Be Sure You're Mature Trivia Quiz

Answer: One Million B.C.

Victor Mature played the main role of Tumak, a caveman who worked to unite two tribes (John Richardson played the role in the remake entitled "One Million Years B.C.", but most people were probably watching Raquel Welch). In "One Million B.C.", Carole Landis played the role of Loana, a cavewoman from the Shell tribe who cared for Tumak after he was rejected by his tribe. Both films were criticized for portraying humans as living at the same time as dinosaurs.

Answer: My Darling Clementine

Although historically and geographically inaccurate, "My Darling Clementine" portrayed the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, in which Wyatt Earp, his brothers and Doc Holliday faced off against the Clantons and McLaurys. John Ford embellished the story a bit, adding the character of Clementine (a fictional former girlfriend of Doc Holliday who became the romantic interest of Wyatt Earp) and using the death of James Earp as the catalyst for the gunfight (he wasn't involved in the real battle, and the actual cause was simmering tensions over a stagecoach robbery).

Besides Victor Mature, the film also featured Henry Fonda (as Wyatt Earp), Walter Brennan and Ward Bond, and it earned its place in cinematic history when it was selected to the National Film Registry in 1991.

The film was also a favorite of "MASH"'s Colonel Sherman Potter, and the theme song was often sung slightly off-key by cartoon dog Huckleberry Hound.

Answer: Samson and Delilah

Victor Mature played the role of Samson, an Israelite whose superhuman strength came from his hair. In the story, Delilah (Hedy Lamarr) seduced Samson, whom she held responsible for her sister's death, so that she could destroy his strength by cutting his hair.

The weakened Samson was tortured by the Philistines and, after regretting her actions, Delilah helped him defeat them. The Cecil B. DeMille film also featured Angela Lansbury and George Sanders. Interestingly, Victor Mature's last role was in a 1984 TV movie of "Samson and Delilah" in which he played Samson's father.

Answer: Million Dollar Mermaid

Victor Mature played the love interest of Annette Kellerman, an Australian swimmer who became a sensation in the early twentieth century for her long distance swimming and diving abilities and for wearing of scandalous swimsuits (for the times). The story covered Kellerman's life from her introduction to swimming as a disabled child in Australia to the beginning of her silent film career.

The film ended with Kellerman recovering from a serious injury incurred while filming "Neptune's Daughter"; in a case of life imitating art, swimming star Esther Williams (who portrayed Kellerman) broke her neck while filming a diving scene in "Million Dollar Mermaid". Also appearing in the film was Walter Pidgeon as Kellerman's "stage parent" father.

Answer: Androcles and the Lion

In the film, Victor Mature played Androcles, an escaped slave who befriended a lion after removing a thorn from the lion's paw. The lion later repaid the favor by not eating Androcles when the latter was tossed into an arena with the lion. Besides Mature, the film also featured Jean Simmons, Elsa Lanchester and Jim Backus (a.k.a. Mr. Howell from "Gilligan's Island" and "Mr. Magoo").

Answer: The Robe

Victor Mature portrayed Demetrius, a former slave who was devoted to the man who freed him, Marcellus Gallio (Richard Burton). Gallio won Jesus's robe after leading the detail of soldiers who crucified Jesus, but the robe soon began to affect his conscience.

Besides Mature and Burton, the film also featured Jean Simmons and Richard Boone. Mature played the same character a year later in "Demetrius and the Gladiators".

Answer: Chief Crazy Horse

Victor Mature gave a sympathetic portrayal of Lakota Chief Crazy Horse in a film that looked at the Great Sioux War and the Battle of the Little Bighorn from the Native American point of view. The Sioux Nation had been promised, by the white men, that the Dakotas and the Black Hills would be left alone.

But after gold was discovered there, the treaty was broken, leading to the confrontations. Although some artistic liberties were taken with the story, the account of the battle was more accurate than earlier films on the subject. Appearing along with Mature were John Lund, David Janssen and a young Dennis Weaver.

Answer: Safari

Victor Mature played Ken Duffield, a professional hunter in Kenya, whose son was killed by a Mau Mau leader who had infiltrated his household. The local governor wouldn't let Duffield interfere with the investigation, so Duffield tracked the murderer under the guise of leading an eccentric Englishman on a safari. Janet Leigh (of "Psycho" fame) played the Englishman's fiancée, who ended up with Duffield.

Answer: Hannibal

This Hannibal had nothing to do with "The Silence of the Lambs". The romanticized historical drama began with Carthaginian commander Hannibal's crossing of the Alps on elephants in 218 B.C.E. and covered his battles against the Romans until his downfall (not shown but told by the narrator).

While the cast, including 30,000 extras, made for an impressive production, the film was criticized for being disjointed and for turning an epic story into a fake romance. The Italian-made film had a mostly Italian cast whose lines were dubbed into English. Also starring with Victor Mature were Rita Gam and Terence Hill.

Answer: Head

Victor Mature's character was a combined parody of himself and supposedly the head of RCA Victor, the Monkees' record label. The psychedelic and somewhat plotless film featured the Monkees moving in and out of various scenes, rather like their TV show, although it had more of a stream-of-consciousness feel. Victor Mature admitted that he didn't understand it but that the script made him laugh.

The film was actually co-written and produced by Jack Nicholson, who also had a cameo in it. Other cameos in the film included Frank Zappa, Annette Funicello and Sonny Liston.