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Father Brown Trivia Quiz

G. K. Chesterton's 'Father Brown' series, about a crime-solving Catholic priest, is almost as famous as the Sherlock Holmes canon. (Warning: some SPOILERS ahead, though not about the murderers!)

A multiple-choice quiz by tjoebigham. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
tjoebigham

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
47,638

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
8 / 15

Plays
405

Last 3 plays: Guest 86 (3/15), Guest 66 (4/15), Guest 174 (11/15).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. Name the first Father Brown story. Hint

The Blue Cross

The Silver Surplice

The Gold Chalice

The Crystal Cross

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Question 2 of 15

2. When the story became an Ealing film, in the 50s, who portrayed Brown? Hint

James Mason

Sir Alec Guinness

Kenneth More

Bing Crosby

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Question 3 of 15

3. Who was the French thief who was first Brown's antagonist, then became a detective? Hint

Clouseau

Flambeau

Vidocq

Lupin

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Question 4 of 15

4. Complete this saying from 'The Blue Cross': 'The criminal is the creative artist, the detective only the -----.

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 5 of 15

5. In 'The Eye Of Apollo', what is the reason a murderous con man is able to dispatch his victim so easily? Hint

blindness

deafness

diabetes

insanity

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Question 6 of 15

6. In 'The Arrow Of Heaven', an arrow was supposed to have been shot into an impossibly high room. How did it really enter? Hint

It was carried in.

through a catapult

through a blowgun

through the keyhole

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Question 7 of 15

7. In the locked-room classic 'The Oracle Of The Dog' what was the killer's weapon? Hint

javelin

blowgun

swordstick

icicle

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Question 8 of 15

8. In 'The Dagger With Wings' where did the killer hide his corpse? Hint

on a coat-peg

in a haystack

in a trunk

in a freezer

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Question 9 of 15

9. In the classic 'The Invisible Man' who was the killer? Hint

the postman

the baker

the butcher

the policeman

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Question 10 of 15

10. In 'The Sign Of The Broken Sword' where was the corpse hidden? Hint

on a battlefield

in a morgue

in a cemetary

in a barn

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Question 11 of 15

11. Where was 'The Hammer Of God' dropped from? Hint

balloon

skyscraper

airplane

church spire

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Question 12 of 15

12. What weapon was used in 'The Salad Of Colonel Cray'? Hint

garrotte

bola

boomerang

chakram

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Question 13 of 15

13. True or False: Chesterton was born Catholic.

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 14 of 15

14. What were Chesterton's first names?

Answer: (Two Words)

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Question 15 of 15

15. True or False: Chesterton also wrote Father Brown novels.

Answer: (One Word)

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Most Recent Scores

Oct 27 2024 : Guest 86: 3/15
Oct 19 2024 : Guest 66: 4/15
Oct 13 2024 : Guest 174: 11/15

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Name the first Father Brown story.

Answer: The Blue Cross

Brown's debut, in 1911.

2. When the story became an Ealing film, in the 50s, who portrayed Brown?

Answer: Sir Alec Guinness

Crosby won an Oscar for another priest in 'Going My {Way';} More portrayed Brown, but in a BBC TV series. In Robert Hamer's 1954 'Father Brown' (U.S. 'The Detective') Guinness added the priest-slueth to his already formidable array of characters.

3. Who was the French thief who was first Brown's antagonist, then became a detective?

Answer: Flambeau

They first crossed paths in 'Blue Cross', then in 'The Flying Stars', Brown persuaded Flambeau to go straight. (Peter Finch played Flambeau to Guinness' Brown in the British movie)

4. Complete this saying from 'The Blue Cross': 'The criminal is the creative artist, the detective only the -----.

Answer: critic

One of the most profound observations on mystery fiction. (Yet why are most mysteries about slueths?)

5. In 'The Eye Of Apollo', what is the reason a murderous con man is able to dispatch his victim so easily?

Answer: blindness

The con man was the high priest of a cult that worshipped the sun, and the victim, Pauline Stacy, went blind staring at it, thus setting her up to fall to her death in an elevator shaft.

6. In 'The Arrow Of Heaven', an arrow was supposed to have been shot into an impossibly high room. How did it really enter?

Answer: It was carried in.

The killer carried it in and used it like a dagger. Such puzzles as this influenced John Dickson Carr, and he patterned his Dr. Gideon Fell after Chesterton himself.

7. In the locked-room classic 'The Oracle Of The Dog' what was the killer's weapon?

Answer: swordstick

Chesterton was noted for carrying a swordstick (a cane with a steel sword inside) with him, and he made it the murder weapon {here;} the killer thrust it at his victim through a chink in the wooden wall of a beach-house.

8. In 'The Dagger With Wings' where did the killer hide his corpse?

Answer: on a coat-peg

The victim was a midget and was hung on a coat-peg, hidden by a coat.

9. In the classic 'The Invisible Man' who was the killer?

Answer: the postman

Unlike H.G. Wells, Chesterton had his character be 'invisible' just by being in an occupation that people wouldn't ordinarily notice.

10. In 'The Sign Of The Broken Sword' where was the corpse hidden?

Answer: on a battlefield

A great battle was begun by the murderer just so he could hide his victim among all the corpses.

11. Where was 'The Hammer Of God' dropped from?

Answer: church spire

It was an ordinary hammer dropped on the victim from a high spire. Carr used a variant of this in his 'The Silver Curtain'.

12. What weapon was used in 'The Salad Of Colonel Cray'?

Answer: boomerang

Pretty handy weapon-returns to you after you dispatch your victim! (TV's Xena used the chakram, the razor-edged quoit created by India's {Sikhs;} bolas were created in South America)

13. True or False: Chesterton was born Catholic.

Answer: False

Chesterton was converted to Catholicism late in life.

14. What were Chesterton's first names?

Answer: Gilbert Keith

Many authors are known by their initials.

15. True or False: Chesterton also wrote Father Brown novels.

Answer: False

The Father Brown series were all short stories.

Source: Author tjoebigham

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