Gone in 2017 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jonathan Demme

Jonathan Demme directed "Silence of the Lambs" in 1991, and was awarded an Academy Award for Best Director. In the 1980s, he directed comedies like "Melvin and Howard" (1980) and "Something Wild" (1986). He also directed the acclaimed drama "Philadelphia" in 1993. Demme was born in Baldwin, New York in 1944, and died in Manhattan on April 26, 2017.

Answer: Chris Cornell

Singer, songwriter Chris Cornell was the lead singer for the bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. Among his songs were "You Know My Name" from the 2007 album "Carry On" and "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart" from "Higher Truth" (2015). Chris was born in Seattle, Washington in 1964 and died of an apparent suicide in Detroit, Michigan on May 18, 2017.

Answer: Erin Moran

Actress Erin Moran played Richie Cunningham's younger sister, Joanie, on "Happy Days" from 1974 to 1984, and reprised her role on "Joanie Loves Chachi", from 1982 to 1983. After that she appeared on a number of TV shows, e.g., "The Love Boat" and "Murder, She Wrote", but never achieved the same level of success. Erin was born in Burbank, California in 1960, and died in New Salisbury, Indiana from throat cancer on April 22, 2017.

Answer: Roger Ailes

Founder and one-time Chairman and CEO of Fox News, TV producer Roger Ailes was born in 1940, and died on May 18, 2017, as the result of a fall. He was a hemophiliac. Ailes was a media consultant for several Republican presidents, including the Trump campaign.

In the 1960s, he produced "The Mike Douglas Show" for which he won two Emmy Awards in 1967 and 1968. He also co-wrote a book in 1988 called "You Are the Message: Secrets of the Master Communicators".

Answer: Jim Bunning

Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Bunning pitched from 1955 to 1971. He was on the mound with four different teams, i.e., Tigers, Phillies, Pirates and Dodgers. On June 21, 1964, Jim pitched the seventh perfect game in MLB history, for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996. Additionally, he served as both a Congressman and a Senator from Kentucky. Born in Kentucky in 1931, he died there too, on May 26, 2017.

Answer: William Peter Blatty

Many of you will remember the novel and film that had some people fainting, i.e., "The Exorcist". We have author William Peter Blatty to thank for the suspense and the horror. In fact, in 1974, he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Additionally, he wrote and directed "The Exorcist III". Among his other novels were "Legion" (1983) and "Dimiter" (2010). Blatty was born in New York City in 1928, and died in Bethesda, Maryland on January 12, 2017.

Answer: Darlene Cates

While Darlene Cates was, perhaps, not a household name, she was a fine actress. She was born in Borger, Texas in 1947 with the name Rita Darlene Guthrie. She first appeared on Sally Jesse Raphael's show in 1992, on an episode titled "Too Heavy to Leave the House". Darlene had been bedridden by her excessive weight.

A producer saw the show and offered her a part in the 1993 film "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" with Depp and DiCaprio. She died in her sleep on March 26, 2017.

Answer: Robert Osborne

Film historian Robert Osborne was born in Colfax, Washington in 1932. He had been a columnist for "The Hollywood Reporter", and a host on The Movie Channel before taking on the hosting job for the cable channel Turner Classic Movies. He also penned a history of the Academy Awards, published in 1988.

In the early days of television, Osborne acted on "The Californians" and a pilot episode of "The Beverly Hillbillies". He died in New York City on March 6, 2017.

Answer: Don Rickles

"Mr. Warmth" was the nickname for comedian and actor Don Rickles. Don was born in Queens, New York in 1926, and started out as a stand-up comedian and insult comic.
He had roles in movies like "Run Silent, Run Deep" (1958) and Kelly's Heroes" in 1970, before starring in the sitcom "C.P.O. Sharkey" from 1976 to 1978. He appeared on late night talk shows for Johnny Carson and David Letterman, and voiced Mr. Potato Head on "Toy Story". He died on April 6, 2017 of kidney failure.

Answer: Barbara Hale

Anyone who is old enough to remember the TV show "Perry Mason" will, no doubt, remember his indispensable secretary, Della Street. Della was played by movie and TV actress Barbara Hale from 1957 to 1966. The role won her an Emmy Award in 1959 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Prior to that, she had parts in films like "The Window" in 1949, and "Lorna Doone" in 1951.

Born in Dekalb, Illinois in 1922, Hale died in Sherman Oaks, CA, on January 26, 2017.