Oh My Dark Haired Beauty Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sophia Loren

Sophia Loren won the award for "Two Women", a 1961 film that garnered much critical acclaim. It was the first time the award had been given to an actress in a film made in a language other than English. She has always been regarded as one of the world's most beautiful women, and was once quoted as saying that she owed her voluptuous figure to spaghetti. During her career she has worked with many great actors including Peter Sellers, Richard Burton, Charlton Heston, Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant and Anthony Perkins.

In 1991 she was given the Academy Honorary Award for her services to world film.

Answer: Cyd Charisse

Cyd Charisse started dancing lessons as a way to strengthen her legs after contracting polio. She went on to become one of Hollywood's best known dance stars. She partnered Fred Astaire in "The Band Wagon" (1953) and Gene Kelly in the "Broadway Melody" ballet scene in "Singing In The Rain" (1952).

She also starred opposite Kelly in "Brigadoon" (1954). Fred Astaire called her "beautiful dynamite". She was renowned for the extraordinary length of her legs, which just seemed to go on for ever.

Answer: Natalie Wood

Natalie Wood started acting at the age of four, and when she was eight had a major role in "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947). She starred with the late James Dean in "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955) and received an Oscar nomination for her role. She was "Maria" in "West Side Story" (1961) and received a further Oscar nomination for "Splendour In The Grass", which came out the same year.

She was married to Robert Wagner and died in an drowning accident when she went missing from their yacht.

Answer: Connie Francis

Connie Francis had a string of hits in the 1950s and 60s, including "Who's Sorry Now", "Lipstick On Your Collar", "Stupid Cupid" and "Among My Souvenirs". Born in Newark, New Jersey to Italian parents, she appeared in talent shows from an early age. A record deal with MGM failed to bring her success and her contract was about to be terminated. During what was scheduled to be her very last recording session she was persuaded to sing "Who's Sorry Now?".

The record debuted on "American Bandstand" in January 1958 and by the middle of the year had sold a million copies and reached number four on the Billboard charts. That propelled her into stardom and a string of hit records followed.

She also made four films, the most notable being "Where The Boys Are" (1961), for which she also sang the theme song.

Answer: Catherine Zeta-Jones

Catherine Zeta-Jones came to fame in "The Darling Buds of May", an ITV series of the 1990s. It was, however, a small role in the mini-series "Titanic" that made Steven Speilberg notice her and recommend her to the director of "The Mask of Zorro". That performance led to more leading roles, including one in "Traffic" (2000), where she not only earned a Golden Globe Nomination but also met future husband, Michael Douglas.

Her career then went from strength to strength. The role of "Velma Kelly" in "Chicago" (2002) earned her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar as well as other awards.

Answer: Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor had eight marriages to seven men, she married Richard Burton twice. She became a Hollywood star at the age of 12 in "National Velvet" (1944). The film was a massive success, but it laid the foundations of many of her future health problems with her back due to her falling off a horse during filming.

She made an easy transition from child star to adult actress, starring in such films as "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" (1958), "Butterfield 8" (1960) and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" (1966). One of her most memorable roles was in "Cleopatra" (1963).

It was on the set of this film that the romance between her and Richard Burton started.

Answer: Jane Russell

Jane Russell's first film was "The Outlaw". It went on limited release in 1943, but ran into censorship problems over the amount of ample cleavage Miss Russell displayed, and this delayed a more general release until 1946. Howard Hughes was said to have designed a special under-wired bra for her to wear during filming.

She went on to co-star with Bob Hope in "The Paleface" (1948) and "Son of Paleface" (1952). She also starred with Marilyn Monroe in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (1953).

Answer: Ava Gardner

Listed 25th on the American Film Institutes's Greatest Female Stars list, Ava Gardner was considered one of the most beautiful women in the world. Her list of film credits includes "Showboat" (1951), "The Barefoot Contessa" (1954) in which she starred opposite Humphrey Bogart, and "The Night of the Iguana" (1964).

Her first short lived marriage was to Mickey Rooney. She then married Artie Shaw, whom she divorced after only a year. She then married Frank Sinatra, and this marriage lasted six years.

They remained good friends for the rest of her life.

Answer: Leslie Caron

Leslie Caron was trained as a ballet dancer. Gene Kelly saw her dancing and cast her opposite him in "An American In Paris" (1951), a role originally designed for Cyd Charisse. She could not do it as she was pregnant at the time. This led to her being put under contract by MGM, and she went on to star in the musicals "Lili" (1953) and "Gigi" (1958).

She continued to act well into the 21st century. A 2006 guest appearance in "Law and Order, Special Victims Unit", won her an Emmy.

Answer: Gene Tierney

Gene Tierney had her heyday in the 1940s, when she was often referred to as one of the great beauties of the day. She learnt her trade in small parts in Broadway productions and small film roles. In 1944 she was cast in the lead role in "Laura", a film that has been described as both one of the greatest and one of the oddest film melodramas ever made.

Many felt she should have been Oscar nominated for this film, but she wasn't. She was however nominated for Best Actress for "Leave Her To Heaven" (1945).