Trivia Bowl 1999

September 3rd to 6th, 1999 - Labor Day Weekend
Boulder Jaycees Depot Building
2275 30th Street, Crossroads Commons Shopping Center
s-mail address: PO Box 3037, High Mar Station
Boulder, Colorado  80307-3037
(303) 443 1030, efax (847) 628-0827  see www.efax.com

SAMPLE TOSSUP QUESTIONS   SAMPLE BONUS QUESTIONS

This is a request for trivia questions (and answers!).  What trivia consists of is widely debated, but in this case I am looking for interesting, hopefully entertaining questions in the areas of music, movies, television, sports, and miscellanous portions of popular culture (which can include theater, dance, literature, or current events).  The questions will be used at a trivia competition in Boulder Colorado on Labor Day Weekend 1999.  Details will follow in a couple of months on what the exact schedule will be, but it will allow for time to see the University of Colorado vs Colorado State University football game which will also be that weekend.

What I am asking for as many questions as you care to contribute.  I dont care if you send them one at a time or in a whole bunch. Questions should be in one of two forms - either a "tossup", which is a question (which maybe drawn out or have some twists to it - but not required to) that requires a single short answer or even one word response- or a "bonus", which is a multiple part question that is tied together with some type of common theme along one of the topic areas (music,movie,television,sports, misc) The format of the competition will be similar to the GE College Bowl or CU Trivia Bowl, where tossup questions are asked until one is correctly answered, and then a bonus question is asked.

NOTE: You can submit questions and still participate in the bowl - we will eliminate questions that you have written from games that you participate in!

So, what do YOU get out of the deal?  For everyone who gives at least 30 questions, answers and sources by June 1st 1999 (which I would prefer a 2:1 ratio of tossup to bonus questions)  I will make sure that you get a copy of all the questions and answers, along with any program or other material that goes along with the event, along with mention of your name in the program as a contributor.  For everyone who gives at least 60 questions (again, at the same ratio), you will get the 30 question benefits PLUS some other interesting thing mailed to you, such as a poster of the Colorado 14ers (unless I have already given you one of those, in which case I will find some other interesting Colorado-based prize).  For those who submit at least 100 questions, I will come up with some other grandiose token of my appreciation.   The point of all of this is to draw on your expertise and your interest in the fields of popular culture - (you can choose just one category, a combination, or all of the areas), which will vary from place to place in this country and internationaly (this list will try to touch at least 20 countries).  Please feel free to forward this request to anybody that you know - the same offer will apply (at least until I hit the 50,000 question and answer level or so).

The section following the guestbook are some examples of questions and answers - we generally want to keep this to the 2nd half of the 20th century, but if you need some references from any point in history to make your example flow, so be it.  You should make a variety of difficulty - this is hard to judge as someone who is really into movies may write an "easy" question that someone who rarely watches movies may consider hard.   Also, please note the SOURCE of your information, along with any side material if possible.  If your source is just your knowledge, that's fine, just note it!

If you have comments or suggestions, if you wish to send questions, or if you wish to compete in September email me at triviabowl1999@usa.net
or enter your question in the guestbook here:

Music Tossup Example

The Who had their music distributed on at least 7 different labels, but which one had the most releases (32)?

Answer: MCA (Source www.allmusic.com)
 

Movie Tossup Example

In the new age of mega-million dollar salaries for actors and actresses in Hollywood, who was the first celebrity to receive a seven-figure pay check for a single feature role?

Answer: Elizabeth Taylor for her role in Cleopatra (1963).  Rumor has it that Ms. Taylor had originally turned down the role in Cleopatra but the producers were persistent.  She jokingly told her agent that she would take the role for a million dollars and they accepted.  (source: www.hsx.com)
 

Television Tossup Example:

The mac-daddy of the late Fifties detective shows, the one that started the young, cool private detective craze of the early Sixties. The show was created by one of television's finest writers, Roy Huggins, as a segment for a show called 'Conflict'. Huggins later dreamed up such classic television shows as 'The Rockford Files', 'Alias Smith and Jones', "Maverick", 'The Fugitive' and many, many more. In fact, 'Maverick' scripts were often re-written for use on this show.  What show is it?

Answer: 77 Sunset Strip (source: www.tvparty.com)
 

Sports Tossup Example:

On the court, he won singles championships in the 1965 NCAA tournament, the 1968 U.S. National (the national amateur tournament that was eventually replaced by the U.S. Open when the open tennis era began in 1968), the 1968 U.S. Open, the 1970 Australian Open, 1975 Wimbledon and 1975 World Championship Tennis. He also posted a lifetime record of 27-5 in Davis Cup competition and twiced captained the United States to victory in the event. He won 51 of the 304 open tournaments he entered and he accumulated a match record of 818-260. His tennis career came to a sudden end in 1979 when he suffered a heart attack at the age of 36. Who is he?

Answer: Arthur Ashe  (source http://ww3.sportsline.com/u/century/week6.htm)
 

Miscellaneous Tossup Example

Cameron West narrates the real-life horror story of a successful businessman overwhelmed by 24 separate personalities and tells how he and his wife survived daily confrontations with his raucous "alters" and solved the grisly mystery of his childhood in what recent bestselling book?
Answer:First Person Plural: My Life As a Multiple  (source www.amazon.com)

Music Bonus Example

According to The All Music Guide, there are 18 albums with a song "Crazy 'bout you Baby" on it
For 5 points each, or a maximum of 40 points, name up to 8 of these albums.
Answers: Albums with a song "Crazy 'bout You Baby"
 on New Bottles Old Medicine [70] - Medicine Head
 on Christine Perfect [Blue Horizon] [70] - McVie, Christine
 on Albatross (Half Christine Perfect) [77] - Fleetwood Mac
 on Old Time Blues, Vol. 1 - Old Time Blues, Vol. 1
 on Great Rhythm & Blues Sessions [91] - Turner, Ike and Tina
 on Vintage Soul Classics [97] - Vintage Soul Classics
 on King of the Louisiana Swamp Blues [97] - Lightnin' Slim
 on So Fine [98] - Turner, Ike and Tina
 on Love in Vain [98] - Turner, Ike and Tina
by DIXON  on Goin' Way Back [97] - Waters, Muddy
by WALTER  on Good Houserockin' [95] - Phillips, Brewer
by WILLIAMSON  on Outta Season [69] - Turner, Ike and Tina
by WILLIAMSON  on Collected Recordings - Sixties to Ninet [94] - Turner, Tina
by WILLIAMSON  on Part Time Love [71] - Peebles, Ann
by WILLIAMSON  on Too Hot to Hold [75] - Turner, Ike and Tina
by WILLIAMSON  on Introducing Juanita Williams [94] - Williams, Juanita
by WILLIAMSON  on Bold Soul Sister: The Best of the Blue [97] - Turner, Ike and Tina
by WILLIAMSON  on Acid Queen [75] - Turner, Tina  (Source www.allmusic.com)

Movie Bonus Example

In a year where four of the five Best Picture nominees were filmed from original scripts, one might think the Oscar race for Best Adapted Screenplay would be somewhat lackluster. However, competition among the nominees for Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published is actually quite fierce. Despite a wealth of experience among the five honored scribes, only one has been recognized before by the Academy.   For 10 points each name 4 of this year's 5 nominees?

Gods and Monsters
Written for the screen by Bill Condon
Based on the novel "Father of Frankenstein" by Christopher Bram

Out of Sight
Screenplay by Scott Frank
Adapted from the novel by Elmore Leonard

Primary Colors
Screenplay by Elaine May
Adapted from the novel by Anonymous (Joe Klein)

A Simple Plan
Screenplay by Scott B. Smith
Adapted from his own novel

The Thin Red Line
Screenplay by Terrence Malick
Adapted from the novel by James Jones  (source www.hsx.com)
 

Television Bonus Example

TV shows have had both abrupt and well planned exits for their stars.  Name the actor or actress that left in the following situations for 10 points each:

On February 11, 1960 - just minutes into the live broadcast, he announced that he was quitting the Tonight Show right then and there - leaving a stunned and unprepared announcer Hugh Downs with the task of finishing the ninety-minute program.  This host, seething over a censored punchline from the previous night's broadcast, stayed away for a month before ultimately returning.   He exited again two years later on March 29, 1962 - this time for good.

Answer: Jack Paar

One of very few series of the Eighties that decided (and had the opportunity) to do a final episode. The writers cleverly had this actor wake up in bed with his wife of a former television series. Since then, a number of long-running series have had a gimmick-y final episodes, but none delivered the punch that this one did, shattering the fifth wall of reality - that two different television characters could possibly be the same person.  Name the primary actor that the shows are named after.

Answer: Bob Newhart

When this actor said goodbye to his Saturday Morning audience on The Gumby Show in 1957, he didn't know it was for the very last time as the host of a network show. His collapse live in front of millions of kids two years earlier effectively killed his career.

Answer: Pinky Lee  (Source: www.tvparty.com)

Sports Bonus Example

The Ring of Fame is on the facade of Mile High Stadium's east stands, just below the third level. Name any 8 of the inductees for 5 points each

Answer: They are:
Austin "Goose" Gonsoulin
Randy Gradishar
Rick Jackson
Tom Jackson
Charley Johnson
Floyd Little
Craig Morton
Haven Moses
Gerald Phipps
Paul Smith
Lionel Taylor
Billy Thompson
Frank Tripucka
Jim Turner
Louis Wright (Source: www.denverbroncos.com)
 

Miscellaneous Bonus Example

I'll name the actors voice from the television show, and you name the character they play from the cartoon strip "Dilbert"
Kathy Griffin Answer: Alice
Larry Miller Answer: The Pointy Haired Boss
Chris Elliott Answer: Dogbert
Gordon Hunt Answer: Wally  (source: http://www.upn.com/shows/dilbert/hsdilparent.htm)