38 Dreamgirls Trivia Questions & Answers

Answer: Danny Glover

Glover, born on July 22nd, 1946 in San Francisco, California was cast as Marty Madison. Marty was first seen at a contest where a girl band called the Stepp Sisters were competing and it was after their performance that he went to talk to them. Marty informed them he could give them the break of their lives. He told them that another singer named James "Thunder" Early needed some backup singers that evening, but the ladies immediately walked away once they heard this offer. Marty was James "Thunder" Early's manager and rode on his tour bus early on in the movie. He was seen counseling James as well at certain points in the movie.
Glover starred in the movies, "Lethal Weapon", "Predator 2" and "Witness".

Answer: It's All Over

Lorrell (Anika Noni Rose) sang this lyric. She was talking to Deena (Beyonce Knowles) and Effie (Jennifer Hudson) when Deena and Effie were fighting about being the lead singer and who Curtis was in love with. Lorrell tried to help them work out their problems and to stop fighting.

Answer: Anika Noni Rose

Anika Noni Rose previously won a Tony in 2004 for her part in "Caroline, or Change". In "Dreamgirls", she plays Eddie Murphy's love interest and part of the Dreamgirls trio.

Answer: Deena's mother wouldn't go to bed.

Deena (played by Beyonce Knowles) was quite young and her mother did not let her out at night, so she had to wait for her mother to go to bed in order to sneak out. Later, when the girls left to go on tour with James Early (played by Eddie Murphy) we saw her leaving an envelope with her sleeping mother to explain her absence.

Answer: Beyonce Knowles

Knowles, a native of Houston, Texas portrayed Deena Jones. Deena was a member of a girl group called The Dreamettes and she was first seen running through a club. She accidentally bumped into a gentleman and apologized to him. The man introduced himself to Deena as Curtis Taylor, Jr. Deena informed him that she knew she and the other Dreamette ladies were late but she had to wait a while for her mother to go to bed, so she could leave the house. Deena told Curtis that her mother did not like her being out on weeknights. Just then, a gentleman asked Deena who she was so she introduced herself to him as one of the Dreamette girls and the man told her she was supposed to have performed earlier. Deena explained the situation with her mother to him so he simply told her tough luck and that the show had concluded. Curtis then spoke to the man and convinced him to let Deena and the other Dreamette ladies perform last. Throughout the movie, Deena and other ladies in the band (the band also underwent two name changes) performed songs at various venues.
Knowles had roles in the films, "Austin Powers in Goldmember", "Cadillac Records" and "The Pink Panther" (2006).

Answer: Detroit City Riots

Although the riots were referenced a few other times during the movie, the point was most dramatically brought home during one recording session, when Effie ran out of the recording studio in anger, only to be confronted with the violence. Curtis ran after her, to bring her back in to safety. The contrast between the beautiful image that Curtis was developing and the raw emotion of the times was very striking.

The Detroit riots began on July 23, 1967, when police raided an illegal drinking establishment and arrested the 83 African American patrons found within. Angry crowds, already pushed to the edge by racial tensions and the discriminatory attitude of the time, responded by smashing windows, starting a riot that lasted for five days. President Johnson ended the rioting by sending in the National Guard and regular Army troops, but not before the damage was done. In excess of 2,000 buildings were burned down, and over 7,000 arrests were made. Most tragic of all was the loss of 43 lives, with an additional 467 people being injured.

Answer: Jennifer Hudson

Hudson, born in 1981 in Chicago, Illinois played Effie White in "Dreamgirls". Effie was a member of the girl band called The Dreamettes and she was first seen at a club where she and the other Dreamettes were scheduled to perform. Effie complained that she needed to rest so she asked where the dressing room was. Deena told Effie she did not have time to lie down since they were going out to perform in two minutes. Effie decided not to rest so she went in front of the mirror but she turned around once she noticed The Stepp Sisters behind her. Effie simply looked at them as they walked off. The girls decided to wear wigs for their performance and at the last minute turned them around so they did not have a similar look to the singers who just sung onstage. These were also the same exact wigs.
Hudson was seen in the movies, "Sex and the City", "Fragments" and "The Secret Life of Bees". In 2007, she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for "Dreamgirls". Other Oscar nominees for Best Supporting Actress that year were Adriana Barraza for "Babel", Rinko Kikuchi for "Babel", Abigail Breslin for "Little Miss Sunshine" and Cate Blanchett for "Notes on a Scandal".

Answer: Patience

This was sung by Keith Robinson (who played C.C. White), Jimmy Early (who was portrayed by Eddie Murphy), and by Anika Noni Rose (who played the role of Lorrel). At the beginning of this song, Eddie and Anika were in a recording studio doing what usually happens in a recording studio; recording, if you didn't know. Near the end of the song, this composition was played to Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx) in the movie, but he said that music was supposed to sell and not to just tell the truth.

The phrase "There's a river to cross and a mountain to climb," means that there will be obstacle on the way to your goals and to your happiness.

Answer: Her attitude was poor and she missed a lot of rehearsals.

Effie had not been feeling well, and had missed a lot of important meetings and rehearsals. They were preparing for a New Year's Eve performance, when the club owner reminded them that the patrons had paid to see a three girl act. Curtis hired a replacement before telling Effie that she was done and would be bought out. Effie was clearly distraught by this news, particularly by the fact that she was also being kicked out of Curtis' life.

Answer: Curtis Taylor, Jr.

Curtis Taylor, Jr. was played by Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx.

Answer: He was quite a womanizer.

In the beginning of the film, we saw his manager offering many of the all girl bands, who had competed in the talent show, the chance to sing back-up with Early. Some of the girls showed interest, until they found out who they'd be working with. When Early questioned how things were going, his manager told him that he had to start keeping his hands off of the girls. The fact that Early was married did not make his advances welcome to most of the girls.

Answer: Jamie Foxx

Foxx, born on December 13th, 1967 in Terrell, Texas, landed the role of Curtis Taylor, Jr. Curtis wanted to get into the record industry, and he was first seen at an auditorium where The Dreamettes first performed in the movie. Curtis saw Effie right as she was about to go out and perform with the other Dreamette ladies and he told her he believed she looked great. After The Dreamettes performed, Curtis stepped outside the club and bribed a gentleman to make sure Dreamettes would not win an award for best performance that night. The man told Curtis that The Dreamettes would not win and the winner turned out to be a singer named Tiny Joe Dixon. Curtis founded a label called Rainbow Records and had The Dreamettes be backup singers for James "Thunder" Early on the label. Curtis had an affair with Effie but then dumped her in favor of Deena.
Foxx portrayed characters in the films, "Ray", "Jarhead" and "Stealth". In 2005, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for the film, "Collateral", but lost to Morgan Freeman for "Million Dollar Baby". Other Oscar nominees for Best Supporting Actor that year were Alan Alda for "The Aviator", Clive Owen for "Closer" and Thomas Haden Church for "Sideways".

Answer: And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going

For the first part of the song, Effie sang to Curtis and tried to win him back. Then Curtis walked away and Effie kept singing some more. She just wanted Curtis back with her instead of Deena. When she sang this line, she meant that she would stop at nothing to get him back.

This song was articulated very shortly after 'It's All Over.'

Answer: Curtis

Effie accused Curtis of sleeping with Deena before he was finished with her. The looks on both Curtis and Deena's faces confirmed her suspicions. After kicking Effie out of the group, they were able to become more public about their relationship, and eventually married.

Answer: Effie's brother

C.C. White (played by Keith Robinson) wrote most of the songs for the Dreamettes. Once they hooked up with James Early, C.C. started writing songs for him too. When the girls started to be managed by Curtis Taylor Jr. (played by Jamie Foxx), he also signed C.C. and began to control which of his songs became recorded.

Answer: Cleopatra

Curtis saw this as a chance to exploit her beauty and tried to convince her by telling her that by playing a queen, she would serve as a role model for young black girls for generations to come. Deena did not want to play the role, stating that she felt too old to play Cleopatra, who was 16 years old throughout most of the film. Deena tried to get herself lined up in a more down to earth film, but Curtis caught wind of it and cancelled her plans.
Interestingly enough Beyonce Knowles, who played Deena, played a character named Foxxy Cleopatra in "Austin Powers in Goldmember". Jamie Foxx played Curtis in "Dreamgirls".

Answer: The Dreamettes

Curtis changed the Dreamettes to the Dreams, because he thought that the Dreams sounded more grown-up and fit their new image better.

Answer: car salesman

Curtis started making himself valuable to the musicians by securing shows and auditions for them, and before long he had replaced their old manager. He eventually became a very successful promoter with his own record label. Unfortunately he started buying into his own hype and became more and more controlling, disposing of people whenever they gave him any trouble.

Answer: Keith Robinson

Robinson, a native of Kentucky, portrayed C.C. White. C.C. was Effie's brother and he had a talent for writing some good songs. C.C. and Curtis spoke once and C.C. inquired on if music was supposed to express a person's feelings but Curtis informed him music was supposed to simply sell. In another scene, Curtis asked C.C. to name the artist who was the original singer of the song, "Hound Dog". C.C. responded that it was Elvis Presley but Curtis corrected him by saying it was Big Mama Thornton who was the first to sing that song. C.C. was a little surprised to learn that no white stations would play her version of the sing since she was black. Robinson guest starred on the TV shows, "Castle", "Monk" and "ER".

Answer: I Am Changing

This composition was sung by Jennifer Hudson when she was in the bar/lounge in the movie. Effie was looking for a job and she kept saying that the only thing she knew how to do was sing, and this was the song she sang for the bar/lounge owner as an audition to sing there. That turned out to be her new job.
Also, she sang it because she was having a miserable time in her life then. So Effie decided that she would try better as a person and try to make a better life for her child, Magic.

Specifically, the line meant that she has made mistakes in her life and that she had lost friends in the process.

Answer: Curtis Taylor Jr.

Although Effie said at one point that her daughter didn't have a father, she did admit to Deena that Curtis was the father and that Curtis did not know. At the farewell concert, when Effie was invited to join the Dreams on stage, Curtis saw Effie singing to her daughter in the front row, and obviously put two and two together.

Answer: Dawn

Deena (played by Beyonce Knowles) talks with the director and writer about changing the name, because she doesn't think the name "Dawn" fits with the character. She says that she never knew anyone named Dawn who lived in the ghetto.

Answer: Eddie Murphy

Murphy, born in 1961 in Brooklyn, New York played James "Thunder" Early. James was a singer and proved to be a hit with the crowds and he also befriended The Dreamettes early on in the film. Near the beginning of the film, James was seen playing a song on the piano so the Dreamette could learn it in order to sing back up for him that night. In a subsequent scene, James was seen on a bus with the Dreamettes and about to put the moves on Lorrell. However, the womens' chaperone told him he needed to sit in the back. However, James lost much of his star power midway through the film after the Dreamettes became a hit band and became addicted to drugs.
Murphy starred in the movies, "Beverly Hills Cop", "Daddy Day Care" and "48 Hrs". In 2007, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for "Dreamgirls" but lost to Alan Arkin for "Little Miss Sunshine". Other Oscar nominees for Best Supporting Actor that year were Djimon Hounsou for "Blood Diamond", Mark Wahlberg for "The Departed" and Jackie Earle Haley for "Little Children".

Answer: Dreamgirls

Do you know how hard it is to find lyrics in this song that don't have the words 'dream' or 'dreamgirls' in them? Anyway, 'Dreamgirls' was sung right after the trio turned from the Dreamettes into the Dreams and 'Dreamgirls' was sort of like their first single to introduce them as a fresh, new group.

The lyric means that life's not so bad if you open yourself up and see what's good in life.

Answer: Marty Madison

Marty Madison (played by Danny Glover) had been Early's original manager and the man who first hired the Dreamettes to go on the road with James Early. When Curtis was climbing his ladder to success, Marty was one of his first casualties. Effie sought Marty out and he took her on, finally finding her a job singing in a club.