Today's the Day! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cass Elliot

Mama Cass Elliot (real name Naomi Ellen Cohen) enjoyed a successful career with The Mamas and the Papas and, after the group broke up, she recorded eight albums as a solo artist. She died in 1974 of a heart attack in London. Four years later, Keith Moon, the drummer for The Who, died in the same apartment where Mama Cass suffered her fatal heart attack. Cass Elliot struggled with drug addiction and weight problems most of her adult life; these may have contributed to her early death at age 32.

Answer: Jack Webb

Jack Webb started his acting career in radio, but soon moved on to films and then to television. "Dragnet" was designed to show policemen in a more favorable light than they were often portrayed; the shows were based on real cases. Webb's most famous line was "Just the facts, ma'am." When Webb died in 1982, the Los Angeles Police Department permanently retired badge number 714, the badge used by Joe Friday in the series, and the flags in the city were lowered to half-mast in his honor.

Answer: Tuesday Weld

Tuesday Weld (born Susan Ker Weld) started life as a child model and began acting at the age of 12. In 1959, she appeared on "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" and won a Golden Glode Award as Most Promising Newcomer. She went on to star in numerous films and TV series.

She is also notable for the parts she refused to play. Over the course of her career, she has turned down leading roles in "Lolita", "Bonnie and Clyde", Roman Polanski's "Macbeth" and "The Great Gatsby".

Answer: Lisa Loring

Lisa Loring (born Lisa Ann DeCinces) was only six years old when she joined the cast of "The Addams Family" in 1964. She was called Wednesday because of the old nursery rhyme that says "Wednesday's child is full of woe." On the show, her character had a pet black widow spider named Homer and a pet lizard named Lucifer.

She later appeared on the CBS soap opera "As the World Turns" from 1981 to 1983. Like many child actors, Lisa had a tough transition to adult life, at one time being treated for a heroin addiction.

Answer: Melina Mercouri

Melina Mercouri (born Maria Amalia Mercouri) was not only a great actress but also a fine singer. She made her last film appearance in 1981. Later in life she became involved in politics and twice served as the Greek Minister for Culture. When she died in 1994, she was given a state funeral.

Answer: Suzanne Pleshette

Suzanne Pleshette - yes, that was her real name - was a hard-working, talented and versatile actress who enjoyed a long and very successful career, starring on the Broadway stage, television and in films. She was briefly married to Troy Donahue. Her last work was a recurring character on the sitcom "Will and Grace".

Her most famous role was that as school teacher Emily Hartley on "The Bob Newhart Show", which ran for six seasons on CBS from 1972 through 1976. She reprised that role 12 years later on the final episode of "Newhart". Suzanne Pleshette died of lung cancer in 2008.

Answer: Oliver Reed

Robert Oliver Reed began his acting career in the 1950s, appearing in swashbucklers and horror films before moving on to more serious work. His drinking binges were legendary. Despite appearing in such films as "Oliver!", "The Three Musketeers" and "Tommy", Reed never received an Academy Award nomination.

He died of a heart attack while filming his last movie, "Gladiator", in 1999. My favorite Oliver Reed film is "The Devils", where he played opposite Vanessa Redgrave. It's not for the faint of heart.

Answer: Albert Finney

It would be hard to top Albert Finney's record of success. Over his distinguished career he has received numerous BAFTA nominations, Golden Globe nominations, Tony Award nominations, Academy Award nominations for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, and has won an Emmy Award as Outstanding Lead Actor for portraying Winston Churchill in "The Gathering Storm".

He turned down a knighthood in 2000, saying, "Call me Sir if you like! Maybe people in America think being a Sir is a big deal. But I think we should all be misters together. I think the Sir thing slightly perpetuates one of our diseases in England, which is snobbery."

Answer: John Belushi

Like many successful comedians, John Belushi got his start working at Chicago's famous Second City comedy club. He became one of the original cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 1975. He left the show in 1979 in order to focus on his movie career. Belushi had serious problems with drugs and alcohol and died of an overdose of heroin and cocaine on March 5, 1982, at the age of 33.

He was buried at Abel's Hill Cemetery on Martha's Vineyard, but his grave was frequently vandalized by fans so in May, 1983 his widow had his body moved to an unmarked location in the same cemetery. During the exhumation, Belushi's body fell out of his wooden coffin, which had deteriorated, and was placed in a new bronze coffin.

Answer: Jimmy Buffett

James William Buffett was born on Christmas Day, 1946, in Pascagoula, Mississippi, but grew up in Alabama. He later moved to Key West, Florida, where he developed his distinctive musical style, which is sometimes called Gulf and Western. He has over 30 albums to his credit, including one called "Buffett Live: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays", making him a natural for this quiz.

The song "Come Monday" was written for Buffett's wife while he was on tour. In addition to his musical career, Buffett has authored several best-selling books, and is known for his work with the Save the Manatee Club and other charitable organizations.