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Arachnids in Film Trivia Quiz

These films, all released in the 20th Century, feature an arachnid in some shape or form (or title). How many of them do you know? (Note, there may be more than one question about a film.)

A multiple-choice quiz by Rowena8482. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
Rowena8482

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
400,462

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
296

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The 1916 silent movie release "The Gilded Spider" (also known as "The Full Cup" in the USA) featured which actor as the hero Giovanni? Hint

Lon Chaney

Christopher Lee

Bela Lugosi

Peter Cushing

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. In "Earth vs. the Spider" the sheriff of the small town under attack by a giant tarantula uses what substance to try and kill the beast? Hint

Cyanide

DDT

Apple Juice

Flit

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Which of these movies was released with the tag line "They Were All a Man Could Desire, But Deadlier Than a Black Widow!"? Hint

Mesa of Lost Women

Strange Threads

Black, Black Widows

Beware Dolores!

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. The 1909 silent film "To Demonstrate How Spiders Fly" was made for a specific purpose. What was this? Hint

To cure arachnophobia

To deter insect infestations

To teach schoolchildren about wildlife

To prove that spiders could not in fact fly

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. The horror movie "Tarantula!" was first released in 1955. The lead actor also gets a mention in the song "Science Fiction Double Feature" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". Who was he? Hint

Leo G. Carroll

Kirk Douglas

Steve McQueen

Tony Curtis

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. In which country is the 1957 movie "The Black Scorpion" set? Hint

United Kingdom

France

Mexico

Australia

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. In the 1957 movie "The Incredible Shrinking Man", our hero Scott has to battle a voracious spider - where does their encounter take place? Hint

In Scott's Garden Shed

Judy's Bathroom

Scott's Basement

Down the Drain

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. In the 1993 horror movie "Ticks", what is protagonist Jarvis Tanner doing that causes the local tick population to mutate and turn on humans? Hint

Building a time machine

Giving steroids to his marijuana plants

Trying to poison his nagging wife

Trying to turn lead into gold

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Which actor, famous for his role in "Star Trek", starred in the 1977 movie "Kingdom of the Spiders"? Hint

William Shatner

DeForest Kelley

Leonard Nimoy

George Takei

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. In the movie "Mesa of Lost Women" who is the Mad Scientist played by Jackie Coogan? Hint

Dr. Mephistopheles

Mr. X

Professor Fingal

Dr. Aranya

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The 1916 silent movie release "The Gilded Spider" (also known as "The Full Cup" in the USA) featured which actor as the hero Giovanni?

Answer: Lon Chaney

This movie was an early horror movie, featuring murder and revenge. It was directed by Joseph de Grasse. Sadly, there are no known prints left although there may just be a copy out there somewhere lost in an attic or shed... Lon Chaney was one of the greatest stars of the early days of black and white cinema.

He was known as "The Man of A Thousand Faces" for his ability to portray so many characters, in particular grotesque monsters and villains. He was also a pioneer of stage makeup techniques for film, in a time when most actors would do their own face, and special effects were barely more than false spectacles or a stuck on mustache.

2. In "Earth vs. the Spider" the sheriff of the small town under attack by a giant tarantula uses what substance to try and kill the beast?

Answer: DDT

This movie was first released in 1958 and DDT was considered the "wonder pesticide" of the time.
The gallons of DDT are pumped into the cave where the spider has made its lair, and at first the townsfolk think it is dead, and take the body back to the high school gym. Unfortunately, the creature is still alive, and awakes to rampage through the town.

3. Which of these movies was released with the tag line "They Were All a Man Could Desire, But Deadlier Than a Black Widow!"?

Answer: Mesa of Lost Women

The movie was released in 1953, and featured an evil doctor who kidnapped beautiful young women and injected them with spider venom in the hopes of creating a race of superwomen to do his evil bidding.

4. The 1909 silent film "To Demonstrate How Spiders Fly" was made for a specific purpose. What was this?

Answer: To cure arachnophobia

This film was one of the first documentaries to be made. The maker, Percy Smith, wanted to cure people who suffered from arachnophobia by getting them to confront their fear and see how interesting spiders are. It is also a very early example of an animated model being used in a film.
There are video clips of the film available to view online.

5. The horror movie "Tarantula!" was first released in 1955. The lead actor also gets a mention in the song "Science Fiction Double Feature" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". Who was he?

Answer: Leo G. Carroll

The song goes "I know Leo G. Carroll, was over a barrel, when Tarantula! took to the hills".
The movie was directed by Jack Arnold, and co-starred Mara Corday and John Agar.
Leo G. Carroll was a British actor who made his stage debut on Broadway in the 1920s and 30s, after serving in the armed forces during WWI.
He appeared in six Alfred Hitchcock films, and is well loved in Britain for his appearances in "The Man From UNCLE" tv series in the 1960s.

6. In which country is the 1957 movie "The Black Scorpion" set?

Answer: Mexico

The movie was set in Mexico and directed by Edward Ludwig for Warner Brothers.
The scorpions, giant spiders, and giant worms featured in it were filmed using stop motion animation techniques created by Willis O'Brien, who also worked on the original "King Kong" - it is thought that some of the models used in this film also appear in that.
Mara Corday, who appeared in "Tarantula!", was also in this movie.

7. In the 1957 movie "The Incredible Shrinking Man", our hero Scott has to battle a voracious spider - where does their encounter take place?

Answer: Scott's Basement

This movie was based on a 1956 novel by Richard Matheson (who also wrote "I Am Legend" (1954) Directed by Jack Arnold, it was one of the highest grossing sci-fi movies of the 1950s.
The character of Scott is played by Grant Williams, although the director originally wanted Dan O'Herlihy.
The scenes set in a dollhouse, where Scott encounters the family cat, were originally meant to be spiders, but unfortunately the studio lights caused the death of over twenty tarantulas, so the story was changed slightly. The spider in the basement scene stayed though.

8. In the 1993 horror movie "Ticks", what is protagonist Jarvis Tanner doing that causes the local tick population to mutate and turn on humans?

Answer: Giving steroids to his marijuana plants

Drug dealer Jarvis, played by Clint Howard, is trying to make his marijuana crop grow bigger and stronger. Unfortunately the run off from his efforts causes the local ticks to mutate into vicious man eating horrors.
The movie was directed by Tony Randel.

9. Which actor, famous for his role in "Star Trek", starred in the 1977 movie "Kingdom of the Spiders"?

Answer: William Shatner

The movie was directed by John Cardos.
Shatner is of course best known for playing Captain James T. Kirk in the original series of "Star Trek". His film career spans over sixty years, with appearances in such diverse projects as "The Brothers Karamazov" (1958), "Miss Congeniality" (2000), and "Batman vs Two-Face" (2017).

10. In the movie "Mesa of Lost Women" who is the Mad Scientist played by Jackie Coogan?

Answer: Dr. Aranya

The movie, released in 1953, was directed by Ron Ormond and Herbert Tevos.
Dr. Aranya is attempting to make an army of superwomen by injecting them with spider venom. He also creates human sized spiders. The name Aranya comes from the Spanish for spider.
According to John Johnson, in his book "Low Budget Filming and Convenient Sites" (1996), the outdoor scenes were filmed in Red Rock Canyon State Park in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Source: Author Rowena8482

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

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