1940s Wartime Culture

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Date:

Instructions: Big bands, war bonds, and victory rolls. How well do you remember the culture and spirit of the 1940s?

1.
What popular dance style dominated the 1940s, often performed to big band music?
A
The Charleston
B
The Twist
C
The Jitterbug
D
The Foxtrot
2.
Which singer became known as 'The Voice' and caused teenage girls to swoon in the 1940s?
A
Dean Martin
B
Frank Sinatra
C
Bing Crosby
D
Perry Como
3.
What Bing Crosby song became the best-selling single of all time?
A
'Swinging on a Star'
B
'Silent Night'
C
'White Christmas'
D
'Don't Fence Me In'
4.
What popular pin-up girl pose became a morale booster for troops overseas?
A
Betty Grable's over-the-shoulder pose
B
Rita Hayworth's kneeling pose
C
Lana Turner's sweater girl pose
D
Marilyn Monroe's subway grate pose
5.
What comic book superhero, created in 1941, was designed as patriotic wartime propaganda?
A
Superman
B
Captain America
C
Wonder Woman
D
Batman
6.
Which 1942 film starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman became a timeless classic?
A
The Big Sleep
B
Casablanca
C
The Maltese Falcon
D
To Have and Have Not
7.
What style of women's hairstyle, using rolls pinned above the forehead, was popular in the 1940s?
A
The Pageboy
B
The Bob
C
Finger Waves
D
Victory Rolls
8.
What type of music dominated the early 1940s before rock and roll emerged?
A
Jazz
B
Big Band Swing
C
Country
D
Blues
9.
Which bandleader disappeared over the English Channel in 1944 and was never found?
A
Glenn Miller
B
Duke Ellington
C
Benny Goodman
D
Tommy Dorsey
10.
What 1946 Frank Capra film became a beloved holiday classic about a man who wishes he'd never been born?
A
Holiday Inn
B
The Bishop's Wife
C
Miracle on 34th Street
D
It's a Wonderful Life
11.
What did the 'V' hand signal stand for during wartime?
A
Victory
B
Vigilance
C
Valor
D
Veterans
12.
What fashion item was restricted during the war due to fabric rationing?
A
Hats
B
Long skirts with excess fabric
C
Gloves
D
Scarves
13.
What classic 1939 novel by John Steinbeck was still widely read and discussed in the 1940s?
A
East of Eden
B
The Grapes of Wrath
C
Of Mice and Men
D
Cannery Row
14.
What popular radio show featured the characters Fibber McGee and Molly?
A
The Jack Benny Program
B
Amos 'n' Andy
C
Fibber McGee and Molly
D
The Great Gildersleeve
15.
What 1948 innovation by Columbia Records changed how people listened to music at home?
A
The transistor radio
B
The 8-track
C
The cassette tape
D
The long-playing (LP) record

Answer Key

Question 1

C. The Jitterbug

Question 2

B. Frank Sinatra

Question 3

C. 'White Christmas'

Question 4

A. Betty Grable's over-the-shoulder pose

Question 5

B. Captain America

Question 6

B. Casablanca

Question 7

D. Victory Rolls

Question 8

B. Big Band Swing

Question 9

A. Glenn Miller

Question 10

D. It's a Wonderful Life

Question 11

A. Victory

Question 12

B. Long skirts with excess fabric

Question 13

B. The Grapes of Wrath

Question 14

C. Fibber McGee and Molly

Question 15

D. The long-playing (LP) record

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