Peter Ustinov: The Early Years Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. On July 13th 1917 Peter's uncle died at the Battle of Ypres. What was he doing at the time of his death?

Answer: Delivering mail from British prisoners of war to the allied lines

The uncle, whom Peter was named after, was crossing 'no-man's land' in his aeroplane to deliver post from British prisoners of war. Normally those planes which had white streamers attached to their wings were not to be fired upon. However the British anti-aircraft gunners were blinded by the sun and did not see the streamers. Peter's uncle and father had entered the German army at the start of the Great War before transferring into the Air Force.

2. On Peter's mother's side of the family there is a character called Jules-Cesar who had a successful career in cuisine. He eventually was appointed "Maitre de Bouche" to which European monarch?

Answer: Emperor Paul I

Originally from a village in France Jules-Cesar became an apprentice pastry cook instead of the family trade of being a schoolmaster in the village. He started the ladder to greatness by being the pastry cook to the Duc de Montmorency. After emigrating to the Netherlands, in the company of the Duc, they both then went to St. Petersburg and parted company. Jules became chef de cuisine to the Dutch Legation before becoming Maitre de Bouche to the Emperor Paul I of Russia. Ustinov compares the Russian Emperor to Nero though some historians and much more kinder to his memory.

The Emperor, like Nero, was a target of assassins and was killed in his bedroom after he refused to abdicate.

3. Peter, for those who never saw him interviewed, was a witty and charming guest on many talk shows. In his book he refers to his first steps in learning his vocabulary skills by learning which word, which he had seen on a big advertisement hoarding?

Answer: Oxo

Oxo is a brand of stock cubes used in the UK. Like Bovril it can be made into a beef tea. According to Peter he was able to say Oxo at the age of nine months while travelling on top of a double-deck bus as he was passing by Victoria Station in London.

4. Besides his famous repartee Peter was a very good mimic. He first started to mimic sounds from which source?

Answer: A parrot

As a child Peter was in the care of a succession of nurses who turned out to be highly unsuitable to look after an infant. One of these nurses, a twenty-something Irish girl, used to leave Peter in his pram outside a house while she went into the basement for an assignation. To keep the child quiet he was given the company of a parrot in a cage.

The parrot did what parrots do and imitated the child and the child, being a child, imitated the parrot. After a while the nurse would return with a jaunty step and a smile on her face and returned Peter to his parents.

However, Peter's mother became suspicious and had them followed and the young lady was found and dismissed.

5. Peter was born in which area of London?

Answer: Swiss Cottage

Swiss Cottage is in the London Borough of Camden. The area received its name from a tavern called "The Swiss Tavern" which had been built in 1804. Peter's mother, Nadia, had given birth at a nursing home in Adelaide Road after arriving in the UK in 1921. She had travelled to the British Isles from St. Petersburg via Holland.

6. Peter's parents were connected to people from all over the world. Which African ruler was invited to Peter's home in 1922?

Answer: Haile Selassie

On a visit to England to buy some armaments Haile Selassie was invited by Peter's father, 'Klop', to dinner. The "Lion of Judah" accepted and arrived with a large retinue of staff. 'Klop' immediately contacted his employers at the German Embassy for help and a fleet of Mercedes were sent with food for the guests. To cover the lack of food until the embassy food arrived, Peter was woken up from bed and pressed upon to entertain the Ethiopian Emperor.

7. When Peter attended school he was often taunted because of the foreignness of his name. Which part of his name caused the majority of taunts?

Answer: Von

Peter's full name was Peter Alexander Von Ustinov. He attended the school between the wars and received either congratulations if a German won something, or commiserations if they lost; especially if the winner was English.

8. Peter was a pupil of which English public school?

Answer: Westminster

Peter attended Westminster School for a year and a half along with most of the sons from the families belonging to the Members of Parliament who were close by. One of his first tests was to debate in favour of the death penalty, something he was strongly against.

9. While he was at public school, Peter met the son of which famous Nazi?

Answer: Von Ribbentrop

Originally young Rudolf Von Ribbentrop had been meant to enter the hallowed halls of Eton. However, Eton refused to have him and he was enrolled in Westminster School instead. Peter describes him as "an overgrown and shy fellow with glasses, reddish hair and freckles, who kept to himself." On arrival at the school both Rudolf and his chauffeur had a quick discussion and then gave the Nazi salute and shouted "Heil Hitler".

10. Before becoming a British citizen Peter's father, 'Klop', worked in which post in the German Embassy in London?

Answer: Press Officer

As a German citizen, and former journalist, Peter's father, "Klop", had been working at the German Embassy as a press officer. It was while he was employed at the embassy that he was approached by British intelligence agents.

Source: Author martinjudo

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Most of the information for this quiz on Peter Ustinov was gleaned from his autobiography "Dear Me".

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