Awards and Festivals Trivia

1. Marlon Brando won two Academy Awards for Best Actor from eight nominations in total. For which character did he receive his first unsuccessful nomination (he also portrayed that same character on the stage on Broadway)?

From Quiz Actors and their Characters: Part 2

Answer: Stanley Kowalski ("A Streetcar Named Desire")

Marlon Brando portrayed Stanley Kowalski in the Broadway production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" as did Kim Hunter and Karl Malden also played their same roles in the movie version. The role of Blanche DuBois was played by Jessica Tandy on the Broadway stage but Vivien Leigh played the role in the movie. Tennessee Williams wrote the play and was the screenwriter for the movie. This was the only role of the four mentioned characters that Marlon Brando previously played on stage. Marlon Brando did win the Oscar for his portrayal of Terry Malloy in "On the Waterfront". He played Johnny Strabler in the 1953 movie "The Wild One" and Mark Antony in the 1953 movie "Julius Caesar" for which he received a nomination for Best Actor.

From Quiz Actors and their Characters: Part 1

Answer: Peter Warne

Clark Gable (1901-1960) was an American film actor who appeared in over 60 movies in a career that lasted over 40 years. He received three Academy Award nominations for Best Actor. However, it was for his role as Peter Warne opposite Claudette Colbert in the 1934 film "It Happened One Night" that he won his only Oscar. He portrayed Dennis Carson opposite Jean Harlow in the 1932 romantic drama "Red Dust". Clark Gable received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his roles as Fletcher Christian in the 1935 film "Mutiny on the Bounty" and as Rhett Butler in the 1939 classic "Gone with the Wind".

From Quiz 2015 TCM Film Festival

Answer: Hollywood, California

Hollywood is known as the Film Capital of the World, so it is natural that it would be the location. The headquarters of the festival is the historic Roosevelt Hotel, site of the first Academy Awards ceremony in April, 1929.

From Quiz Horror Movies at the Oscars

Answer: The Silence of the Lambs

Based on the novel by Thomas Harris, "The Silence of the Lambs" was one of the earliest horror films to get Oscar recognition, and when it did it swept five major categories (the one not listed in the question being Best Adapted Screenplay). Jodie Foster won the Oscar for her role as Clarice Starling while Anthony Hopkins portrayed famous cannibal Hannibal Lecter. He would return to the role in "Hannibal" and "Red Dragon" in later years. The movie grossed more than $270,000,000 in the box office; Hopkins' role as Hannibal has since made the character a horror icon.

From Quiz Classics from the '40s: Actors and Films

Answer: The Westerner

"The Westerner" is about a man who comes into the town of a hanging judge and befriends him, despite being opposed to his behavior. This collaboration between Cooper and Brennan won Brennan his then record breaking third Academy Award. Brennan's other two Oscars came from his performances in "Come and Get It" and "Kentucky". Cooper and Brennan would also collaborate together in "Sergeant York", "The Pride of the Yankees", and "Meet John Doe".

From Quiz Some Oscar History Part I

Answer: Peter O'Toole

Peter O'Toole played King Henry II in "Becket" (1964) and "The Lion in Winter" (1968) and has had a stellar career including roles in "Lawrence of Arabia", "Goodbye, Mr. Chips", "Venus" and "My Favorite Year". Paul Newman played "Fast" Eddie Felson in "The Hustler" (1961) and "The Color of Money" (1986), for which he won the Oscar. Al Pacino starred as Michael Corleone in "The Godfather" (1972) and "The Godfather: Part II" (1974), neither of which won. Cate Blanchett played Elizabeth I in "Elizabeth" (1998) and "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (2007). As with Pacino, neither role won her the coveted statue.

From Quiz Not All Hearts of Gold

Answer: Helen Hayes

Helen Hayes (October 10, 1900 - March 17, 1993) was called the "First Lady of the American Theatre". Helen Hayes won two Oscars, two Grammies, two Tony Awards and one Emmy during her career. Her lifelong support of conservative political causes moved Ronald Reagan to award her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1986. "Madelon" was her first major success in films having spent her previous career on the stage. She also picked up a Supporting Actress Oscar in 1970 for "Airport".

From Quiz Cheesy Masterpieces

Answer: Bruce Jenner

Jenner won the Olympic decathlon in 1976. He has acted in television and film in the decades since. Bruce regained fame in the 2000s for his marriage to Kris Jenner (formerly Kardashian) and his appearance on reality shows featuring the Kardashians. Along with being named Worst Picture, "Can't Stop the Music" also won for worst screenplay. Jenner, Valerine Perrine, Marilyn Sokol and Nancy Walker were all nominated for their acting. "Can't Stop the Music" is a fictional telling of the formation of the Village People. Jenner plays an up-tight attorney named Ron White. The film competes with the Olivia Newton-John vehicle, "Xanadu", for the title of "Worst film of the Disco Era". Kurt Thomas was in the 1985 film "Gymkata", which does hold a place in the pantheon of cheesy films of the 1980s. In July 2002, "Maxim" magazine named it the 17th worst film of all time. Spitz won seven gold medals in swimming at the 1972 Olympics, and then retired. Leonard won the light welterweight Gold at the 1976 Olympics before becoming one of the more successful boxers of the 1980s. Spitz and Leonard have had a few acting jobs here and there, but most of the time have appeared as themselves.

From Quiz Indians at the Oscars

Answer: Lifetime Achievement

Ray has also been awarded the Legion d'Honneur by the Government of France and the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. He also did the scripting, editing, scoring, casting, cinematography and art direction of his own films. Apart from filmmaking, Ray was also a writer, publisher, illustrator, graphic designer and film critic.

From Quiz The Golden Turkey Awards

Answer: Plan 9 From Outer Space

"Plan 9" won with 392 votes, followed closely by "The Exorcist II" with 386 votes. Strangely enough, Harry Medved's previous book, "The Fifty Worst Movies of All Time" didn't even mention "Plan 9" (and "The Exorcist II" hadn't been made yet), which makes one wonder about the completeness of the research of that time.

From Quiz Awards Bonanza

Answer: Basic Instinct

Surprisingly, for her role as Catherine Tramell in "Basic Instinct", Stone earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress. The film casts Stone as a mysterious psychologist and one time writer who becomes the prime suspect in a brutal murder. Hot on her trail is a police detective (Michael Douglas), who expectedly falls for the charms of the beautiful suspect. The film established Stone as a film star to reckon with. However, in the Golden Globe Best Actress race, she lost to the higly deserving Emma Thompson for "Howard's End".

From Quiz Best Picture and Director

Answer: The Awful Truth

"The Awful Truth" starred Cary Grant and Irene Dunne, and was directed by Leo McCarey. "The Life of Emile Zola" starred Paul Muni and Joseph Schildkraut and was directed by William Dieterle.

From Quiz They've Been Nominated!

Answer: Pauline Collins

For her unforgettable turn as a neglected wife who discovered her true self on a vacation in Greece in "Shirley Valentine", British actress Pauline Collins wowed Oscar voters. Unfortunately for Collins, Jessica Tandy ("Driving Miss Daisy") went on to collect the top prize.

From Quiz Oscars - The Aussie Connection

Answer: Best Documentary Feature

Ken Hall and Damien Parer won Australia's first Oscar for this film. The Oscars presented in 1943, 1944, and 1945 were actually made of plaster because of wartime shortages. Recipients returned them after the war and had them replaced with normal statuettes. Hall never did this because he said he wanted to keep his award as a "wartime Oscar".

From Quiz Never Lost the Oscar

Answer: It Happened One Night

Frank Capra directed this delightful screwball comedy starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. Claudette Colbert runs away from her wealthy father who opposes her upcoming wedding. Clark Gable plays a gruff reporter who chases her down looking for a story. It also won for Best Screenplay.

From Quiz The Producers

Answer: He produced the first Best Film winner

Hubbard produced "Wings" in 1928, the first ever Best Film winner. It is also the first silent film to have won the Best Film award.

From Quiz 2002 Film Festival Awards

Answer: The Magdalene Sisters

"The Magdalene Sisters" by Peter Mullan depicts "the living nightmare four young women endure after they are wrongfully condemned to an asylum by their families and the Irish Catholic Church." (www.e.bell.ca/filmfest/2002/mediacentre/release.asp - The Official Site of the Toronto International Film Festival)

From Quiz Handicapping Oscar

Answer: Harold Russell

Essentially a non-actor, Mr. Russell won both a Supporting Actor Award and Special Achievement Award for 'The Best Years of Our Lives.' It would be over 40 years later that he would work again as an actor.

From Quiz Actor-Directors and Oscar

Answer: Charlie Chaplin

While Chaplin directed himself to a special Oscar for writing, directing and acting in 'The Circus' in 1927, his first official Best Actor nomination was for 1940's 'The Great Dictator'.

From Quiz Oscar-Nominated Performers by Director

Answer: Frances McDormand

Best Supporting Actress for 'Mississippi Burning' (Parker, 1988); Best Actress for 'Fargo' (Coen, 1996 - WIN); Best Supporting Actress for 'Almost Famous' (Crowe, 2000)

From Quiz Oscar Hosts

Answer: Bob Hope

Bob has hosted and co-hosted a total of 16 times.

From Quiz Actors and their Characters: Part 2

Answer: Cast Away

Tom Hanks portrayed Chuck Noland in the 2000 survival drama "Cast Away" - the sole survivor of a plane crash who is stranded alone on a South Pacific island. The story follows his attempts to survive and get back to civilisation. That year Russell Crowe won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in "Gladiator". In the 1988 fantasy comedy "Big" he portrayed Josh Baskin for which he received a nomination for Best Actor, but that year was won by Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man". Tom Hanks won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role as Andrew Beckett as a senior partner but homosexual lawyer in the 1993 legal drama film "Philadelphia". Tom portrayed Fred Rogers, a children's television presenter, in the 2019 movie "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

From Quiz Actors and their Characters: Part 1

Answer: Vito Corleone ("The Godfather Part II")

Robert De Niro won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Jake LaMotta in the 1980 sports drama "Raging Bull". It was for his role as the young Vito Corleone in the 1974 crime epic "The Godfather Part II" that he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He received Academy Award nominations for Best Actor in "Taxi Driver" and "The Deer Hunter" and Best Supporting Actor in "Silver Linings Playbook".

From Quiz 2015 TCM Film Festival

Answer: Sophia Loren and Christopher Plummer

Sophia Loren was in attendance at the showing of her movie, "Marriage Italian Style", and gave an interview to be shown later on TCM. Christopher Plummer was there for the showing of his film "The Sound of Music". He was also honored with the hand and footprint ceremony. In addition, other stars honored were 100-year old Norman Lloyd (best known for his title role in 1942's "Saboteur"), Shirley MacLaine, stuntman Terry Leonard and award-winning film editor, Anne V. Coates.

From Quiz Horror Movies at the Oscars

Answer: Misery

Set almost entirely in a Colorado mountain house, the film followed writer Paul Sheldon who, fresh off completing what was to be his final novel, got into a car crash and was saved by his alleged 'number one fan', Annie Wilkes. Bedridden, it turned out that he was powerless to escape and, despite being his fan, Annie was intent on making him finish the story the way she had always wanted. Bates won Best Actress and, despite "The Green Mile" being nominated several times over in a later year, it was the only win for a Stephen King nomination in the twentieth century.

From Quiz Some Oscar History Part I

Answer: Mrs. Miniver

She couldn't resist "the opportunity of a lifetime". Garson started by declaring herself "practically unprepared" and then launched into seven minutes of thanks for having won for her performance. Award winners are officially allowed 45 seconds for their acceptance speech. The film also won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress. She was nominated for Best Actress for "Madame Curie", "Blossoms in the Dust" and "The Valley of Decision"", but did not take home those Oscars.

From Quiz Cheesy Masterpieces

Answer: wire hangers

The "Wire Hangers" scene was one of the great camp moments of the 1980s, and has been parodied many times in the decades since "Mommie Dearest" came out. Joan Crawford has a hysterical melt-down when Christina puts her clothes on... wire hangers! Faye Dunaway is unintentionally hilarious (at least I don't think its intentional) in one of the most over-the-top performances, well...ever. Along with being Worst Picture, Dunaway won worst actress, Steve Forrest won for worst Supporting Actor, and Diana Scarwid won for worst Supporting Actress. Mara Hobel earned two nominations, for her acting and for Worst Newcomer. "Mommie Dearest" also hold the distinction of being named "Worst Picture of the Decade" for the 1980s. "Mommie Dearest" put Dunaway on the list of Academy Award winners (1976 for "Network") who also own a Razzie. She won another Razzie for her work in the 1993 thriller "The Temp" and was nominated for "Supergirl" (1984) and "Albino Alligator" (1996). As for "Mommie Dearest", it was based on the scathing autobiography of Christina Crawford, daughter of film star Joan Crawford. Scarwid won the Razzie for her portrayal of the adult Christina, beating out Hobel as the child Christina.

From Quiz Indians at the Oscars

Answer: Nights of Cabiria

"Nights of Cabiria" was an Italian film directed by Federico Fellini. "Mother India" starred Nargis, Sunil Dutt and Rajendra Kumar. During the filming, Sunil Dutt saved Nargis during a fire sequence and the two married within a year. Their marriage had to be kept under wraps for a while because Dutt played her son in the movie. The opening sequence of the movie showed the producer's logo, which was a hammer and a sickle. It had to be edited out for the Oscars since the Cold War was on at the time.

From Quiz The Golden Turkey Awards

Answer: Rat Pfink A Boo Boo

"Rat Pfink A Boo Boo" was of course the classic thriller/camp hero movie by Ray Dennis Steckler. Years later, Steckler had an encounter with Harry Medved years later in which Medved told him that he had just seen "Rat Pfink" and was now sorry to have disparaged it the way he had in the book. Steckler, like most people, was more shocked that Medved would write anything about a movie he had never seen.

From Quiz Best Picture and Director

Answer: How Green Was My Valley

"How Green Was My Valley" won Best Picture for 1941. Ford won Best Director for "The Informer" in 1935, but "Mutiny on the Bounty" won Best Picture. He won Best Director for "The Grapes of Wrath" in 1940, but Hitchcock's "Rebecca" won Best Picture. Ford won Best Director for "The Quiet Man" in 1952, but "The Greatest Show on Earth" won Best Picture.

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