Films Fresh from the Flowerbeds Quiz

Answer: Goldie Hawn

Goldie Hawn played the young ingénue and Walter Matthau the dentist who wished to avoid getting serious with her, by claiming Ingrid Bergman was his wife and mother of his children. So when he did wish to marry Goldie's character, she wanted to meet his 'wife' and see if the wife really wanted out! Ingrid Bergman had three Oscars but not for this role.

The original authors were Barillet et Gedy.

Answer: Marigolds

This was originally a Pulitzer prize-winning play by Paul Zindel, written in 1964 and required reading for many of us growing up in that era. The title 'stems' from the Man-in-the Moon marigolds of the one daughter's science experiment. Paul Newman has always been very special to me because of the breadth of things that he does in his career and his humanitarian endeavors. Then, when he was filming 'Sometimes a Great Notion' (1971) in Oregon near my grandmother's place, we were able to watch many of the scenes being filmed, meet him and take his picture with a little Polaroid camera. He also filmed birds of prey up in Idaho, another concern of his, and my Idaho cousins met his daughter Nell, as their father is a veterinarian specializing in these birds. He did not treat the two of us giggling girls in any different way than he might have his own children so won my lifelong devotion.

Answer: Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis in 'The Whole Nine Yards", 2000, played a reformed hit man moving into a suburban Canadian neighborhood, named Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski. Midler played in 'the Rose' of course. Orson Welles had a bit of a thing about Rosebuds as we all know and Yvonne, well; those of you who recognized her name know she played Lily Munster on the old sitcom. If you ever have a chance, check out her photos in her debut years. What a beautiful gal!

Answer: Honeysuckle Rose (1980)

This incredibly popular song went like this and was covered by many artists including Louis Armstrong, "Every honey bee fills with jealousy, when they see you out with me. Goodness knows, you're my honeysuckle rose". The movie based on this title, however, was the story of an artist played by Willie Nelson and his relationship with characters played by Dyan Cannon and Amy Irving. "The Name of the Rose" was from the novel by Umberto Eco and starred Sean Connery and was set in a monastery. "The Purple Rose of Cairo" was of course by Woody Allen. Nelson named his bio-diesel bus for this song/film.

Answer: Flower Drum Song

The gentle Myoshi Umeki was later to be seen in the sixties sitcom 'The Courtship of Eddie's Father' with Bill Bixby and is actually Japanese not Chinese. James Shigeta played the lead role and he was Japanese American from Hawaii. This film was exceptional in its all Asian team. Nancy Kwan played Linda Low and got to use her dance talents. Anyone familiar with the television series 'Barney Miller' would recognize Jack Soo as well.

Answer: Green Grow the Lilacs

"Green Grow the Lilacs" is an old Irish folk song, popular in the late nineteenth century in America and during the Mexican-American war. In fact, the popularity of this song and "Green Grow the Rushes Oh" gave way to a legend that this was why we are called gringos.

However, linguists trace the appearance of the term to earlier than the war in question. 'The Lily of the Valley' was a lovely old hymn which went like this, "He's the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star, He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul." (Charles Fry). 'Bed of Roses' was sung by Bette Midler.

Answer: Edelweiss is the Austrian National Anthem.

'Edelweiss' is not known to Austrians except as being in the film. The flower and the symbol are known throughout Europe, but the song was pure fabrication and the last song after a long career. The real Von Trapp family had a very different repertoire. Nevertheless this hasn't prevented tours cropping up in Austria on the 'Sound of Music' theme.

Answer: Broken Flowers

"Harrison's Flowers" (2002) starred Andie McDowall as a woman who searched for her husband. "White Oleander" was a mother daughter film and murder mystery. "Lilies" is a fairly controversial film about a priest and his haunting memories of attraction to the same sex. The 1997 French-Canadian film has been acclaimed however.

Answer: Charly

This book was on many a teen's reading lists when I was growing up and yet, it was one of the most fascinating ones. As Charly's intelligence grew to 'normal' then above normal then subsided again, he wrote in a journal. Socrates, Ben and Willard were names of horrific characters in two films about rats that many kids growing up in the seventies will recall.

Answer: Brigadoon

"Brigadoon" with music by Alan Jay Lerner was enormously popular. Gene Kelly portrayed a New Yorker who stumbled onto a mysterious Scottish village. The irony of Brigadoon was that it was mostly filmed in Hollywood as the producer toured Scotland looking for suitable locations and did not find any to his liking! I must laugh as I was named for this picture and only recently watched it. I also know that when I lived in Scotland, it was such a pleasure to hear my name pronounced as it should be...by a Scot.
Gene Kelly does dance divinely in this film.

I wanted to put in a word of thanks to three people: Minkpenny for her extensive knowledge of films who suggested some, Nannanut, my Aussie editor colleague who gave me advice and Skunkee who edited this for me.