"Late 50's Trivia"
by Rick Mindlin
Assist: Use the entire blanks, no more, no less.
[Watch these pages for major hints on Sept 7th.]
1) In July, 1956 the ____ ____ collided with the _________ in the Atlantic, and sank.
2) Adlai Stevenson's '56 running mate: _____ ________.
3) Chrysler introed them in '57. They reached their ultimate glory--and outrageous size and shape--on the 1959 Cadillac,. This design/part was ________.
4) We boys all wanted to be like, or even be England's very dapper ("cool") ________ ____ --the celebrity race car driver of the 50's.
5) With words & music by Jule Styne, this Broadway show couldn't miss in the Spring of '59. And it didn't-producing many hits like "Small World" and "Everything's Coming Up Roses". It was "_____".
6) This 1956 megahit (They weren't called that back then-just "hit") produced 5 top-ten hit songs, including "On The Street Where You Live". Many consider this, "__ ____ ____", the greatest Broadway musical of all time.
7) Without his, ___ ___ ______'s, constant guidance, Elvis would have been no-where, gone nowhere.
8) This 1958 toy (or perhaps sport) craze was an item you sort of "got into"--quite literally, even by adults. For a brief while, simply everybody had to have a ____ ____.
9) The star of Christmas, 1958 was _____, lead singer of "The Chipmunks".
10) They were The pop balladeer group of the late '50s, rolling out one hit after another, just about the entire 4 yrs. we were at Lawrence (and for a year or so afterward). Smoke didn't get in their eyes (alluding to one of their hits)-only $$ did. Of course, I'm referring to ___ ________.
11) The 1958 _____ was the first and last year for this car, which totally bombed. It was nicknamed "An Oldsmobile sucking a lemon".
12) Ike's Secretary of State ____ _____ _____ died in Spring, '59, and later a major airport was named after him.
13) The ________ were in every World Series during our Lawrence years.
14) Its introduction in Dec., 1958 was a sensation, and revolutionized how we travel. You don't own one, but ride in it. This major travel improvement/upgrade was the ___ _____.
15) The late 50's cars had transmissions that even had names. Chrysler's was called ______ _____. Buick's was ________. Oldsmobile __________, and Chevrolet had __________.
16) The police finally caught crazy George Metesky who had a very nasty habit regarding Manhattan buildings. Before we knew who he was or even his name, we were calling him ___ ___ B_____.
17) Sgt. Bilko would call roll call, especially loud for "_______!", his favorite patsy.
18) On the radio version of "Gunsmoke", Matt Dillon was played by ______ ______. Also (& this is a tough one), what was Chester's last name? ____.
19) Their fake fued had started on radio over 20 years earlier, and continued on TV in the late 50's, when Jack Benny said that " ____ _____'s idea of roughing it, is going 3 days without a manicure!"
20) It started as a series of mystery books, then premiered on CBS in September, 1957 and ran almost 10 years. Followed many years later with a string of TV movies-same title, named after the main character, same unforgettable theme music, and always starring the same man-as the character "who never loses". This show was "_____ _____".
21) Our country had __ states when we graduated Lawrence High.
22) One of Arthur Godfrey's regulars, and still singing: _____ ______.
23) The __ ____ _____ talks were going on then-and they are still not concluded!
24) In 1955-56 the greatest sitcom of all-time aired on CBS. It took place almost completely in one room. There were no guest stars, just the 4 stars, with all other parts played by 4 reperatory type regulars. This classic, set in Brooklyn, was "___ _________".
25) 1958-1959 was the heyday of the "muscle cars". The ultimate drag race was between: a '58 _________ '__ vs. the '59 _______ __________, and a '59 Chrysler ___C.
9/30/99…For all those who aren't Jeopardy-phites, and have better things to do than memorize trivia, we're going to make it a bit easier. You want hints? Here's some: (hint #s match the question #s).
1) Tough for me to think of a hint. I guess we'll go w/ initials: The A.D. & the S.
2) Before this he headed a Senate crime investigation committee, named after himself, the leader of "The ________ Committee".
3) [I'm already regretting giving you this too much of a hint:] Sharks also have them.
4) He had that great first name, meaning "superb". "silver".
5) It was about a 'renowned' burlesque queen.
6) The 1964 movie version starred Audrey Hepburn.
7) He had a self-appointed title, the same one as ___ Sanders, from Kentucky Chicken.
8) hh
9) The one who couldn't keep up with the others, didn't sing right.
10) "Only You" guys (and gal) could do it. You weren't "The Great Pretender"; you were the real thing.
11) grandson of Henry.
12) He looked like a Sec. of State should look, and sounded just as dignified. If you fly to Wash. you'll see his name before you even reach your car or cab.
13) They were also in plenty of others during the preceding part of the 1050's. Everybody loved to hate them.
14) Peter, Paul, and Mary later sang about "Leaving on a ___ _____".
15) TF,D, H,P
16) He was a kind of terrorist before that term become 'popular'-a mini pre-cursor of The World Trade Center incident.
18) WC,G
19) I got that one reversed-sorry. It was FA who said that Benny would be roughing it without a manicure.
20) Della, call Lt. Tragg.
21) It wasn't 50.
22) Firing him was Godfrey's biggest mistake.
23) rye bread and falaffel
24) "It's a little choppy down there (in the sewer) today. I'd rather be driving a bus for a living."
25) One of these models was reborne in '98. The previous sentence even gives away one of the 3 blanks in the original question #25. The 3rd. make and model has been made continuously up to and including now.
M
If these hints ar still not good enough, the answers will be at the Reunion.
Reflections - on 40 Years
by Rick Mindlin
Thomas Wolfe said, "You can't go home again".
And a reunion is a sort of going home. Back to what we once were. For some, it will be like yesterday has returned, like no time has passed.
For others, it will seem like going back through an eternity. Some of us turned out (at this stage: ended up) quite like we thought/planned, and as had been predicted. For others,.. not quite,.. even the opposite.
Some have come oh so far. Some just can't be here, and some are not even with us any more.
A reunion is a milestone-in itself a mark of success and achievement: Just living 40 years past high school is the most important achievement, in our finite existence… It's an appropriate juncture to pause: to measure and reflect-on where we've been, where we should have been,.. what we've done,.. and the should'ves that we all carry.
Many of us won't be recognized, although we were well known, are still known, and remembered. Of course, none of us are the people, the kids, we once were. Mostly we are better now… Yet there is a sameness--and a unity of notion: We'd like to do it all over again. Maybe somewhat different,.. and in some instances maybe not.
But do it again--that's the point, the theme. Oh yeah,.. we'd like to do that.
Maybe,.. just maybe,.. Mr. Wolfe was just a little bit wrong.