orchestra" after serving in the Navy. In 1955 he married for the second time. Which sensual star became his wife?

Answer: Actress Mamie Van Doren

Although he never married Ms. Mansfield, he did appear in one of her movies, "The Girl Can't Help It" (1956). Ms. London was in the same movie. He also played himself in "Daddy Long Legs" (1955), which starred Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron. Ray has had hits with recordings from a pair of popular TV series, the theme songs for "Dragnet" and "Peter Gunn".

He has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Interesting fact -- Ray is a good buddy of Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner, and frequently appears on the reality TV show, "The Girls Next Door" also known as "The Girls of the Playboy Mansion".

7. The man known to millions of boxing fans as "Sugar" Ray Robinson compiled a litany of career statistics. Before turning professional at age 19, he fought in 85 amateur bouts. He won all 85 of them, 69 by knock out, with 40 of those KOs coming in round one! When he was 11 years old, and living on the same Detroit block as 17 year old Joe Louis, by what birth name was he known?

Answer: Walker Smith, Jr.

Gerado Gonzalez is boxer Kid Gavilan. Thomas Woodward is the Welsh singer Tom Jones and Tracy Morrow is rapper Ice-T.
In a 25 year career as a pro, Ray fought 200 times, winning 173, with 108 KOs.
He won his first 40 bouts, before finally losing to Jake LaMotta in a rematch after Ray had won an earlier meeting. He held the titles of both the welterweight and middleweight divisions on various occasions. In both 1942 and 1951 he was named "Fighter of the Year", and "Ring" magazine further honored him by declaring Ray as "The Fighter of the Decade" for the 1950s. He announced his retirement from the arena on November 11, 1965, and was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1967. He is regarded by many as the best "pound for pound" fighter who ever stepped into the ring.
Interesting fact -- Two of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time, Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali, have proclaimed that "Sugar" Ray Robinson was the greatest boxer in history.

8. Ray Charles, (full name Ray Charles Robinson), the son of a sharecropper was born on September 23, 1930. Despite being blinded as a youth, he became one of the most beloved performers of his time. For over 50 years he was a composer, singer, musician and national treasure. He recorded over 60 albums and 125 singles. What was the name of his long time back-up singing group?

Answer: The Raelettes

"The Jordanaires" backed a guy named Elvis something. Ray's music covered many genres, including gospel, rock and roll, soul and jazz. In the 1960's alone he had three number one U.S. hits: "Georgia on My Mind", "Hit the Road Jack", and "I Can't Stop Loving You". Della Robinson gave birth to Ray Charles Robinson, Jr. in 1955. Ray fathered 12 children with at least nine women.

He became addicted to drugs at age 16. In 1964 he was arrested for possession, and voluntarily entered a drug rehab program.

His first post heroin addiction album was "Crying Time", released in 1966. Although blind he became quite skilled at playing chess on a specially designed board. He even tried his hand at acting, appearing in over a dozen films, including "The Blues Brothers" (1980). Interesting fact -- Ray's "Georgia on My Mind" was designated as his home state's official song in 1979.

9. Ray Bradbury, born on August 22, 1920, is a famed American author in the categories of horror, mystery, science fiction and fantasy. He is also a screenwrier, and he won an Emmy for Best Screenplay for "The Hollywood Tree" (1994). In addition to writing over 400 short stories and novelettes, he has written 11 novels. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

Answer: Stranger in a Strange Land

Robert Heinlein wrote "Stranger in a Strange Land" (1961). "Fahrenheit 451" (1953) is Ray's most famous novel. A number of his stories have appeared on TV series including "The Twilight Zone", "Suspense" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". Three of his works have been turned into films: "Fahrenheit 451" (1966), "The Illustrated Man" (1969) and "Something Wicked This Way Comes" (1983). A TV series of "The Martian Chronicles" starred Rock Hudson in 1980.
Ray was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994 by President G. W. Bush. He also has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Interesting fact -- An ancestor of his, one Mary Bradford got caught up in all that Salem, MA witch-hunting stuff. She was actually sentenced to be hanged, but was later released (and relieved!).

10. Song and dance man/actor, Ray Bolger hailed from Boston, MA. He was born in 1904 and got his appetite for entertaining from vaudeville shows he saw as a youngster. He appeared in over 15 movies, including the first movie that MGM Studios filmed in color, "Sweethearts" (1938). He will forever be remembered for his role in "The Wizard of Oz" (1939). Which character did he play?

Answer: The Scarecrow

He, like the others, had dual roles, and back in Kansas he was a farmhand named Hunk. The movie is based on L. Frank Baum's classic novel, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" (1900). Ray later tap danced with the Harry James Orchestra and appeared in numerous Broadway plays.

He won a Best Actor Tony Award for "Where's Charley" (1949). Later he starred in his own TV show, and also made guest appearances in many others including "The Love Boat", "Little House on the Prairie", "The Partridge Family" and "Diff'rent Strokes". Ray was married to his wife, Gwendolyn, for 57 years before passing away, at the age of 83.

He was the last surviving featured cast member of "The Wizard of Oz" to die (January 15, 1987). Interesting fact -- He co-hosted "That's Dancing" in 1985 with Liza Minelli. Liza (with a "Z") is the daughter of Judy Garland, Ray's co-star, as Dorothy Gale, in "The Wizard of Oz".

Source: Author paulmallon

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

They come from various areas. We have actors, authors, a singer, a golfer, a musician, a hamburger king and a politician. But this ar"ray" of guys does have one thing in common. They are all named Ray or Raymond.

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