Saturday Night Fever
($100) He plays the lead, Tony, in 1977’s Saturday Night Fever.
Answer: Who is John Travolta? He practiced rigorously for the film’s iconic dance scenes and personally oversaw the editing of his solo dance sequence.
($100) King was born in 1947 in this chilly state.
Answer: What is Maine? The Portland, Maine, native often writes books that feature his home state as the setting.
($100) In 1994, scientists witnessed the Shoemaker-Levy 9, one of these celestial objects, impact Jupiter.
Answer: What is a comet? This was the first time scientific technology allowed astronomers to predict a planetary impact.
($100) The 1970s are sometimes known as this decade, referring to a synthetic fabric used in many fashion items.
Answer: What is “The Polyester Decade”? Bold colors, slick leisure suits, and the desire for affordable clothing all led to the popularity of polyester.
($100) Released in 1983, this Michael Jackson tune begins, “She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene…”
Answer: What is “Billie Jean”? The song’s unique sound is due to innovative choices, including Jackson singing some parts through a six-foot cardboard tube.
($200) This is the type of club where Tony, Stephanie, and others dance on Saturday nights.
Answer: What is a disco club? The disco dancing competition is at the center of this music-heavy film.
($200) King published this debut novel about a troubled teen in 1973.
Answer: What is Carrie? The novel was adapted to film a year later and stars Sissy Spacek.
($200) An ophthalmological advancement in 1983 saw the invention of a bifocal type of this eyesight-enhancing device.
Answer: What is a contact lens? Bifocal glasses had been around for many years, having been invented by Benjamin Franklin.
($200) Working women in the ’80s were sporting this type of suit, often with shoulder pads and bold accessories.
Answer: What is a power suit? The style was popularized by Princess Diana, Nancy Reagan, and Margaret Thatcher.
($200) A timeless Beatles favorite, it begins, “When I find myself in times of trouble / Mother Mary comes to me…”
Answer: What is “Let It Be”? Paul McCartney references his late mother in the song, as a dream of her inspired him.
($400) This rhyming band performs many of the soundtrack’s hits, including “Staying Alive.”
Answer: Who are the Bee Gees? Other tracks include “Open Sesame,” performed by Kool & the Gang, and “Boogie Shoes” by KC and the Sunshine Band.
($400) This horror novel about a friendly Saint Bernard who turned vicious was turned into a 1983 film.
Answer: What is Cujo? The canine character was inspired by an aggressive dog King encountered at an auto body shop.
. ($400) This famous physicist advanced science throughout the 1970s, with theories about black holes and a new understanding of the big bang theory.
Answer: Who is Stephen Hawking? Famous for his contributions to the big bang theory, Hawking also cameoed in the television series The Big Bang Theory.
($400) In 1971, Diane von Furstenberg released her timeless signature look, this dress style.
Answer: What is a wrap dress? Fashion critics point to the growing number of women in the workforce as one reason for this versatile dress’s immense popularity.
($400) It’s the Pink Floyd tune that begins with an echoing “Hello? Is there anybody in there?”
Answer: What is “Comfortably Numb”? First released on their 1979 album The Wall, the tune developed from guitarist David Gilmour’s concept and melody.
($600) The movie’s soundtrack became one of the best-selling albums ever until this Michael Jackson album eclipsed it six years later.
Answer: What is Thriller? According to Travolta, the Bee Gees’ music wasn’t added to the movie until post-production. It’s hard to imagine Saturday Night Fever without the Bee Gees!
($600) With multiple Oscar nominations, this film based on King’s work is one of his most popular and stars Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman.
Answer: What is The Shawshank Redemption? The film received seven Academy Award nominations, including for Best Sound, Best Writing, and Best Actor in a Leading Role (Freeman) but amazingly did not win any.
($600) The pocket version of this number-crunching device became popular and mass-marketed during the 1970s
Answer: What is a calculator? The rise in pocket calculators helped pave the way for computers by advancing circuit development.
($600) Designers like Perry Ellis and Ralph Lauren are synonymous with this style, influenced by Ivy League tradition.
Answer: What is preppy? The style was also influenced by British aristocracy and the Seven Sisters style.
($600) In this 1977 tune, the Eagles found themselves “On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair.”
Answer: What is “Hotel California”? The song is written about driving into Los Angeles for the first time.
($800) He is the director of this iconic disco film.
Answer: Who is John Badham? John Travolta personally showed the director around Manhattan and Brooklyn.
($800) This was his day job when King began his writing career.
Answer: What is a teacher? He taught English at a high school in Hampden, Maine
($800) In the 1980s, meteorologists began to use this weather technology, based on the 19th-century work by Christian Andreas Doppler.
Answer: What is Doppler radar? The technology uses energy pulses and helps predict storm movement and weather patterns.
($800) In the ’90s, big names in fashion included Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell, who had this profession.
Answer: What is a supermodel? Along with Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington, they are considered the original supermodels.
$800) In 1978, Gloria Gaynor told us, “At first I was afraid, I was petrified” in this tune.
nswer: What is “I Will Survive”? This No. 1 hit became an anthem for women’s empowerment.