The President's the Missing Link Quiz

Answer: Wood

Ulysses S. GRANT was the eighteenth US president. Cary Grant, the quintessential Hollywood leading man, was adept and convincing in all kinds of film roles. From the comedy of "Bringing Up Baby" and "The Philadelphia Story" to the drama of "An Affair to Remember" to his many great roles in Alfred Hitchcock suspense movies, Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach in 1904 in Bristol) played them all with an unmatched class, charm and debonair panache.

He even had a gift for slapstick, and his comedic timing, honed in early days in vaudeville, was impeccable.

He received the Lifetime Achievement Academy Award in 1970. Grant Wood (born in Iowa in 1891, died in 1942) was an American artist primarily known for his distinctive, realistic paintings of rural scenes from the American Midwest.

His iconic work was "American Gothic" from 1930, a stark depiction of a farmer holding a pitchfork, standing next to his equally serious looking daughter. The painting caused a sensation and has been credited with moving American art toward more realism.

Answer: Miller

Chester A. ARTHUR was the nineteenth US president. Beatrice 'Bea' Arthur was an American actress of stage, film and television. She debuted on Broadway in 1947 in "Three Penny Opera." She became well known to American audiences for her role as Maude Findlay in the TV show "All in the Family" and its spinoff "Maude" in which she was the star.

Then she starred in "The Golden Girls" in the 1980s. She was an outspoken animal rights activist. Arthur Miller (1915-2005) was an American author/playwright.

His two best known plays, "Death of a Salesman" and "The Crucible" both won Tony awards and have been adapted numerous times for stage, screen, and television. He collaborated often with director Elia Kazan, as they shared a passion for intensely dramatizing the tragedy of common people confronting an unforgiving society. Miller was himself called before the "House Un-American Activities Committee" in the 1950s for alleged Communist sympathies and associations.

He refused to name names, was held in contempt, but eventually won in court as the McCarthy-era persecutions lost steam and were largely discredited.

Answer: Davis

Thomas JEFFERSON was the third US president. Blind Lemon Jefferson was a legendary early American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was born in Texas in 1893 and lived only 36 years, but his high-pitched shouted vocals, innovative melodic leads, and bent-note guitar stylings were innovative, and influenced many other blues greats of the first half of the 20th century, such as his disciple Huddy 'Leadbelly' Ledbetter. During the American Civil period, Jefferson Davis was the one and only president of the Confederate States when they seceded from the Union (1861-1865). Jefferson Davis was born June 3rd, 1808, in a log cabin in Kentucky about 100 miles from where Abraham Lincoln was born.

He was named after president Jefferson, who was in office at that time of his birth.

Answer: Ford

William Henry HARRISON was the ninth president and Benjamin HARRISON, his grandson, was the 23rd president. The Harrisons in the question are a pair of renowned, award winning actors. Rex Harrison (d.1990) was a star of stage and screen, born in Lancashire, England in 1908.

He received a Tony and an Oscar for the role of the professor in "My Fair Lady." Harrison Ford is the venerable American actor who starred as Han Solo in the Star Wars movies and as Indiana Jones in that franchise. Despite his tough guy image, he has admitted to being bullied in school. Before his acting career took off, he worked as a master carpenter.

Answer: Keys

James MADISON was the fourth US president. Dolley Madison was the wife of president Madison, but she carved her own place in history. She was a great social engineer and networker, using her place at the White House to arrange productive meetings between rival political factions, a new idea at the time.

She is also noteworthy for saving the portrait of George Washington when British troops set fire to the White House in 1814. Madison Keys is a top US female tennis professional, having reached a #7 ranking in 2016.

She played in the US Open final in 2017, and is best known for her powerful serve.

Answer: Swift

Zachary TAYLOR was the twelfth US president. General Maxwell Davenport Taylor (1901-1987) was a US Army general who served in the Second World War and later as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under president Kennedy. Taylor Swift, singer/songwriter, concert diva, and music video star, is one of the highest paid entertainers in the world.

Her middle name is Alison, but her mother insisted on Taylor, because she felt that name on a business card would help her daughter avoid gender discrimination.

She was born December 13, 1989 in Reading, Pennsylvania, and considers 13 to be her lucky number.

Answer: Irving

Most are aware that George WASHINGTON was the first US president. As one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, Denzel Washington needs no introduction. He has won Academy Awards for best supporting actor (Glory, 1989) and best actor (Training Day, 2001).

As a director, producer, and actor of stage and screen, Washington is one of the most influential people in the entertainment industry. Washington also does all his own stunts in his movies. Washington Irving, American author, essayist, historian, and diplomat, was born in New York City in 1783, and died in 1859.

He was best known for his short stories, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle." Irving is responsible for the name "Gotham" for New York City, and for the idea of Santa Claus riding through the sky in a sleigh.

Answer: Frick

Gerald FORD was the 38th US president. Henry Ford was the famous visionary who pioneered and captained the US automobile industry through its early years. He is credited with revolutionizing American industrial and personal travel behavior by using assembly line technology to mass produce affordable cars and trucks. Ford Frick, although certainly not a household name outside of sporting circles in American, was an influential figure in major league baseball in the 20th century.

He was an astute and respected sportswriter, and later served as president of the National League from 1934-1951, a key period of growth when the game was integrated.

In 1970, he was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame, which he had helped create in 1939.

Answer: Brosnan

Franklin PIERCE was the fourteenth US president. Paul Pierce is a former NBA basketball star who played 15 of his 19 seasons with the Boston Celtics. He retired in 2017 with 26,397 career points, more than any other of the many greats who have worn the Celtic green.

In 2017, Pierce was hired as a full time basketball analyst with ESPN, the sports television network. Pierce Brosnan, OBE, is an Irish born actor who holds joint Irish and American citizenship. Brosnan was the original choice to replace Roger Moore in the James Bond films in 1986, but couldn't get out of his contract as Remington Steele in that American TV series.

When his replacement, Timothy Dalton, left the Bond franchise in 1994, Brosnan got another shot at the role and played Bond in four successful films, each of which grossed over 500 million dollars (inflation adjusted).

Answer: Browne

Andrew JACKSON was the seventh US president. Mahalia Jackson sang religious-based music with style and power, earning the sobriquet "The Queen of Gospel." Born into a strictly devout family in new Orleans in 1911, her early exposure to music was heavily church based.

As a teenager, she sneaked away and listened to recordings of Bessie Smith and Enrico Carusro. However, questioned why she chose gospel over blues she said, "I sing God's music because it makes me feel free." Mahalia Jackson died in 1972. Jackson Browne is an American singer/songwriter who penned and produced many successful singles and albums, starting in the 1970s.

He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland in 2004, and has been making music for five decades. Before stardom, one of his housemates was Greg Allman of the Allman Brother band. Browne had a long term relationship with actress Darryl Hannah.