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Quiz about In Which We Serve
Quiz about In Which We Serve

In Which We Serve Trivia Quiz


When this film about the crew of a Royal Navy ship was released during the middle of WW2, it received rave reviews on both sides of The Atlantic. Often screened on TV, how much do you know about it?

A multiple-choice quiz by Plumbus. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
Plumbus
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
225,544
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
10 / 15
Plays
186
- -
Question 1 of 15
1. In what way was Noel Coward associated with 'In Which we Serve'? Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. The film began with the words, "This is the story of a ship". What kind of warship was HMS Torrin, the ship at the centre of the story? Hint


Question 3 of 15
3. Which famous British film director earned his directorial debut with 'In Which We Serve'? Hint


Question 4 of 15
4. One of the early shots of the film shows a newspaper floating in the dockwater, declaring the ironic headline,'NO WAR THIS YEAR'. What newspaper was it? Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. Which famous British actor played the role of 'Shorty' Blake, the chirpy Ordinary Seaman? Hint


Question 6 of 15
6. The story of HMS Torrin was based on that of HMS Kelly, the ship commanded by Lord Louis Mountbatten.


Question 7 of 15
7. Which famous British army regiment supplied the soldiers during the Dunkirk evacuation scenes? Hint


Question 8 of 15
8. In which sea was HMS Torrin sunk during the film? Hint


Question 9 of 15
9. Which actress played Alix Kinross, the wife of HMS Torrin's captain? Hint


Question 10 of 15
10. The production of 'In Which We Serve' had full support from the Ministry of Information from the very beginning.


Question 11 of 15
11. Which famous British actor, who later became an equally famous director and producer, made his debut in the film as a cowardly sailor who deserted his post during combat? Hint


Question 12 of 15
12. In the story, whose wife and mother got killed in a bombing raid at home while HMS Torrin was at sea? Hint


Question 13 of 15
13. The boy who played Bobby Kinross, the captain's son, grew up to become which famous adult actor? Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. Juliet Mills, the daughter of John Mills, made her acting debut in the film.


Question 15 of 15
15. In the USA, the Hays Office had insisted on the removal of which word from the script for the film's American release. Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. In what way was Noel Coward associated with 'In Which we Serve'?

Answer: All of these

In addition to these, Coward also co-directed the film. Known as a playwright, actor and stage director, as well as a Mayfair socialite, Coward was desperate to help the war effort. In his autobiography he wrote of the project, "I knew in my innermost heart that if I were intelligently used by the government, preferably in the field of propaganda, where my creative ability, experience of broadcasting and knowledge of people could be employed, I could probably do something really constructive".
2. The film began with the words, "This is the story of a ship". What kind of warship was HMS Torrin, the ship at the centre of the story?

Answer: destroyer

The intimacy of a smaller ship suited Coward's purpose in showing the tightly knit unit that is the crew of a naval warship. A full-scale model destroyer was built on the set, supported on special rockers that would give the vessel a 15-degree list. Powerful wind machines and huge water chutes added to the illusion that HMS Torrin was at sea.
3. Which famous British film director earned his directorial debut with 'In Which We Serve'?

Answer: David Lean

Brought up in a strict Quaker family, David Lean was not allowed to visit the cinema as a child. Despite this, he found work as a clapper boy in the late 1920s and then worked his way up to become a film editor. He was offered a chance to co-direct with Coward on 'In Which We Serve' in 1942 (purportedly on the recommendation of John Mills)and never looked back.

In the event, after three weeks of shooting, Coward handed over full directorial responsibility to Lean.
4. One of the early shots of the film shows a newspaper floating in the dockwater, declaring the ironic headline,'NO WAR THIS YEAR'. What newspaper was it?

Answer: The Daily Express

This was Coward's deliberate slight aimed at the 'Daily Express', which had been a strong critic of his project in its early days. The paper had feuded with both Coward and Mountbatten in the past and claimed that, "it is wrong to have a professional actor dressed in the gold braid of a British officer" and led a condemnation of a project that portrayed a British defeat. Ironically, after the film's release, the 'Daily Express' declared it to be, "the finest film yet produced in a British studio".
5. Which famous British actor played the role of 'Shorty' Blake, the chirpy Ordinary Seaman?

Answer: John Mills

John Mills was a stalwart of British war films of the 1940s and '50s, as well as other famous films such as 'Great Expectations' (re-united with David Lean) and 'Ryan's Daughter'(for which he was awarded an Oscar). He died in 2005, aged 97. Mills claimed later that the character of 'Shorty' Blake had been written by Coward with him especially in mind for the part.
6. The story of HMS Torrin was based on that of HMS Kelly, the ship commanded by Lord Louis Mountbatten.

Answer: true

Coward managed to get the film project going with the enthusiastic support of Lord Mountbatten. He had been inspired by Mountbatten's story of the sinking of his ship, HMS Kelly. Mountbatten used his considerable political and military influence to persuade the Admiralty to back the project, as well as gain the support of HM King George VI. Due probably to Mountbatten's involvement in the project, the Royal Family visited the set on 8 April, 1942.
7. Which famous British army regiment supplied the soldiers during the Dunkirk evacuation scenes?

Answer: The Coldstream Guards

The 5th Battalion of The Coldstream Guards provided the bulk of the men playing the soldiers rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk. Despite their bedraggled appearance, they still managed to drill and march immaculately away from the docks once they arrived in England.
8. In which sea was HMS Torrin sunk during the film?

Answer: The Mediterranean Sea

HMS Torrin was sunk by attacking aircraft during the defence against the German invasion of Crete in the Eastern Mediterranean. This was based on the true story of HMS Kelly. The structure of the film was largely a series of flashbacks detailing the backgrounds of the survivors who are clinging to a Carley Float after the sinking before being rescued.
9. Which actress played Alix Kinross, the wife of HMS Torrin's captain?

Answer: Celia Johnson

Celia Johnson was a firmly established stage actress who did not have that many film credits to her name. 'In Which We Serve' was her film debut. She earned everlasting cinematic fame, however, from her iconic role as Laura Jesson in 'Brief Encounter'.

In this later film, she was re-united with Noel Coward (producer/writer), David Lean (director) and Joyce Carey (who played Myrtle Bagot who ran the station buffet bar).
10. The production of 'In Which We Serve' had full support from the Ministry of Information from the very beginning.

Answer: False

Noel Coward had to struggle long and hard to obtain permisssion from the Ministry of Information to back the project. The Ministry of Information (who controlled film projects during the war), sections of the media and the Admiralty were hostile to the project initially.

The main reason for this was that it portrayed a British defeat, at a time when the British were faring badly in the progress of the war. Coward persuaded them of the film's morale-boosting qualities, however, in its portrayal of stoicism, patriotism and bravery in the face of adversity.
11. Which famous British actor, who later became an equally famous director and producer, made his debut in the film as a cowardly sailor who deserted his post during combat?

Answer: Richard Attenborough

Due to a production oversight, Attenborough's role was uncredited. Nevertheless, his talent was obvious, and he made his name in his early film career by playing equally unsympathetic characters, such as the villainous Pinkie Brown in 'Brighton Rock' (1947).
12. In the story, whose wife and mother got killed in a bombing raid at home while HMS Torrin was at sea?

Answer: Chief Petty Officer Hardy

'Shorty' Blake receives the news in a letter from his own wife. He then bravely tells Walter Hardy who was in the middle of writing a letter to his wife, unaware that she was dead. This is one of several poignant moments that helps to make the drama more than just a standard war film.
13. The boy who played Bobby Kinross, the captain's son, grew up to become which famous adult actor?

Answer: Daniel Massey

Daniel Massey was nine years old in the film in which he played the son of Noel Coward, his real-life godfather. He was the son of actors Raymond Massey and Adrienne Allen, both good friends of Coward's. Decades later he actually played Coward in the film 'Star!' (1968) with Julie Andrews and won a Golden Globe award. He died in 1998, aged 65.
14. Juliet Mills, the daughter of John Mills, made her acting debut in the film.

Answer: True

Juliet Mills, who was to become a famous actress in her own right, starred as Shorty Blake's baby. She was about six months old when she played the child of her real-life father.
15. In the USA, the Hays Office had insisted on the removal of which word from the script for the film's American release.

Answer: All of these

In actual fact, there was so much objection from the British studio that the Hays Office backed down on all of their demands concerning the words above. The studio did agree to remove 'bastard', however.
Source: Author Plumbus

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor spanishliz before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
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