"Por Una Cabeza" On Screen Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tango Bar

"Tango Bar" (1935) tells the story of a young man who travels from Buenos Aires to Barcelona with a dream of opening a tango club. Carlos Gardel sings "Por Una Cabeza" on the boat trip across the Atlantic. The song itself compares gambling on horses with falling in love, and suggests that both tend to be losing propositions. "Tango Bar" was filmed in early 1935 and was actually released after Gardel's death.

Carlos Gardel was born in Toulose, France in 1890 and moved to Argentina as a toddler. He grew up to become one of South America's most prominent composers and musicians as well as a popular film actor. Gardel had an immense impact on both Latin American culture and 20th century music.

Tragically, Gardel died in a plane crash in Medellin, Colombia in June 1935. He was 45 years old. Alfredo Le Pera, his collaborator on many popular songs, also died in the crash.

Answer: Gabrielle Anwar

Part of the reason the tango scene in "Scent of a Woman" (1992) was so memorable was that Pacino's character, Frank Slade, was blind. Yet he dances with incredible grace. A 20 year old Gabrielle Anwar, in one of her first big movie roles, was his partner.

"Scent of a Woman" is about Slade, a bitter military vet who is suicidal after being blinded in an accident. He hires a student, Charlie Simms (Chris O'Donnell), to help him with some errands before he checks out. Slade teaches Charlie several life lessons, while Charlie helps Slade see that life is still worth living.

As to the three wrong choices, each was born in 1970, like Gabrielle Anwar.

Answer: Juno Skinner

"Por Una Cabeza" plays a major role at the start of "True Lies" (1992) when Schwarzenegger's Harry Tasker sweeps Juno Skinner off her feet. Tasker is a secret agent who has broken into the home of a major arms dealer seeking information on his buyers.

"True Lies" (1992) stars Schwarzenegger as a spy who has kept his professional identity hidden from his wife (Jamie Lee Curtis) for 17 years. The rest of the plot involves terrorists trying to nuke Miami. Tia Carrere plays Juno Skinner, an amoral art dealer who doubles as an arms dealer for terrorists.

"Por Una Cabzeza" also shows up at the end of "True Lies" when Schwarzenegger tangos with Jamie Lee Curtis.

Tia Carerre was Cassandra in the "Waynes World" films, Jessica Jamison in "Treacherous" (1993) and Diane Norwood in "Hollow Point" (1996).

Answer: Jennifer Jones

"Carrie" (1952) is a film version of the Theodore Dreiser novel "Sister Carrie" with Jennifer Jones in the title role. The film is set in Chicago around 1900. "Por Una Cabeza" is used during a montage showing the relationship between Olivier and Jones. Miriam Hopkins played Olivier's wife.

Oliver was married to Vivien Leigh in real life in 1952. Joan Fontaine was Olivier's leading lady in "Rebecca" (1940), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1941. Olivier was one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation, on both stage and screen, and Britain's most prestigious acting awards are named after him.

Jennifer Jones was one the bigger film stars of the 1940s and 1950s, and won an Academy Award for "Song of Bernadette" (1943). Jones retired in the mid-1960s and spent much of her life focused on mental health. She died in 1990 at the age of 90.

Answer: Penelope Cruz

"A Matador's Mistress" is the US title of the 2008 bio-pic "Manolete". It tells the story of legendary bullfighter Manuel Laureano Rodríguez, with Adrien Brody as the title character. "Por Una Cabeza" is used as background music to the romance between Manolete and Antonita, Penelope Cruz's character.

Penelope Cruz is the foremost Spanish actress of her generation. She won an Academy Award for her performance in the Woody Allen comedy "Vicky Christina Barcelona" (2008) and has several other Oscar nominations. She is the first Spanish actress to win an Oscar and the first with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Other notable performances include "Volver" (2007), "Nine" (2010) and "Parallel Mothers" (2021).

Answer: Jessica Biel

"Easy Virtue" (2008) is based on the Noel Coward play and is set in the 1920s. It tells the story of Larita Whittaker (Jessica Biel) who marries into a British family. Colin Firth plays her father-in-law, with whom Larita shares a rather intimate tango to "Por Una Cabeza". Since it is a Noel Coward play, complications ensue.

Kristin Scott Thomas played Veronica, Larita's mother in law. Kimberly Nixon was Hilda, Larita's sister in law. And Charlotte Riley was Sarah, Larita's husband's former girlfriend.

Answer: Nazi officers

"Schindler's List" (1993), a masterpiece by Steven Spielberg, won the Academy Award for Best Picture as well as several other Oscars. It tells the true story of Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), who rescued several thousand Jews from the Holocaust. At the start of the film, Schindler is an almost amoral businessman interested solely in money. After learning the true nature of the "Final Solution" Schindler used his money to save thousands of Jews from concentration camps.

At the start of the film, Schindler is trying to court several high ranking Nazi officers in a night club as "Por Una Cabeza" plays.

Answer: Ransacking a mansion

In "Bad Santa" (2003), Billy Bob Thornton plays Willie Stoke, a thief who poses as Santa Claus in order to rob shopping malls. Tony Cox plays Marcus, a little person who is his elf sidekick. Willie ultimately finds redemption after befriending a young man who believes that Willie is actually Santa.

"Por Una Cabeza" comes into play as Willie ransacks a mansion, including looting a safe.

Answer: Regina Hall

"Naked" (2017) is basically "Groundhog Day" with the twist that Marlon Wayans is naked at the start of the time loop. Wayans plays Rob Anderson, who finds himself in a time loop on his wedding day, trying to make sure his wedding happens. Eliza Coupe plays Vicky, the jealous bridesmaid who tries to sabotage the wedding. Mika Kelly is Callie, the prostitute hired by Viclky to set up Rob (that Rob did not sleep with). And Loretta Devine was Carol, Rob's mother.

The film is a remake of the 2000 Swedish film "Naken". It generally received negative reviews, except for the performance of Wayans. The pacing, script and direction were widely criticized with a zero rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

At the end of the film, after he marries Megan (Regina Hall), they dance to "Por Una Cabeza" at the reception.

Answer: All The King's Men

"Por Una Cabeza" is the music as Leila Bazzani performs a burlesque dance for Willie Stark in "All The King's Men" (2006). The film is based on the novel by Robert Penn Warren, and is a remake oi the 1949 Best Picture.

"All the King's Men" stars Penn as Stark, a politician who starts as an idealist but is corrupted by power and money. It is loosely based on real life Louisiana Governor Huey Long. Like Stark, Long had a meteoric rise and an abrupt fall; he was assassinated in 1935.