History Trivia Quiz

Charlie_Chaplin

Michael Jackson

3.  In a vaudeville routine a servant reporting to his absent master on the telephone, says, "There's no news - except that you don't have to bring home any dog food - well, because the dog died - he was trying to save the baby - from the fire - the one your wife started when she ran off with the chauffeur.  Except for that there is no news."

 “No News” was the most copied routine in vaudeville.  In the television era it was performed by Flip Wilson.  It was originated by

Nat Wills, the Happy Tramp

George Burns 

4.  The first feature length comedy film produced in the United States was called Tillie’s Punctured Romance.  Who was the star of this film?

 Charlie_Chaplin

Marie_Dressler

5. British clown Charlie Cairoli Junior is descended from the

 Fratellini_family_of_famous_circus_clowns

6.  The first known court jester appeared at a court in

China

Egypt

7.  The only person to serve as President for each of the three international clown organizations headquartered in the United States is

Jack_Anderson_

Answers

1 A.  Falstaff, sorry, but you are wrong.  Falstaff is a comic character possible originated by William Kemp, the first resident clown with Shakespeare’s acting troupe.  However, this comedy bit was originally performed by Mathurine, a female court jester. 

1 B.   Mathurine, Rejoice, you are correct.  Mathurine was a famous woman who performed as a court jester.  She was a major influence upon comedy in France during the seventeenth century, and her legacy continued long after her death.  To read more about the history of early female clowns go to Women

2 A.  Charlie Chaplin.  You are correct.  Chaplin composed the tune to "Smile" for his 1936 film "Modern Times".  Although talking features had been well established by this time, Chaplin felt that the restrictions imposed by silent movies led to artistically superior films.  There are some voices heard during the film "Modern Times", but Chaplin does not speak in the film.  Near the end of the film he sings a nonsense song that he wrote just for this movie.  This is the first time that his voice was heard in a film.

When "Modern Times" was re-released in the 1950's lyrics by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons were added to the song.

When Chaplin's movie "The Circus" was released on video a prologue was added to the movie featuring Chaplin singing "Smile".

Chaplin was inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame in 2001.

2 B. Michael Jackson Sorry, but you are wrong.  Jackson was a talented composer, but "Smile" is not one of his compositions.  The tune for "Smile" was composed by Charlie Chaplin for Modern Times.  Chaplin composed musical scores for his films.

The most famous version of "Smile" is the one recorded by Nat King Cole.

Petula Clark also recorded songs by Charlie Chaplin.  In addition to "Smile" she recorded "This Is My Song" from Chaplin's film titled A Countess in New York.  When she met Chaplin for the first time at his home in Switzerland, Clark was charmed that he offered her tea and poured it himself.  The two became friends.

3 A. Nat Wills, The Happy Tramp No News is good news.  You are correct.  Nat Wills, who was billed as the Happy Tramp, was a headliner in vaudeville.  No News was his most famous routine.  It has been performed in modern times by Flip Wilson. 

3 B. George Burns The news is not good for you.  George Burns appeared extensively in vaudeville in a variety of acts, but he did not originate the No News routine.  It was created by Nat Wills who was a major vaudeville star who is largely forgotten today because he died before making the transition to radio or movies. 

To read more about Nat Wills go to Nat Wills

4.A.  Charlie Chaplin is wrong.  Chaplin played a supporting role in Tillie's Punctured Romance.  He had been appearing in films for less than a year and was not well enough known to carry a feature film.

4. B.  Marie Dressler is correct. When Mack Sennet decided to make a featured film in 1914 none of his film stars were established enough to carry a feature film.  So he hired Marie Dressler to star in a film version of one of her Broadway play. 

To read more about her go to Marie Dressler

5. A. Cairoli family of famous circus clowns

Both answers are correct.  His father is the son of Jean Marie and Eugenie Cairoli.  Both of his paternal grandparents are descendents of circus families and they clowned together in an eccentric musical act.  Charlie Cairoli Sr. began clowning in his parents’ act as a child.  His brother, Philip, was also an accomplished clown.  Charlie Sr. was eventually promoted to Third Auguste when his father, a Whiteface Clown, worked with Porto at the Nouveau Cirque in Paris.  The Cairolis (Jean Marie, Philip, and Charlie) worked successfully all over Europe as a trio of clowns.  Eventually Jean Marie and Charlie Sr. became resident clowns at the Blackpool Tower Circus where Charlie remained the rest of his career.  Charlie Jr. worked with him as a whiteface clown from 1973 until he retired in 1979.  Charlie Jr. currently works as an Auguste.

5. B. Fratellini family of famous circus clowns

Both answers are correct.

When Porto, Jean Marie Cairoli, and Charlie Cairoli Sr were resident clowns at the Cirque Medrano in Paris they had to produce new clown acts every two weeks.  (The circus performed in a permanent building instead of touring.  So the show hired new acts every two weeks to attract repeat customers.  The clowns stayed for each new production.)  They were as successful and popular as the Fratellini Brothers (Paul, Albert, Francois) who were appearing at the Circus d’Hiver, another permanent circus building in Paris.  Paul Fratellini began sending his daughter, Violette, to the Cirque Medrano to spy on their rivals.  Charlie Cairoli and Violette Fratellini fell in love and were married on December 22, 1934.  So, Charlie Cairoli Jr’s paternal grandfather is Jean Marie Cairoli and his maternal grandfather is Paul Fratellini.

6A. China.  Sorry, but the first court jesters appeared in China a little over 500 years after the first one in Eygpt.  In 1818 B.C., one of China’s rulers neglected the ancient religious rites and filled his palace with jesters, dwarfs, and actors.  His subjects considered his actions improper.  His successors restored the rites, but the clowns were so popular they remained in the palace.

6B.  Egypt.  Correct, the first known court fool was a pygmy presiding at the court of Pharaoh Djdkeri-Assi during Egypt’s fifth dynasty.  Djdkeri-Assi reigned from 2388 B.C. to 2356 B.C.

7A. Jack Anderson is the only person to serve as president of all three international clown organizations based in the United States.  He was the 1982-1983 International Shrine Clown Association President.  He was the 1984-1985 World Clown Association President.  He was the 1992-1994 Clowns of America International President.

7B.  Richard Snowberg's three terms as president have all been for the same organization, the World Clown Association.  He was the WCA President for the following terms: 1987-1988, 2002-2003, and 2009-2010.  He is the only person to have been president of that organization three times.  One other person served two different terms as president, and all of the other 22 presidents all have served a single term to date.  Aurora Krause was installed in April 2010 as the 25th person to serve as WCA President.

8A.  Jules Leotard Incorrect. In 1859, Jules Leotard invented the swinging trapeze.  He debuted the act in France.  He also created the costume, which is named in his honor, worn while performing on the trapeze.  He performed with a padded board below him for safety.

8B.  Hanlon-Lees  Correct.  The three oldest Hanlon Brothers, George, William, and Alfred, were apprenticed to John Lees in 1848.  Lees, a well known acrobat, developed a Risley Act with the brothers and they began a world tour.  After John Lees died in 1855, the brothers teamed with their younger brothers Thomas, Edward, and Frederick, to form a new act that they named the Hanlon Lees in honor of their former mentor.  When they heard of Leotard's new trapeze act they studied it and introduced their own version in America.  In their version a member of the traveled from the theater's balcony rail to the floor of the stage by swinging from one trapeze to another.  They developed the safety net that is now used by all flying trapeze acts.

In 1865, Thomas was incapacitated in a fall during a perch act.  He was replaced by Henri Agoust, a juggler with experience in English pantomimes.  Agoust convinced them to concentrate on acrobatic comedy.  Eventually the Hanlon Lees became a very famous theatrical clown troupe.  Their most famous production was titled A Trip To Switzerland.

9A. Holland Sorry, a Dutch comedian was played an immigrant to America who spoke Deutsch, which is the word for German in the language of that country.  Dutch is an American mispronunciation of the German word.  That is the same reason that descendants of German-speaking immigrants to Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th Centuries are known as Pennsylvania Dutch.

9B.  Germany Correct.  Dutch is an American mispronunciation of Deutsch, the word for German in the language of that country.  Ethnic humor was popular in vaudeville theaters and in 19th century circuses. Besides Dutch (German) characters, Irish, Jewish, and Minstrel (African American) characters were very popular. 

10A. Spoonerism True.  The Reverend William A. Spooner (1844 - 1930) was a British pastor known for unintentionally transposing sounds between words.  For example, he once told a groom, "It is kistomary to cuss the bride." What he meant to say was, "customary to kiss the bride."

He told a rector, "The vicar knows every crook and nanny in the parish."  He meant "nook and cranny."

He invited the members of Parliament to honor Queen Victoria with "three cheers for the queer old dean."  He meant "dear old queen."

10B.  Tom Swifty  False.  A Tom Swifty is a formula joke named for an early twentieth century series of children’s books featuring a fictional character named Tom Swift.  The books were filled with adjectives.  The formula is to follow a quote with “he said” and an appropriate adjective.  For example, “Nothing happened at the séance,” he said dispiritedly.

11A.  Correct.  Richard Tarlton (d. 1588) was Jester to Queen Elizabeth.  He was also a comic actor and playwright who was a leader in English theater at the time Shakespeare's career began.

11B. False. In late 1599 or early 1600, Robert Armin (d. 1615) replaced William Kempe as the principal clown in Shakespeare's plays.  Scholars believe that is about the time that Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.  Although Armin was a share holder in the theater troupe, it is unlikely that Shakespeare would have paid tribute to him at the beginning of their association.  It is known that Shakespeare tailored the clown characters in this plays to the talents of the clown currently appearing with the troupe.  While Kempe was with the troupe, the clown characters were mainly country bumpkin types.  After Armin joined the troupe, the clown characters tended to be jesters.  Armin eventually wrote a history of court jesters.  Robert Armin is an inductee to the International Clown Hall of Fame.

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