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H.G. Wells: Books and Movies Trivia Quiz

The sci-fi tales of H. G. Wells have been fodder for the Hollywood fantasy machine. This quiz compares their book and movie versions.

A multiple-choice quiz by tjoebigham. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
tjoebigham

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
48,502

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
8 / 15

Plays
1290

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. Who directed 'The Invisible Man' in the 1930s? Hint

Tod Browning

Byron Haskin

Edgar G. Ulmer

James Whale

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Question 2 of 15

2. What actor did NOT play the mad Dr. Moreau in the movies? Hint

Charles Laughton

Boris Karloff

Burt Lancaster

Marlon Brando

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Question 3 of 15

3. What did Moreau do to the men who washed ashore on his island? Hint

turn them into 'manimals'

made them telepaths

made them supergeniuses

turned them into plants

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Question 4 of 15

4. In Wells' original 'War of the Worlds', how did the invading Martians get around? Hint

on tripod-legged machines

in hovercraft

in airplanes

in anti-gravity cars

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Question 5 of 15

5. And in George Pal's 50s film of 'War of the Worlds', what 'improvement' did he give to the Martian machines? Hint

big wheels

rockets

wings

magnetic 'legs'

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Question 6 of 15

6. The filmmakers of the 50s film of 'War of the Worlds' switched the locale of the invasion from England to what American state? Hint

California

New York

Nevada

Montana

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Question 7 of 15

7. What actor-director influenced the 50s film of 'War of the Worlds'? Hint

Orson Welles

John Huston

Billy Wilder

Preston Sturges

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Question 8 of 15

8. How did the 'First Men In The Moon' get there? Hint

'Cavorite'

moon gun

hot-air balloon

spaceship

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Question 9 of 15

9. When did the first film version of 'First Men In The Moon' come out? Hint

1962

1949

1964

1956

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Question 10 of 15

10. What did the two men take with them in the movie of 'First Men In The Moon' that they didn't in the book?

Answer: (Two Words, first is A)

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Question 11 of 15

11. True or false: In the book 'First Men In The Moon', the lunar surface had breathable air.

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 12 of 15

12. In George Pal's version of 'Time Machine', what name do we see on a plaque on the machine? Hint

Hugo Grenback

George Pal

H. George Wells

Jules Verne

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Question 13 of 15

13. What 'unofficial' version of the Wells 'Time Machine' starred Malcolm McDowell?

Answer: (Three Words)

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Question 14 of 15

14. True or false: Wells himself wrote some screenplays.

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 15 of 15

15. True or false: a musical(!) was made from a Wells story.

Answer: (One Word)

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Who directed 'The Invisible Man' in the 1930s?

Answer: James Whale

Whale, the flamboyant gay genius behind the 'Frankenstein' films, directed Claude Rains in the latter's transparent film debut.

2. What actor did NOT play the mad Dr. Moreau in the movies?

Answer: Boris Karloff

Laughton played Moreau in the best version of Wells' horror classic,' Island of Lost Souls'.

3. What did Moreau do to the men who washed ashore on his island?

Answer: turn them into 'manimals'

Most horrifically in the book and 30s film, Moreau used surgery to turn men into half-animal, half-human hybrids.

4. In Wells' original 'War of the Worlds', how did the invading Martians get around?

Answer: on tripod-legged machines

These three-legged war machines kept the illustrators busy!

5. And in George Pal's 50s film of 'War of the Worlds', what 'improvement' did he give to the Martian machines?

Answer: magnetic 'legs'

The sight of the Martian vehicles on 'invisible' beams of magnetic force was a memorable one(and a real improvement on Wells' original).

6. The filmmakers of the 50s film of 'War of the Worlds' switched the locale of the invasion from England to what American state?

Answer: California

Though England was mentioned in the movie, naturally they filmed the story close to Hollywood!

7. What actor-director influenced the 50s film of 'War of the Worlds'?

Answer: Orson Welles

C'mon, you know about Welles' famed 30s radio broadcast of the Wells tale that scared the pants off the country, don't you?

8. How did the 'First Men In The Moon' get there?

Answer: 'Cavorite'

'Cavorite' was the anti-gravity substance that allowed them to make their voyage.

9. When did the first film version of 'First Men In The Moon' come out?

Answer: 1964

It was released five years before Neil Armstrong and his comrades turned the fantasies of Wells and others into reality.

10. What did the two men take with them in the movie of 'First Men In The Moon' that they didn't in the book?

Answer: A woman

Actually Bedford's fiancee, played by lovely Martha Hyer; in fact, she was involuntarily 'shanghaied' on the trip!

11. True or false: In the book 'First Men In The Moon', the lunar surface had breathable air.

Answer: t

In the movie all the air was BELOW the surface, manufactured by the Selenites themselves.

12. In George Pal's version of 'Time Machine', what name do we see on a plaque on the machine?

Answer: H. George Wells

Believe it or not, in the movie, Rod Taylor's Time Traveller was given that name! (He was called 'George' in the film).

13. What 'unofficial' version of the Wells 'Time Machine' starred Malcolm McDowell?

Answer: Time After Time

It also starred McDowell's future wife (for a time) Mary Steenburgen and was directed by Nicholas Meyer.

14. True or false: Wells himself wrote some screenplays.

Answer: t

He wrote two, in fact, 'The Man Who Could Work Miracles' and 'Things To Come', both from his own work.

15. True or false: a musical(!) was made from a Wells story.

Answer: t

Anyone remember 'Half A Sixpence' starring Tommy Steele in the lead? It actually came from a stage musical adaption of Wells' Dickensian novel 'Kipps'. (he wrote other kinds of work, you know!)

Source: Author tjoebigham

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