Da ToughGuys Trivia Quiz

Answer: In the back seat of a car

Charlie had a luxury car and chauffeur, and held many private 'conferences' there. The film is based on several actual 'waterfront' people, and what flows thought the entire plot is the corruption and fear that dominate the scene.
"...you was my brudda, Charlie...I coulda been a contender, instead of a bum which is what I am." Terry Malloy runs errands for his crooked brother, and has set his sights on being a prizefighter. Almost everyone in this story is corrupt in some way. The only ones who stand out as good are the priest (Karl Malden) and Eva Marie Saint (Terry's girlfriend). Brudda Charlie (Rod Steiger) has been watching out for himself instead of his brother. And the head honcho on the docks is played by Lee J. Cobb (another great actor). There's more money and prestige in corruption. The film is violent at times, but that's where it happens. It is very well cast and acted. In the end justice prevails to a degree, at least a beginning for all involved, and a great big downfall for 'Johnny Friendly' (Lee J. Cobb), who had been controlling the docks until then.
The film carried off many awards and is on most 100 best films lists.

Answer: Charles Bronson

Charles Bronson makes headway slowly and steadily, digging out the escape tunnel for several prisoners of war. His character is claustrophobic, which is ironic, as Bronson himself was claustrophobic, having done mining work as a boy. Two of the problems the prisoners have is defraying the suspicion of the guards, and getting rid of the dirt they dig up. Steve McQueen plays the "Cooler King" - as he usually provokes punishment from the guards and ends up in the box called the 'cooler'.
Donald Pleasance plays the Forger. Documents will be necessary once they are all free - but, would they all make it? Well worth watching to find out!

Bronson also made the "Death Wish" series of films.

Answer: The Maltese Falcon

When asked at the end what the statue represents, he smiles and says, "It's, uh, the stuff that dreams are made of." There has been much bickering and lying about the statue, most of the cast believing it to be made of gold painted black. But it's really worthless. Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre help to make this a memorable film and a big case for Sam Spade. The 'Maltese Falcon' is a statue of a bird, origin unknown, and it sets off quite a bit of convoluted plotting and greed-based planning before it is revealed. Had it really been made of gold, it would have been priceless.

Bogart was the highest paid actor in the world by 1946. His personal favorite of his films was "The Maltese Falcon". Bogie was nominated three times and won the Oscar for his role as Charlie Allnutt in "The African Queen". He made 75 feature films, mostly playing the tough guy with a noble inner self. He also played a very creditable Captain Queeg, who went somewhat bananas in "The Caine Mutiny".

Answer: White Heat

This 1949 film was a typical Cagney film, playing the bad guy, the hood...the one who dies at the end. His 'profession' was robbing, and he was an especially brutal man, but he loved his mother. "Top of the World!" was a toast he and his mother shared often. At the point he says this out loud toward the end, Ma is dead, and he is on top of a storage tank having been cornered by police. These are his last words before going out in a blaze of 'glory'.

But Cagney played other more sensitive roles, like Lon Chaney Jr in "Man of a Thousand Faces", and George M. Cohan, the dancer/musician in "Yankee Doodle Dandy". He said he was "just a hoofer" - meaning he was a dancer. But the man had great talent. Who pushes a half grapefruit into a girl's face? Nobody did it before and maybe nobody will ever do it again. In "Love Me or Leave Me" he was a rotten scoundrel, playing against Doris Day as the woman who loved him. He treated her like dirt.

Answer: Kiss of Death

The scene he is probably best remembered for was in "Kiss of Death", as he pushes a wheelchair-bound woman down a flight of stairs. He wasn't just tough, he was bad to the bone. While he is trying to track down the ex-con who 'squealed' on him, he visits the man's home and there is nobody there but that man's mother, who is wheelchair bound. As he plays a psychological and ruthless killer, Widmark ties her up with electric cord and pushes her to her death, as he smiles evilly. That smile became a sort of trademark look for him in bad guy roles.

He was a versatile and intelligent actor, and became everyman in any type of film. Widmark was 93 when he passed away in 2008.

"Kiss of Death" (the expression) may refer to the kiss of betrayal given Christ by Judas, and is also used by the Mafia, as marking someone for execution. The 1947 film involved the underworld, vengeance and resolution.

Answer: The Brothers Karamazov

As Dmitri Karamazov, Yul played a military man who was helplessly in love with one of his father's mistresses. Ivan (Richard Baseheart) represents the existentialist/cynic and has convinced his half-brother, Smerdyakov, that all he says is true, such as murder is justifiable in some cases. Smerdyakov is treated as a servant in the household and it is not certain he is actually the elder Karamazov's son. Played by Albert Salmi, he is quite convincing, and can play the ignorant fool as well as the mysterious plotter, faking an epileptic seizure as an alibi. Alexei (Alyosha, played by a young William Shatner), represents religion, and is a monk. He seems to be the only innocent. Lee J. Cobb is quite horrible as the elder Karamazov - he is the profligate father, cares for no-one but himself, and seems to hate his sons equally. His behavior is appalling to all of his family, but he has money, so he treats himself well and has plenty of drink and women to amuse himself. There are plots and subplots and a great deal of sidestorying (typical of Dostoevski). The mysterious mistress is played by Maria Schell (Maximillian's sister) and she is quite captivating. Dmitri's proposed fiancee is Katya, played by a stern and reproving Claire Bloom. With an excellent cast, and most of the confusing parts of the book (Over 1000 pages) left out, this is a wonderful film. Colorful, full of distinct and interesting people, the plot thickens when Dmitri is accused of killing his father and stealing 3000 rubles. Further complicating the story is Smerdyakov's 'confession' to Ivan that he understands his philosophy, repeats it back to him word for word and slyly confesses to the murder. Ivan is struck dumb - he was just talking, spouting his philosophy and had no idea that anyone would take it seriously, least of all the least intelligent of the brothers.

This is one of my favorite films, as I was a big fan of Yul Brynner, who always played a tough guy, from Chris in "The Magnificent Seven" to Taras Bulba in the film of the same name. Tough as he was, he had a heart of gold. As the King of Siam, he was excellent, and he played well against George Chakiris in "Kings of the Sun". Yul made many films, "Anastasia" being one of the better ones and "The Magnificent Seven" probably the best. He always acted with character and indomitable strength.

Answer: Duel in the Sun

Peck played the deranged Captain of the whaling boat that set out to kill the 'great white whale' that had taken Captain Ahab's leg on a previous trip, but he was not exactly a bad guy. Obsessed? Yes! He eventually 'swam with the fishes'.

In "Duel in the Sun" he plays bad brother, Lewt, to good brother, Jesse (Joseph Cotten). They both want the same woman (Jennifer Jones), but Lewt wants her only as a plaything while Jesse loves her. Lionel Barrymore and Lillian Gish are also in the film.

This was my childhood impression of Peck, and it took many more films of his to convince me that he was really a 'good guy'. By this time I had gotten over my childhood crush on Cotten, and reversed my opinion since I saw him in "Niagara".

Answer: Manhunter

William Petersen played the FBI investigator, and Tom Noonan was Francis Dollarhyde, who was trying to 'become' the Red Dragon. The film had poor reviews at the time, and was much slower paced than those starring Hopkins, but the film has gained popularity over the years, benefiting from the Hopkins' films' notoriety. It now has a far better reputation as a well-made film, and an almost cult-like fascination. Brian Cox played Hannibal Lecter, who was in contact with Dollarhyde through newspaper ads (Lecter was in prison at the time).

The investigators attempt to get help and advice from Lecter about the man named the 'Red Dragon', but he tells them it will be conditional. Dollarhyde's plan includes making a sort of red dragon suit using pieces of skin from various victims. His blind girlfriend is played by Joan Allen who learned at the Institute for the Blind what it was like being blind. This film helped in evolving the forensics aspect of crime detection in films and t.v.
It is well worth watching to get a different approach to some of the characters.

Anthony Hopkins is always in character; he is completely believable as Hannibal Lecter, or as the more humble but loving character in many of his films. I firmly believe he could play any part, but he is delightfully evil as Lecter.

Answer: Mr. Pink

Steve Buscemi is a very adept actor and has appeared in five Coen Bros. films, plus many others and played roles on t.v. such as Tony Soprano's cousin. 'Homicide: Life on the Street' got him into directing as well. He is versatile and smart. He laughs at doctors who offer to 'fix' his eyes and teeth. His talent and his looks get him the choice roles. He is usually the bad guy, or one of them, but he manages very well to look the part.

Buscemi was also in "The Big Lebowski", "Fargo" and many other films. He has done extensive directing. "Reservoir Dogs" is about a bunch of men who plan a crime, but do not want anyone knowing their true names. Hence they refer to one another as "Mr. _______ (a color). Harvey Keitel was also in this film and was his usual tough character. The film is disturbing and graphic, but the acting and the plot are excellent. Many people walked out during the torture scene at the previews, which delighted Quentin Tarantino (Mr. Brown), as that was the effect he was going for - revulsion. The name, according to some sources, is somebody mishearing Tarantino saying "Au revoir, mes enfants" (Farewell, my children). That seems a bit far-fetched to me.

Answer: Love in the Time of Cholera

Bardem is from a long line of actors and performers, so most of his earlier work was done in Spanish. Bardem has made many films. He is not just tough and bad as Anton Chigurh in "No Country for Old Men" - he is completely unemotional, shows no regret, surprise or fear at all, a real cold-blooded killer. In 2007 he was the first Spaniard to win an Oscar for best supporting actor for this role, and in 2008, Entertainment Weekly listed his character as among the 50 most vile villains in movie history.

He is scheduled to play antagonist Captain Salazar in the proposed 2017 "Dead Men Tell No Tales" - another Johnny Depp pirate film.

"Love in the Time of Cholera" is a very sad but engaging film. Bardem plays a mild-mannered, though amorous, man who is in love with another man's wife. After her husband dies in an accident, he again approaches her and asks for her hand. At first she turns him away, but then realises that he truly loves her and 'has been faithful' to her (in his own way.) Five decades have separated them and now they are older, more mature and plan to live life to its fullest.