Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. We saw this actor make his film debut the 1946 drama "The Killers". He was the handsome boxer "Swede", who fell for the stunning Ava Gardner like a ton of bricks. Then came "Brute Force" (1947), and my personal favorite title "Kiss the Blood Off My Hands" (1948). If you need one more small hint, he plotted to murder bedridden Barbara Stanwyck in the 1948 thriller "Sorry, Wrong Number". Who was he?
2. It was indeed "The Lost Weekend", and troubled writer Don Birnam was fighting a losing battle with the bottle. The Welsh-born star of this classic 1945 film won the Best Actor Oscar for it, and he gave what has to be the shortest acceptance speech ever for that honor. You may also remember him from Alfred Hitchcock's "Dial M for Murder" (1954), plotting to get rid of his unfaithful wife, played by Grace Kelly. Who was this versatile actor?
3. This actor did not often play the romantic leading man in '40's crime drama. A psychotic criminal or tough cop role suited him perfectly. He made his film debut in the 1947 classic "Kiss of Death", playing Tommy Udo, a villain who pushed a wheelchair-bound woman down a flight of stairs. He was one of the big names in film noir, also starring in "Road House" (1948) and "Pickup on South Street" (1953). Who was he?
4. This actor was a teen-age escapee from a Georgia chain gang, who came to find work in the movies. He was the perfect tough guy, who became a star when he appeared in the classic "Out of the Past" in 1947. And let us never forget "Night of the Hunter" (1955). Who was he, the handsome smoothie with those famous sleepy eyes?
5. He was the decent one, the honest cop, the invaluable supporting character. He was "D.O.A." in 1950, a classic in which a dying man frantically tries to find out who has poisoned him before his own death. He was the the savvy insurance investigator in "The Killers" in 1946, and the undercover agent in the explosive "White Heat" (1949). Who was this Oscar-winning actor?
6. This outstanding character actor most often played the crook, the mobster, and yet he attracted many female fans. He co-starred in "Scarlet Street" (1946), "The Woman in the Window" (1944) and "Criss Cross" (1949). Here's one more hint: He had his own TV series in the 1950s, called "China Smith". Do you know which one he is?
7. The smart insurance investigator Barton Keyes in "Double Indemnity", the love-struck older man Christopher Cross in "Scarlet Street", the tough gangster Johnny Rocco in "Key Largo". Do these names ring a bell? They were roles played by one of Hollywood's top character actors. He was not so tall, with a gravelly voice, often seen smoking a cigar. His real name was Emanuel Goldenberg. By which name do film fans know him?
8. "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946) and "Body and Soul" (1947) were two of the best-known black and white classics. The star of these films was said to have paved the way for such actors as James Dean and Marlon Brando. 1951's "He Ran All The Way" was his last film, he was then blacklisted after appearing before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Who was this fine actor?
9. This leading man and character actor was perfect for the genre. He was a cop gone bad in "The Prowler", a must-see film noir thriller, and played opposite Barbara Stanwyck and Lizbeth Scott in "The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers" (1946). He won an Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance in the 1941 film noir "Johnny Eager". Who was this distinctive star?
10. Of course Humphrey Bogart had to show up here, didn't he? But this question is about a frequent co-star who appeared with Bogart in many films, among them "Casablanca" in 1942, "The Maltese Falcon" (1941) and "Passage to Marseille" (1944). He was the stocky gentleman in "Casablanca" who played Signor Ferrari (he was the one wearing a fez). Which of these fine actors was he?
Source: Author
robbieh
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skunkee before going online.
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