A Hitchcock Common Bond Trivia Quiz

Answer: wheelchair

Some other famous wheelchair users were physicist Stephen Hawking, Winston Churchill (in his final years), and, last but definitely not least, Professor Charles Xavier alias Professor X, leader of the X-Men.

Answer: double bass (contrabass)

This six-feet-tall instrument is also called a "contrabass" and is a standard instrument in any symphony orchestra. The number of double basses in an orchestra varies according to what they play. Some require only one or maybe two, while others (such as Wagner or Mahler) may count in six to ten of them.

Answer: bus

Since Dublin is so close to the sea, building an underground train is impractical to impossible. There are the yellow buses instead, which run all day and all across the city. Beware, though, if you want to take the Nitelink (i.e. the night bus): although they are operated by the same company and look the same as the day buses, they only go out of town and cost extra, no matter where you get off. Your daily/monthly ticket will not be valid on the Nitelink.
The gray or white buses mentioned in the question refer, of course, to the Greyhound buses.

Answer: class reunion

In Mary Higgins Clark's (very recommendable) novel, someone is killing their former classmates, and the main character tries to get to the bottom of the mystery.
"Romy and Michele", starring Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow, is a pretty funny chick flick that deals with the story of two high school "BFFs" who try to impress their former classmates at the reunion and do away with their past image.

Answer: Before & After

"Before & After" magazine adopts a very down-to-earth approach to graphic design, trying to make it fun and easy for everyone.
"Beef" is, at least here in Germany, a very upscale cooking magazine aimed at men.

Answer: silhouette

French finance minister Etienne de Silhouette was in office during the Seven Years War and was forced to impose major economic cutbacks on the population, especially the rich. His name then became a synonym for anything cheap, and since silhouettes - i.e. outline portraits cut from black cardboard - were the cheapest way to have your portrait done back then, before photography, the name stuck.

Answer: cards

Canasta (Spanish for "basket") requires a minimum of two players and is played with two full decks of cards (108 cards total). The aim is to get rid of all your cards by making melds of seven cards of the same rank, or using jokers to substitute missing cards.

There must be fewer jokers in a "canasta" than other cards, so the lowest-ranking meld you can make is four [tens, queens, aces, etc.] plus 3 jokers.

Answer: Sealyham terrier

Sealyhams are white, long-coated dogs that measure between 10 and 12 inches at the withers. They are usually more active as puppies than as adults, so a balanced diet and sufficient exercise are important to prevent a Sealyham from becoming too fat and lazy. They are generally regarded as friendly dogs well-suited for a family.

Answer: prologue

"Prologue" stems from the Greek "pro" ("before") and "logos" ("word"). A prologue is a kind of introduction to a play; the term is also used in novels and movies. Some playwrights (Shakespeare, Hofmannsthal) actually include a character called "Prologue", while in other plays, it may be a member of the cast speaking the prologue.

Answer: cameo

Alfred Hitchcock was notorious (no pun intended) for his brief cameo appearances in many of his movies. Spotting "Hitch" is a popular sport among fans.
The cameos I've used in this quiz are:
Question 1: Wheelchair - In "Topaz", Hitchcock can be seen being pushed in a wheelchair. He subsequently gets out of it and walks off with another man.
Question 2: Double Bass - In "Strangers On A Train", he is the man with the double bass boarding the train when Farley Granger gets off.
Question 3: Bus - This applies to two notable cameos: In "To Catch A Thief", Cary Grant is sitting on a bus and the camera turns to reveal Hitchcock sitting next to him. Cary Grant gives him a funny "Not you again" look. Also, in "North By Northwest" (also starring Cary Grant), he is shown missing a bus by an inch.
Question 4: Class Reunion - In "Dial M For Murder", Hitchcock's rather unusual cameo consists of being in a photograph of a class reunion. Hitchcock specially devised this cameo himself.
Question 5: Before & After - In "Lifeboat", there was little chance for a casual walk-on, so "Hitch" decided to appear in a newspaper ad in a "Before & After" picture for Reduco Obesity Slayer. Fun Trivia: In "Rope", his silhouette is seen from a window in a red neon sign also advertising Reduco.
Question 6: Silhouette - In "Family Plot", Hitchcock's silhouette appears behind the glass door of the Registrar of Births and Deaths. He also features as a silhouette in "Rope" (see above), and as the prologue in "The Wrong Man" (see below).
Question 7: Cards - In "Shadow Of A Doubt", we see him on the train to Santa Rosa with his back to the camera, playing cards.
Question 8: Sealyham terrier - In "The Birds", Alfred Hitchcock is leaving the pet shops leading two Sealyhams on a leash just as Tippi Hedren enters.
Question 9: Prologue - In "The Wrong Man", Hitchcock narrates the prologue himself. Hitchcock deliberately wanted his appearance in that movie to be different because "The Wrong Man" is based on a true story.