Television's Golden Age - the '50s II Quiz

Answer: The Cavendish Gang

In 1952, due to a dispute over pay, Clayton Moore was replaced as The Lone Ranger for 52 episodes by John Hart. The Ames Brothers were a popular singing group and probably never massacred anyone.

Answer: The Life of Riley

The first "round" of "The Life of Riley" ran from 1949-1950 with Jackie as Chester A. Riley. In 1953 the show was resurrected starring William Bendix and a whole new cast. It was a perfect role for Bendix and the show lasted for five years. Bendix had played Riley on the radio and starred as Riley in a 1949 theatrical film release. How Gleason got the initial nod for the TV show is a mystery to me.

Answer: The Lineup

When "The Lineup" went into syndication the name was changed to "San Francisco Beat." Running for six seasons (from 1954-1960) the show featured the same no-nonsense, realistic approach to police work as "Dragnet." In the 1960s Warner Anderson (Ben Guthrie) was the narrator for the TV prime-time soap opera "Peyton Place."

Answer: Goode

On the long running "Gunsmoke" radio show Chester's last name was Proudfoot. It was changed for the TV show.
Chester Conklin was a (mostly) comedic actor whose screen career spanned over 50 years.
Chester Morris was an actor best known for his movie portrayal of detective Boston Blackie. He played Blackie in 14 films.

Answer: Dick Van Patten

The show ran from 1949 thru 1957. It was performed "live" for most of that time and very few episodes exist. Patty McCormick ("The Bad Seed") was in several episodes as Cousin Ingeborg. Nels Hansen died in WWI... George Patton died shortly after WWII.

Answer: a candelabra

Along with Ebenezer and Rumpelstiltskin you don't run into many people named Gig anymore.

In 1985, Liberace appeared as the "guest timekeeper" for the main event of the first "WrestleMania."

Answer: Ricky Nelson

OK... if you missed this one I give up. Ricky went on to become a major rock and roll star with 18 Top 10 records on the Billboard charts. Rickie Lee Jones had a hit record in 1979 with "Chuck E.'s In Love." "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" began on the radio in 1944 and ran for ten years.

Answer: Pete and Gladys

A running gag during the five year run of "December Bride" was neighbor Pete Porter's (Harry Morgan) complaints about his never seen wife Gladys. Cara Williams played Gladys in the spin-off but the show was never much more than an "I Love Lucy" clone; it only lasted two seasons. In 1964 Cara starred in "The Cara Williams Show"... but that only lasted one season.

Answer: Professional Wrestling

Inexpensive to present and perfectly suited for the small screens of the day, Professional Wrestling proved wildly popular during the early days of television. The three fellows named were all wrestlers; none of them was actually "royalty." George Wagner aka "Gorgeous George" was TV wrestling's first superstar with his sissified performances drawing huge TV audiences and ticket sales for non-televised events.

Answer: Andy's Gang

I can't imagine Frank Smith turning to Joe Friday and saying such a thing... but I digress. When show host Andy Devine said these words Froggy the Gremlin would appear in a puff of smoke. The show was originally "Smilin' Ed McConnell and His Buster Brown Gang." When McConnell died in 1954 Andy stepped in and the show continued with basically the same (some say bizarre) format. Andy hosted the show from 1955 to 1960. Never an explanation what the "magic twanger" was. Maybe it's better that way...