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The Giant Claw Trivia Quiz

"The Giant Claw" was one of a series of 1950s monster movies that involved creatures influenced, one way or the other, by nuclear energy. This quiz features questions about a giant bird-like creature threatening the Earth.

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

Author
AdmiralShark

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
193,254

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
11 / 15

Plays
160

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. Which actor plays the male lead, Mitch MacAfee? Hint

Kenneth Tobey

Jeff Morrow

Rex Reason

Richard Carlson

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Question 2 of 15

2. Which actress plays the female lead, Sally Caldwell? Hint

Joan Taylor

Faith Domerque

Mara Corday

Paula Raymond

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Question 3 of 15

3. Which actor plays the primary military authority in the film, Lt. General Considine? Hint

Morris Ankrum

Richard Denning

Craig Stevens

Donald Curtis

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Question 4 of 15

4. What was Mitch doing when he saw the UFO/bird for the first time? Hint

driving a car

walking down the street

sailing on a boat

test flying a jet plane

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Question 5 of 15

5. Mitch and Sally are flying back to New York City when the plane they are in is forced down by the UFO. What is unusual about the plane in this scene? Hint

it's a Russian model plane

plane has no engines

at one point, the plane flies backward

model plane does not match stock footage

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Question 6 of 15

6. What was the name of the French-Canadian farmer whose farm Mitch and Sally end up at? Hint

John

Guy

Pierre

Jacques

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Question 7 of 15

7. The French-Canadian farmer sees something in the sky that he calls "La Cocanya". According to the legend, what is going to happen when you see "La Cocanya"? Hint

early spring

travel great distance

find money

death

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Question 8 of 15

8. The military leaders, Mitch and Sally go to see Dr. Karol Noymann, who determines that the giant bird can't be killed because of what reason? Hint

military are just poor shots

force field

anti-matter shield

bird is invunerable

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Question 9 of 15

9. Why did the giant bird apparently come to earth? Hint

feed

nest

new home

vacation

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Question 10 of 15

10. What state does Sally say that she comes from? Hint

Texas

Montana

Colorado

Rhode Island

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Question 11 of 15

11. On their way back to Washington, Mitch and Sally are passed by four kids in a car. Why do they believe that they won't be threatened by the giant bird? Hint

bird was just sighted elsewhere

they have salt

didn't believe the stories

could drive faster than the bird could fly

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Question 12 of 15

12. What does Mitch eventually discover that they can use to attack the giant bird with? Hint

mesic atom cannon

laser beam

atomic bomb

plutonium missile

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Question 13 of 15

13. At this point in the movie, the giant bird is shown attacking what object on the surface? Hint

building

airport

ship

train

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Question 14 of 15

14. What airplane is used in the final battle with the giant bird? Hint

B-25

B-29

B-17

B-23

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Question 15 of 15

15. In the final scenes of the movie, the bird is shown falling into the ocean. What is the last part of the bird that we see? Hint

the tail

the head

a claw

a wing

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which actor plays the male lead, Mitch MacAfee?

Answer: Jeff Morrow

Jeff Morrow (1907-1993) plays Mitch in the movie, the first man, that we know of, to see the bird. Morrow is probably more well known for playing Exeter in the movie "This Island Earth".

2. Which actress plays the female lead, Sally Caldwell?

Answer: Mara Corday

Mara Corday also appeared in the 1950's Sci-Fi monster movie "Tarantula".

3. Which actor plays the primary military authority in the film, Lt. General Considine?

Answer: Morris Ankrum

Morris Ankrum (1896-1964) appeared in 182 films during his career, usually playing military or authority figures. He seems to appear in most 50's monster movies.

4. What was Mitch doing when he saw the UFO/bird for the first time?

Answer: test flying a jet plane

Mitch was test flying a jet plane for the U.S. military in the Arctic when he first sighted what was then only known as a UFO. However, MacAfee is not a professional pilot, but an electrical engineer, which would come in handy later in the movie.

5. Mitch and Sally are flying back to New York City when the plane they are in is forced down by the UFO. What is unusual about the plane in this scene?

Answer: at one point, the plane flies backward

In some bad special effects, the model plane is seen coming down to a scale model of the surface. Just as the model gets to the "surface", it actually slows down and backs up for a second before "crashing" into the planet. The scene then gets even more interesting when the plane "explodes" after the characters have escaped from it. Flaming wreckage is thrown very close to the actors in the scene, and you can tell by the quick cut that the actors did not react happily to flaming material coming so close to their heads.

6. What was the name of the French-Canadian farmer whose farm Mitch and Sally end up at?

Answer: Pierre

Louis Merrell (1912-1963) played Pierre in the film. Merrell had a 20-year film career with "The Giant Claw" being his next to last film.

7. The French-Canadian farmer sees something in the sky that he calls "La Cocanya". According to the legend, what is going to happen when you see "La Cocanya"?

Answer: death

Later in the movie, the bird would kill Pierre so it looks like the legend, in this case, was correct.

8. The military leaders, Mitch and Sally go to see Dr. Karol Noymann, who determines that the giant bird can't be killed because of what reason?

Answer: anti-matter shield

The bird is just flesh and blood and can be killed, but it was protected by an anti-matter shield when it came to Earth. In reality, the only reason I can figure for the bird having an anti-matter shield is that they needed something to keep the bird alive long enough to make the movie.

9. Why did the giant bird apparently come to earth?

Answer: nest

It turns out that the giant bird is caring for an egg in a nest near Pierre's farm. Mitch, Sally & Pierre find the egg. Pierre gets scared and runs away as Mitch & Sally shoot holes in the egg. The bird sees the fleeing Pierre and kills him.

10. What state does Sally say that she comes from?

Answer: Montana

This is the explanation that Sally gives for shooting the rifle that helps destroys the giant bird's egg.

11. On their way back to Washington, Mitch and Sally are passed by four kids in a car. Why do they believe that they won't be threatened by the giant bird?

Answer: they have salt

This puts a new take on the old folklore that putting salt on a bird's tail would keep it from flying. Of course, a few seconds later, the giant bird attacks and wrecks the kids' car, killing a couple of them.

12. What does Mitch eventually discover that they can use to attack the giant bird with?

Answer: mesic atom cannon

Mesic atoms actually do exist. They are atoms that are small enough to slip into and destroy the giant bird's anti-matter shield. Of course, the film never does explain how the bird could exist in an anti-matter shield.

13. At this point in the movie, the giant bird is shown attacking what object on the surface?

Answer: train

The giant bird is shown attacking an obvious model train. What is interesting about the train is that all the cars of the train stay connected together as the giant bird carries it off.

14. What airplane is used in the final battle with the giant bird?

Answer: B-25

The mesic atom cannon is placed in the rear of the stripped down B-25. The plan is for the giant bird to chase the plane, and then for the plane to fire it's mesic atoms at the bird. When the anti-matter shield is destroyed, the B-25 would turn and shoot the bird down, which it does.

15. In the final scenes of the movie, the bird is shown falling into the ocean. What is the last part of the bird that we see?

Answer: a claw

After all, the title of this movie is "The Giant Claw". What else would we see last?

If you ever get a chance to see this movie, take the time and do so. It's not as famous as "Plan 9 from Outer Space" but just as fun to watch.

Source: Author AdmiralShark

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor skunkee before going online.
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