D.C. Cab Trivia Quiz

Answer: Harold Oswelt

Harold Oswelt is a Vietnam vet who, after serving in the army, moved to Washington D.C. to start his own taxi cab company. He is also married to Myrna (Anne DeSalvo), who is generally unsupportive of both him, and D.C. Cab!

Harold Oswelt is played by Max Gail, who is best known for his role as Detective Stan "Wojo" Wojciehowicz on the classic TV show "Barney Miller".

Answer: Mr.T

Samson is a cab driver who is known for his no-nonsense attitude. This often puts him at odds against a neighborhood drug dealer/pimp, with a nice, fancy car, especially when that same drug dealer ends up driving Samson's niece Jolene home from school.

Samson is played by Mr.T, who is best remembered as Clubber Lang, in the movie "Rocky 3", and for his role as Sgt. Bosco Albert "B.A." Baracus on the 80's NBC TV series "The A-Team".

Answer: Mr. Rhythm

When Albert arrives at D.C. Cab, the first person that he meets is Mr. Rhythm, an older cab driver who mostly sleeps in his cab, and gives out advice for a price (usually, a quarter).

Mr. Rhythm is played by Whitman Mayo, whose other film credits included the John Singleton hit film "Boyz N The Hood", and was best known for his role as Grady Wilson on the classic TV series "Sanford & Son".

Sadly, Whitman Mayo passed away in May of 2001.

Answer: Emerald Cab Co.

Emerald Cab Co. is D.C. Cab's main rival. Two of Emerald's cab drivers, Arnie, and Cubby (Jim Moody, Bob Zmuda) constantly antagonize the members of D.C. Cab, especially Harold, and Samson.

Opheila (Marsha Warfield), Harold's best driver, almost joins Emerald after being robbed several times at gunpoint by a punk in a ski mask. She almost joins them again, after Albert and Ambassador Rayburn's children are kidnapped. Harold convinces her to stay, even though she states that Harold doesn't have a company, but rather an asylum!

Opheila knees that punk in the ski mask in the groin when he is cornered at D.C. Cab, after he tries to rob Albert, and Tyrone.

Answer: Gary Busey

Dell is the sex-crazed, party animal cab driver, known for talking loud, and saying nothing. He is played by Gary Busey.

Gary Busey is also known for his roles in other movies, such as "Point Break", "Under Seige" "Drop Zone", "Surviving The Game", and "Lethal Weapon". He was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Rock legend Buddy Holly in the film "The Buddy Holly Story".

Answer: Violin

Mr. Rhythm finds a violin in one of the rundown cabs at D.C. Cab. Later, at the diner where all the cab drivers are having breakfast, Ernesto Bravo (Jose Perez), the hack inspector, reveals that the violin is worth a half a million dollars, and that there is a reward for finding the violin.

Since Mr. Rhythm is the one who found the violin in the cab, the reward (worth $10,000) will go to Harold, since Harold owns the cab that it was found in.

Answer: False

Investing in D.C. Cab is originally Harold's plan for the reward money, but Myrna gets to the money, and kicks both Harold, and Albert out of the house. When the cabbies try to break into the house, Myrna scares them off with a flamethrower, a souvenir of Harold's soldiering days in Vietnam.

Albert manages to convince all of the cabbies (except Tyrone) to stay, and help try to make something out of D.C. Cab, by donating the over $6,000 that was left to him by his late father.

Answer: Irene Cara

Tyrone (Charlie Barnett) has a huge crush on Irene Cara. He keeps a picture of her in his cab, and he ends up getting the chance to drive her to the hotel where she's staying. Unfortunately, this is after he's left D.C. Cab. He picks Irene Cara up in Dell's cab (which has a picture of a topless woman)! Tyrone is also working as a street vendor dressed as Uncle Sam. Irene Cara asks Tyrone if he always dresses like that. To which Tyrone replies "Last week, I was the Statue Of Liberty, but I couldn't get the crown over the rollers"!

Irene Cara is well known for the title role in the 70's classic movie "Sparkle", as well as her role as Coco Hernandez in the 80's movie "Fame" (for which she also sung the title song). She also won both a Grammy, and an Academy Award for the song "What A Feeling" from the 80's movie "Flashdance".

Answer: Hitchhike

Albert hitchhikes from Locust Grove, GA to Washington D.C. to learn the cab business from his late father's best friend, and owner of D.C. Cab, Harold Oswelt. Eventually, Albert wants to own his own cab company.

Albert is played by Adam Baldwin, who is also known for roles in movies such as "Full Metal Jacket", "Independence Day", and "Serenity", as well as his role as John Casey on the NBC TV series "Chuck".

Answer: a nun

When Tyrone is driving, he takes Matty and Denise (who work as maids, and as a caretaker for Ambassador Rayburn and his family) to the embassy where they work. Everytime he pulls up to the embassy, Ambassador Rayburn's children will be waiting there to throw eggs at Tyrone's cab.

After Tyrone leaves D.C. Cab, Albert takes over for him. When Albert pulls up to the embassy, the nun shoves Matty down to the ground, and grabs Ambassador Rayburn's daughter. A van pulls up and out comes the head kidnapper (John Diehl). He grabs Ambassador Rayburn's son and gets into Albert's cab, forcing Albert at gunpoint to drive away.

Ambassador Rayburn's son and daughter are played by Scott Nemes and Senta Moses. Scott Nemes has been featured in movies such as "St. Elmos Fire", "Meatballs Part II", and "Twilight Zone: The Movie" and Senta Moses has been featured as Kevin McCallister's cousin Tracy in the movies "Home Alone" and "Home Alone 2: Lost In New York".

Answer: Claudette

Claudette is a waitress who works at the diner where all of the cab drivers eat. Albert is in love with her, and she feels the same for him. However, Maudie, the head waitress (Claudette's grandmother) is her legal gaurdian, and is, at first, vehemently against Claudette dating Albert, because he's a cab driver. However, after D.C. Cab's makeover, Albert finally wins Claudette's grandmother over, and she allows him to take Claudette out on a date (albeit with a 10:30 curfew).

Claudette is played by Jill Schoelen, who also featured as Christine Day in the 1989 movie "The Phantom Of The Opera," which co-starred Robert Englund.

Answer: Buzzy & Buddy

Buzzy, and Buddy are twins who were looking to leave D.C. Cab in order to start their own gym. When Albert rides with them, something is wrong with the cab's transmission, because they are driving backwards.

Buzzy, and Buddy are played by Peter Paul, and David Paul aka The Barbarian Brothers, who are also featured in movies such as "Think Big", "Twin Sitters", and "The Barbarians".

Answer: True

After Myrna takes the reward money for the violin for herself and kicks Harold and Albert out of the house, and after Albert and Ambassador Rayburn's son and daughter are kidnapped, Harold sneaks back into the house. He wants to find a way to get some money together for a lawyer for Albert (since he is implicated as a kidnapper). Harold catches Myrna with none other than Ernesto Bravo, the hack inspector (in his underwear). Harold drops Ernesto into the backyard's swimming pool, and leaves the house.

Answer: Cleveland

Bongo is D.C. Cab's resident Rastafarian. After Albert passes his test, he asks Bongo if he can ride with him, so that he can learn about Jamaica, but Bongo tells Albert that he's from Cleveland.

Bongo is played by DeWayne Jessie, who is best known for his role as singer Otis Day in the movie "National Lampoon's Animal House".

Answer: Bruce Lee

Albert manages to get free from the kidnappers and finds his cab. He then sends a message to Mr. Rhythm by CB. He tells him that they are located South of the airport, at a farmhouse with a windmill and that he sees Bruce Lee (who is on a big screen at a drive-in). Dell tells the others that Bruce Lee isn't dead, but instead, he's frozen in a silo, and he'll be released as soon as the economy gets better.

Tyrone is the first to find the drive-in. The cabbies try to free Albert, and the kids by impersonating the police. Tyrone frees the kids, but Albert is taken by the kidnappers in a van. The cabbies chase the kidnappers down and rescue Albert. Afterwards, the van crashes into a screen at the drive-in.

In the end, a huge ticker tape parade is held in honor of D.C. Cab.