Biographical Movies Trivia

1. In 1933, Greta Garbo played the lead role as the monarch at the head of an empire. What is the name of that monarch and also the film?

From Quiz Real to Reel: Real People on the Silver Screen 3

Answer: Queen Christina

In "Queen Christina", the young monarch dedicates her whole life to the Swedish Empire and is even set up to marry her cousin, Karl Gustav, in order to provide the country with a blue-blooded heir to the throne. However, she eventually realises she has denied herself a life of her own. On a whim, she speeds off into the countryside in disguise and ends up falling in love with the Spanish envoy, Antonio, who is on his way to meet her in the capital. He has no idea with whom he has had a brief but ardent fling until they meet officially back in the city. He isn't best pleased and feels belittled, but in the end is won over once again. The public turn against him, she abdicates, and they flee the country, albeit separately. Unfortunately, whilst they are apart Gustav pops up and fatally wounds Antonio in a duel. The film is a mishmash of fact and fiction. Queen Christina was on the throne of the Swedish Empire from 1632, when she was just six years old, until her abdication in 1654. In the film, she abdicates so she can sail away to Spain with the Spanish envoy, Antonio Pimentel de Prado (played by John Gilbert). In reality, she abdicated for various reasons. One of those was her conversion to Catholicism and a desire to move to Rome, which she did. Antonio Pimentel de Prado was involved in all of this, but as a confidant rather than as a lover. In the film, Christina dresses as a man in order to escape the pressures of court life and go off riding through the snow-covered countryside. In reality, she dressed as a man in order to escape to the Spanish Netherlands after her abdication.

From Quiz Real to Reel: Real People on the Silver Screen 2

Answer: The Story of the Kelly Gang

Much of the original film has been lost and we are left with about twenty minutes of what was apparently an hour-long feature. Apart from a few moments, "The Story of the Kelly Gang" is only really noteworthy as a first in cinema history rather than an artistic triumph. The acting is abominable, as is the cinematography. The former is inexcusable since the art of acting had been around for ages, but I suppose the unimaginative style can be overlooked taking into account how pioneering the filmmakers were. One curio is the use of of Ned Kelly's gang's authentic home-made armour in the scene when Ned is caught by the fuzz.

From Quiz I Can't Put The Name With The Face - Part 2

Answer: Jennifer Lopez as Selena Quintanilla

'Selena' starred J-Lo as the Texas born Latin singer who released her first album at age 12, and won numerous awards before she was murdered by the president of her fan club at age 23. Selena accused Yolanda Saldivar of embezzling funds from the fan club and Saldivar shot her. Selena died of blood loss just days before her 24th birthday. Jennifer Lopez had been a 'Fly Girl' on TV and done a couple of movies but this was her first starring role. She received a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of Selena.

From Quiz He Also Played the President

Answer: Andrew Shepherd

Michael Douglas plays Andrew Shepherd in "The American President" (1995). Shepherd is a widower dating a lobbyist played by Annette Bening. His approval ratings fall as his administration loses focus; he regains that focus in the end with a dramatic speech. Aaron Sorkin created President Shepherd. Andrew Boone (Kelsey Grammer) was president in the 2008 film "Swing Vote." Jackson Evans (Jeff Bridges) was president in "The Contender" (2000). Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin) was an evil president on "24".

From Quiz Famous Biographical Movies

Answer: Ali

"Ali" (2001) is directed by Michael Mann and stars Will Smith, Jon Voight, and Jamie Foxx. It chronicles the life of outstanding American boxer Muhammad Ali, including scenes from the "Rumble in the Jungle", the much publicized fight against George Foreman. In addition, it portrays some controversies surrounding the boxing icon's life; examples include his conversion to Islam and his clear disapproval regarding the Vietnam War.

From Quiz Biographies in the Movies III

Answer: The Great Ziegfeld

Directed by Robert Z. Leonard, the 1936 film 'The Great Ziegfeld' traces the fascinating life of famed stage producer Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. William Powell plays the title role in the film, while Myrna Loy plays Billie Burke, and Louise Rainer is Anna Held. Several individuals play themselves in the film, including the incomparable Fanny Brice.

From Quiz Biographies in the Movies II

Answer: Alexander the Great

Criticially panned, Stone's film (I would have used the word 'controversial' as an adjective there, but what's the point...all of Stone's films are controversial!) featured the likes of Anthony Hopkins, Val Kilmer, Christopher Plummer, Angelina Jolie and Colin Farrell (as Alexander) in its cast. One of the controversial topics in the film centered on Alexander's bisexuality.

From Quiz Classic Movies About Famous Women

Answer: Greer Garson

Walter Pidgeon co-starred as Pierre Curie, her husband.

From Quiz Real to Reel: Real People on the Silver Screen 3

Answer: Marlene Dietrich

Marlene Dietrich had become a huge star in "The Blue Angel", also directed by Josef von Sternberg. The pair actually made seven films together, of which "The Scarlet Empress" was the penultimate. Although Dietrich's film career lasted right into the 1970s, it was the ones she made with Josef von Sternberg which are often cited as the pinnacle of her career. However, she led a fascinating life both professionally and personally right up to the ripe old age of ninety. To say director Josef von Sternberg's film about Catherine the Great is historically inaccurate would be a huge understatement, but "The Scarlet Empress" is more about cinematic storytelling than history. And what storytelling! Josef von Sternberg learned his craft in the silent era and had a delectable skill in using all the tricks of cinema to tell us exactly what we need to know. The film has somewhat grotesque imagery throughout, with gargoyles popping up all over the place, heavy religious imagery, ominous shadows, and decadent opulence. If you pay careful attention, you might even notice a skeleton sitting at the head of the table at the wedding feast. The film was made prior to the infamous Hollywood Code, so we get scenes of cruelty, some brief nudity, but even more striking is the sexual tension. Dietrich plays Catherine prior to her marriage as a wide-eyed naif, but she later turns into a powerful, confident woman. Sam Jaffe plays her husband Peter equally brilliantly. At first he seems a harmless, hapless, half-wit but he later turns into a dangerously stupid despot.

From Quiz Real to Reel: Real People on the Silver Screen 2

Answer: Pancho Villa

The film was actually a mixture of real-life footage taken of Villa and his revolutionary army, staged re-shoots of events which hadn't been caught on camera, and some background flashbacks. It's amazing to think battle scenes in which soldiers were dying were included in a theatrically-released entertainment film. Despite an inevitable certain amount of vanity of starring in a film about yourself, Pancho Villa was essentially motivated by the money the studio, Mutual Film, was offering. Why did General Villa need the cash? To bankroll a revolution of course! Sadly, "The Life of General Villa" is considered a lost film and we can only judge its merits based on some stills and some reviews (generally positive) published at the time.

From Quiz Biographies in the Movies III

Answer: T. E. Lawrence

'Lawrence of Arabia' has to rank among the greatest biopics ever produced. Thanks to the brilliant precision directing of David Lean and the magnetic performance by Peter O'Toole, this film won a Best Picture Oscar in early 1963. It also helps that the film included such actors as Anthony Quinn, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Omar Sharif, José Ferrer, Anthony Quayle and Claude Rains in supporting roles!

From Quiz Biographies in the Movies II

Answer: Will Smith

Will Smith was not the first person to portray Muhammad Ali in a biographical film about the self proclaimed 'Greatest Boxer of All-Time'. That honor would go to Muhammad Ali himself, who appeared as himself in the 1977 film 'The Greatest'. Though I was fond of Will Smith's attempt to play Muhammad Ali in the 2001 film 'Ali', I think that Ali himself did a better job in 'The Greatest'.

From Quiz Biographies in the Movies I

Answer: Bonnie and Clyde

'Bonnie and Clyde' is the romanticized story of the rapid rise and fall of America's most notorious pair of gangsters, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. In the film, Bonnie is played by the youthful Faye Dunaway, while Clyde is portrayed by the equally fresh-faced Warren Beatty.

From Quiz Real to Reel: Real People on the Silver Screen 3

Answer: The Desert Fox

German Field Marshall Rommel is the man in question. In the film, he is loathe to join the plot against the Führer as it goes against his military ethos, but as time goes on he realises, as a patriot, it's the only sensible option for Germany. The plot is discovered so General Wilhelm Burgdorf is sent to offer Rommel two choices: being charged for treason, or suicide. He initially opts for truth and treason but heavy hints are made that his family may suffer the consequences. He decides to safeguard his family and opts for suicide, a cover-up and a hero's funeral. How much of "The Desert Fox" is true is debatable, but it's an interesting film for various reasons. The main one is how the film portrays Rommel as somebody the Brits respected as well as feared. The job of having to cast a non-German actor as the very German Erwin Rommel must have been quite a dilemma. Luckily, the right man was picked since if anybody could give such a big role gravitas, it was James Mason. Mason must have enjoyed it since he played Rommel again a few years later in "The Desert Rats". I wonder whether whoever was in charge of casting played a little joke by casting Jewish actor Luther Adler as Adolf Hitler.

From Quiz Real to Reel: Real People on the Silver Screen 2

Answer: Mata Hari

The highly entertaining film "Mata Hari" is also highly fictitious. Mata Hari's career as a dancer ended in early 1915 and she became a German secret agent in late 1915, whereas in the film the two occupations overlap. She was a courtesan to high ranking military officials amongst other powerful and influential people, but the plot of the film in which she seduces Russian pilot Lieutenant Alexis Rosanoff in order to get top secret dispatches he is carrying, is all made up. It provides a wonderful twist in the tale, however. What is true in the film is that Mata Hari was convicted of pro-German espionage by French military courts and executed by firing squad in 1917. The film is dominated by Greta Garbo's spellbinding performance, although Lionel Barrymore as the smitten General Serge Shubin is also fabulous. Casting Mexican-American heartthrob Ramon Novarro as the Russian pilot was a bit far-fetched though. One of the silly highlights has to be Garbo's bizarre pronunciation of the word Russia, which never fails to make me chuckle.

From Quiz Real to Reel: Real People on the Silver Screen

Answer: T. E. Lawrence

I'm not a huge fan of "Lawrence of Arabia" since there are so many things which I don't think work, but the real-life story is so compelling and O'Toole's performance so mesmerizing that I have to admit it's a classic. The scenery shot on location in Jordan, Morocco and Spain is amazing too, as is the orchestration of very complicated scenes involving camels, horses and large numbers of actors. In many ways David Lean's direction reminds me of John Ford's classic Westerns. The film was criticized by several T. E. Lawrence experts for its portrayal of the enigmatic figure, as well as some historical inaccuracies. In particular, some of the dates and sequences of events concerning the Arab Revolt and World War I are inaccurate, no doubt to facilitate the narrative. D.H. Lawrence (1885 - 1930) was an English author who wrote novels such as "Sons and Lovers", "Women in Love", and "Lady Chatterley's Lover". Lawrence Dallaglio is a retired English rugby player who was part of the 2003 Rugby World Cup team. Lawrence Welk (1903 - 1992) was a multi-talented musician who hosted "The Lawrence Welk Show".

From Quiz Famous Biographical Movies

Answer: Colin Farrell

"Alexander" (2004), directed by Oliver Stone, is an epic movie starring Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie. It follows the life of Alexander the Great, outlining his early life and his short yet very impressive military career as the Macedonian king. In addition, it shows the audience the various degrees of difficulty he faced in controlling relationships with his mother, father, and best friend. This is one of Colin Farrell's finest roles, as this actor has established himself in Hollywood as a powerful and screen-friendly actor. He can also be seen in "Daredevil" (2003) as Bullseye and "Phone Booth" (2002)as Stu.

From Quiz Biographies in the Movies III

Answer: De-Lovely

Along with Kline's Porter, Ashley Judd appears as Porter's very supportive wife Linda. Directed by Irwin Winkler, the film features a number of Cole Porter's songs performed by contemporary artists such as Robbie Williams, Elvis Costello, Alanis Morissette and Sheryl Crow.

From Quiz Biographies in the Movies II

Answer: Paul Newman and Robert Redford

'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidd' was directed by George Roy Hill, and featured a screenplay by William Goldman. Newman and Redford resonate on the silver screen with their perfect chemistry, and Katharine Ross provides the perfect dose of feminity, creating just that tiny touch of tension that a great buddy film needs.

From Quiz Biographies in the Movies I

Answer: George C. Scott

No doubt George C. Scott was deserving of his Oscar, which made it all the more frustrating that he refused to accept the glittering little trophy. Scott suggested that he was no more deserving of the award than any of the other men who were nominated, and denied accepting the Oscar in a kind of protest. In some ways, this makes him almost as eccentric as the character he played in the film!

From Quiz Classic Movies About Famous Women

Answer: She was the cause of a jealousy-based murder

Nesbit married millionaire Harry Thaw, but Thaw couldn't get past Nesbit's prior relationship with architect Stanford White. Thaw killed him. The movie starred Joan Collins as Nesbit, Ray Milland as White and Farley Granger as Thaw.

From Quiz Real to Reel: Real People on the Silver Screen 3

Answer: Kirk Douglas

Kirk Douglas had already portrayed Odysseus and Vincent Van Gogh on screen when he took the role of Doc Holliday, so he can't have been too overawed by the task. I think it's fair to say his performance was one of the many highlights in a superb film. Douglas had astounding career which spanned sixty years and included an amazing range of roles. He was paired with the inimitable Burt Lancaster several times, and the ease with which the two actors interacted is blatantly obvious on screen. Much of "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" deals with Holliday's rocky friendship with Wyatt Earp, the latter played by Lancaster. Lancaster got the top billing and is excellent, but Douglas stole the show in my opinion. The film muddled several historical facts, probably in the name of storytelling. One important detail was that Doc Holliday didn't kill his nemesis, Johnny Ringo, at the gunfight, if at all, and in fact Ringo wasn't even there. Officially, Ringo's death a year after the gunfight was suicide, although numerous other theories have abounded. Another clever plot device concerning both Holliday and Ringo was the fictional relationship between Holliday's common-law wife Big Nose Kate and Ringo.

From Quiz Real to Reel: Real People on the Silver Screen

Answer: Burt Lancaster

Burt Lancaster had a prolific and varied career. His first film role was in the excellent 1946 film noir "The Killers". He appeared in a fair few film noirs such as "Brute Force" and "I Walk Alone" through the late 1940s and early 1950s before landing a huge role in "From Here to Eternity" in 1953. Just prior to playing Robert Stroud in "Birdman of Alcatraz", Lancaster had played a Nazi doctor in "Judgment at Nuremberg" (1961). In his later career Lancaster was bold enough to work abroad and became something of a favourite of Italian cinema, working several times with European cinema luminary Luchino Visconti. Robert Stroud spent most of his life in solitary confinement. In 1920, after 11 years in prison, Stroud rescued some injured sparrow chicks and reared them. This led to a fascination with birds, an interest which a progressive Prison Governor encouraged. Stroud eventually became a published expert on bird diseases. In the film, Burt Lancaster's portrayal of Stroud renders him a sympathetic character who is frustrated and thwarted by the system. Nothing could be further from the truth. Apart from the fact that Stroud was diagnosed as a dangerous psychopath, and feared as a vicious killer by fellow inmates, he was also lucky to avoid the death sentence, and he flagrantly abused the privileges he was granted. Telly Savalas played fellow inmate Feto Gomez in the film. The author of the book "Birdman of Alcatraz", Thomas E. Gaddis, also edited mass murderer Carl Panzram's autobiography "Killer: A Journal of Murder". Stroud was imprisoned at Leavenworth Penitentiary when Panzram was executed there in 1930. Clint Eastwood played prison escapee Frank Morris in "Escape from Alcatraz" (1979).

From Quiz He Also Played the President

Answer: Douglas Dilman

James Earl Jones is Douglas Dilman, the first African-American president in "The Man" (1972). Dilman is serving as President Pro Tem of the Senate when a strange series of accidents places him in the Oval Office. The film is based on the novel by Irving Wallace. Thomas Wilson (Danny Glover) was the president in the 2009 disaster film "2012". Greg Stillson (Martin Sheen) was the congressman who would be president in "The Dead Zone" (1983). David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) was on the first four seasons of "24".

From Quiz Biographies in the Movies III

Answer: Bobby Darin

Not only does Kevin Spacey direct and act in this film, he also performs the musical numbers. Despite the criticism Spacey received for his insistence on performing these songs (and for playing the part of a man a number of years his younger), the film is worth a watch.

From Quiz Biographies in the Movies II

Answer: Loretta Lynn

Sissy Spacek won a Best Actress Oscar for her subtle and heartfelt portrayal of legendary singer Loretta Lynn. This was the only Academy Award garnered by the film.

From Quiz Biographies in the Movies I

Answer: Howard Hughes

Howard Hughes has appeared as a character in several films, for example the 1980 film 'Melvin and Howard' (played by Jason Robards) and the 1988 film 'Tucker' (played by Dean Stockwell). My view is that 'The Aviator' is the best portrayal of Hughes thus far, thanks to Scorsese's excellent direction and the surprisingly credible performance by DiCaprio.

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Last Updated Apr 13 2024 5:49 AM

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