Quotes From Classic Movie Stars Quiz

Answer: Vincent Price

Known for his distinctive voice and numerous performances, especially in horror films, American actor Vincent Price was active in the industry from the 1930s until his final film in 1990, cultivating not only a number of unique characters, but versions of them that inspired future filmmakers. It might come as no surprise that this man, who played every classic horror role from The Invisible Man and Satan to Poe figures like Prince Prospero ended off his career appearing in Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and Tim Burton's "Edward Scissorhands".

Price's point here is that in the end, it's not acting that is impermanent, but the nature of fame. Price had a successful career in film, TV, theatre, and radio; he wrote several books and recited several audiobooks. He would receive two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame before passing away in 1993.

Answer: Red Skelton

A Hollywood Walk of Fame star recipient, Red Skelton started his career in comedy before he made it to the radio in the 1930s. His real star shot, however, was in hosting his own show for two decades in the early days of television, making him a household name during that period.

While much of Skelton's accolades came from his time in the entertainment industry, he was also known to be an avid painter, especially of clowns. It's believed that despite his being one of the highest-earners in film in the late 1940s, he earned more money off his artworks, over time, than by being on the big screen.

The quote in question is pretty well in line with Skelton's ethos-- the man not only painted clowns, but was one as well. His affinity for comedic entertainment, in the era, was a high benchmark.

Answer: Bette Davis

Iconic Hollywood actress, Bette Davis was the first person to achieve the distinction of ten separate Oscar nominations and she ended up winning two of those for Best Actress. Known for her strong-willed and independent personality, both on and off screen, she became the first female President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She would have a long career in the industry, starting on stages (including Broadway) in the late 1920s and acting in films and TV until the 1980s.

Davis would pass away in 1989, leaving behind a legacy of works across many media. For a time, she was one of the most sought-after and highest-paid actresses in the industry.

Answer: Fred Astaire

Astaire's career spanned over seven decades, during which he starred in numerous musical films and was well-regarded for those efforts, winning not only an Academy Honorary Award in 1950, but several Emmy Awards, Golden Globes, a Lincoln Center honor, a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Some of his movies, to name just a few, are classics like "The Gay Divorcee", "Holiday Inn", "Swing Time", "Easter Parade", and "Funny Face".

Despite his success, Astaire remained grounded, and that carried over into his dancing. His performances ballroom dance as a whole for generations, bringing both a modern sense of flow and influences from other dance styles to an otherwise traditional and rigid form.

Answer: Stan Laurel

One half of the famous comedy duo Laurel and Hardy, Stan Laurel was considered, by many comedians of the day, to be one of the funniest men in Hollywood, and it's jokes like these, one which shaped the tone of his funeral in 1965, that exemplified the general attitude he had towards his craft.

Though Laurel had most of his performances alongside Oliver Hardy, his acting partner, he achieved a solo Honorary Academy Award for his contributions to comedic cinema. After his passing, the pair were still so recognizably famous that they were amongst the people featured on The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album cover.

Answer: Frank Sinatra

Known, famously, as 'Ol' Blue Eyes', Frank Sinatra was a legendary singer and actor who rose to fame in the 1940s, but left a legacy as a cultural icon for decades to follow. Known for his smooth voice, his notable style, and his jazz stylings, Sinatra's career was able to span over fifty years until his passing in 1998. The winner of nearly a dozen Grammy Awards and an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (for "From Here to Eternity"), he was celebrated during his day.

This said, Sinatra's upswings came with some interesting personal downswings. Frank was married multiple times and, on occasions, was believed to be linked to the mafia and organized crime. Biographers noted that, at a point in his forties, he was drinking a bottle of Jack Daniels every day. He allegedly had a noteworthy temper as well, possibly brought on by all of these factors together.

Answer: Ingrid Bergman

In addition to being an iconic Swedish actress, Ingrid Bergman's position onscreen and in Hollywood positioned her to be a key feminist figure, challenging gender stereotypes in cinema and beyond. Though known for her beauty and elegance on screen, Bergman was also a talented actress who brought significant depth and emotion to her roles including her performances in "Casablanca", "Notorious", "Gaslight", and "For Whom the Bell Tolls". Bergman won three Academy Awards over the course of her career, cementing her amongst the greats of classic Hollywood.

Most notably, Bergman's roles in film were extremely nuanced, often bringing more complexity to characters she portrayed onscreen (hence the Oscars). It's often forgotten that Bergman's country of birth was Sweden; so many of her roles allowed her to shift into different women from different walks of life and places in the world, and this allowed her to push aside expectations each and every time. She passed away in England in 1982.

Answer: John Wayne

Though the quintessential cowboy, John Wayne was known for his tough-guy persona both on and off screen and was known to imbibe quite a bit. The drinking caught up to him in later years; he passed away in 1979 due to stomach cancer brought on by the habit, and this after a diagnosis of lung cancer in the 1960s, for which he had his left lung removed.

But his health problems aren't what people remember. Instead, John Wayne is seen as one of the most famous faces of the Hollywood western. Appearing in more than thirteen dozen films in his long career, he remained in the top ten of all movie stars from 1950 to the mid-1970s. Classic titles he appeared in include "Stagecoach", "Rio Bravo", "The Shootist", "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", and "True Grit", for which he won an Oscar.

Answer: Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe said this quote in 1953 while filming "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", one of her many iconic film roles and one of her most referenced (after all, "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" was more than just an earworm). As her modelling career helped her transition quickly into film work she found herself receiving top billing in movies like "Some Like It Hot", "The Seven Year Itch", and others.

In her personal life, she was seen as a sex symbol that transcended the cinema. She would marry three times, appear nude in the first-ever "Playboy" magazine, and be seen, in time, as a complex beauty icon. Undeniably, her stardom outlasted most.

Answer: Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly made herself into an iconic Hollywood actress into the 1950s, but retired from acting to pursue her future as the Princess of Monaco, having wed Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, who ruled the Principality for nearly six decades. Despite leaving the industry altogether, Kelly was a very bankable star. A frequent award-winner (twice nominated for an Oscar, winning for "The Country Girl"), she also appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window", "Dial M For Murder", and "To Catch a Thief".

All in all, Grace Kelly only appeared in films and TV shows for about five years before leaving Hollywood. One would have to imagine the alternative was better.