QUICKY QUIZ #18 WHAT IS THE NICKNAME OF THE U.S. ARMY'S 2.5 TON REO SNORKEL TRUCK?

Year Published: 1918

Format: 16mm

Description: This short film is one of a series entitled "Quicky Quiz!", which were developed and produced by Los Angeles TV personality Jim Hawthorne. Billed as the "TV's biggest, little show", each Quicky Quiz! posed a question for viewers to answer. In this case, the question is "What was the nickname of the U.S. Army's REO 2.5 ton snorkel truck?" If you got the right answer, you must be very smart so take a bow! Footage shows the American 'snorkel truck' driving across bumpy terrain during a demonstration by manufacturer REO. The amphibious truck drives towards water of Chesapeake Bay and goes in. According to reports, the truck could operate for up to 4 hours while submerged, and its waterproofed engine could even be shut off and turned on underwater through the snorkel. Short format shows of this type don't really exist today, but back in the early era of television -- especially during the live era when show lengths were irregular -- programs such as Quicky Quiz! were important to fill dead air. Jim Hawthorne (1918 –2007) was a beloved radio personality, disc jockey and TV comic actor who produced (in addition to Quicky Quiz!) the short format show "Jim Hawthorne's Funny World". He worked for a variety of TV stations including KLAC / Los Angeles Channel 13, where he created the first late evening talk show on television, "This Is Hawthorne."