"Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"- Famous Siblings Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Jesse James was the leader of a gang of desperados who terrorized the American West during the latter half of the 19th century. He was abetted in his robbin' and killin' by his older brother. Can you recall the name of his senior sibling?

Answer: Frank

Frank and Jesse James joined up with another band of brothers, the Fords. Cole Younger and his men rode along with them, and together they were a mighty force to deal with, as they rode roughshod, plundering the Old West. They robbed banks, trains, saloons, gambling establishments, and just about anything else that wasn't nailed down. And they killed them a few fellers too. Jesse married his first cousin, Zerelds "Zee" Mimms, April 24, 1874.

His marriage and life both came to an end when, on April 3, 1882, his "friend", Bob Ford killed him with a couple of shots to the back of his head.

He was just 34 years old. Frank fared better, living to the age of 72, before passing from natural causes at his Missouri farm on February 18, 1915.

2. The wacky and wild Marx Brothers were one of the greatest acts in the early days of American comedy. They starred in vaudeville, radio, Hollywood films and on TV. The four best known of the clan, were (from youngest to oldest), Chico, Harpo, Groucho and Zeppo. There was, however, a fifth brother who performed with his siblings for a short while. Can you name this "fifth Marx Brother"?

Answer: Gummo

Gummo (Milton), was the second youngest of the five. He was born October 23, 1892, in New York. Gummo dropped out of the brother act to fight for his country in WWI. He died on April 21, 1977.
Chico's birth name was Leonard, Harpo was born Adolph, Groucho was Julius, and Zeppo was Herbert. While not all of the brothers appeared in every picture, collectively there were more than 25 madcap Marx Brothers movies. A few of their best known films were, "Animal Crackers" (1930), Horse Feathers" (1932), "Duck Soup" (1933), and "A Night at the Opera (1935).
Once the boys went on their own, Groucho had the most success as a solo. From 1947-1961, he hosted the comedic quiz show, "You Bet Your Life" on radio and TV.
On January 16, 1977 The Marx Brothers were inducted into the Motion Picture Hall of Fame.

3. The Brothers Grimm have delighted millions of children around the world with their wonderful collections of folk tales. Compiled in the early 19th century, their works are universally known as "Grimms' Fairy Tales". One of the brothers was named Wilhelm. What was the name of his older brother?

Answer: Jacob

Jacob Grimm was a year older than Wilhelm, both having been born in Hanau, Germany. Their more than 200 fairy tales, include classics such as "Sleeping Beauty", "Cinderella", "Snow White", "Hansel and Gretel", "Little Red Riding Hood", "The Frog Prince", and "Rumpelstiltskin".
Many of these wondrous tales have become beloved movies, and The Brothers Grimms' tales have been published as books in over 100 languages.
Jacob who was born in 1785, died in 1863, and Wilhelm, who was born in 1786, passed away in 1859, but Grimms' Fairy Tales will live forever.
In 1838 the brothers also began work on an ambitious multi-volume scholarly German dictionary (broadly comparable to the OED), but it was not completed till 1961(!).

4. American Major League Baseball has had its share of noteworthy brother duos. A couple of the more memorable ones are the record setting Phil and Joe Niekro, and Henry and Tommie Aaron. Then there were the Waner brothers, Paul and Lloyd, who when they retired, had the most hits of any brothers, and through the end of the 20th century they still held that distinction. Paul was known by the sobriquet of "Big Poison". What was Lloyd's nickname?

Answer: Little Poison

Lloyd Waner was an outfielder who compiled a lifetime batting average (B.A.) of .300 while playing from 1927-1945. Seventeen of those years were spent patrolling centerfield for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame (H.O.F.) in 1967.
Paul Waner's career ran from 1926-1945, and like Lloyd, the bulk of his time (15 years) was spent as a Pirate. "Big Poison" was a three time National League (N.L.) batting champ, as he went on to compile a .333 career B.A. Paul who was the N.L Most Valuable Player in 1927, was inducted into the Baseball H.O.F in 1952.
Joe DiMaggio was "The Yankee Clipper", Willie Mays was "The Say Hey Kid" and "The Brat" was Eddie Stanky.

Interesting fact: At the time of their retirement (and through the end of the 20th century) the Niekros has the most pitching wins of any brothers, and the Aaron's had the most home runs (768). Henry blasted 755, while Tommie chipped in with 13.

5. The Coen Brothers, Ethan and Joel, are highly respected and multi-talented members of the Hollywood film industry. They have received acclaim for their work as directors, screenwriters, editors and producers. Between 1984-2014, they contributed their talents to over 20 movies. Which of their films earned them three Oscars?

Answer: No Country For Old Men

"No Country for Old Men" (2007), was based on the 2005 novel of the same name, authored by Cormac McCarthy. It tells the violent tale of Lleweln Moss (Josh Brolin) who thinks he's gotten a lucky break when he finds a couple of million dollars in the area near the Rio Grande river. In fact, that turns out not to be the case, as he is stalked by a man who wants the money enough to kill for it.
The Brothers Coen took home gold statuettes for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. In addition, Javier Bardem also won an Oscar for his portrayal of crazed assassin, Anton Chigurh.
Ethan Coen married film editor Tricia Cooke in 1990, and in 1984, Joel tied the knot with Frances McDormand. Ms. McDormand starred as the (very) pregnant sheriff, Margie Gunderson, in the brothers' classic, "Fargo" (1996). Her brilliant performance in that comedic thriller earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress.

6. The world of athletics has seen many brothers competing in the same sport. A couple that come to mind are the boxing Klitschkos, Vitali and Wladimir, National Football League (NFL) quarterbacks, Peyton and Eli Manning, and then there were the three Alou brothers, Felipe, Jesus, and Matty who played Major League Baseball mostly in the 1960s-1970s. Siblings Jim and John Harbaugh made a bit of history, when on February 3, 2013, they became the first pair of NFL headcoaching brothers to oppose each other in a Super Bowl. John's Baltimore Ravens came away with the victory. What was the name of Jim's team which they defeated to win Super Bowl XLVII?

Answer: San Francisco 49ers

John's Ravens claimed the Lombardi Trophy by squeaking past Jim's San Francisco 49ers, in a nail-biting 34-31 thriller. Both of the boys were born in Toledo, OH, John in 1962, and Jim a year later. John attended the University of Miami (Ohio), and played on the gridiron as a defensive back.

The University of Michigan was Jim's alma mater, and while there he starred as the team's quarterback (QB), and was named the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year (1986). John became the Ravens' head coach in 2008, and compiled a record of 62-34 in his first six seasons. Jim, who was an NFL QB from 1987-2001 took over the reins of the 49ers in 2011, and has rung up 36 wins against 11 losses, through 2013.

7. Singers, guitarists and songwriters, Don and Phil Everly were mega-stars in the days of Rock & Roll. Don who was born in Kentucky, was three years older than Illinois born Phil, and originally they performed along with their parents, Ike and Margaret as The Everly Family. They later recorded many number one hits as The Everly Brothers. What was the first song of the Brothers Everly to top "Billboard Magazine's Number One Singles" list?

Answer: Wake Up Little Susie

"Wake Up Little Susie" reached the top of the list October 21, 1957. Their first big hit, Bye Bye Love"* was recorded on the Cadence label, and it reached the runner-up spot on the Pop charts in 1957. Their biggest selling song was "Cathy's Clown" (1960), which sold over eight million copies.
The Everly Brothers, who released more than 50 albums and 75 singles received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award in 1997. Don and Phil were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1986), The Country Music Hall of Fame (2001), and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame (2004).
*The Everly Brothers got to record "Bye Bye Love" after more than two dozen acts declined to do so. Oops!

8. The acting world has produced many respected, legendary actors, and Henry Fonda was certainly one of them. It was only natural that any kids of his would have acting in their blood. In fact, both his daughter Jane, and her brother, Peter, both followed in their father's thespian footsteps. Peter made over 60 films between 1963-2013. Which one earned him a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actor?

Answer: Ulee's Gold

"Ulee's Gold (1997) was a tale of an apiarist named Ulysses (Ulee) Jackson (Fonda) and his trials and tribulations while trying to raise his jailed son's and runaway, drug addicted daughter-in-law's two girls. The "gold" is a reference to the honey produced by his bees.
Peter Fonda began his acting career with a short stint on Broadway, before heading for the hills of Hollywood. He played Dr. Mark Cheswick in his first film, "Tammy and the Doctor", with co-star Sandra Dee. He would become known for a couple of motorcycle movies, the first being "The Wild Angels", in which he played a character named Heavenly Blues. Peter Fonda co-wrote and produced the iconic "Easy Rider", in which he also played a biker with the moniker of Captain America.
Peter Fonda was inducted into the American Motorcyclist Association Hall of Fame in 2002. He has also been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. If you'd like to see it, hop on your bike and head to 1601 Vine St.

By the way, in case you were wondering, Peter Fonda lost the Best Actor Oscar to Jack Nicholson for "As Good As it Gets".

9. Family genetics can be a strange thing. Many parents have a son of whom they are very proud, while at the same time having a sibling who could be thought of as the "black sheep" of the family. Such was the case for The Carter clan of Plains, GA. One of the sons, James Earl, Jr. (Jimmy), would become the 39th President of the United States. The other son, William (Billy), was a chronic drinking ne'er-do-well, who enjoyed a strong quaff or three. In fact, his biggest claim to fame was enthusiastically endorsing a southern made beverage. What was the name of that potent potable?

Answer: Billy Beer

"Billy Beer" was first concocted in 1977, at the Falls River Brewing Co. in Lexington, Kentucky.
Billy spent four years as a U.S. Marine, and when he rejoined civilian life, he worked alongside his brother Jimmy in the family's peanut growing business. After he tired of that, he opened and ran a gas station in his home town for most of the 1960's. In 1976, he ran (unsuccessfully) for the office of Mayor of Plains. Known as a "good old boy" who liked his malts and hops, he was asked to promote a new beer, and he was more than happy to oblige.
Each can carried these words of praise, with Billy's signature following:
"I had this beer brewed up just for me. I think it's the best I ever tasted. And I've tasted a lot. I think you'll like it, too".

In truth Billy admitted that his beer of choice was actually Pabst Blue Ribbon.
Pancreatic cancer claimed Billy at the age of 51.

10. WWII exacted many a tragic loss from the families of those who served and never returned. Perhaps the biggest blow fell upon a family from Waterloo, Iowa, whose five sons were all killed while serving aboard the U.S.S. Juneau. They had joined the Navy on January 3, 1942, expressing the firm desire to be allowed to serve together despite an often unenforced Naval regulation not to have siblings aboard the same vessel. Their wish was granted, and on November 13, 1942, with all five brothers aboard, the Juneau was limping back to safe harbor after being hit and damaged by a torpedo during the Battle of Guadalcanal. On the way back the Juneau suffered a fatal hit from another torpedo, which caused the ship to explode and sink. None of the brothers survived. They went by the names of George, Frank, Joe, Matt, and Al. What was the family name of this gallant band of brothers?

Answer: Sullivan

Frank, Joe, and Matt were killed in the conflagration, while Al and George drowned in the southern Pacific Ocean within days of each other.

On the morning of January 12, 1943, the young sailors' proud father, Thomas, was approached by three Navy men as he was heading to work. Instinctively he knew they had not come to deliver good news, and with a quivering voice asked, "Which one?" The lieutenant commander's forthright response was, "All of them". I can't even imagine the heartbreak that Thomas and Alleta Sullivan suffered, knowing that all of their sons were gone.
Their only daughter, Genevieve, joined the WAVES, and survived the war.

The Sullivan Brothers' sacrifice was instrumental in establishing The Sole Survivor Policy, designed to help prevent another such horrific family tragedy from happening again. (See additional information in the quiz conclusion text).

Source: Author paulmallon

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Wilbur had Orville, Cain had Abel, and who can forget the Smothers brothers? History is filled with many brother/brother and sister/brother pairings. Many were good guys, others not so good. Let's see what you know about this band of brothers.

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