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Classic Movie Composers Trivia Quiz

The film composers in this quiz wrote in Hollywood's Golden Age, and all are my favorites!

A multiple-choice quiz by tjoebigham. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
tjoebigham

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
36,796

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
419

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What nationality was Erich Wolfgang Korngold? Hint

German

Swiss

Austrian

Moravian

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Question 2 of 10

2. What film did the great Miklos Rozsa NOT win an Oscar for? Hint

The Killers

A Double Life

Spellbound

Ben-Hur

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Question 3 of 10

3. What achievement could Franz Waxman boast? Hint

he gave the shortest speech

he won two consecutive Oscars

he had perfect pitch

he was a champion whistler

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Question 4 of 10

4. True or False: Bernard Herrmann never won the Oscar.

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 5 of 10

5. True or False: Aaron Copland won an Oscar.

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 6 of 10

6. What film was the only one Leonard Bernstein did his only film score for? Hint

On The Waterfront

East Of Eden

Night Of The Hunter

Rebel Without A Cause

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Question 7 of 10

7. Who composed for 'The Bad and The Beautiful'? Hint

Max Steiner

David Raksin

Dimitri Tiomkin

Roy Webb

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Question 8 of 10

8. What other David composed for the cult classic 'The Manchurian Candidate'?

Answer: (Two Words)

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Question 9 of 10

9. Who scored 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and 'Spartacus'? Hint

Alex North

Richard Rodney Bennett

John Barry

Jerry Goldsmith

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Question 10 of 10

10. Finally, what son of a Pittsburgh flautist composed memorable jazz-based scores for TV and movies? Hint

Bernard Herrmann

Jerry Goldsmith

John Williams

Henry Mancini

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What nationality was Erich Wolfgang Korngold?

Answer: Moravian

Korngold, best known for 'Robin Hood', was born in Moravia, an Austro-Hungarian province that became Czechoslovakia after WW1.

2. What film did the great Miklos Rozsa NOT win an Oscar for?

Answer: The Killers

The three others were Rozsa's Oscar scores, though as every film buff knows, the 'da-da-da-dum' motif from 'Killers' became the theme of the TV classic 'Dragnet'!

3. What achievement could Franz Waxman boast?

Answer: he won two consecutive Oscars

Waxman won two Oscars in two consecutive years for 'Sunset Boulevard' and 'A Place In The Sun', though he wrote many a memorable score, including his theme to 'Peyton Place'.

4. True or False: Bernard Herrmann never won the Oscar.

Answer: False

Herrmann's only Oscar was for 'The Devil And Daniel Webster', but many of his others were as worthy or even worthier, among them 'Citizen Kane', 'Vertigo', 'Psycho', and 'Fahrenheit 451'.

5. True or False: Aaron Copland won an Oscar.

Answer: True

For 'The Heiress', but others include 'The Red Pony', 'Of Mice And Men' and 'Our Town'.

6. What film was the only one Leonard Bernstein did his only film score for?

Answer: On The Waterfront

He shoulda been a contendah! Bernstein's score was Oscar-worthy(but didn't win). His 'On The Town' and 'West Side Story' were filmed , but 'Waterfront' was his only original film score. (The others were written by Walter Schumann and Leonard Rosenmann)

7. Who composed for 'The Bad and The Beautiful'?

Answer: David Raksin

Best known for his 'Laura' theme, Raksin's 'Bad and The Beautiful' score is just plain gorgeous! Others that should be better known are 'Forever Amber' (an especial favorite of mine!), 'The Big Combo' and the unforgettable 'Will Penny'.

8. What other David composed for the cult classic 'The Manchurian Candidate'?

Answer: David Amram

Schooled in both classical and jazz styles, Amram gave a memorable score to 'Candidate', and also compsed Kazan's 'Splendor In The Grass'.

9. Who scored 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and 'Spartacus'?

Answer: Alex North

Among North's other great scores are the fiery 'Viva Zapata!' and the haunting 'Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?'

10. Finally, what son of a Pittsburgh flautist composed memorable jazz-based scores for TV and movies?

Answer: Henry Mancini

He wrote the 'Peter Gunn' and 'Mr. Lucky' themes for TV and later such themes as 'The Pink Panther' and 'Moon River'(for 'Breakfast At Tiffany's) that got him the Oscars! Herrmann did pen the original theme for "Twilight Zone", and Goldsmith and Williams also wrote for TV. But only Mancini was the son of a flute-playing Pittsburgh steel worer!

Source: Author tjoebigham

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