At a recent pub quiz night at the Phoenix in Denmark Hill, our team was triumphant, but tripped up slightly on one of the questions.
Give this trivia question a shot. You are on your honour not to Google.
The question was “Five people have had #1 Billboard U.S. hit singles and also won an Oscar for acting. Name three of them.”
I am sure there are at least six correct answers and may even be seven. Answer after the jump.
The official answers of the pub quizzers were
Bing Crosby
Cher
Jamie Foxx
Frank Sinatra
Barbra Streisand
The one not on their list which I am sure should have been is Shirley Jones (Oscar for Elmer Gantry, #1 hit with “I think I love you”). Perhaps they didn’t count her because her hit was performed with a group (though the question did not specify that it had to be a solo performance).
The other one not on their list that perhaps should be is Judy Garland. She won a special academy award for Wizard of Oz, and she had many number one albums. I am not sure if she ever had a chart-topping single though (anyone know?). “Over the Rainbow” certainly would have been but it wasn’t released as a single at the time of the classic movie that made it and her famous.
Incidentally, our team went with Sinatra, Streisand and Garland, so the quizzers only awarded us two of a possible three.
It is probably an easy one for you, but who was the only person to win both a Nobel Prize and an Oscar?
Obviously, it was not a Science Nobel. That is the only clue.
And, which Nobel recipients have also won a Grammy?
I knew one but the internet says two have accomplished this feat.
I was thinking Shirley Temple here as well on account of her Diplomatic career, but I suppose she irked the committee when she once sang, “I wouldn’t take a million for the twinkle in your eyes / I’d rather win a smile from you than win the Nobel Prize.”
Toby: I came up with the wrong answer (Al Gore). I had thought Gore won but at least according to IMDB he accepted the Oscar and gave the speech but wasn’t technically the winner, David Guggenheim was.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497116/
Was it George Bernard Shaw?
Yes, it was GBS – Nobel Prize for Literature (1925) and an Oscar in 1938 for the screenplay of the film version of Pygmalion “snd services to literature”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bernard_Shaw
Wikipedia says he was the only one to accomplish this feat, but it is not infallible.
Toni Morrison has won a Grammy (reading aloud her books) and a Nobel Prize (for literature).
As has Barack Obama, I think (peace instead of lit, obviously).
Guessing Shirley Temple, Whitney Houston. After Google, Shirley Temple won a miniature Oscar for her cumulative acting roles and a lifetime award in 1985 and had at least one top BB #1 (Good Ship Lollipop). Houston’s got it covered on the singing side but my memory of the critical reaction to The Bodyguard is apparently very, very flawed.
I’m not good with pop culture trivia, but thought it might be Whitney Houston; a visit to her Wikipedia page disabused me of the notion.
Jennifer Hudson, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Burl Ives
The Ives guess is inspired (even though it’s wrong)! Se non e vero…
Yeah, I. was focused on people who were both singers and actors who sang during an era when songs were being charted.