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Ernie Kovacs Trivia Quiz

In the fifties, Ernie Kovacs redefined TV comedy with surreal sight gags that would influence such future shows as "Monty Python".

A multiple-choice quiz by tjoebigham. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
tjoebigham

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
141,179

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
7 / 15

Plays
347

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. When and where was Ernie born? Hint

12/25/35, Cincinnati, Ohio

6/12/21, Philadelphia, Pa.

1/19/19, Trenton, N.J.

2/28/30, Chicago, Ill.

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Question 2 of 15

2. When did he enter television? Hint

1954

1947

1949

1952

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Question 3 of 15

3. Who was his first wife, and how many children did he have? Hint

Heidi Abromowitz, four boys

Dagny Taggart, six boys

Margaret Cansino, one boy, two girls

Bette Wilcox, two girls

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Question 4 of 15

4. When did he marry Edie Adams? Hint

July 4, 1953

July 7, 1952

Aug. 8, 1951

Sept. 12, 1954

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Question 5 of 15

5. What was his TV theme? Hint

Maple Leaf Rag

That's A Plenty

Make 'Em Laugh

Oriental Blues

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Question 6 of 15

6. Which character was NOT created by Kovacs? Hint

Percy Dovetonsils

Wolfgang Sauerbraten

Miklos Molnar

Ed Grimley

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Question 7 of 15

7. Which composer was never featured on his shows? Hint

Tchaikovsky

Miklos Rozsa

Bela Bartok

George Gershwin

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Question 8 of 15

8. Kovacs also wrote for "MAD Magazine."

True

False

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Question 9 of 15

9. Among Kovacs' most popular skits was the ________ Trio, who were Kovacs and two others dressed as ________, performing to a recording titled "________".

Answer: (Three Words. Must be in order of the blanks. No punctuation.)

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Question 10 of 15

10. Kovacs wrote one novel in 1957, about the world of television. What was its title? Hint

What's On ?

Tune In Next Week

Zoomar

Switching Channels

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Question 11 of 15

11. What cigar brand did he create ads for? Hint

White Owl

El Producto

Phillies

Dutch Masters

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Question 12 of 15

12. And when did Kovacs start on cigars? Hint

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Question 13 of 15

13. What catchphrase is most associated with Kovacs? Hint

Hey, hey, hey!

You bet your sweet bippy!

Dyn-O-Mite!

It's Been Real

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Question 14 of 15

14. How many full-length films did Kovacs make? Hint

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Question 15 of 15

15. How did Kovacs die? Hint

suicide

car crash

cancer

heart attack

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. When and where was Ernie born?

Answer: 1/19/19, Trenton, N.J.

Born to Hungarian parents in New Jersey's capital, Kovacs studied dramatics in high school as the first step to his legendary career.

2. When did he enter television?

Answer: 1949

After a stint in radio, Kovacs sent a demo tape to a Philadelphia TV station. Thus his ground-breaking career in the newborn medium started.

3. Who was his first wife, and how many children did he have?

Answer: Bette Wilcox, two girls

Heidi Abromowitz was created by Joan Rivers, Dagny Taggart was the fictional creation of Ayn Rand in her "Atlas Shrugged" and Margaret Cansino was Rita Hayworth! Kovacs' daughters were Bette Lee and Kippie, both kidnapped by their mother after a bitter divorce trial, but they were eventually found. It was dramatized in the TV-movie "Ernie Kovacs: Behind the Laughter".

4. When did he marry Edie Adams?

Answer: Sept. 12, 1954

Adams, a singer on the rise on Broadway, already appeared on Ernie's early shows.

5. What was his TV theme?

Answer: Oriental Blues

Originally written by Jack Newton (though similar to an early Gershwin piece "Rialto Ripples"), musician Tony de Simone arranged it into the manic strain that would accompany all of Kovacs' shows.

6. Which character was NOT created by Kovacs?

Answer: Ed Grimley

Ed Grimley was Martn Short's character on "Saturday Night Live". Percy Dovetonsils was Kovacs' ultra-effeminate poet, Molnar a Hungarian cook, sculptor et al, and Sauerbraten a Teutonic disc jockey (!).

7. Which composer was never featured on his shows?

Answer: Miklos Rozsa

Rozsa was Hungarian as were Bartok and Kovacs. Kovacs gave a spoof of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" with gorillas, and also used Bartok's "Concerto for Orchestra" and Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F.

8. Kovacs also wrote for "MAD Magazine."

Answer: True

The early humor of "MAD Magazine" proved conducive to Kovacs' style of humor and he penned quite a few pieces for it.

9. Among Kovacs' most popular skits was the ________ Trio, who were Kovacs and two others dressed as ________, performing to a recording titled "________".

Answer: Nairobi gorillas Solfeggio

"Solfeggio" was an old vocal exercise set to modern music; you can hear it on the EarthStation1 website. Ernie and his companions would mime playing music to the recording but always managed to screw it up.

10. Kovacs wrote one novel in 1957, about the world of television. What was its title?

Answer: Zoomar

"Zoomar" got its title from the zoom lens, whch would soon appear in films as well. It was the story of a rising TV producer, and mirrored Kovacs' own television experiences. ("Switching Channels", by the way, was an inferior remake of the classic "His Girl Friday")

11. What cigar brand did he create ads for?

Answer: Dutch Masters

Kovacs did the Dutch Masters ads in the style of his TV skits. Bill Cosby shilled for White Owl.

12. And when did Kovacs start on cigars?

Answer: 14

Kovacs started young! Incidentally, his father smoked Dutch Masters!

13. What catchphrase is most associated with Kovacs?

Answer: It's Been Real

The others belonged to Bill Cosby ("Fat Albert"), Jimmie Walker ("Good Times") and Dick Martin ("Laugh-In").

14. How many full-length films did Kovacs make?

Answer: 10

Kovacs' 10 full-length films were: 1957's "Operation Madball", 1959's "Bell, Bok and Candle", 1959's "It Happened To Jane" and 1960's "Strangers When We Meet", all directed by Richard Quine, Carol Reed's "Our Man In Havana", Henry Hathaway's "North To Alaska" and Mervyn LeRoy's "Wake Me When It's Over", all 1960, 61's "Five Golden Hours" by Mario Zampi, 60's "Pepe" by Goerge Sidney and 62's "Sail a Crooked Ship" by Irving Brecher. Kovacs made his film debt, though, in a cameo as a man in a bar in "Showdown in Ulcer Gulch".

15. How did Kovacs die?

Answer: car crash

A car crash took Kovacs' life on January 13, 1962, but his legacy lives on to this day.

Source: Author tjoebigham

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor DakotaNorth before going online.
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