The parlour game “Trivial Pursuit” had been around for about a decade, and had become a quite popular form of social entertainment by the time we were planning our somewhat elaborate Melbourne Betar reunion evening in 1988. As former Betarim, we were aware that by now quite a few non-Betar spouses had spent countless hours hearing (enduring?) our endless “insider” stories and recollections. So the very thought of an entire evening devoted to more of the same triggered a suggestion (I think from Elliott Katz) to include a “Trivial Pursuit” based quiz segment, both hosted by and including as participants some who, through a quirk of fate (misfortune?), now found themselves “married to Betar.”
A series of questions were devised “dedicated to all those who weren’t there” (their broadly satirical tone inspired more by Mad Magazine than Trivial Pursuit – download 'Script' below for the questions). As part of the evening’s entertainment program, Elliott Katz (husband of Evie nee Skall) and Ruth Leonards (then married to John Goldlust) asked the questions in a round of “Really Trivial Betar Pursuit – The Spouse Edition.” The three “contestants” were Imi Weinstein (married to Judy nee Skall); Ilana Lipton (formerly married to Sam Scherer); and Judi Burstyner (then married to Henry). The quiz segment provided heaps of fun for both participants and audience, but as with the rest of the evening’s proceedings, equipment malfunction in the video camera resulted in a recording with vision, but no sound.
I came up with a plan to try to salvage and enhance what had been recorded on the night by having all the participants come together again a few weeks later and “redub” the entire soundtrack – along the lines (and similarly woeful lip-synching) as a 1950s Italian movie. The video segment presented here is the (perhaps even more) hilarious outcome of that restoration effort.
