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Fritz Lang's "M" Trivia Quiz

For my first quiz on a foreign film, I choose this early German sound classic, still a suspense masterwork.

A multiple-choice quiz by tjoebigham. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
tjoebigham

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
93,575

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
20

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
14 / 20

Plays
367

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 20

1. What is the real name of the star of "M"? Hint

Marion Morrison

Lazslo Lowenstein

Aaron Chwatt

Hans Gudegast

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Question 2 of 20

2. What is the name of the child killer he plays? Hint

Mark Lewis

Hans Beckert

Hannibal Lecter

Bruno Anthony

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Question 3 of 20

3. Who wrote the tune he whistles when about to murder? Hint

Robert Schumann

Bredrich Smetana

Ludwig Von Beethoven

Edvard Grieg

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Question 4 of 20

4. Who is the first victim we see killed in the film? Hint

Maria Weiss

Gretta Fischer

Elsie Beckmann

Marta Ganz

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Question 5 of 20

5. Where does the killer first meet her? Hint

before a wanted poster

in a library

before a toy store

in a park

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Question 6 of 20

6. What does the killer buy her? Hint

a scooter

candy

a balloon

a jump rope

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Question 7 of 20

7. Who is the police inspector on the case? Hint

Lohmann

Ganzel

Grunberg

Hofstein

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Question 8 of 20

8. When the police lean on the underworld searching for the killer, what do they decide to do? Hint

hire the killer as a hit man

catch the killer themselves

frame him for the murder of an adult

tip off the police

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Question 9 of 20

9. Who is the criminal mastermind heading the operation? Hint

Schraenker

Markstein

Mabuse

Silberstein

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Question 10 of 20

10. Who are enlisted to look for the killer? Hint

informers

fortunetellers

beggars

bloodhounds

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Question 11 of 20

11. At whose boarding house does the killer stay? Hint

Elsa Neumann's

Hilda Wagner's

Clara Steiner's

Elizabeth Winkler's

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Question 12 of 20

12. Who finds the killer first, the police or the criminals?

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 13 of 20

13. Who first identifies the killer? Hint

a fruit seller

a blind balloon seller

a toy shop keeper

a tavern waiter

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Question 14 of 20

14. How is the killer marked? Hint

a chalked "M" on his shoulder

a black eye given him by a crook

a splash of dye on his coat

his coat is ripped

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Question 15 of 20

15. Where is the killer cornered? Hint

in a department store

in an alley

in a firehouse

in an office building

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Question 16 of 20

16. What cigarette brand finally tips off the police to the killer? Hint

Marlboro

Ariston

Kool

True

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Question 17 of 20

17. Who does Lohmann trick into spilling the beans about the criminal manhunt? Hint

Franz the safecracker

Fritz the cardsharp

Hans the bankrobber

Karl the pimp

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Question 18 of 20

18. Where is the killer taken? Hint

to a junkyard

to an abandoned distillery

to a cemetery

to a mortuary

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Question 19 of 20

19. What happens to the killer? Hint

he kills some criminals

he escapes

he is put on "trial"

he kills himself

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Question 20 of 20

20. Do the criminals kill the psychopath at the end?

Yes

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What is the real name of the star of "M"?

Answer: Lazslo Lowenstein

Marion Morrison was John Wayne, Aaron Chwatt is Red Buttons and Hans Gudegast is better known as Eric Braeden. But Hungarian Lowenstein became Peter Lorre, who went on to star in such classics as "Casablanca" and "The Maltese Falcon".

2. What is the name of the child killer he plays?

Answer: Hans Beckert

Hannibal Lecter, of course, is from "The Silence Of The Lambs", Mark Lewis from Powell's "Peeping Tom", and Bruno Anthony the strangler of Hitchcock's "Strangers On A Train". (You didn't think I'd mention Norman Bates, didja?) Beckert, BTW, was based on real-life killer Peter Kurten.

3. Who wrote the tune he whistles when about to murder?

Answer: Edvard Grieg

Beckert whistled "In The Hall of the Mountain King" from Grieg's immortal "Peer Gynt" Suite before killing little girls. Whenever you heard it, you knew he was going to strike! Trivia note: It was Fritz Lang himself who whistled it, as Lorre couldn't whistle!

4. Who is the first victim we see killed in the film?

Answer: Elsie Beckmann

Other girls have been slain by Beckert as the films begins, but the little washwoman's daughter is the first victim we see on-screen (though her murder is mercifully off-screen).

5. Where does the killer first meet her?

Answer: before a wanted poster

Little Elsie is bouncing her ball on a poster on a kiosk giving a reward for identifying the killer when Beckert's shadow falls across it. A classic moment of chills!

6. What does the killer buy her?

Answer: a balloon

A powerful moment is when Elsie's mother frantically calls her and we see her ball roll by the wayside and her balloon tangled in electrical wires. She is now the next victim!

7. Who is the police inspector on the case?

Answer: Lohmann

No relation to Willy Loman! The portly but wily inspector was played by Otto Wernicke.

8. When the police lean on the underworld searching for the killer, what do they decide to do?

Answer: catch the killer themselves

As police raids are harming their livelihoods, they decide they'd better get the killer first and fast!

9. Who is the criminal mastermind heading the operation?

Answer: Schraenker

Mabuse was Lang's earlier super criminal from the silent days. Schraenker was played by Gustav Grundgrens, who later joined the Nazis. Thomas Mann based his "Mephisto" on Grundgrens.

10. Who are enlisted to look for the killer?

Answer: beggars

Staking out where little girls go, the beggars keep an eye out for the killer when he appears.

11. At whose boarding house does the killer stay?

Answer: Elizabeth Winkler's

Frau Winkler, interestingly, is hard of hearing.

12. Who finds the killer first, the police or the criminals?

Answer: Criminals

The underworld beats the police to the punch in finding Beckert.

13. Who first identifies the killer?

Answer: a blind balloon seller

It is, in fact, the balloon selller Beckert brought the balloon from for Elsie, who hears Beckert's whistling and identifies him (he is part of the criminal task force searching for Beckert). Very appropriate for an early sound film!

14. How is the killer marked?

Answer: a chalked "M" on his shoulder

When Beckert is identified, a crook chalks an "M" on his hand and fakes an accident where he transfers it to Beckert's left shoulder so the latter can be followed; thus the film's title.

15. Where is the killer cornered?

Answer: in an office building

In the office building are storage lofts where the criminals finally find and abduct Beckert.

16. What cigarette brand finally tips off the police to the killer?

Answer: Ariston

When Lohmann hears butts of Ariston cigarettes are found in Beckert's room, he remembers them found at the scene of another murder, and checking the facts, finds he's right. More evidence in the room establishes Beckert's guilt.

17. Who does Lohmann trick into spilling the beans about the criminal manhunt?

Answer: Franz the safecracker

Left behind when Beckert is captured and caught by the police, Franz at first won't talk. But Lohmann's lie about the office building's watchman dying (he didn't!) scares Franz into telling all. Lohmann's reaction on hearing the real purpose of the crooks' raid on the office building is priceless!

18. Where is the killer taken?

Answer: to an abandoned distillery

In the cellar of an old distillery, Beckert faces the criminals in a walloping climax.

19. What happens to the killer?

Answer: he is put on "trial"

The criminals stage a mock trial for Beckert, but they really plan to lynch him.

20. Do the criminals kill the psychopath at the end?

Answer: No

Before the criminals can kill Beckert, the police arrive, arrest them and take Beckert to a real trial.

Source: Author tjoebigham

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor rj211 before going online.
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