Butlers That Never Really Were, 1st Course Quiz

Answer: Alfred Pennyworth

Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth is a long-serving butler and father figure to Bruce Wayne. He is a former member of the British SAS (Special Air Service). He has been portrayed by Michael Caine and Jeremy Irons on film and by Alan Napier (opposite Adam West and Burt Ward) on television. He was voiced by Ted Knight on the "Batman/Superman Hour".

Answer: Wadsworth

Wadsworth may have been just the butler who admitted the six strangers and Mr. Boddy into Hill House. Or he may have been the killer himself. Or he may have been an undercover FBI agent. Tim Curry is at home in an all-star ensemble cast.

Answer: Mister Belvedere

Gwen Davenport wrote the novel "Belvedere", in 1947 which book was made into a 1948 movie called "Sitting Pretty." The principal character is Lynn Aloysius Belvedere, a British manservant who takes on a whole American family. The eponymous TV series ran on ABC from 1985 to 1990.

Answer: Riff-Raff

Riff-Raff is a male Transylvanian whose sister is Magenta. He dresses like a butler, opens the front door to admit Brad and Janet at the beginning of the film and serves "dinner" to the guests. He was played by Richard O'Brien in the 1975 movie.

Answer: Charles Carson

Carson began working at Downton Abbey when he was only 19 years old as a second footman. Near the end of the saga, he married the head housekeeper, Elsie Hughes, but then suffered from palsy which compelled him to resign. He was played by Jim Carter.

Answer: Reginald Jeeves

Jeeves and Wooster enjoy enduring popularity, despite have been created in 1915. Bumbling Bertie Wooster can always rely upon the omnicompetent Reginald Jeeves to resolve things in the end. Steven Fry's portrayal of Jeeves for the British television series (1990-1993) did much to promote the character.

Answer: Manners

Richard H. Cutting (1912-1972) played Manners the Butler for the Kleenex ads. Intercut into full-size scenes, Manners was made to appear about six inches tall. While these ads appear primitive now, they were state-of-the-art trick photography in their time.

Answer: Jean Passepartout

In the novel, Passepartout is a Frenchman. In the 1956 movie version, he was played by Cantinflas who was Mexican. In the 2004 movie, he was played by Jackie Chan who is Chinese. The French word "passepartout" means literally "goes everywhere" but is also used colloquially to mean a skeleton key and to mean a paper mat around a photograph or artwork.

Answer: Aloysius "Nosey" Parker

There have not been many television series in which the characters are marionettes. In this 1960s TV series (and the several movies which followed it), Lady Penelope's butler is Aloysius Parker. He not only runs her mansion household but also drives her pink Rolls Royce designated FAB 1. His accent is Cockney.

Answer: Lurch

The Addams Family summons Lurch, their butler, by pulling a cord with a noose tied in the end which rings a bell in their home's bell tower. Lurch, played by Ted Cassidy (b. 1932) on the TV series, appears and responds, in a low bass voice, "You rang?" He plays the harpsichord and feels overworked and under-appreciated.