Entertainment Gold! Trivia Quiz

Answer: James Bond

The immensely popular 'James Bond' movies were originally based on novels written by English journalist and naval intelligence officer, Ian Fleming. The first movie featuring Bond, the cool and sophisticated spy with a code number of 007 (the '00' series are licensed to kill) was 'Dr No' in 1962.

This film was released a decade after the great success of the first novel, 'Casino Royale'. It was partially the insistence of producer, Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli at Eon Productions that saw 'Dr No' made in conjunction with United Artists. Sean Connery became the first Bond after Patrick McGoohan ('Danger Man' and 'The Prisoner') turned down the part.

Answer: Neil Young

Canadian born Neil Young moved to California at the age of 20, forming Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills and Richard Furay. Three years later he joined Stills, David Crosby and Graham Nash. His long and successful career, idiosyncratic guitar playing, accompanied by harmonica or piano and a distinctive vocal style have led Young to be regarded as one of the great singer-songwriters. He has been inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - the first time as a solo performer (1995) and then as part of Buffalo Springfield (1997).

'After the Gold Rush' was his third solo album (1970), 'Heart of Gold' is both a #1 US single from the 1972 album 'Harvest' and a 2006 documentary on Young. The band 'Crazy Horse' were formed in California in the 1960s and has played with and without Neil Young over at least four decades.

Answer: Wilbur Smith

Smith was born in what is now Kabwe, Zambia (then Northern Rhodesia) in 1933. After early encouragement from a school teacher, and a period as a qualified tax accountant, Smith published his first successful novel ('When the Lion Feeds') in 1964. Many of his novels feature the Courtney family, where he has followed their trials and tribulations for over three centuries.

His action-adventure style is to interleave the personal lives of his main characters with the big issues of that time: conflict, war, development of nationhood, use and exploitation of natural resources (diamonds, gold) and tensions and rapprochement between the various peoples of southern Africa.

Answer: The Beverly Hillbillies

'Black Gold' was used as a synonym for oil in the show's theme song: 'The Ballad of Jed Clampett'. The first verse ends with:

'And up through the ground come a bubbling crude
(oil that is, black gold, Texas tea)'.

The bluegrass-style theme song was written by Paul Henning and featured the sublime musical talents of Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt.

Throughout the 274 episodes spanning nine seasons, the comedy arose from the continuing 'fish out of water' theme, where a poor, rural family from the Ozarks move to Beverly Hills. Inevitably, homely sensibilities (often expressed by Granny - Irene Ryan) won the day over superficial sophistication.

Answer: Robert Frost

'Nothing Gold can Stay' was part of the 'New Hampshire' collection that earned Robert Frost the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1924 (he also won this prize in 1931, 37 and 43). The 'New Hampshire' collection also contained 'Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening' which Frost stated was his 'best bid for remembrance'.

In recognition of a lifetime's excellence in poetry, in 1960 Frost was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

Answer: Silence is Golden

The first 'Silence is Golden' was co-written by Bob Gaudio (from The Four Seasons) and Bob Crewe. The 1967 version by The Tremeloes was #1 on the UK charts for 3 weeks. Alternative rock group, Garbage, led by singer Shirley Manson, also sang 'Silence is Golden' - a totally different song - from their third album 'Beautiful Garbage' in 2001.

Answer: The Golden Girls

'The Golden Girls', starring Estelle Getty, Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan and Betty White, aired on NBC for seven seasons from 1985 to 1992. Many episodes followed a similar pattern where an ethical dilemma would arise and then be discussed by all four characters, often over dessert. Characters would draw on amusing or poignant reminiscences related to the current situation from their own life experiences. 'The Golden Girls' won a large number of awards, including the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series (twice) and multiple Emmy Awards for each of the four stars.

The show also inspired TV networks in many countries to produce their own local versions based on this highly successful format.

Answer: Tibet

The film was the fourteenth directed by Michael Ritchie, whose career spanned almost 30 years from 'Downhill Racer' in 1969 to 'A Simple Wish' in 1997. The role of Chandler Jarrell was originally intended for Mel Gibson. Murphy was chosen due to Gibson's unavailability and the style of the film was consequently changed from a drama to one focusing more on comedy.

Although 'The Golden Child' was the eighth most popular film at the box office for 1986, it was regarded by many as unsuccessful, given the huge audience for Murphy's previous film, 'Beverley Hills Cop'.

Answer: Spandau Ballet

The 'New Romantic' style band, Spandau Ballet were formed in London in the late 1970s. Their first UK #1 hit was 'True' released in 1983. The band released four albums in the period 1980 to 1990 and then disbanded before reforming in 2009. The single 'Gold' was released in 1983 and reached #2 on the UK charts although a more modest #29 in the US.

The band's name originated with friend and DJ Robert Elms who apparently saw this phrase as graffiti in a Berlin nightclub, and refers to the local slang for the jumping and twitching of a body at the end of the rope after hanging in the Spandau Prison.

Answer: Little Golden Books

The brain child of George Duplaix, president of the Artists and Writers Guild, the original twelve Little Golden Books were released by Simon & Schuster in September 1942 at a cost of 25c each (compared to the usual book price of $2-3). These initial titles included 'The Poky Little Puppy', 'Little Red Hen' and 'Mother Goose'. Less than a year later, over 1.5 million books had been sold and a wonderful avenue for bringing great stories to younger readers at an affordable price was established. In November 1986, the one billionth Little Golden Book was printed (a reprint of The Poky Little Puppy).