Wheeler the Clown Presents

A Roustabout Circus Quiz

(easy)

1. Which of the following circus performers is / was not a trainer of the big cats (lions, tigers, etc.)?

a. Sara Houcke

b. Gunther Gebel-Williams

c. May Wirth

d. Dolly Jacobs

e. Clyde Beatty

2. Who of the following has never owned (even in part) the Barnum & Bailey Circus?

a. John Ringling North

b. James Bailey

c. Dan Rice

d. Kevin Feld

e. Roy Hofheins

3. What is Fairy Floss?

a. What performers sew their costumes with

b. Cotton Candy

c. A Circus Commercial aimed at children

d. Pink Lemonade

e. A Circus Spectacle based on Disney Movies

4. In circus slang, what is an "Annie Oakley?"

a. Any Performing Sharpshooter

b. Any Woman in a Circus Management Position

c. A Toy Pistol Sold at Circus Concession Stands

d. A Free Pass to a Circus Performance

e. Circus Souvenir Programs

5. When John Ringling North sold the Greatest Show On Earth, what famous location did he choose for the official paper signing ceremony that turned the circus over to the new owners?

a. Bethel Connecticut, the Birthplace of P.T. Barnum

b. Baraboo Wisconsin, Birthplace of John Ringling North

c. Washington D.C., in the Capitol Building

d. London, England, the Birthplace of Joseph Grimaldi

e. Rome Italy, in the famous Colosseum

6. Which famous circus animal was never an attraction of the Greatest Show On Earth?

a. Gargantua

b. Jumbo

c. Goliath

d. Lalla Rhook

e. King Tusk

7. Who portrayed John Ringling North in the 1952 Academy Award Best Picture, The Greatest Show On Earth?

a. Charlton Heston

b. John Ringling North

c. Jimmy Stewart

d. Cornell Wilde

e. John Kellogg

8. Which of the following clowns is or has been (at least as a partner) a circus owner?

a. Emmett "Weary Willie" Kelly, Jr.

b. Daniel "Yankee Dan Rice" McLaren

c. Larry "Lorenzo Pickle" Pizoni

d. All of the Above

e. There is No Record of a Clown Ever Owning his or her Own Circus.

9. What, in circus jargon, are lot lice?

a. Bothersome Fans Who Wander into Private Areas of the Circus Grounds

b. A type of insect particularly bothersome to elephants.

c. Persons Who Ran Shady Scams and Games in Circuses in the Early 1900's

d. A Type of Louse Commonly Found in the Unkept Hair of Circus and Carnival Roustabouts in the Early 1900's

e. None of the Above

10. Which of the following movies does not have a circus as its setting?

a. The Greatest Show on Earth

b. Roustabout

c. La Strada

d. Circus World

e. Berserk!

11. What is the word in circus jargon, for paper money?

a. Lettuce

b. Bucks

c. Alfalfa

d. Greenbacks

e. Moolah

12. What was P.T. Barnum's first circus job?

a. Side Show Barker

b. Ticket Taker

c. Roustabout

d. Clown

e. Elephant Handler

13. What famous straightman of a popular Hollywood comedy team was born in a circus wagon?

a. Bud Abbott

b. Oliver Hardy

c. Dean Martin

d. George Burns

e. Ted Healy

14. The most tragic circus fire in history happened on what date?

a. June 12, 1954

b. July 6, 1944

c. June 16, 1954

d. August 16, 1949

e. July 4, 1944

15. What was the location of the tragedy in Question 14?

a. Hartford, Connecticut

b. Salt Lake City, Utah

c. Bridgeport, Connecticut

d. Kansas City, Missouri

e. Sterling, Illinois

16. In the early days of the American circus, which of the following skills was an absolute must for the circus clown?

a. Walking on stilts

b. Juggling

c. Horseback riding

d. Training pigs

e. Somersaulting

17. Which of the following "little people" (dwarf / midget performers) was not a promoted personally by P.T. Barnum?

a. Charles "General Tom Thumb" Stratton

b. George "Commodore" Nutt

c. Lavinia Warren

d. Frankie Saluto

e. All of the above were contemporaries of P.T. Barnum

18. In Circus Jargon, What is heat?

a. Electrical Power

b. The Local Police

c. Fresh Coffee

d. Arguments or Fights Between Circus Folk and Local Townspeople

e. A Performance on a very hot or humid day; taxing both human and animal performers

19. What is P.T. Barnum's full name?

a. Phineas Thomas Barnum

b. Patrick Taylor Barnum

c. Phineas Taylor Barnum

d. Philo Timothy Barnum

e. Phineas Thompson Barnum

20. Which of the following famous Clowns never regularly performed in a circus?

a. Red "Freddie the Freeloader" Skelton

b. Emmett "Weary Willie" Kelly

c. Glen "Frosty" Little

d. Karandash

e. Nikolai "Coco" Poliakov

21. What, in circus jargon, is Jonah's Luck?

a. A season where expenses are greater than revenues

b. Any circus disaster

c. Turbulent seas faced by a circus travelling abroad

d. Bad weather

e. None of the above

22. From whom did John Ringling North purchase the now famous gorilla he would bill as Gargantua the Great?

a. Clyde Beatty

b. Marie Hoyt

c.
The London Zoo

d. Captain Arthur Philips

e. Gertrude Lintz

23. Which of the Following was not a Condition that John Ringling North Had to Agree to in Order to Purchase the Gorilla who became Gargantua the Great?

a. The Gorilla's Trusted Keeper, Dick Kroner, was Hired by North to Continue to Care for the Gorilla

b. North Gave Lifetime Free Show Tickets to the Gorilla's Previous Owner(s)

c. Specially Made Air Conditioned Cage was constructed for the Gorilla

d. $10,000 for the Gorilla and Two (more common) Chimpanzees

e. All of the Above Were Conditions North Had to Agree to in Order to Purchase Gargantua the Great

24. Which of the following famous circus clowns was originally hired by the circus for another position entirely?

a. Lou Jacobs

b. Paul Jung

c. Emmett "Weary Willie" Kelly Sr.

d. Otto Griebling

e. All of the Above

25. Which of His Following Contemporaries Did Circus Owner and Clown Yankee Dan Rice Count Among His Personal Friends?

a. Abraham Lincoln

b. Jefferson Davis

c. Zachery Taylor

d. Robert E. Lee

e. All of the Above

26. Who of the Following was NOT one of the Famous Ringling Brothers?

a. John

b. Otto

c. Al

d. Charles

e. Robert

Click Here for the answers

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     This Page was updated on: 05/18/2004

1.	*Which of the following circus performers is / was not* a trainer of the big cats (lions, tigers, etc.)?**
	a.	*Sara Houcke*
	b.	*Gunther Gebel-Williams*
	c.	*May Wirth*
	d.	*Dolly Jacobs*
	e.	Clyde Beatty

2.	Who of the following has never owned (even in part) the Barnum & Bailey Circus?
	a.	*John Ringling North*
	b.	*James Bailey*
	c.	*Dan Rice*
	d.	*Kevin Feld*
	e.	*Roy Hofheins*

3.	*What is Fairy Floss?*
	a.	*What performers sew their costumes with*
	b.	*Cotton Candy*
	c.	*A Circus Commercial aimed at children*
	d.	*Pink Lemonade*
	e.	A Circus Spectacle based on Disney Movies

4.	*In circus slang, what is an "Annie Oakley?"*
	a.	*Any Performing Sharpshooter*
	b.	*Any Woman in a Circus Management Position*
	c.	*A Toy Pistol Sold at Circus Concession Stands*
	d.	*A Free Pass to a Circus* *Performance*
	e.	*Circus Souvenir Programs*

5.	When John Ringling North sold the Greatest Show On Earth, what famous location did he choose for the official paper signing ceremony that turned the circus over to the new owners?
	a.	*Bethel Connecticut, the Birthplace of P.T. Barnum*
	b.	*Baraboo Wisconsin, Birthplace of John Ringling North*
	c.	*Washington D.C., in the Capitol Building*
	d.	*London, England, the Birthplace of Joseph Grimaldi*
	e.	*Rome Italy, in the famous Colosseum*

6.	*Which famous circus animal was never an attraction of the Greatest Show On Earth?*
	a.	*Gargantua*
	b.	*Jumbo*
	c.	*Goliath*
	d.	*Lalla* Rhook
	e.	*King Tusk*

7.	Who portrayed *John Ringling North* *in the 1952 Academy Award Best Picture, The Greatest Show On Earth?*
	a.	*Charlton Heston*
	b.	*John Ringling North*
	c.	*Jimmy Stewart*
	d.	*Cornell Wilde*
	e.	*John Kellogg*

8.	Which of the following clowns is or has been (at least as a partner) a circus owner?
	a.	*Emmett "Weary Willie" Kelly, Jr.*
	b.	*Daniel "Yankee Dan Rice" McLaren*
	c.	*Larry "Lorenzo Pickle" Pizoni*
	d.	*All of the Above*
	e.	*There is No Record of a* Clown *Ever Owning his or her Own Circus.*

9.	*What, in circus jargon, are lot lice?*
	a.	*Bothersome Fans Who Wander into Private Areas of the Circus Grounds*
	b.	*A type of insect particularly bothersome to elephants.*
	c.	*Persons Who Ran Shady Scams and Games in Circuses in the Early 1900's*
	d.	*A Type of Louse Commonly Found in the Unkept Hair of Circus and Carnival Roustabouts in the Early 1900's*
	e.	*None of the Above*

10.	*Which of the following movies does not* have a circus as its setting?**
	a.	*The Greatest Show on Earth*
	b.	*Roustabout*
	c.	*La Strada*
	d.	*Circus World*
	e.	*Berserk!*

11.	What is the word in circus jargon, for paper money?
	a.	*Lettuce*
	b.	*Bucks*
	c.	*Alfalfa*
	d.	*Greenbacks*
	e.	*Moolah*
12.	What was P.T. Barnum's first circus job?
	a.	*Side Show Barker*
	b.	*Ticket Taker*
	c.	*Roustabout*
	d.	Clown
	e.	*Elephant Handler*

13.	What famous straightman of a popular Hollywood comedy team was born in a circus wagon?
	a.	*Bud Abbott*
	b.	*Oliver Hardy*
	c.	*Dean Martin*
	d.	*George Burns*
	e.	*Ted Healy*

14.	The most tragic circus fire in history happened on what date?
	a.	*June 12, 1954*
	b.	*July 6, 1944*
	c.	*June 16, 1954*
	d.	*August 16, 1949*
	e.	*July 4, 1944*

15.	What was the location of the tragedy in Question 14?
	a.	*Hartford, Connecticut*
	b.	*Salt Lake City, Utah*
	c.	*Bridgeport, Connecticut*
	d.	*Kansas City, Missouri*
	e.	*Sterling, Illinois*

16.	In the early days of the American circus, which of the following skills was an absolute must for the circus clown?
	a.	*Walking on stilts*
	b.	*Juggling*
	c.	*Horseback riding*
	d.	*Training pigs*
	e.	*Somersaulting*
17.	Which of the following "little people" (dwarf / midget performers) was not a promoted personally by P.T. Barnum?
	a.	*Charles "General Tom Thumb" Stratton*
	b.	*George "Commodore" Nutt*
	c.	*Lavinia Warren*
	d.	*Frankie Saluto*
	e.	*All of the above were contemporaries of P.T. Barnum*

18.	*In Circus Jargon, What is heat?*
	a.	*Electrical Power*
	b.	The Local Police
	c.	*Fresh Coffee*
	d.	*Arguments or Fights Between Circus Folk and Local Townspeople*
	e.	*A Performance on a very hot or humid day; taxing both human and animal performers*

19.	What is P.T. Barnum's full name?
	a.	*Phineas Thomas Barnum*
	b.	*Patrick Taylor Barnum*
	c.	*Phineas Taylor Barnum*
	d.	*Philo Timothy Barnum*
	e.	*Phineas Thompson Barnum*

20.	Which of the following famous Clowns never regularly performed in a circus?
	a.	*Red "Freddie the Freeloader" Skelton*
	b.	*Emmett "Weary Willie" Kelly*
	c.	*Glen "Frosty" Little*
	d.	*Karandash*
	e.	*Nikolai "Coco" Poliakov*

21.	*What, in circus jargon, is Jonah's Luck?*
	a.	*A season where expenses are greater than revenues*
	b.	*Any circus disaster*
	c.	*Turbulent seas faced by a circus travelling abroad*
	d.	*Bad weather*
	e.	*None of the above*

22.	From whom did John Ringling North purchase the now famous gorilla he would bill as Gargantua the Great?
	a.	*Clyde Beatty*
	b.	*Marie Hoyt*
	c.	*The London Zoo*
	d.	*Captain Arthur Philips*
	e.	*Gertrude Lintz*

23.	*Which of the Following was not* a Condition that John Ringling North Had to Agree to in Order to Purchase the Gorilla who became Gargantua the Great?**
	a.	*The Gorilla's Trusted Keeper, Dick Kroner, was Hired by North to Continue to Care for the Gorilla*
	b.	*North Gave Lifetime Free Show Tickets to the Gorilla's Previous Owner(s)*
	c.	*Specially Made Air Conditioned Cage was constructed for the Gorilla*
	d.	*$10,000 for the Gorilla and Two (more common) Chimpanzees*
	e.	*All of the Above Were Conditions North Had to Agree to in Order to Purchase Gargantua the Great*

24.	Which of the following famous circus clowns was originally hired by the circus for another position entirely?
	a.	*Lou Jacobs*
	b.	*Paul Jung*
	c.	*Emmett "Weary Willie" Kelly Sr.*
	d.	*Otto Griebling*
	e.	*All of the Above*

25.	Which of His Following Contemporaries Did Circus Owner and Clown Yankee Dan Rice Count Among His Personal Friends?
	a.	*Abraham Lincoln*
	b.	*Jefferson Davis*
	c.	*Zachery Taylor*
	d.	*Robert E. Lee*
	e.	*All of the Above*

26.	*Who of the Following was NOT* one of the Famous Ringling Brothers?**
	a.	*John*
	b.	*Otto*
	c.	Al
	d.	*Charles*
	e.	*Robert*
Click Here for the answers